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☆ Putin heads for Belarus amid fears of new assault on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

KYIV, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin flies to Belarus on Monday amid fear in Kyiv that he intends to pressure the former Soviet ally to join a new ground offensive against Ukraine and reopen a new front. There has been constant Russian and Belarusian military activity for months in Belarus, a close Kremlin ally that Moscow's troops used as a launch pad for their abortive attack on Kyiv in February. Moscow and Minsk have since set up a joint regional unit of forces in Belarus and held numerous military exercises. Three Russian warplanes and an airborne early warning and control aircraft were deployed to Belarus last week. Lukashenko said he and Putin will hold talks on a long-running effort to integrate their countries into a supranational union State.

☆ Kremlin says Minsk deals failure led to Russia's Ukraine offensive
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

President Vladimir Putin this week bemoaned the failure to implement the Minsk agreements - ceasefire and constitutional reform deals between Kyiv and Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine brokered in 2014 and 2015 by Russia, France and Germany, at the outset of the conflict with Ukraine. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of violating the deal. Asked by a journalist whether Russia understood that it was being "deceived" over the Minsk accords, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Over time, of course, it became obvious. "And, again, President Putin and our other representatives constantly kept saying this," the TASS news agency quoted Peskov as saying. "This is all precisely the precursor to the special military operation."

SummarySummary Companies Ukraine, Russia, Belarus rights campaigners won awardPrize highlight importance of civil society for peaceByalyatski in jail, wife speaks for him at ceremonyOSLO, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Russia wants to turn Ukraine into a "dependent dictatorship" like Belarus, the wife of jailed Belarusian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Byalyatski said on Saturday upon receiving the prize on his behalf, speaking his words. "It highlights the dramatic situation and struggle for human rights in the country," she said, adding she was speaking her husband's words. Pinchuk has met her husband once since he was named a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in prison, behind a glass wall, she told a news conference on Friday. "I know exactly what kind of Ukraine would suit Russia and Putin — a dependent dictatorship. Belarus and Russia are formally part of a "union state" and are closely allied economically and militarily.

☆ Putin says loss of trust in West will make future Ukraine talks harder
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Kevin Liffey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Putin: 'Trust almost at zero'Putin accuses West of betrayal over 2014/15 Minsk agreementsU.S.-Russia intelligence contacts continue, howeverLONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia's near-total loss of trust in the West would make an eventual settlement over Ukraine much harder to reach, although contacts between Russian and U.S. intelligence services were at least continuing. "We thought we would still be able to agree within the framework of the Minsk peace agreements. There is a question of trust," Putin said. "It turns out that no one was going to fulfil all these Minsk agreements," Putin said, "and the point was only to pump up Ukraine with weapons and prepare it for hostilities." Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a news conference following the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, December 9, 2022.

☆ Putin: Russia may have to make Ukraine deal one day, but partners cheated in the past
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would likely have to reach agreements regarding Ukraine in the future, but felt betrayed by the breakdown of the Minsk agreements. Putin said Germany and France - which brokered ceasefire agreements in the Belarusian capital Minsk between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and 2015 - had betrayed Russia and were now pumping Ukraine with weapons. In an interview published in Germany's Zeit magazine on Wednesday, former German chancellor Angela Merkel said that the Minsk agreements had been an attempt to "give Ukraine time" to build up its defences. Speaking on Friday at a news conference in Kyrgyzstan, Putin said he was "disappointed" by Merkel's comments. Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Russia launched what it calls its "special military operation" in February, saying Ukraine's deepening ties with the West posed a security threat. MOBILISATIONAround 150,000 of the 300,000 reservists called up in September and October were deployed in Ukraine, 77,000 in combat units, he said. [1/3] Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link in Moscow, Russia December 6, 2022. President Alexander Lukashenko, who relied on Russian troops to put down a popular revolt two years ago, has so far kept his own army from joining the war in Ukraine. Thousands of Russian troops have deployed in Belarus since October, Ukraine says, and Belarus authorities have increasingly spoken of a threat of "terrorism" from partisans operating from across the border.

