German navy chief’s Crimea comments lead to diplomatic row - Financial Times

Ukraine said it had summoned Germany’s ambassador to protest comments by the head of the German navy, who was filmed saying Russia only “wants respect” and Ukraine would never regain Crimea, remarks that have plunged Kyiv and Berlin into a damaging diplomatic row.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry said it “strongly rejected” the claim by Vice-Admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach that Crimea will never return to Ukraine and Kyiv will never meet the criteria for Nato membership.

It said the government also communicated to the German ambassador to Ukraine, Anka Feldhusen, its “deep disappointment” over Germany’s continued refusal to provide Ukraine with weapons.

The German government was quick to distance itself from Schönbach’s comments, made at a think-tank in India, in which he appeared to openly sympathise with Russia’s position in the Ukraine crisis.

But Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said they were part of a pattern of unhelpful behaviour by German officials.

“Ukraine is grateful to Germany for the support it has provided since 2014, as well as for its diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict,” Kuleba tweeted on Saturday. “But Germany’s current statements are disappointing and run counter to that support and those efforts.”

The reaction to the scandal in Berlin political circles was furious. Reinhard Bütikofer, a senior figure in the German Green party, one of the partners in Germany’s coalition government, said Schönbach’s comments were “more than an embarrassment”.

“Utterly unacceptable. There must be consequences! But this is NOT the position of the German foreign ministry,” he said.

The row coincides with a frantic diplomatic drive to deter Russia from invading Ukraine.

Russia has amassed more than 106,000 troops close to its border with Ukraine in recent weeks and Vladimir Putin has vowed an unspecified “military-technical response” if the west rejects his security demands.

These include a call for Nato to remove all its forces from Bulgaria, Romania and other ex-communist states in eastern Europe that joined the alliance after 1997 — a move the alliance has deemed unacceptable.

The tension over Schönbach’s faux pas comes just weeks after Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov criticised Germany in a Financial Times interview for blocking the supply of weaponry to Ukraine.

Reznikov said Berlin had vetoed Ukraine’s purchase of anti-drone rifles and anti-sniper systems via the Nato Support and Procurement Agency. Germany has since relented on the first item, after deeming it non-lethal.

Ukraine has also been highly critical of Germany’s support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will bring Russian gas directly to Germany under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine. Its critics say it will weaken Kyiv and also tighten the Kremlin’s grip on European energy markets.

The video of Schönbach shows him saying that Putin should be treated as an equal by the west, and referring to Russia as an “old . . . and important country” that the west and India needed “against China”.

“What he [Putin] really wants is respect,” he said. “And by God, giving someone respect is low-cost, even no-cost . . . it is easy to give him the respect he really demands — and probably also deserves.”

Schönbach also said that the “Crimean peninsula is gone, it will never come back, this is a fact”. That is in contradiction to the official western line that the annexation of Crimea was illegal and must be reversed.

The German defence ministry said Schönbach’s comments “do not in any way correspond to the ministry’s position, either in terms of content or in choice of words”, adding that the vice-admiral would “have an opportunity to make a statement to the Inspector General” of the Bundeswehr, Eberhard Zorn.

Schönbach tweeted that his remarks “reflected my personal opinion on the ground at that moment . . . [and] in no way correspond to the official position of the Bundeswehr.”

He later added that the comments were “thoughtless, misjudged in the situation, I shouldn’t have done it. There’s no denying it, it was clearly a mistake.”

Additional reporting by Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv

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2022-01-22 16:56:46Z
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US in talks with Qatar over gas supplies to Europe in event of Ukraine invasion - Financial Times

The US is holding talks with Qatar and other large gas exporters to plan contingency measures in case a Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupts supplies to Europe.

The talks with Qatar and EU member states, focused on securing additional seaborne liquefied natural gas cargoes, have gained urgency after high-level security negotiations between Washington and Moscow this week yielded minimal progress.

