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☆ Video shows Ukrainian soldiers in intense house-to-house fighting in Bakhmut as Russia's invasion approaches one-year mark
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Footage released by Ukrainian forces shows intense scenes of border guards firing at Russians. In the video released last Tuesday on Facebook, the Border Guard Service said four Russian "occupiers" were killed, and five were wounded. Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants to capture Bahkmut by the war's one-year mark on February 24, Sky News reported. Ukrainian forces have held off shelling of 20 settlements near Bakhmut as of Friday, General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a Facebook post. Russian forces are responsible for a "widespread and systematic attack" against Ukrainian civilians, she said, including execution-style killings, rape, and torture.

☆ Vice President Harris says Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. The 59th Munich Security Conference is taking place from Feb. 17 to Feb. 19, 2023, at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said Saturday that Washington has determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine, and insisted that "justice must be served" to the perpetrators. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also was attending the Munich conference, said in a statement issued as Harris spoke that "we reserve crimes against humanity determinations for the most egregious crimes." If Russian President Vladimir Putin succeeds in attacking international rules and norms, "other nations could feel emboldened to follow his violent example," she said.

☆ Harris warns against Chinese support for Russia in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MUNICH, Feb 18 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday warned that Chinese support for Russia in its war in Ukraine would reward aggression, as the two powers traded barbs at a prominent security conference in Germany. "Any steps by China to provide lethal support to Russia would only reward aggression, continue the killing, and further undermine a rules-based order," she said. China and Russia announced a "no limits" partnership shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago. Washington warned Beijing not to provide material support for the war effort or to help Moscow sidestep Western sanctions. Harris, meanwhile, said Putin's invasion of Ukraine could strengthen efforts by other "authoritarian" countries, a characterization the Biden administration often uses to describe China's political system.

☆ Blinken meets with senior Chinese diplomat in Munich amid tensions over suspected spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Andrea Mitchell | Christina Zhao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday met with a senior Chinese diplomat at a conference in Munich, a State Department spokesperson said. Diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China have risen since the shooting down of the alleged Chinese spy balloon, which China has insisted was not intended for spying. Earlier Thursday, Biden delivered his first remarks about the Chinese balloon and three unidentified objects flying above North America that were downed by the U.S. military. One was shot down Feb. 10 over Alaska, another was shot down Feb. 11 over Canada, and a third was shot down over Lake Huron on Feb. 12. U.S. Northern Command said Friday it recommended an end to the search for debris from two objects shot down in United States airspace this month.

☆ U.S. declares Russia committed 'crimes against humanity' in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MUNICH, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The Biden administration formally concluded that Russia has committed "crimes against humanity" during its nearly year-long invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said on Saturday. The U.N.-backed Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has not yet concluded that the war crimes it says it has identified amount to crimes against humanity. Russia, which says it is conducting a "special military operation" in Ukraine to eliminate threats to its security and protect Russian-speakers, has denied intentionally targeting civilians or committing war crimes. The Biden administration has sought to bring alleged war criminals to justice, including training Ukrainian investigators, imposing sanctions, blocking visas and hiking penalties under U.S. war crimes laws. Kyiv has been pushing for a new international war crimes organization to focus on the Russian invasion, which Moscow has opposed.

The talks follow weeks of media speculation that a deal was close with the EU to revise the Northern Ireland protocol, which was agreed when Britain left the bloc three years ago. Speaking earlier in Munich, Sunak said a new deal was "by no means done," adding that Brussels and London had an understanding of how the problems could be resolved. "We're working through them (the issues) hard and we will work through them intensely with the EU, but we are by no means done." Sunak reassured the audience at the conference that Britain wanted to have a positive relationship with the bloc. Reporting by Muvija M and Kate Holton; Editing by Jane Merriman and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine 'weeks away' from full IMF support program, says fund chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The IMF's Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has said a fully-fledged support program for Ukraine is "weeks away." Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty ImagesThe IMF is weeks away from finalizing a fully-fledged program of support for Ukraine, the fund's Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told CNBC Saturday. The program comes at a crucial time for Ukraine, which approaches the first anniversary of Russia's invasion on Feb. 24. The IMF estimates that the country could require financial support in excess of $40 billion this year, even as Ukraine's economy is forecast to return to growth after a 30% contraction in 2022. "And two, because the country does need the policy support that the IMF provides.

☆ India FM Jaishankar says Soros dangerous, debate needed on democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 18 (Reuters) - India’s foreign minister said the democratic world needed a debate on democracy, labelling billionaire investor George Soros “old, rich, opinionated and dangerous” for his comments on India that didn’t recognise its difficult path from colonisation. In a speech ahead of the Munich Security Conference the billionaire investor Soros on Thursday criticised India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying India was a democracy but Modi was not a democrat. read moreIndia’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told a conference in Sydney on Saturday that Soro's comments were typical of a "Euro Atlantic view". He said there was “a debate and conversation that we must have on democracy”, including whose values defined a democracy as the world rebalanced and became less Euro Atlantic. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute think-tank hosted a one-day conference where Jaishankar highlighted in a speech the urgent need to "de-risk the global economy" as India took over the G20 presidency.

