Mấy hôm trước đọc bài báo nói tt ukraine rủa Mỹ đó bro 8. Bảo mỹ làm lớn chuyện, nói quá...  Chuyện giằng co này ldn thấy phức tạp chứ 0 đơn giản. Mà mỹ đem vu~ khí 1980 cho ukraine vậy ông Putin cười té ghế á . ldn nghe tin đó, ldn

Click dzô link ở giây 00:36 coi cái bàn dài 7 m. Ông Putin sợ dính corona ngỏm củ tỏi hay long covid , té ghế. Tuyên bố là ông ta tiêm ngừa corona đầy đủ rồi, nhưng ~ biện pháp mỗi khi ông Putin tiếp đón ai khiến người ta đi đến kết luận ngược lại: Ai gặp ông ta cũng phải cách ly quarantaene

https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article236754915/Macron-im-Kreml-Putins-Tisch-offenbart-mehr-als-Russlands-Distanz-zum-Westen.html

Putin keeps distance from Macron as leaders mull diplomatic end to Ukraine crisis

Mark Moore

February 7, 2022 - nypost

Macron meets with Putin in Moscow

Newly released images from a sitdown Monday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, show the two men sitting at opposite ends of a long, oval table in an ornately decorated room in the Kremlin.

Macron traveled to Moscow in an effort to keep hope alive for a negotiated solution to the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with President Biden in Washington later in the day.

“Dialogue is necessary because that’s the only thing that will help, in my views, to build a context of a security and stability on the European continent,” Macron said after the meeting, in which he urged de-escalation.

“I’m happy to have this opportunity to have a deep discussion on all these issues … and to start building an effective response,” added the French president, who was scheduled to travel to Ukraine on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow on Feb. 7, 2022.Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

The French president’s team played up the physical gap between Macron and Putin, posting a photo to Twitter that was taken from over Macron’s shoulder as he entered the room — with the Russian president waiting, hand in his pocket, at the other end.

“Let’s start building a response that is useful for Russia, useful for all of our Europe, a response that makes it possible to avoid war, to build the elements of confidence, stability and visibility. Together,” Macron captioned the image.

US officials have warned that a Russian invasion could “happen at any time.”Pacific Coast News / Chris Kleponis – Pool via CNP

Putin thanked Macron for the visit, saying: “I see how much efforts the current leadership of France and the president personally is applying in order to solve the crisis related to providing equal security in Europe for a serious historical perspective.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the visit between the two leaders “very important,” before adding that “the situation is too complex to expect a decisive breakthrough after just one meeting.”​

Peskov insisted the US and its allies continue to ignore Putin’s security demands and the “atmosphere has remained tense.”

French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Moscow in a bid to help defuse tensions amid a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine that fueled fears of an invasion.Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via APGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Biden were expected to discuss the economic sanctions that will be slapped on Moscow if Putin launches an invasion.AP

Putin wants to ensure Ukraine and other former Soviet satellites are barred from ever becoming NATO members, that Western forces withdraw from Eastern Europe and the US pledge not to install missile systems or troops in Ukraine. 

The diplomatic focus now switches to Washington and Scholz’s first trip to the White House. 

Meanwhile, Scholz and Biden were expected to discuss the economic sanctions that will be slapped on Moscow if Putin launches an invasion and the consequences for Nord Stream 2, the natural gas pipeline that runs between Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has continued to deny all accusations that Russia is attempting to invade Ukraine.Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

At the State Department Monday, European Union representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell estimated that 140,000 Russian troops are massed along the border with Ukraine, one day after White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned that an invasion “could happen at any time,” causing massive casualties and setting off a refugee crisis in Europe.

“​If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward,” Sullivan vowed. “And Russia understands that. We are coordinated with our allies on that, and that will be the reality if Russia chooses to move forward.​​”

A senior administration official said Sunday said the White House is “confident” that Berlin shares their concerns about Russia’s military buildup and the need for deterrence. ​

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz walks down the gangway of a US Air Force Airbus A340 after landing at Washington airport to meet with President Biden.Kay Nietfeld/dpa via ZUMA Press

“​We have made our position very clear, as I laid out,” they said. “And what I can say is that we will continue to work very closely with Germany to ensure the pipeline does not move forward.”

Bình luận của cựu đại sứ đức ở Nga.

Nga hành động, sử xự do thua kém về kinh tế. Nga chỉ có thể bán Gas v.v..nhưng cũng sẽ 0 bán được mãi được hoài. Nga về kinh tế 0 theo kịp Mỹ, Tàu và Âu Châu nên giờ cố thu mình lại, lấy theo được gì thì lấy.

https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/ukraine-konflikt-russland-ex-botschafter-von-fritsch-100.html

Japan offers gas to Europe over Ukraine fears

Issued on: 09/02/2022 - 11:36
Modified: 09/02/2022 - 11:35 - france24

Japan was the world's top LNG importer until last year, and is heavily dependent on the fuel
Japan was the world's top LNG importer until last year, and is heavily dependent on the fuel TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA AFP/File

Tokyo (AFP) – Japan is offering Europe part of its liquified natural gas imports over fears supplies will be disrupted by tensions surrounding a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tokyo's trade minister said Wednesday.

Multiple gas shipments are already being diverted to Europe by private Japanese firms and will arrive this month, Koichi Hagiuda said, declining to give details of how many boats or how much LNG is involved.

More ships will head to Europe in March, but the supplies will be strictly contingent on ensuring domestic demand is met, he said.