This has increased concerns that conflict could hit gas supplies at a time when Europe is facing record prices. However officials warned that there was no “magic wand” to solve the potential shortfall with the continent already in the grip of an energy crisis.

“We’re looking at what can be done in preparation for an event, especially midwinter with very low [European natural gas] supplies in storage,” a senior US administration official said.

“We discussed what can be moved around the market, what can help . . . the things we can prepare now for deployment if and when there is an escalated crisis”.

Another person briefed on the discussions with Doha said there was “potential to explore a long-term guarantee of LNG security, especially as Qatar will greatly increase its LNG production over the next few years”.

“In the short term it will be dependent on the willingness of other client countries to reroute and availability of unallocated LNG” the person said. “However, Qatar did reroute its supplies in 2011 for Japan after the tsunami hit so there’s precedent, but only if there’s a crisis.”

Preliminary discussions have started between Qatar, the world’s biggest exporter of LNG, the UK and European states about long-term gas supply “solutions,” the person added.

Most of Qatar’s LNG is shipped to Asia where the Gulf state’s clients agree to fixed, long-term contracts.

US President Joe Biden is due to hold talks with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in Washington this month, the person briefed on the discussions said.

Tensions between the west and Russia have soared as Moscow has deployed about 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border. The US has threatened severe sanctions against Russia if it invades, while some energy officials have accused the Kremlin of already leveraging its gas exports.

Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, said last week that Russia was throttling gas supplies to Europe at a time of “heightened geopolitical tensions”.

There are fears that conflict could lead to a further drop in gas supplies to Europe, which is facing a growing cost of living crisis as gas prices have soared.

With gas stocks at record low levels for the time of year, officials fear Europe could face industrial disruption, blackouts, or even a loss of heating supplies if Russian exports were to fall sharply.

The senior official in the Biden administration acknowledged that contracts between LNG exporters and Asian buyers could complicate efforts to divert supplies to Europe.

“There’s no magic wand,” the official said. “It’s all really hard, really complicated. Looking to do it within the constructs of how markets work, how commercial terms work, how cargoes work.”

The official added it had become clear that Russia had been squeezing gas supplies in recent months in order to gain leverage over European capitals.

“This is not a market situation we’re dealing with. These are not market forces. These are manipulated markets,” the official said.

Europe’s reliance on Russian gas has complicated efforts to present a united front against Moscow’s threats.

While most observers expect Russia to avoid completely cutting exports, there are concerns Moscow could still squeeze supplies further, or that gas export infrastructure in Ukraine could be damaged by conflict.

Energy executives have warned about the potential effect of US sanctions after Biden this week said punitive measures could include stopping Russian banks from dealing in US dollars — the main currency of the global commodities trade.

One energy industry executive said that Europe would almost certainly face extremely high prices in the event of disruption that required co-ordinated government action to source seaborne LNG cargoes.

“They will effectively have to compete for all the supply in the market, taking cargoes away from Asia, and the likely end result is the taxpayer will pay,” the energy executive said.

“It would be like procuring PPE at the start of the pandemic, with governments needing to intervene.” 

Doha has been locked in a dispute with the EU over a 2018 European Commission investigation into QatarEnergy’s long-term, fixed contracts. The probe has frustrated Doha and put a brake on Qatar investments and LNG supplies to Europe, causing the Gulf state to halt projects in France and Belgium.

However, the person briefed on the discussions said talks between Qatar and EU officials had also restarted over resolving a European Commission investigation into Qatar’s long-term contracts on the continent.

The person added that Europe needed to guarantee a long-term deal with Qatar or others to ensure stability and reduced dependence on Russia.

“People have become much more focused on gas security,” he said.

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2022-01-22 10:55:15Z
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Ukraine crisis: US and Russia lower temperature with 'candid' talks in Geneva - Sky News

The US and Russia have met to discuss the crisis in Ukraine - and sought to lower the temperature after days of heated standoff over a feared Russian invasion.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken, speaking after meeting his Russian counterpart, said: "We didn't expect any major breakthroughs to happen today, but I believe we are now on a clearer path to understanding each other's positions."