☆ Factbox: Flurry of military activity in Belarus stirs concern in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

KYIV, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Constant Belarusian and Russian military activity in Belarus has stirred concerns that a new attack on neighbouring Ukraine could be possible in the coming months. Some 70% of them had been checked by Dec. 1, the Belarusian defence ministry said. The Belarus Defence Ministry announced the start of a large-scale "rotation of army units" on its border with Ukraine on Oct. 17. A group of Russian generals arrived in Belarus on Dec. 1 to conduct an inspection of Russian military units, according to opposition Telegram channel Gajun. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu travelled to Belarus on Saturday and held talks with Lukashenko and the Belarusian defence minister.

☆ Russia, Belarus defence ministers hold talks in Minsk, state media report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu held talks with his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin, the state-run Belta news agency said on Saturday. The two sides discussed bilateral military cooperation and amended an agreement on the "joint provision of regional security", it said, without providing further detail. Russia and Belarus are formally part of a "union state" and are closely allied economically and militarily, with Moscow using Belarus as a staging post for its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Belarus has said it will not enter the war in Ukraine, but President Alexander Lukashenko has in the past ordered troops to deploy with Russian forces near the Ukrainian border, citing threats to Belarus from Kyiv and the West. Reporting by ReutersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jailed Belarus protest leader in intensive care after operation - sister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

KYIV, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Jailed Belarusian protest leader Maria Kolesnikova was in a stable but serious condition in the intensive care ward of a hospital on Tuesday after undergoing surgery, her sister and opposition politician Viktor Babariko's Telegram account said. The jailed Babariko's Telegram channel said Kolesnikova, an outspoken critic of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, had been taken to a hospital in the southeastern city of Gomel on Monday. In an interview with Russian independent TV station Dozhd (TV Rain), which broadcasts from Latvia, the protest leader's sister, Tatsiana Khomich, said Kolesnikova had undergone surgery on Monday after a time in a punishment cell. Nothing was known about the reason for the surgery, and Kolesnkova had not complained about her health, Khomich said. Babariko's telegram channel said Kolesnikova was set to be moved out of the intensive care unit to a surgery ward on Wednesday.

☆ Belarus officials say Vladimir Makei, long-time foreign minister, has died suddenly
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Belarus’ long-standing foreign minister has died suddenly, the country’s foreign ministry said Saturday, two days before he was meant to meet his Russian counterpart. "The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei has passed away," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus said in a tweet. Before the presidential elections and mass anti-government protests in Belarus in 2020, Makei had been one of the initiators of efforts to improve Belarus’ relations with the West and had criticized Russia. “We are shocked by the reports of the death of the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted in her Telegram channel. “In 2020, Makei betrayed the Belarusian people and supported tyranny.

☆ Russia to postpone $1.4 bln of Belarus debt payments for 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Summary This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Russia will allow Belarus to postpone debt payments totalling $1.4 billion for 10 years, while also setting a fixed interest rate, according to draft laws approved by Russian lower house of parliament, or Duma, on Tuesday. At the start of the year, Belarus has asked Russia to restructure and refinance Minsk's 2022 debt obligations and Moscow would move all payments, redemptions and debt servicing due between March 2022 and April 2023 to 2028-2033, Timur Maksimov, Russian deputy finance minister, told Duma. Russia would also fix the interest rate at 12% per year instead of a floating rate tied to Russian OFZ rouble bond yields used before, he added. Belarus is Russia's ally in what the Kremlin calls "special military operation" in Ukraine which the Moscow launched in February. Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Poland mulls barrier on Kaliningrad border, says top official
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Poland accuses Russia and its ally Belarus of using migrants as part of a "hybrid warfare" campaign to destabilise Europe. Poland built a 5.5 metre (18 feet) tall steel barrier, equipped with motion sensors and cameras, stretching for about 187 km (116 miles) on the Belarus border. Poland had previously said the border guard had received funds to build an "electronic barrier" of sensors and cameras on the Kaliningrad border. Since Feb. 24, 7.26 million Ukrainians have entered Poland, according to the Polish Border Guard. Sobolewski also said there were signs of larger groups of migrants appearing at the Belarus border.