[1/2] A Ukrainian serviceman rides inside a truck with artillery shells, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine January 5, 2023. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the idea of joint procurement of 155-millimetre artillery shells – badly needed by Kyiv – at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. DEPLETED STOCKPILESA joint procurement effort would aim to replenish the stockpiles of Kyiv's allies, badly depleted after a year of supplying munitions to help Ukraine fight Russia's invasion. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week Ukraine was using up artillery shells faster than its allies could currently produce them. Diplomats and officials did not specify how much the EU might spend on joint procurement.

☆ WFP boss criticises northwestern Syrian authorities for slowing quake aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Emirates Red Crescent and Syrian Arab Red Crescent distribute boxes of humanitarian aid in response to a deadly earthquake in Jableh, Syria, February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Amr AlfikyMUNICH, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The head of the World Food Programme (WFP) on Saturday pressured authorities in northwestern Syria to stop blocking access to the area as it seeks to help hundreds of thousands of people ravaged by earthquakes. "The problems we are running into is the cross-line operations into northwest Syria where the northwestern Syrian authorities are not giving us the access we need," Beasley told Reuters. Our operation is about $50 million a month for our earthquake response alone so unless Europe wants a new wave of refugees, we need get the support we need," Beasley said. I will call them out and will not be silent about this," Beasley said, referring to the authorities in northwestern Syria.

☆ 'We have nothing to hide': Ukraine's foreign minister dismisses allegations of corruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba has dismissed concerns that his country is allegedly mishandling the Western funding routed to support Kyiv's defense against Russia. "We are absolutely clean when it comes to the use of resources provided to us by our partners. It comes after a crack-down on potential corruption by the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in recent weeks, as some Western officials worry about the transparency and allocation of billions of dollars in foreign aid funds. We are absolutely, absolutely open and transparent on that. Several European countries have now agreed to send tank vehicles to Ukraine, although this falls short of meeting Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy's appeals for fighter jets.

☆ Time to ramp up support for Iranian people, former Shah's son says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Eight Iranian exiled dissidents, including Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the toppled Shah, discussed ways of uniting a fragmented opposition earlier this month, amid pro-government events marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution inside the country. "We are to looking at means on how we can support the movement back home," Pahlavi said. "There is a lot of discussion on maximum pressure and more sanctions, but parallel to maximum pressure there needs to be maximum support." It remains unclear how much support Pahlavi has on the ground, but there have been some pro- and anti-slogans in demonstrations. Many Iranians remember the Shah’s secret police, Savak, and Pahlavi said he condemned what had happened then.

☆ Earthquake death toll passes 46,000 amid desperation for signs of life
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The mother and father survived but the child died later of dehydration, the rescue team said. When we find people who are alive we are always happy," Atay Osmanov, a member of the rescue team, told Reuters. As rescue efforts continued one worker yelled into the rubble: "Take a deep breath if you can hear my voice." The death toll in Turkey stands at 40,642 from the quake while neighboring Syria has reported more than 5,800 deaths, a toll that has not changed for days. In Syria, already shattered by more than a decade of civil war, the bulk of fatalities have been in the northwest.

[1/2] A Ukrainian serviceman rides inside a truck with artillery shells, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine January 5, 2023. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the idea of joint procurement of 155-millimetre artillery shells – badly needed by Kyiv – at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. DEPLETED STOCKPILESA joint procurement effort would aim to replenish the stockpiles of Kyiv's allies, badly depleted after a year of supplying munitions to help Ukraine fight Russia's invasion. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week Ukraine was using up artillery shells faster than its allies could currently produce them. Diplomats and officials did not put a figure on how much the EU might spend on joint procurement.

☆ U.S. officials believe China may be providing Russia non-lethal military assistance in Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Courtney Kube | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S. believes China may be providing non-lethal military assistance to Russia for use in Ukraine, according to four U.S. officials, and the administration is concerned they are considering sending lethal aid. While China has provided some help to Russia, including parroting Russian disinformation campaigns about the war, this is more tangible assistance for use by Russian troops in Ukraine. The officials declined to provide specifics about the non-lethal military assistance, but said it could include gear for the spring offensive like uniforms or even body armor. U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, have warned China not to supply Russia with military assistance or there would be consequences. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the Conference Saturday and said China has grown closer to Russia since the war began.

