• Lukashenko: “Serious standoff between Kiev and Moscow, we have to sit at the negotiating table”
• According to the US, “Moscow executes soldiers who do not follow orders”
• Charles Michel at the European Council: “Ukraine remains and will remain the EU’s priority”
• For Orban: “Kiev won’t win,” but European leaders don’t want to admit it
5:05 a.m. – Avdiivka, Russian losses in latest offensive “could be worst of 2023”
British intelligence concluded at the weekend that Russia had one of its highest death tolls so far this year due to ongoing “heavy but inconclusive” fighting over the town of Avdiivka in Donetsk province. The British Ministry of Defense’s regular intelligence update on Saturday morning revealed that Russia had deployed “elements of up to eight brigades” to the area since its “major offensive” began in mid-October.
04:00 – Russia accuses the West of “constant escalation of the conflict”.
Russia has warned the West that the constant escalation of the conflict with Moscow in the war in Ukraine threatens a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers. “The Western line carries the risk of a direct military confrontation between the nuclear powers with catastrophic consequences.” In a speech at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu accused the West of causing Moscow a “strategic defeat” in a “hybrid war.” ” and instead praised the relations between Russia and China as an “exemplary” model for countries. who do not want to be associated with the Western bloc.
The West wants to expand the conflict in Ukraine to the Asia-Pacific region, where NATO is hiding a troop increase with a “demonstrated desire for dialogue,” Shoigu added at the Xiangshan Forum, China’s largest military diplomacy event. NATO countries, the Russian minister added, were promoting an arms race by increasing their military presence and the frequency and scope of military exercises. According to Shoigu’s reading, the US armed forces will use the exchange of information with Tokyo and Seoul about missile launches to deter Russia and China.
In addition, Washington is trying to use climate change and natural disasters as a pretext for “humanitarian interventions.” While the emergence of new security blocs such as Quad (US, India, Japan and Australia) and Aukus (Australia, US and UK) has undermined the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation in the Region. At the same time, Russia’s move to revoke ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty does not mean the end of the agreement, and Moscow does not lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons.
“We are just trying to restore parity with the United States, which has not ratified this treaty,” Shoigu said. We are not talking about its destruction.” Moscow is ready to talk about a post-war solution to the Ukraine crisis and continued “coexistence” with the West, which, however, must stop seeking a strategic defeat of Russia. Although the conditions for such talks have not yet been created, it is “also important to ensure equal relations between all nuclear powers and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, who have a special responsibility for supporting peace and stability in the world. “