☆ GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano's new ad uses same stock footage as Russian propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An ad posted by the Doug Mastriano campaign uses footage previously featured in Russian propaganda. The stock footage of two young girls appears to have come from a videographer in Belarus. In July, a Russian embassy used the footage in an ad encouraging people to move to Russia. Twitter/Russian Embassy in SpainIt is not the first time that the campaign appears to have used stock footage from the site. The allure of stock footage — especially, of course, the free variety — is money.

☆ World Bank cites overdue payments, puts loans to Belarus in 'nonperforming' status
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - The World Bank said on Monday it had placed all loans made by its main lending arm to Belarus into "nonperforming" status effective immediately, citing overdue payments amounting to $68.43 million. All International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loans to, or guaranteed by, Belarus were affected, the bank said. The bank stopped all programs in Belarus on March 2, and has not approved new lending to the country since May 2020. It said Belarus' outstanding principal of $967 million amounted to 0.42% of IBRD’s total outstanding loans. Being placed in nonperforming status results in a charge to income of about $12.75 million, it said.

☆ Belarus to hold live-fire exercises with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 17 (Reuters) - The Belarusian defence ministry said on Monday it will conduct live fire exercises and anti-aircraft guided missile launches as part of its joint grouping with Russian forces, Interfax reported. The Belarusian defence ministry said last week that Russian troops would deploy to the country to form a new "regional grouping" amid claims from Minsk that Ukraine is preparing to attack its territory. Belarus is a close Russian ally that has provided logistical and political support to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Shortly before the Feb. 24 invasion, Russian troops arrived in Belarus for what Moscow described as military exercises, before launching cross-border attacks against the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Reuters; editing by Guy FaulconbridgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Belarus says it will host just under 9,000 Russian troops
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Summary This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The defence ministry in Minsk on Sunday said just under 9,000 Russian troops would be stationed in Belarus as part of a "regional grouping" of forces to protect its borders. "The first troop trains with Russian servicemen who are part of the (regional grouping) began to arrive in Belarus," Valeriy Revenko, head of the defence ministry's international military cooperation department, wrote on Twitter. "The total number will be a little less than 9,000 people." Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last week that his troops would deploy with Russian forces near the Ukrainian border, citing what he said were threats from Ukraine and the West. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Reuters; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ France accuses Russia of stoking Armenia, Azerbaijan conflict
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - France's President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia on Wednesday of purposefully provoking the recent clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan as part of an effort destabilise the Caucasus region and beyond. The worst fighting between the two ex-Soviet countries since 2020 broke out in late September, killing more than 200 people. However, speaking to France 2 television on Wednesday Macron said Moscow had stoked tensions in recent months in favour of Azerbaijan. France, along with the United States and Russia are co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group that mediates over Nagorno-Karabakh. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by John Irish; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Poland advises its citizens to leave Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Polish citizens in Belarus should leave the country, Warsaw said on Monday, as relations between the two countries become increasingly tense in part due to the war in Ukraine. The advice follows a similar recommendation given in September to Poles in Russia, a close ally of Belarus. "We recommend that Polish citizens staying on the territory of the Republic of Belarus leave its territory with available commercial and private means," the government said in guidance for travellers published on its website. Warsaw says that the Polish minority in Belarus faces repression from the state, with some community leaders having been imprisoned. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Alan Charlish, Anna Koper, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Eastward gas flows via Yamal-Europe pipeline resume on Sunday -operator data
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA worker climbs a cylinder at a gas compressor station at the Yamal-Europe pipeline near Nesvizh, southwest of Minsk December 29, 2006. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoSept 26 (Reuters) - Eastbound gas flows resumed on Sunday via the Yamal-Europe pipeline to Poland from Germany after a brief halt, data from pipeline operator Gascade showed. Exit flows at the Mallnow metering point on the German border were at 668,924 kilowatt-hours per hour (kWh/h) between 1700-1800 CET after remaining zero since 0600 CET, data showed. Flows stood at 665,593 kWh/h on Monday between 0200-0300 CET. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Seven killed in Ukrainian strike on Luhansk region - Russian-installed authorities
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSept 20 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian strike on a Russian-controlled village in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine killed seven civilians, including three children, on Monday night, Russian-installed officials said on Tuesday. The strike hit Krasnorichenske, in part of Luhansk region held Russian forces, Luhansk's representative to the Joint Centre of Control and Coordination (JCCC) said on Tuesday. Reuters was unable to verify battlefield reports. The JCCC was set up as part of the failed Minsk Agreement - a deal between Russia and Ukraine designed to mediate and deescalate the conflict between Russian-backed separatists and Ukraine that started after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lituania a început să ridice un gard din sârmă ghimpată de-a lungul frontierei cu Belarusul pentru a opri fluxul de migranți ilegali
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-09 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: 1 min

