US and EU decry Russian plan to deploy nuclear arms in Belarus
US president Joe Biden has mentioned he had an “extraordinarily unfavourable” response to studies that Russia has moved forward with its plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, whereas the European Union has condemned the plan.
Reuters studies that the EU overseas coverage chief, Josep Borrell, mentioned:
It is a step which can result in additional extraordinarily harmful escalation.
Russia signed a pact with Belarus on Thursday in regards to the storage of the warheads, at a facility attributable to be completed in simply over a month. The Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, mentioned later that the relocation of a few of the weapons had already begun.
Borrell mentioned the settlement contravened a number of worldwide agreements.
We name on Russia to abide by these commitments. The Belarusian regime is an confederate in Russia’s unlawful and unprovoked warfare of aggression towards Ukraine.
Borrell mentioned any try “to additional escalate the scenario can be met by a robust and coordinated response”.
Key occasions
Opening abstract
Welcome again to our reside protection of Russia’s warfare on Ukraine. That is Adam Fulton and right here’s an summary of the most recent.
The European Union has condemned Russia’s plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus, whereas US president Joe Biden says he had an “extraordinarily unfavourable” response to studies that Russia has already begun transferring forward with the plan.
Extra on that story quickly. In different information:
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The dying toll from a Russian missile assault on an outpatient clinic in the japanese Ukrainian metropolis of Dnipro has risen to 2, with 30 individuals wounded, in keeping with media studies. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned: “Russian terrorists as soon as once more verify their standing of fighters towards every thing humane and trustworthy.”
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The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, plans to go to Finland, Sweden and Norway from this Monday to deepen cooperation on high nationwide safety and financial points, the US state division has mentioned. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland has joined Nato, with Sweden’s bid to hitch awaiting ratification from Hungary and Turkey.
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A deal permitting the secure export of grain and fertiliser from Ukrainian Black Sea ports has not but resumed full operations, the UN mentioned on Friday, having come to a halt earlier than Russia’s resolution final week to increase it.
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Russia’s overseas minister, Sergei Lavrov, has advised China’s particular envoy Li Hui there are “critical obstacles” to resuming peace talks, blaming Ukraine and western nations. In the meantime, Russia’s deputy safety council chair, Dmitry Medvedev, has mentioned the battle in Ukraine may final for many years and negotiations with Ukraine had been unattainable so long as Volodymyr Zelenskiy was in energy.
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The previous UK prime minister Boris Johnson and former US president Donald Trump mentioned Ukraine and “the very important significance of Ukrainian victory” on Thursday, a spokesperson for Johnson mentioned.
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The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has mentioned in a cellphone name along with his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, that Russia is open to dialogue over Ukraine. Lula tweeted that he had reiterated Brazil’s willingness to speak to each side of the warfare in Ukraine however declined Putin’s invitation to go to.
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Russia has blamed Kyiv for dozens of strikes on its southern Belgorod area. Its governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, mentioned the Ukrainian army was liable for artillery, mortar and drone assaults throughout the area over 24 hours however reported no casualties. In a uncommon assault on the southern Russian metropolis of Krasnodar, east of Crimea, two drones broken buildings within the metropolis centre, officers mentioned. Within the neighbouring Rostov area, the governor mentioned a Ukrainian missile had been shot down close to Morozovsk, the place there’s a Russian airbase.
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Canada will donate 43 AIM-9 missiles to Ukraine to assist the nation “safe its skies”, the nationwide defence has mentioned. “Canada’s help for Ukraine is unwavering,” mentioned Canada’s defence minister, Anita Anand. The nation additionally mentioned it welcomed Ukraine’s utility to hitch the great and progressive settlement for trans-Pacific partnership (CPTPP).
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Moscow’s metropolis courtroom will maintain a preliminary listening to subsequent Wednesday in a new prison case towards the jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on prices together with incitement to extremism.
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The Russian arms firm Kalashnikov, maker of the world’s most generally used assault rifle, is launching a division for the manufacturing of kamikaze drones – a key weapon used within the Ukraine warfare.
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Ukraine mentioned it shot down 10 missiles and 25 drones launched by Russia in in a single day assaults on the capital of Kyiv, the town of Dnipro and japanese areas. A number of drones and missiles hit targets within the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk areas, officers mentioned on Friday. There was no instant phrase of any deaths.
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Town of Donetsk has come underneath fireplace from Ukrainian forces, the Russian-imposed chief of the occupied Donetsk area, Denis Pushilin, has mentioned. In consequence, he mentioned, a younger girl died and one other was injured.
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Japan will place further sanctions on Russia after the Group of Seven (G7) summit the nation hosted final week agreed to step up measures to punish Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the chief cupboard secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, has mentioned.