Fears are mounting that a conflict in Ukraine could cause an energy crisis in Europe, which depends heavily on Russian supplies.

Analysts judge it unlikely Russia would completely halt supplies to Europe in the case of conflict, and Japan's reserves are likely to be insufficient to make up the difference if Moscow did so.

But Tokyo's offer comes with frenetic diplomatic manoeuvring under way in an attempt to ease tensions with Russia over Ukraine.

Hagiuda told reporters he had received requests from the US and EU ambassadors "to accommodate the need" for the fuel in Europe.

"We have communicated to both the US and EU that this co-operation is to be carried out only to the extent that it does not affect Japan's electricity and gas supplies," he said.

Japan was the world's top LNG importer until last year, and is heavily dependent on the fuel. Reports suggest it may not have much to give, with stockpiles low even as record snow hits parts of the country.

Japanese gas companies will receive market price for the fuel, a trade ministry official said.

The US embassy said in a statement that the move shows "Japan is standing resolute with the United States and our European partners, and against the exercise of raw power."

Hagiuda evoked memories of similar co-operation after a devastating quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster hit Japan over a decade ago.

"After the Great East Japan earthquake of March 11, 2011, it was the people of Europe and the people of the United States who were first to send us gas," he said.

On Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz backed a threat by US President Joe Biden that the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would not proceed if Russia invades Ukraine.

The pipeline, set to double natural gas supplies from Russia to Germany, has become a key bargaining chip for the West in its bid to stop Moscow from invading Ukraine.


2022 AFP

Ukraine
UK prepares 1,000 troops in case of refugee crisis if Ukraine invadedinvaded

Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer to separately visit Nato headquarters amid whirlwind diplomacy in face of Russian threats

Dan Sabbagh
Wed 9 Feb 2022 17.30 EST

Britain has placed 1,000 troops on standby to deploy to eastern Europe if there is a refugee crisis prompted by any Russian invasion of Ukraine, ahead of a trip by Boris Johnson to Nato headquarters and Poland on Thursday.

UK officials warned there was a risk of “a humanitarian disaster” if Russia were to invade. The US has warned there could be a massive displacement of 1-5 million people, with refugees most likely to enter Poland.

I'm a conflict mediator. This is our way out of the Ukraine crisis | Gabrielle Rifkind
“The UK remains unwavering in our commitment to European security,” the prime minister said on the eve of a trip that will see him visit Nato in Brussels on Thursday morning before heading to Warsaw.

Concerns that any Russian invasion would prompt a significant refugee crisis have been increasingly preoccupying western leaders, as Moscow masses about 135,000 troops on the borders of Ukraine and in neighbouring Belarus.

Britain agreed to send 100 engineers to Poland to help secure its eastern border in December and, earlier this week, said it would start sending a further 350 Royal Marines as a show of solidarity as up to 30,000 Russian forces conduct joint exercises with Belarus.

The UK has also offered to deploy a Type 45 destroyer, deploy HMS Trent in the eastern Mediterranean, send RAF jets to southern Europe, and double the 900 troops based in Estonia as part of an existing Nato battlegroup.

The offer will be discussed between Johnson and Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, as part of wider plans by the military alliance to send more forces into eastern Europe. The US said it would send 3,000 troops into Poland and Romania, while France has said it would be willing to send forces to the latter too.

A few hours later Keir Starmer will also visit Nato headquarters, the first Labour leader to do so since 2010. Labour said he would send a “firm and united” message to allies – and to the Kremlin – in support of the UK government’s policy on Ukraine.

Starmer is expected to emphasise that Labour was instrumental in the founding of Nato after the second world war – and endorse the increased troop deployment in member states across eastern Europe, intended to provide greater security to countries from the Baltic states to the Balkans.

Johnson will then meet Poland’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, and president, Andrzej Duda, in Warsaw as part of a wider burst of British diplomatic activity. The UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, is due in Moscow on Thursday and will be followed by the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, on Friday.

Johnson has been criticised for being relatively inactive during the crisis, as he battles a domestic crisis over parties at No 10. Meanwhile the French president, Emmanuel Macron, visited Moscow on Tuesday to negotiate directly with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, although he failed to achieve a breakthrough.

“As an alliance we must draw lines in the snow and be clear there are principles upon which we will not compromise,” Johnson said. “That includes the security of every Nato ally and the right of every European democracy

Bộ Ngoại giao đức khuyến cáo công dân đức nếu 0 có chuyện khẩn cấp nên rời Ukraine.

Úc, Neuseeland, Mỹ, Anh, Đan Mạch, Estland, Lettland cũng vậy.

https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/ukraine-auswaertiges-amt-101.html

US expects Russia to invade Ukraine next week: report

Samuel Chamberlain

February 11, 2022 2:02pm - Nypost
 
US officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and an attack could take place as soon as next week, as National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told Americans still in the Eastern European nation to get out within “24 to 48 hours.”

PBS foreign affairs correspondent Nick Schifrin tweeted that US officials believe Putin has communicated an invasion order to the Russian military and that Washington expects a “horrific, bloody” campaign.

According to the report, a Russian attack would be preceded by two days of aerial bombardment and electronic warfare, followed by a ground assault with the potential goal of overthrowing the Kiev government led by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russia has massed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders.Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, FileMembers of the national guard of Ukraine take part in tactical and special exercises near Shostka, Ukraine, on Feb. 9, 2022.EPA

At the White House, Sullivan told reporters that the PBS report “does not accurately capture what the US government’s view is today,” but did not issue a full-fledged denial.