Autoritățile lituaniene au început să ridice un gard din sârmă ghimpată de-a lungul frontierei cu Belarusul pentru a opri fluxul de migranți ilegali. Potrivit Ministerului lituanian al Apărării, producţia de sârmă ghimpată este de 5 kilometri pe zi, iar gardul poate fi instalat pe 500 de km din cei aproape 680 de km, cât are frontiera cu Belarusul. Costul unui km de sârmă ghimpată este de 30 de mii de euro. Poliţia de frontieră din Lituania prinde zilnic în jur de 150 de migranți, majoritatea originari din Irak. Pe fondul sancţiunilor impuse de Uniunea Europeană regimului Lukaşenko, guvernul de la Minsk a anunţat că a dublat numărul de curse aeriene din Siria și Irak, de unde sosesc sute de migranți, care ulterior sunt ajutați să ajungă în Lituania.

Organizations: lituanian, Uniunea Europeană Locations: Belarusul, Apărării, Lituania, Irak, Minsk, anunţat, Siria

„Vom începe construirea unei bariere fizice suplimentare, care va separa Lituania şi Belarusul şi care va fi un semnal şi o descurajare pentru cei care organizează fluxurile ilegale de migranţi”, a spus, marți, șefa guvernului lituanian într-o conferinţă de presă. Šimonytė a mai declarat că Belarusul le oferă migranţilor zboruri spre Minsk de la Bagdad şi, posibil, Istanbul. Ea a spus că are dovezi găsite la cel puţin un migrant. Uniunea Europeană condamnă decizia Belarusului de a le permite migranţilor ilegali să treacă în Lituania ca răspuns la sancţiunile impuse de Uniunea Europeană, a declarat luni preşedintele Consiliului European, Charles Michel. Guvernul lituanian a declarat, vineri, stare de urgenţă la nivel naţional, conform Agerpres, în condiţiile în care numărul migranţilor, în principal irakieni, veniţi din Belarus a ajuns la 150 pe zi, mai mulţi decât au intrat în Lituania în fiecare dintre precedenţii trei ani.