He held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva for roughly 90 minutes at what the American said was a "critical moment."

Mr Blinken reiterated his warning that any movement of "Russian military forces across Ukraine's border" would be met with a "swift, severe and united response".

With an estimated 100,000 Russian troops amassed on the Ukrainian border, many fear the Kremlin is preparing an invasion, leading to a bloody conflict, although it denies this.

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0:32

Biden says Russia risks paying 'a heavy price'

Mr Blinken said the discussion with Mr Lavrov was not a negotiation but "a candid exchange of views".

"I conveyed the position of the US and our European allies and partners that we stand firmly with Ukraine in support of its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

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"We have been clear, if any Russian military forces move across Ukraine's border, that is a renewed invasion. It will be met with swift, severe and a united response from the United States and our partners and allies."

The US secretary of state also warned of Russia's "extensive playbook of aggression short of military action", which he said includes "cyberattacks, paramilitary tactics and other means of advancing their interests aggressively without using military action".

"Those types of Russian aggression, will be met with a decisive, calibrated and again united response," Mr Blinken said.

Analysis: Why Ukraine’s border tensions matter to us all

Dominic Waghorn

International Affairs Editor

@DominicWaghorn

A huge amount is at stake in these talks and the urgency increases with each failed round of negotiations.

Vladimir Putin wants to wind the clock back to the mid-90s and has made explicit threats about military action if his demands are not met.

If that means an invasion of Ukraine, numerous military figures predict violence in Europe on a scale not seen since the Second World War.

His deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, last week warned of consequences for security across the entire continent of Europe if Putin's demands are not met.

That means we could all feel the impact of diplomatic failure even though Ukraine is on the other side of Europe.

There is little sign of progress in these talks. One Russian official this morning told Sky News the Americans are stubborn as hell.

It does not sound like the deadlock has been broken. But they may have found enough to continue talking, perhaps at a presidential level next.

On Russia's repeated insistence that it has no plans to invade Ukraine, Mr Blinken said: "We're looking at what is visible to all, and it is deeds and actions and not words that make all the difference."

But he said talks would continue and that the US was open to a meeting between the Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden, if it would be "useful and productive".

Mr Lavrov described the talks in Geneva as "constructive and useful" and said the US had agreed to provide written responses to Russian demands on Ukraine and NATO next week.

But he said: "I can't say whether we are on the right path or not.

"We will see when we get the American responses."

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4:26

Russia and the West: What's going on?

Mr Lavrov also said he hoped "emotions would cool down" over Ukraine and repeated the claim that Russia posed no threat to its former Soviet neighbour.

Moscow has demanded that NATO promise Ukraine will never be allowed to join the military alliance.

It also wants the allies to remove troops and military equipment from parts of eastern Europe.

However, the US and its allies have rejected these demands and repeatedly promised "severe" consequences including tough economic sanctions - though not military action - against Russia if an invasion goes ahead.

It came as the US treasury department slapped new sanctions on four Ukrainian officials, accused of being at the centre of a Kremlin effort to damage Ukraine's ability to "independently function".

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0:38

Kremlin 'dreams of recreating Soviet Union'

Russia seized control of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014 and backed a separatist insurgency in the eastern part of the country, that has claimed more than 14,000 lives.

Mr Putin has faced limited international consequences for those moves, but the West says a new invasion would be different.

Mr Blinken has also sought to stress US unity with its partners after US President Joe Biden drew widespread criticism for saying retaliation for Russian aggression in Ukraine would depend on the circumstances and that a "minor incursion" would see a lesser response.

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Mr Biden subsequently sought to clarify his comments by cautioning that any troop movements across Ukraine's border would constitute an invasion and that Moscow would "pay a heavy price" for such an action.