“Our view is that we do not believe he [Putin] has made any kind of final decision, or we don’t know that he has made any final decision, and we have not communicated that to anybody,” he said.

Moments earlier, Sullivan laid out a scenario consistent with the PBS report before urging Americans still in Ukraine to leave “as soon as possible, and in any event in the next 24 to 48 hours” and warning that “there is no prospect of a US military evacuation in the event of a Russian invasion.”

Ukrainian servicemen of the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade take part in an exercise near Lviv, Ukraine, on Feb. 11, 2022.EPA

“If a Russian attack on Ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombing and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians without regard to their nationality,” he said. “Subsequent ground invasion would involve the onslaught of a massive force … No one would be able to count on air or rail or road departures once military action got underway.”

“The risk is now high enough, and the threat is immediate enough, that prudence demands that it is the time to leave now, while commercial options and commercial rail and air service exist, and while the roads are open,” Sullivan went on. 

“The president will not be putting the lives of our men and women in uniform at risk by sending them into a war zone to rescue people who could have left now but chose not to,” he warned. “So we’re asking people to make the responsible choice.”

Russian and Belarusian servicemen take part in the joint operational exercise at a firing range in the Brest region of Belarus on Feb. 11, 2022.EPA

The PBS report emerged following a late-morning call between Biden and other key transatlantic leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron of France, Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Following that meeting, CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour tweeted: “Official from a NATO ally tells me Pres Biden told them today the US does believe Vladimir Putin has decided to attack Ukraine. Next week.”

The British government issued its own readout of the call, reporting that Johnson had told his counterparts that “he feared for the security of Europe in the current circumstances.”

Shortly before Sullivan took to the White House podium, the British government announced that it was advising UK citizens against traveling to Ukraine and insisting those in the country “leave now by commercial means.”

US troops arrive at the military airbase of Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, near the Black Sea on Feb. 11, 2022.
EPA

Friday afternoon, the Pentagon confirmed it was sending 3,000 additional soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Team to Poland by order of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The new batch of troops would join 1,700 other soldiers who were deployed to the NATO ally last week. 

A senior defense official said the new forces would depart Fort Bragg, NC over the next couple of days and were expected to be in place by early next week. 

“These additional deployments are temporary in nature, meant to supplement for a brief time the more than 80,000 U.S. troops already in Europe on rotational and permanent orders,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the Kyiv Post newspaper reported Friday that the US was evacuating all its staff from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

The paper reported that a mission member told the outlet he had received orders to leave the country by Tuesday.

Western officials believe Russia has between 100,000 and 140,000 troops massed along its western border with Ukraine, with thousands more forces taking part in joint military exercises in Belarus. 

A tank drives during a joint military exercise of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus, at the Brestsky training ground in Belarus on Feb. 11, 2022.via REUTERS

Earlier Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that “we continue to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border.

“And as we’ve said before, we’re in a window when an invasion could begin at any time,” Blinken added. “And to be clear, that includes during the Olympics.”

President Biden has repeatedly warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country would face “severe” sanctions if an invasion of Ukraine took place. 

The president did not stop to take questions from reporters as he departed the White House for a weekend at Camp David. 

The White House confirmed Friday evening that Biden and Putin would speak by phone Saturday after the Russian government initially offered a call to take place Monday.

Joe Biden departs the White House Friday afternoon without taking questions from reporters.EPA

Tuyến đầu

https://youtu.be/hoAm1-EhAaQ

Tĩnh lặng trước cơn bão. Ông P. mở 1 trường dạy tiếng đức cho sinh viên Ukraine muốn sang đức du học, cho bác sĩ, y tá sang đức làm việc. Ông ta 0 muốn rời Ukraine: sự nghiệp công việc của tôi ở đây, tôi cũng 0 muốn bỏ 25 nhân viên của tôi. Đương nhiên dân ở đây hồi hộp, lo lắng, nhưng 8 năm nay Ukraine có chiến tranh.

Miền Tây Ukraine muốn tiến tới sát gần Tây Âu trong khi miền đông Ukraine lại muốn gần Nga. 1 nửa dân Ukraine nói tiếng Ukraine trong khi nửa kia nói tiếng Nga.

https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article236863641/Deutsche-in-der-Ukraine-In-Kiew-herrscht-die-Ruhe-vor-dem-Sturm.html

Putin 'doesn't give a s**t about Western sanctions', says Russian ambassador to Sweden as US staff start leaving eastern Ukraine before commercial flights are 'grounded from TOMORROW' amid warning of 'imminent' invasion

By Harry Howard and Nick Craven In Kyiv, Ukraine and David Wilcock, Whitehall Correspondent and Chris Jewers For Mailonline and Reuters
10:45 13 Feb 2022, updated 18:52 13 Feb 2022 - dailymail

Viktor Tatarintsev said 'the more the West pushes Russia, the stronger the Russian response will be'
He claimed Russia had become more 'self-sufficient' amid the threat of sanctions and had increased exports
Dramatic photos today showed U.S. staff members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) packing up and leaving the rebel-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine
Were fleeing as Britain's Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis said Russian invasion could be 'imminent'

Vladimir Putin 'doesn't give a s**t' about the risk of Western sanctions if his country were to invade Ukraine, Russia's ambassador to Sweden said as US staff began withdrawing from eastern Ukraine amid warnings of an 'imminent' invasion.