☆ Britain will help any country willing to send fighter jets to Ukraine, Sunak says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUNICH, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Britain stands ready to support any country that was willing to send fighter jets to Ukraine right now, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Saturday, as he urged allies to maintain their support in the war against Russia. Britain has offered strong support to Ukraine since Russia's invasion nearly a year ago, including through the delivery of weapons and training of troops. It has so far refused to send fighter jets, saying the lengthy time needed to train pilots and substantial support crews required meant they would be of little immediate use, but Sunak told the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday that Britain could help in other ways. "We will happily provide a system to any country that is able to provide Ukraine with fighter jets right now. Reporting by Muvija M and Kate Holton in London; editing by Jane Merriman and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sunak, Harris discuss Ukraine, call the conflict 'a global war'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the countries which have supported Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts in Ukraine, Sunak's office said, describing the war as a "global war". "The Prime Minister and Vice President Harris condemned those countries who have supported Putin’s efforts politically and militarily," his office said in a statement after their meeting at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. "They agreed that Putin’s war in Ukraine is a global war, both in terms of its impact on food and energy security and in terms of its implications for internationally accepted norms like sovereignty," the statement added. Reporting by Muvija M; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU aims to team up with defence industry to speed up ammunition output
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUNICH, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The European Union aims to join forces with the bloc's defence industry to speed up and scale up the production of ammunition badly needed on the battlefield in Ukraine and to replenish military stocks at home, its chief said on Saturday. "We could think of, for example, advanced purchase agreements that give the defence industry the possibility to invest in production lines now to be faster and to increase the amount they can deliver," she said. Von der Leyen underlined that the bloc could not wait for months and years to be able to replenish its own military stocks or send munitions such as 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine. "It is now the time, really, to speed up the production, and to scale up the production of standardized products that Ukraine needs desperately, for example standardized ammunition," she said. Reporting by Sabine Siebold; editing by Matthias WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Watch CNBC’s full interview with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at the Munich Security Conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC’s full interview with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at the Munich Security ConferenceDmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, speaks to CNBC’s Hadley Gamble at the Munich Security Conference as Russia’s war in Ukraine approaches one year.

The comments by Wang Yi further clouded the prospects of a meeting between Wang and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the sidelines of the gathering. "To have dispatched an advanced fighter jet to shoot down a balloon with a missile, such behaviour is unbelievable, almost hysterical," said Wang. "There are so many balloons all over the world, and various countries have them, so is the United States going to shoot all of them down?," he said. The balloon spat had prompted Blinken to postpone a planned visit to Beijing. China is as a permanent member of the UN Security Council obligated to use its influence to secure world peace."

☆ China's top diplomat reiterates calls for dialogue over Ukraine crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - China has "neither stood by idly nor thrown fuel on the fire" regarding the crisis in Ukraine, and continues to call for peace and dialogue, top diplomat Wang Yi said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. China will set out its position on settling the Ukraine crisis in a document that will state all countries' territorial integrity must be respected, Wang said. Asked to reassure the audience that military escalation was not imminent over the Taiwan Strait, Wang said Taiwan "independence forces" are incompatible with peace. "If we want to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait, we must resolutely oppose Taiwan independence, and we must resolutely maintain the one-China policy." Reporting by David Kirton in Shenzhen, China, Ryan Woo in Beijing and Laura Lin in Shanghai; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. handling of balloon incident 'hysterical', says China's top diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - China's top diplomat Wang Yi said on Saturday that the U.S. handling of the balloon incident had been "unimaginable" and "hysterical" - an "absurd" act that had violated international norms. The incident, which had prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a planned visit early this month to Beijing, has further aggravated already strained relations between Washington and Beijing. "We ask the U.S. to show its sincerity and correct its mistakes, face up and resolve this incident, which has damaged Sino-U.S. relations," he said. "We hope the U.S. could pursue a pragmatic and positive policy towards China, and work with China to push Sino-U.S. relations back to the track of healthy development." Reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; editing by Jason Neely and Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris meets with French President Emmanuel Macron at the bilateral meeting at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 17, 2023. Michael Probst/Pool via REUTERSFeb 17 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris discussed challenges posed by China with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and agreed to remain closely aligned during meetings with the leaders in Munich, the White House said on Friday. Harris "discussed challenges posed by the People's Republic of China, including the importance of upholding the rules-based order, and agreed to remain closely aligned," the White House said in a statement. Harris defended the United States' handling of the balloon incident and the shooting down of three other unidentified objects. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly demanded that foreign officials not visit the democratically governed island.

☆ Beijing is 'watching closely' if Russia succeeds in Ukraine, NATO says, flagging rising China challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said Saturday China is "watching closely" whether or not Russia succeeds in Ukraine. Johannes Simon | Stringer | Getty Images NewsNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Saturday that China is closely watching Russia's success in Ukraine, with the outcome of Europe's war likely to have wide-reaching implications for Beijing's behavior in Asia-Pacific. "Beijing is watching closely what's going on in Ukraine. And if Putin wins there, of course, that will impact their decisions on how to behave in Asia," Stoltenberg told CNBC's Hadley Gamble. watch nowSpeaking ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Stoltenberg said that NATO does not see China as an "imminent" threat.

☆ Europe Pledges Support for Ukraine in War, but Seeks Diplomatic Ways Out
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Bojan Pancevski | Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MUNICH—European leaders put on a show of unity on Friday, stressing their support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, while also seeking possible negotiated paths to end the conflict. Meeting at the Munich Security Conference, a global security and foreign policy forum, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged continued support for Ukraine but signaled they had no intention to supply Kyiv with new weapons systems.

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