Moscow has denied it is planning an offensive and instead accused the West of plotting "provocations" in Ukraine, citing the supply of thousands of anti-tank weapons by the British military, in the face of the Kremlin troop build-up.

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2022-01-21 18:22:30Z
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Coronavirus: Irish government set to remove most rules - BBC News

RTÉ

The Irish government has agreed to lift almost all of its Covid-19 restrictions from Saturday, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin has said.

"Today is a good day," Mr Martin said, as he told a press conference that the Republic of Ireland had "weathered the Omicron storm".

He said customers would no longer need to show proof of Covid status to enter hospitality and entertainment venues.

Bars, restaurants and nightclubs will also return to normal trading hours.

Currently, hospitality and cultural venues including pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres must close by 20:00 local time.

Mr Martin also confirmed that restrictions on household gatherings would end and the limits on the numbers of people who can attend events were being abolished.

The government is also lifting its rules about working from home, which would allow a gradual return to the workplace to begin, the taoiseach said.

However, rules on wearing masks on public transport and most public buildings will stay in place for now, as he urged the public to continue to follow the remaining public health advice.

Travellers will also still need to use a so-called Covid passport, which shows digital proof of their vaccine status or recent test results, in order to travel internationally.

The taoiseach began his press conference by thanking the public for their cooperation with the emergency health measures and he acknowledged the difficulties the rules had caused.

"When your government asked extraordinary things of you, introduced previously unimaged restrictions on your lives, you responded. You did what you were asked to do," Mr Martin said.

He told the public that "no one should be in any doubt that your collective efforts have saved many thousands of lives".

However he said the government would not impose restrictions on personal freedoms "for any longer than is necessary".

PA/Brian Lawless

Ministers met on Friday to discuss recommendations from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet).

On Thursday night Nphet had indicated its support for ending most of the measures put in place to stem the spread of the Omicron variant.

Mr Martin said that information from public health officials had confirmed that the rate of infection was falling and all other key indicators used to monitor Covid were going in the right direction.

He said that Ireland's vaccination and booster programme had "utterly transformed our situation" and he paid tribute to the efforts of health workers who had put themselves "in harm's way".

The taoiseach also warned that the decision to lift the "majority" of Ireland's Covid restrictions could lead to a temporary rise in infections and he urged people to take up the offer of vaccines.

"I want to be clear also that the pandemic isn't over. It will still require all of us to be vigilant," Mr Martin said.

"It is important also to say that I can't promise you there won't be further twists in this pandemic requiring different decisions in the future.

"But I do know this - solidarity with each other and trust in science has got us to where we are today and will get us through whatever else this virus may throw at us."

Mr Martin acknowledged that some people may be anxious about the lifting of restrictions but said it was important for people to look forward to meeting friends and family again.

"Humans are social beings and we Irish are more social than most," he said, adding it was now "time to be ourselves again".

On Friday some Covid restrictions in Northern Ireland were eased and the use of Covid passports for access to bars, restaurants and cinemas will end on Wednesday.

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2022-01-21 17:22:15Z
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UK aid heads to Tonga as Pacific nation continues the clean-up after eruption and tsunami - Sky News

UK-funded aid is being sent to Tonga, almost a week after parts of the island nation were devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami.

The Australian naval ship HMAS Adelaide was expected to set sail on Friday carrying British aid, including 90 family-sized tents, eight community tents, and six wheelbarrows requested by the Tongan government.

At the same time, the Royal Navy's offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey will sail from Tahiti to Tonga carrying water and medical supplies.

Image: Ash from the eruption in Tonga was visible from the International Space Station. Pic: NASA/Astronaut Kayla Barron

Image: According to the United Nations, around 80% of Tonga's population has been affected by the disaster

HMS Spey is expected to arrive next week and the ship's commanding officer Commander Mike Proudman said: "I'm proud that the Royal Navy can play its part in the efforts to respond to the devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga."