In an outspoken interview yesterday, Viktor Tatarintsev told the country's Aftonbladet newspaper that 'the more the West pushes Russia, the stronger the Russian response will be'.

He claimed Russia had become more 'self-sufficient' amid the threat of sanctions and accused the West of not understanding his country.

'We are more self-sufficient and have been able to increase our exports. We have no Italian or Swiss cheeses, but we've learned to make just as good Russian cheeses using Italian and Swiss recipes', he said.

His comments came as it emerged that commercial flights to and from Ukraine face being grounded from tomorrow, while some airlines have already cancelled flights until further notice.  

Amid the invasion fears, photos today showed U.S. staff members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has monitored the eight-year conflict in Ukraine's separatist east, packing up and leaving the rebel-held city of Donetsk.

They were fleeing as Britain's Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis said a Russian invasion could be 'imminent' and Germany warned that tensions between Russia and Ukraine have reached a 'critical' point.

There are an estimated 130,000 Russian troops and heavy firepower amassed along Ukraine's border.

The potential invasion force prompted the US and the UK, along with other European nations, to warn their citizens to leave the country while they still can.

Although many of the 6,000 Britons in Ukraine have already fled, some are stranded in the country as they wait for passports to be issued for their newborn babies.  

Mr Lewis told Sky's Trevor Phillips On Sunday: 'We have to be realistic about Russia having 100,000 troops now roughly on the border that an imminent incursion by Russia is entirely possible.'

He was echoing warnings by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who said last night that millions of refugees could flee Ukraine if an invasion takes place and warned Vladimir Putin could strike 'at any time'.

Speaking in an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Wallace added that there is a 'whiff of Munich in the air' - an apparent reference to the 1938 agreement that allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland in the hope that it would prevent the outbreak of war.

Just a year later, the Second World War began when Hitler invaded Poland, with Britain's Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's efforts to preserve peace left in tatters.

Vladimir Putin 'doesn't give a s**t' about the risk of Western sanctions if it were to invade Ukraine, Russia's ambassador to Sweden said as US staff began withdrawing from eastern Ukraine amid warnings of an 'imminent' invasion

In an outspoken interview, Viktor Tatarintsev told the country's Aftonbladet newspaper that 'the more the West pushes Russia, the stronger the Russian response will be'. Pictured: Joint military exercises by Russian and Belarusian forces

There are an estimated 130,000 Russian troops and heavy firepower amassed along Ukraine's border. Above: Ukrainians attending an open military training session as the country prepares for a possible invasion
Veteran diplomat Tatarintsev said in his interview: 'Excuse my language, but we don't give a s**t about all their sanctions'.

'We have already had so many sanctions and in that sense they've had a positive effect on our economy and agriculture.

'New sanctions are nothing positive but not as bad as the West makes it sound', he added.

Sanctions being considered could target both Russian businesses and individuals in a range of significant sectors, such as the chemical, defence, extractives, ICT and financial services industries.

However, Tatarintsev accused the West of not understanding the Russian mentality.

'The more the West pushes Russia, the stronger the Russian response will be,' he said.

Tatarintsev insisted Moscow was trying to avoid a war. 'That is our political leadership's most sincere wish. The last thing people in Russia want is war,' he claimed.

His comments came before reports emerged about flights from Ukraine possibly being grounded from tomorrow.

Insurance giant Lloyds of London is about to suspend cover for flights passing through the country's airspace as fears of an imminent Russian invasion grow, reported Ukrainian publication Ukrainska Pravda.

The publication quoted information from unnamed sources in the aviation industry in a report picked up by the English-language Kyiv Post.  

Anatoliy Ivantsiv, head of Ukrainian insurance firm Expo, told Interfax news agency that reinsurers Lloyds announced it would temporarily cease all conflict risk insurance over Ukrainian airspace from Monday.

Withdrawing insurance cover will mean that Ukrainian airlines, who lease almost all of their aircraft, will not be able to fly above Ukraine.

Dutch airline KLM cancelled all flights to Kyiv on Saturday until further notice, while on the same day Ukrainian carrier SkyUp was forced to divert a flight to Moldova as the leasing company which owned the plane refused to let it enter Ukrainian airspace.

International fears of a large-scale Russian invasion now risks closing transport routes out of Ukraine. Avianews warned that Ukraine could soon become a 'no-fly zone' for commercial aircraft.

According to the publication, unless an agreement is made between the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure and international insurers and airlines, Ukraine will gradually be closed to air traffic.

SkyUp announced: 'On February 12, the world's largest insurance companies informed Ukrainian air carriers that they would stop insuring aircraft for flights in Ukrainian airspace within 48 hours. Such a decision is associated with increased risks of the outbreak of hostilities.'

The Ministry of Infrastructure, after a meeting today, confirmed that Ukrainian air space is still open and offered 'additional financial guarantees' to carriers to continue flying on international routes.

Advisor to Ukraine's president's chief of staff Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters on Sunday that closing Ukraine's airspace was 'nonsense' and akin to a 'partial blockade.' MailOnline contacted Lloyds for comment.

On Saturday, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tweeted that Russia would face 'massive consequences' if it invaded Ukraine, including 'severe sanctions'.

Today, Yvette Cooper, Labour's shadow home secretary, said a 'very strong and united international response' is needed for 'this Russian belligerence'.

She told BBC One's Sunday Morning programme with Sophie Raworth: 'It is immensely serious and nobody should be naive about what Russia is up to, and the scale of the troops amassing on the Ukraine border.'