Persons: Istanbul . Ea, Charles Michel . Organizations: Uniunea Europeană, Consiliului Locations: Lituania, Belarusul, lituanian, Minsk, Bagdad, Istanbul, Belarusului, Agerpres, veniţi, Belarus

☆ Lituania construiește o barieră fizică la granița cu Belarusul
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-08 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

Sursa foto: Profimedia ImagesLituania construiește o barieră fizică la granița cu BelarusulLituania intenționează să construiască o barieră la granițele sale cu Belarusul și să desfășoare armata la frontieră în încercarea de a descuraja intrarea migranților în țară. Anunțul a fost făcut de prim-ministra țării, Ingrida Šimonytė, ca urmare a deciziei regimului Lukașenko de a permite trecerea migranților după sancțiunile impuse de Uniunea Europeană, conform Reuters, citat de Digi24. Šimonytė a mai declarat că Belarusul le oferă migranţilor zboruri spre Minsk de la Bagdad şi, posibil, Istanbul. Ea a spus că are dovezi găsite la cel puţin un migrant. Uniunea Europeană condamnă decizia Belarusului de a le permite migranţilor ilegali să treacă în Lituania ca răspuns la sancţiunile impuse de Uniunea Europeană, a declarat luni preşedintele Consiliului European, Charles Michel.

Persons: Lukașenko, Istanbul . Ea, Charles Michel . Organizations: Uniunea Europeană, Consiliului Locations: Lituania, Belarusul Lituania, Belarusul, lituanian, Minsk, Bagdad, Istanbul, Belarusului, veniţi, Belarus

☆ Belarusul le permite migranţilor ilegali să treacă în Lituania. REACȚIA UIMITOARE a statului baltic
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-07 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

Lituania va construi o barieră la graniţa cu Belarus şi va desfăşura armata pentru a patrula la frontieră cu scopul de a-i descuraja pe migranţi, a anunţat miercuri prim-ministrul Ingrida Simonyte, după ce Belarusul a decis să permită trecerile în Lituania ca răspuns la sancţiunile Uniunii Europene, relatează Reuters, citat de economica.net. Şefa guvernului de la Vilnius a mai declarat că Belarusul le oferă migranţilor zboruri spre Minsk de la Bagdad şi, posibil, Istanbul. Premierul a invocat dovezi găsite la cel puţin un migrant. Uniunea Europeană condamnă decizia Belarusului de a le permite migranţilor ilegali să treacă în Lituania ca răspuns la sancţiunile impuse de Uniunea Europeană, a declarat luni preşedintele Consiliului European, Charles Michel. Guvernul lituanian a declarat vineri stare de urgenţă la nivel naţional în condiţiile în care numărul migranţilor, în principal irakieni, veniţi din Belarus a ajuns la 150 pe zi, mai mulţi decât au intrat în Lituania în fiecare dintre precedenţii trei ani.

Persons: Premierul, Charles Michel . Organizations: Uniunii Europene, Uniunea Europeană, Consiliului Locations: Lituania, graniţa, Belarus, Belarusul, Vilnius, Minsk, Bagdad, Istanbul, Belarusului, veniţi

☆ (foto) Lituania construiește o barieră fizică la granița cu Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-07 | by ( Onixmedia Srl | ) diez.md time to read: +1 min

Lituania intenționează să construiască o barieră la granițele sale cu Belarus și să desfășoare armata la frontieră în încercarea de a descuraja intrarea migranților în țară. Šimonytė a mai declarat că Belarusul le oferă migranților zboruri spre Minsk de la Bagdad și, posibil, Istanbul. Ea a spus că are dovezi găsite la cel puțin un migrant. Uniunea Europeană condamnă decizia Belarusului de a le permite migranților ilegali să treacă în Lituania ca răspuns la sancțiunile impuse de Uniunea Europeană, a declarat luni președintele Consiliului European, Charles Michel. Guvernul lituanian a declarat, vineri, stare de urgență la nivel național, conform Agerpres, în condițiile în care numărul migranților, în principal irakieni, veniți din Belarus a ajuns la 150 pe zi, mai mulți decât au intrat în Lituania în fiecare dintre precedenții trei ani.

Persons: Lukașenko, Reuters, Istanbul . Ea, Charles Michel . Organizations: Uniunea Europeană, Consiliului European Locations: Lituania, Belarus, Belarusul, lituanian, Minsk, Bagdad, Istanbul, Belarusului, Agerpres

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