The UK has also offered to fund the deployment of crisis experts through the United Nations.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: "Our thoughts are with those caught up in the appalling devastation and loss of life caused by the tsunami in Tonga."

Image: The eruption from the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano that triggered the tsunami

What happened in Tonga?

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai underwater volcano erupted on 13 January and 15 January.

The eruption was so powerful that it could be heard from as far away as Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia.

It also caused a tsunami.

Image: Officials said that three people died in the disaster

Officials from the UN's humanitarian arm estimated that roughly 84,000 people - or more than 80% of Tonga's population - were affected by the eruption.

At least three people were killed - including one Briton, homes have been destroyed on several islands, and the country has been left with a polluted water supply.

Image: Angela Glover's body was found after the tsunami. Pic: @ifthegloverfits

The disaster also knocked out communications for the nation of about 105,000 people, cutting it off from the rest of the world.

Humanitarian aid and a message from the Queen

The first planes carrying foreign aid arrived in Tonga on 20 January, five days after the tsunami and once a blanket of ash could be cleared from the airport runway.

They were a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules and an Australian Globemaster aircraft.

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0:49

Devastation after Tonga eruption

Between them, they carried water containers, desalination equipment, shelters, kitchens, a sweeper to remove ash, generators, hygiene kits, and communications equipment.

Great care was needed, as Tonga is one of the few countries to have avoided any community transmission of COVID-19 so far in the pandemic.

Aid from Japan is also on the way.

Some telephone connections have been restored, but it could take another month for full services to resume.

Image: Australian aid was among the first to reach the island nation

The Queen sent a message of condolence to His Majesty Tupou VI, the King of Tonga, on Thursday.

"I am shocked and saddened by the impact of the volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga," she said.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Tonga, as you work together to recover from the damage caused.

"It must be incredibly difficult for those who are unable to contact friends and family while communications are disrupted, and I hope that they will soon be restored."

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2022-01-21 06:26:21Z
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Ashling Murphy family hold framed photos in court as man is charged with murder - The Irish News

Cate McCurry, Dominic McGrath and Rebecca Black, PA

19 January, 2022 20:35

A man has been remanded in custody after being charged with the murder of Irish teacher Ashling Murphy.

Jozef Puska, 31, of Lynally Grove, Tullamore, Co Offaly, was heckled as he was taken from a Garda car to a special sitting of Tullamore District Court on Wednesday evening.

A large crowd gathered outside the courthouse as he was taken away by gardai. A number of family members stood in court with framed pictures of Ms Murphy.

Detective Sergeant David Scahill gave evidence of the arrest and charge.

He told the court the accused was charged with murder at 7.42pm on Wednesday.

Det Sgt Scahill told the court that when he was charged with the offence, Puska replied: “No.”

Defence solicitor Eoin Lysaght made an application for legal aid and for the services of an interpreter for the future court appearance.

The court was told that Puska, who was wearing a grey jumper and grey tracksuit bottoms, is a Slovakian national.

A statement of his means was provided to the court during the brief hearing.

District Judge Catherine Staines remanded Puska in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on January 26.

A second man, arrested under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939, has been released without charge.

A file is to be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The body of Ms Murphy, a talented musician and teacher, was found on the banks of the Grand Canal in Tullamore on Wednesday January 12.

A crowd of around 40 people walked along the canal on Wednesday 19, close to where her body was found, to mark a week since her death.

On Tuesday, large crowds gathered in the village of Mountbolus and outside St Brigid’s Church, where her funeral was held.

Mourners included Irish President Michael D Higgins and premier Micheal Martin.

Vigils have been held across Ireland and the world to remember Ms Murphy and to call for a change in tackling gender-based violence.

 Jozef Puska, 31, is led in to Tullamore District Court

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2022-01-20 08:48:45Z
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Ukraine tension: Blinken says Russia could attack at short notice - BBC News

Belarus defence ministry

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Russia could attack Ukraine "on very short notice" and warned again of tough sanctions if it did.