Ms Cooper said there has to be 'extremely strong and swift and severe' sanctions.

Pictured: A handout satellite image made available by Maxar Technologies shows tents and equipment at the northern end of the Oktyabrskoye airfield, Crimea, 10 February 2022
Ben Wallace said there is a 'whiff of Munich in the air', in an apparent reference to the agreement that allowed German annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938 but failed to prevent the Second World War. Pictured: Helicopter fires missiles beneath clear blue skies during a Russian-Belarusian joint military drill on Saturday
Ukrainians attend an open military training for civilians range as part of the 'Don't panic! Get ready! ' which is carried out by veterans of the Azov battalion on a training range in Kyiv amid the threat of Russian invasion, Feb 12, 2022
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Saturday that the Ukraine crisis had reached a 'pivotal moment', adding that there continues to be 'very troubling signs of Russian escalation', including new forces arriving around Ukraine's borders. (Pictured: 9K57 Uragan multiple rocket launchers fire during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills by Belarusian and Russian troops on Saturday)
Russian troops continue to amass along Ukraine's borders as US President Joe Biden prepares to call Vladimir Putin today (Pictured: 9K57 Uragan multiple rocket launchers fire during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills by Belarusian and Russian troops)
: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends drills held by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the settlement of Kalanchak near the border with Crimea
Today, a German government source warned that  tensions between Russia and Ukraine have reached a 'critical' point.

They were speaking on the eve of Chancellor Scholz's departure for Kyiv and then Moscow. Mr Scholz said today that Russia would be hit with sanctions 'immediately' if it were to invade Ukraine.  

'In the event of a military aggression against Ukraine that threatens its territorial integrity and sovereignty, that will lead to tough sanctions that we have carefully prepared and which we can immediately put into force, together with our allies in NATO and Europe,' Scholz said.

What is Vladimir Putin's personal wealth and could sanctions affect him?
Vladimir Putin is notoriously secretive about his private life and personal wealth.

In 2017, it was reported that he could have a personal wealth of as much as $200billion.

The figure was mentioned by US financier and fierce critic Bill Browder, who claimed that Putin had siphoned off public funds into 'Swiss bank accounts'.

One of the most quoted guesses of Putin's personal wealth, made by political analyst Stanslav Belkovsky in 2007, put it at $40billion.

If the lower figure is more accurate, it would still make him one of the world's richest men.

Belkovsky later upped his estimate to $70billion.

A sign of wealth for Putin is his £73.2 million pleasure craft, named Graceful.

In December 2020, it was suggested by a Russian newspaper that a vast palace that sprung up near Moscow could have been owned by Putin himself.  

And in documents dubbed the Panama Papers that were released last year, Mr Putin was linked to secret assets in Monaco.

However, in April 2015, Putin declared a 2014 income of just $119,000, listing ownership of two apartments and a share in a car parking garage.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned last month that an enhanced sanctions regime would allow Britain to target any 'strategic interest' of the Russian state.

It meant that Mr Putin's wealthy supporters, many of whom have bases in London, were in the firing line to be hit financially.

'Any company of interest to the Kremlin and the regime in Russia would be able to be targeted,' Miss Truss told Sky News. 'So there will be nowhere to hide for Putin's oligarchs, for Russian companies involved in propping up the state.'

'Our concerns have grown... we asses the situation as very critical, very dangerous', the source told members of the press, as fears grow that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent.'

Meanwhile, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Russia carries the 'responsibility' for the possibility of war in Ukraine.

There was 'the danger of a military conflict, of war in eastern Europe and Russia carries the responsibility for that,' Steinmeier said in a speech to mark his re-election.

Photos today showed staff at the OSCE withdrawing by car from the city of Donetsk, which has been held by Russian-backed rebels since 2014.

The staff were pictured carrying suitcases and wearing rucksacks as they climbed into white SUVs emblazoned with the OSCE logo.  

They were leaving after the US and the UK warned their citizens to get out of the country.

Today, Russia said it was concerned by the decision of the OSCE to relocate some of its monitors.

The OSCE 'informed the participating states of the decision by 'a number of countries' to relocate their national staff of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine 'due to deteriorating security conditions'', foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

'These decisions cannot but cause our serious concern.'

The OSCE has served as the world's eyes and ears for the eight-year conflict across Ukraine's Russian-backed separatist east that has claimed more than 14,000 lives.

Zakharova said the OSCE move further inflamed tensions over Ukraine, adding that the monitoring mission could be used as a 'tool' to stage a possible provocation.

'We call on the OSCE leadership to resolutely stop attempts to manipulate the mission and prevent the organization from being drawn into dirty political games,' Zakharova added.

On Friday, the Foreign Office updated its advice to tell UK nationals to 'leave now while commercial means are still available' amid mounting concerns they could get caught up in fighting - including a deadly 'aerial bombardment of Kiev'.

However, some defiant Britons have insisted that they will stay in the country, even as airlines start to stop flights and diplomats leave. Lecturer Charlie Gilkeson is one of those staying put.

The 68-year-old Yorkshireman told the Mail on Sunday that he feels it would be wiser to remain, even as he finds himself in a 'possible war'.  

He is staying in a flat he is renovating with his wife, whom he met in Russia. His children have urged him to come to the UK.  'I think it is safer here,' he said.

Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Lewis told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme that the West must realise Russia could 'move very quick' despite diplomatic efforts to prevent an invasion of Ukraine.

But he also defended diplomatic action so far, saying it had probably already delayed a strike into Ukraine from Moscow forces.

Discussing Mr Wallace's comparison with appeasement in the late 1930s, Mr Lewis said: 'If you look back to that period of time there was a lot of diplomatic engagement, there was an optimism at the time actually that there may be a diplomatic way through.

'That eventually turned out not to be the case. It turned out that wasn't the intent or aim of Adolf Hitler at the time.

'What he's [Mr Wallace] drawing comparison with is we hope that the conversation that he's had that the Foreign Secretary and others... has a positive outcome and Russia does work through and find a diplomatic peaceful way out of this.

'But he's expressing that concern that we've got to also understand the reality that while they're having these diplomatic conversations Russia has continued to move troops, we've got about 130,000 troops on the borders, and therefore we've got to be cognisant of the reality they could move very quick.'

Speaking later on Sky's Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme, Mr Lewis said: 'We will bring in more sanctions, that is what one of the repercussions will be... we already have some sanctions against Russia already.

'We have already taken the power in last week or so with the statutory instrument in Parliament to allow the UK to put more sanctions in place.

Valentyna Konstantynovska, aged 79, holds a weapon during a basic combat training for civilians, organized by the Special Forces Unit Azov, of Ukraine's National Guard
Travellers are seen on Sunday at Boryspil airport near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv as they wait to board flights out of the country
Ukraine vowed to keep its airspace open to international travel despite Western warnings that Russian troops conducting drills near its borders could invade at any point. Above: Travellers check-in their bags at Boryspil airport amid invasion fears
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned today that there could be 'millions' of refugees if Russia does choose to invade Ukraine. Above: Travellers check in at Boryspil airport bear Kyiv as they wait to board flights out of the country
A plane sits at a gate at Borispol International Airport in Kyiv on Sunday as thousands wait to leave the country amid invasion fears
Passengers are seen boarding  a plane out of Ukraine on Sunday after foreign nations including the UK and the US warned their citizens to get out while they can
This Ryanair plane was also pictured heading to a gate at Borispol airport today. It will likely be boarded in part by citizens looking to get out of Ukraine before any invasion by Russia takes place
Lithuania's military aid including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, delivered as part of the security support package for Ukraine, is unloaded from a ?17 Globemaster III plane at Boryspil International Airport
The crates of weaponry are seen being loaded onto a truck at the airport. The UK has also donated military aid to the country
The Lithuanian equipment was also being transported in cardboard boxes, as well as metal cases and crates
'I spent most of last week in the United states... what is very clear is that the United States are absolutely unified in this approach to ensure that we do not see an incursion and that if Russia does take that kind of activity then there will be repercussions. '

Mr Lewis was speaking after Mr Wallace's warning that there could be 'millions' of refugees if Russia does choose to invade Ukraine.

He said that the potential for 'millions of displaced people - refugees - pouring from one European country to another hasn't been seen since the war and could potentially have a massive impact.'  

His comments echoed previous warnings by Ukraine's defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, who said that a 'major war' could lead to the 'sudden appearance of between three and five million Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion'.

Mr Wallace said that Moscow could 'launch an offensive at any time', with an estimated 130,000 Russian troops and heavy firepower amassed along Ukraine's border.

'It may be that he [Putin] just switches off his tanks and we all go home but there is a whiff of Munich in the air from some in the West,' he added.

A source explained that Mr Wallace was concerned that if Putin strikes 'come what may, then all the diplomacy would have been a straw man'.

His comments came as dramatic photos today showed U.S. staff members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) packing up and leaving the rebel-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine
Photos today showed staff at the OSCE withdrawing by car from the city of Donetsk, which has been held by Russian-backed rebels since 2014
The staff were pictured carrying suitcases and wearing rucksacks as they climbed into white SUVs emblazoned with the OSCE logo
Members of the OSCE were leaving after the US and the UK warned their citizens to get out of the country
US officials have discussed receiving intelligence that Russia is considering Wednesday as a target date to strike, but it was unclear how definitive the intelligence was.

But Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky sought to downplay the threat, saying: 'The best friend of our enemies is panic in our country. And all this information is just provoking panic and can't help us.'

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the White House of stoking 'hysteria'.

Poland is among the countries that are preparing to absorb an influx of people fleeing conflict if it does break out.

Writing on the website of the think tank the Atlantic Council in December last year about a potential refugee crisis, Mr Reznikov said: 'A major war in Ukraine would plunge the whole of Europe into crisis.

'The sudden appearance of between three and five million Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion would be just one of many major concerns facing European society.

'For example, the EU relies heavily on food imports including grain. A major war would seriously disrupt and possibly prevent entirely many imports from both Ukraine and Russia, creating a whole range of food security problems for the entire continent.'

Poland is one nation neighbouring Ukraine that is preparing for an influx of refugees.

Pictured: British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace attends a meeting with Russian Defence Minister in Moscow on Friday. The Cabinet minister, who this week flew to Moscow as part of the frantic spell of diplomacy, shared his concerns as US President Joe Biden warned his Russian counterpart an attack would cause 'widespread human suffering'
Speaking earlier this month, the country's deputy interior minister, Maciej Wasik, told Polish radio: 'We have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario and [we have] been taking steps so as to be prepared for a wave of up to a million people.'