He was speaking on a visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv after months of tension over a Russian military build-up near Ukraine's borders.

Stressing the US's close ties with Ukraine, Mr Blinken vowed "relentless" diplomacy to stop Russian aggression.

Moscow has denied any plans to attack or invade.

Russia has made a raft of demands to Western governments, including that Ukraine should never join Nato and that the defensive alliance's military activities should be limited in member states including Poland.

Talks between the West and Russia last week failed to reach a breakthrough, with some of Moscow's demands rejected as non-starters.

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014 after the overthrow of a pro-Russian government in Ukraine. It has supported pro-Russian rebels who control parts of eastern Ukraine after they fought a bloody war with government forces.

There are fears that the conflict, which cost at least 13,000 lives and caused at least two million people to flee their homes, may reignite, with the Russian military openly intervening.

Mr Blinken said Russia had built up troops near Ukraine's borders with "no provocation, no reason".

"We know that there are plans in place to increase that force even more on very short notice, and that gives President [Vladimir] Putin the capacity, also on very short notice, to take further aggressive action against Ukraine," he said.

He accused Russia of trying to weaken Ukraine's diplomatic institutions and divide Ukrainian society "using everything from election interference to disinformation to cyber attacks".

He pledged "relentless diplomatic efforts to prevent renewed aggression and to promote dialogue and peace", and repeated a warning of tough sanctions against Russia in the event of an invasion.

Mr Blinken will meet his Russian counterpart in Geneva on Friday, after talks with European allies in Berlin.

Reuters

A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. So on a day when the White House warned that a Russian attack on Ukraine could come "at any point", American Secretary of State Antony Blinken flew almost 8,000km to appear in front of cameras with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reiterate the close ties between the two nations.

He cautioned Russian President Vladimir Putin that there would be severe consequences if he opted for military action and promised continued defensive and financial support for the Ukrainian government.

Given evidence of a Russian disinformation campaign to convince Ukrainians that the US is abandoning the Eastern European nation - drawing comparisons to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan - such a show of support was particularly welcomed by senior Ukrainian officials.

Meanwhile, on the streets of Kyiv, everyday life is continuing as normal. Pedestrians waved and took photographs of Mr Blinken's motorcade as it passed along ice-encrusted streets. There is no sense of panic or undue concern even amid headlines of Russian troops amassing along the nation's borders.

Time may tell whether this is mass denial or a sense of steely resolve for the challenges that lie ahead.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who led recent negotiations with the US in Geneva, said his country did not "intend to take any aggressive actions".

"We will not strike, attack or invade Ukraine," he said at a meeting on Moscow.

He said the US could not force Moscow to move its troops away from the Ukrainian border. "They are on our territory and we won't be making any changes to their movement because of external pressure," he added.

Mr Ryabkov also called on Washington to stop its military support for Ukraine, which he said posed a direct threat to Russian security.

• Is Russia preparing to invade Ukraine?

Mr Blinken's visit to Kyiv was described as a bid to "reinforce the United States' commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity", before talks in Berlin on Thursday with German, French and British counterparts.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who visited Moscow on Tuesday, has warned that any further military escalation "would carry a high price for the Russian regime - economic, political and strategic".

Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has urged Western governments to impose immediate sanctions on Moscow.

Speaking to the BBC's HardTalk programme, he warned that a Russian invasion of the country could lead to bloodshed and a refugee crisis for Europe.

A consignment of light anti-tank missiles arrived in Kyiv from the UK on Tuesday as British ministers urged Moscow to reflect on the brink of a potential conflict in which thousands could die.

In an essay published this week, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace accused Russia of using Nato as a "strawman" to justify an invasion of Ukraine, accusing President Putin of being motivated by "ethnonationalism".

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2022-01-19 20:36:26Z
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