Armed Forces minister James Heappey warned Russia is in a position to be able to attack 'very, very quickly', with an estimated 130,000 troops on Ukraine's border

The alleged invasion plans, reported by German newspaper Der Spiegel, are said to detail specific routes that might be taken by individual Russian units and were analysed by the Secret Service, the CIA and the Pentagon before being handed over to President Joe Biden's government.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held an emergency call with Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov to discuss the crisis yesterday, after the 'extremely detailed' plans stoked fears of war in eastern Europe.  

Sẽ tóm tắt lược dịch thêm khi có dịp.

Thú vị: Ông Tổng thống Ukraine Selenskij là ông tổng thống gốc Do Thái duy nhất ở Đông Âu.

Theo chính phủ Israel có khoảng 43.000 người ở Ukraine theo luật tín ngưỡng là có niềm tin Do Thái, nhưng có ~ 200.000 người đang sống ở Ukraine có quyền được di tản bởi Israel và được phép sống ở nước này vì ông nội, ông ngoại, bà nội hoặc bà ngoại của họ là người Do Thái.

Thứ 7 vừa qua Israel đã kêu gọi người Do Thái, gốc Do Thái hãy rời Ukraine. Từ đó mỗi ngày có ~ hơn  600 người có quốc tịch Do Thái rời Ukraine và được máy bay Israel đưa về Israel, máy bay Ukraine (từ lâu) đã ngưng 0 bay tới Israel. Máy bay Israel mấy ngày nay đi đi về về giữa 2 nước và Israel chuẩn bị thêm máy bay để khi cần đưa khẩn cấp người Ukraine gốc Do Thái ra khỏi Ukraine 1 khi có chiến tranh.

Phần đông người Ukraine gốc Do Thái ngại rời bỏ Ukraine, tới Israel sinh sống. Họ có chiều hướng sẽ đi về phía tây Ukraine 1 khi có chiến tranh, súng nổ giữa Ukraine - Nga, như họ đã làm khi Nga chiếm Krim: họ chạy về sống ở Kiew.

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/droht-der-exodus-a-80de705c-239d-4f7c-823e-cc00d9bfc89d-amp?gaa_at=g&gaa_n=AYc4ysvbdGtRKZfeWXG57uQYZhtJ1FriHuHRrmxM0J1CMVPuW0kzTGMlS12o_8BISUg%3D&gaa_ts=620ea568&utm_source=newsshowcase&utm_medium=discover&utm_campaign=nonpanel&gaa_sig=B5ePpOfPPqHhuJCcuVogbB65gdlMJtD1PaGQbY3TGx5qowoqFfsCuSfHuILObH47fepkKwKyBWt0QunDRPeU_A%3D%3D

Al-Monitor

Israel promises support for Ukrainian Jews

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has made it clear that if Jews in Ukraine find themselves in need of rescue, Israel will be there for them.

Rina Bassist

Ethnic/Religious Minorities
Russia in Syria
Russia-Ukraine crisis
February 14, 2022 —

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has repeatedly called for Israelis to leave Ukraine over the last few days. "I continue to call on Israelis in Ukraine: Do not take unnecessary risks, come home. Better to be safe than sorry. If a war breaks out, it will be much harder to board flights; it will be much harder to leave Ukraine and return to Israel. In the next day or two, it would be still relatively simple. Israeli airlines are increasing flights. Anyone who wants to return to Israel can. The Foreign Ministry will increase its manpower in Kyiv. If necessary, we will open another office in Lvov. We will make sure that every Israeli and every Jew who wants to come home receives all the help they need," he tweeted.

Israel is preparing for the eventuality of Ukrainian Jews asking to be evacuated as well. In an interview this morning with the Times of Israel, Lapid said, “If the Jews in Ukraine are going to feel they’re in jeopardy and they need to be rescued or helped out, Israel will be there for them, as it was for Ethiopian Jews during the civil war or the waves of hunger there, and so on.”

Lapid said, “In the last 24 hours, I had a Zoom meeting with the embassy in Kyiv, with all the people there. And we had a round table via phone with the prime minister and the defense minister and everyone who’s involved with the Israeli Embassy. And we were discussing what to do regarding the Jews in almost the same way as we were discussing what to do regarding the Israelis.”

Lapid's words join a series of statements by Israeli officials in recent days calling for Israelis to leave Ukraine. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called Feb. 12 on all Israeli citizens in Ukraine to leave the country immediately. A statement issued by his office said, “It was agreed to raise the travel warning for the area, along with calling on Israeli citizens to immediately leave.”

Last night, Lapid called upon all Israelis still in Ukraine to urgently leave the country, saying that according to American assessments of the situation on the ground, there is “an especially small window” to evacuate them. Speaking in press conference at the Foreign Ministry, Lapid explained, “We are still hoping that the crisis is solved through diplomatic means, but we also have a responsibility as a country toward Israeli citizens there, as well as toward the Jews.” He added that Israel is preparing for the possibility that if flights are ever no longer an option, Israel is also prepared to evacuate Jews and Israelis overland through Poland, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and Slovakia.

Recent publications in Israel suggested that some time ago, Israel had already prepared plans to rescue Ukrainian Jews, bring them to Israel and temporarily house them. The number of Jews in Ukraine is murky: There are an estimated 48,000 to 50,000 Ukrainian nationals considered Jews according to Jewish traditional law (their mother is Jewish) and about 200,000 Ukrainian nationals eligible to immigrate to Israel according to the Israeli Law of Return (which enables a person with one Jewish grandparent to immigrate to Israel and become an Israeli citizen).

Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata said yesterday, “We have no way to indicate at this moment how many potential olim [immigrants] will enter Israel at this point, but we need to be prepared,” adding that the possible number of Ukrainian Jews in need of immediate evacuation could reach “tens of thousands or just thousands.”

Israel has been cautious so far not to express support for either side in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, especially on the backdrop of the Vienna talks in which Russia is a major player, and taking into account the Russian presence in Syria. Another significant element for Israel is the large Jewish communities in Ukraine and in Russia. Asked about that at the press conference yesterday, Lapid said, Jerusalem will maintain its neutrality for their sake. "I may be more cautious than other foreign ministers because I have a problem that other foreign ministers do not have: Russia and Ukraine both have large Jewish communities and part of our responsibility is to keep them safe and that requires caution. Our stance is that all options must be exhausted to avoid an armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine."

Jerusalem Post Diaspora

Israel has secret plan to rescue Ukrainian Jews in event of Russian invasion

By ZVIKA KLEIN, LAHAV HARKOV   Published: FEBRUARY 13, 2022 16:07
Updated: FEBRUARY 13, 2022 21:18

People arrive at Ben Gurion Airport on February 13 from Ukraine.  (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
People arrive at Ben Gurion Airport on February 13 from Ukraine.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The Minister of Aliyah is preparing to rescue and bring in approximately 200,000 potential Olim from Ukraine, in case of a Russian attack on Ukraine.
 
Israel has a secret plan to rescue Jews and their relatives in case of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, senior government officials said Sunday.

The planned operation includes rescuing them, bringing them to Israel and temporary housing. Details of the operation remain unclear, but all of the relevant government ministries and official organizations have been meeting regularly about creating the potential evacuation plan for many weeks.

As threats of a Russian invasion of Ukraine become more concrete, Ukraine’s Jewish community members have to decide if they are interested in leaving with the assistance of Jewish organizations and the Israeli government.

According to senior Israeli government officials, there are approximately 200,000 residents of Ukraine eligible to move to Israel under the Law of Return if they choose to. About 50,000 out of the 200,000 are Jewish according to Halacha.

Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata (Blue and White) said she has instructed her ministry to prepare for a scenario of thousands of immigrants in the event of a Russian attack.

ALIYAH AND INTEGRATION Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata speaks at a meeting in the Knesset with the Jewish People’s Lobby in November. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

“We have no way to indicate at this moment how many potential olim will enter Israel at this point, but we need to be prepared,” she said.

When asked how many Ukrainian Jews are estimated to be interested in an immediate evacuation, Tamano-Shata said it could be “tens of thousands or just thousands.”

Even if a Ukrainian Jew wants to leave the country and not make aliyah, that would be possible because “the Jewish state was established in order to be a safe haven for Jews,” a senior Israeli official said. “Therefore, we do not differentiate between those who wish to make aliyah and those who are just interested in saving their lives.”

“We know that the second the first gun is shot, we’re going to be in a whole different ball game, and many more will be interested,” the official added.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday implored Israelis to leave Ukraine.

“Come home,” he said at the start of the cabinet meeting. “Don’t take an unnecessary risk. Don’t wait for the situation in which you’ll really want to return and it will already be impossible. Show responsibility for your own lives; leave Ukraine as quickly as possible and come home.”

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said according to intelligence assessments Israel has seen, mostly from the Americans, “there is a short window of time. We are telling Israelis to come back before things get more complicated.”

The Foreign Ministry on Saturday night issued a travel warning and called on Israelis to return from Ukraine immediately. There also are an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Israelis currently in Ukraine. Among them, 6,450 registered with the Israeli Embassy in Kyiv to get updates, and the embassy is trying to reach the others. There are about 2,000 Israelis studying in Ukraine, most of whom are Arabs.

Ten flights to Israel left Ukraine over the weekend, which were not full, and 32 more are planned for this week. Travel insurance companies said they would not insure flights from Ukraine beginning on Monday.

Bennett said it remained unclear how the tensions on the Ukraine-Russia border would unfold.
“Like the rest of the world, we hope that the tensions will end without an escalation,” he said. “But it is our primary responsibility to be concerned about our citizens, Israeli citizens.”

Bennett and other relevant ministers and heads of government agencies held another meeting on Sunday evening about the situation in Ukraine, following discussions over the weekend, which resulted in ordering the IDF and Foreign Ministry to prepare for evacuations if necessary.

Asked in a press briefing why Israel has not taken a side in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Lapid said: “I may be more careful than other foreign ministers, but I have a problem that they don’t: Russia and Ukraine have huge Jewish communities, so we need to be careful.”

“Our stance is clear,” he said. “We need to prevent an armed confrontation between Russia and Ukraine… Israel is not involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and therefore is behaving cautiously.”

The Foreign Ministry sent the families of diplomats stationed in Ukraine back to Israel on Sunday, but “in a country with 10,000 to 15,000 Israelis and 150,000 to 200,000 Jews, you cannot remove the diplomats, because we’ll need them,” Lapid said.

“We are proud that we are always there for Israelis in times of need,” he said. “It’s part of our mission.”

To that end, Israel has already discussed with Kyiv a contingency plan to open a second diplomatic office in Lviv to facilitate the evacuation of Israelis by land on Ukraine’s western border if necessary, Lapid said. Israel has discussed with Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova and Romania the possibility of evacuating Israelis out through their countries.