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Jumat, 28 Januari 2022

Ukraine crisis: Don't create panic, Zelensky tells West - BBC News

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the West not to create panic amid the build-up of Russian troops on his country's borders.

He told reporters that warnings of an imminent invasion were putting Ukraine's economy at risk.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden said he believed Russia could attack its neighbour next month.

Russia, however, denies it is planning to invade and on Friday its foreign minister said Moscow did not want war.

While Russia has about 100,000 troops on Ukraine's borders, Mr Zelensky said he did not see a greater threat now than during a similar massing of troops last spring.

"There are signals even from respected leaders of states, they just say that tomorrow there will be war. This is panic - how much does it cost for our state?" he told the press conference in Kyiv.

Mr Zelensky also criticised the UK, US and Australian withdrawal of diplomats' families from Ukraine, saying it had been a mistake.

"The destabilisation of the situation inside the country" is the biggest threat to Ukraine, he said,

The US has rejected a key Moscow demand that Nato rule out Ukraine joining the defence alliance - but insisted it was offering Russia a " serious diplomatic path".

Russian President Vladimir Putin later accused the West of ignoring Russia's security concerns.

But he said he would study the US response before deciding what to do, according to a Kremlin readout of a call between Mr Putin and his French counterpart.

France said the two leaders had agreed on the need to de-escalate and its President Emmanuel Macron told Mr Putin that Russia must respect the sovereignty of its neighbouring states.

'No decision made'

Meanwhile the head of Germany's foreign intelligence service said Russia was prepared to attack Ukraine, but had not yet decided whether to do so.

"I believe that the decision to attack has not yet been made," Bruno Kahl told Reuters.

And Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance was ready to increase its presence in eastern Europe to demonstrate its resolve.

Mr Stoltenberg said Russia was deploying thousands of combat-ready troops and missile systems into Belarus, which also borders Ukraine.

Russia last month made wide-ranging security demands from the West, including that:

Ukraine should be barred from joining Nato
Nato should end military activity in eastern Europe, pulling troops out of Poland and the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
The alliance should not deploy missiles in countries near or bordering Russia

The US and Nato responded by saying Ukraine had the right to choose its own allies but offered Russia talks on missile placements and other issues.

If Russia were to invade Ukraine, it would not be the first time.

Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula in 2014. It is also backing rebels who seized large swathes of the eastern Donbas region soon afterwards, and some 14,000 people have died in fighting there.

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2022-01-28 17:14:21Z
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Ukraine-Russia tensions: 'Fully-fledged' Russian invasion could include cyber attacks and a coup, NATO warns - Sky News

The West should be prepared for a "fully-fledged Russian invasion" of Ukraine that could include an attempted coup, cyber attacks and sabotage, NATO has warned.

Speaking at an event in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that the build-up of Russian troops at the borders with Ukraine and Belarus is not necessarily the only way Moscow plans to put pressure on Western allies.

"We need to be prepared for a wide range of different forms of aggression," he said, listing several examples.

It comes as Sky News' international editor Dominic Waghorn asked Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy whether he was playing down the threat of an imminent invasion to protect his country's economy and that the US was right to claim that a major border offensive was a "real possibility".

The leader replied: "The question of the possible escalation is not less acute as (it is) for the US and other partners."

But he added the conflict with Russia has been going on since 2014, saying Ukraine "has been in this situation for eight years so we should be looking up but also looking on the ground".

"We may lose the economy of our country, people come first. The probability of the threat is there. In 2021 it was the same, in 2020 it was less," he said.

He continued: "Yes, it (an invasion) may happen unfortunately, but let's put three dots here, not just one full stop and say 'yes for sure it will happen'."

Meanwhile, Russia has launched a series of military drills near its borders with both of its former Soviet neighbours.

The Kremlin is thought to be mobilising infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia, alongside war planes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea and warships in the Black Sea and Arctic.

NATO has bolstered its presence in the Baltic Sea region in response, while the US has ordered a further 8,500 troops to be on high alert for deployment to eastern Europe.

Russia has repeatedly insisted it will not invade Ukraine, but foreign minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Friday: "There won't be a war as far as it depends on the Russian Federation, we don't want a war.

"But we won't let our interests be rudely trampled on and ignored."

Putin tells Macron Moscow's principal concerns not met

In a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, Vladimir Putin said that the US and NATO's proposals on security do not meet Moscow's main concerns.

But the Kremlin said Mr Putin would closely study the proposals before deciding on further action.

A build-up of as many as 150,000 Russian troops on the Ukrainian border began late last year as Russia demanded that Ukraine be banned from joining NATO and the alliance scales back its military operations in eastern Europe.

Moscow wants to keep its former Soviet neighbour in its 'sphere of influence' following its illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Negotiations between Russia and the West last week proved largely unsuccessful, with US President Joe Biden telling Ukraine's President Zelenskyy in a phone call on Thursday that Russia could invade as soon as next month.

The US and NATO formally rejected Russia's demands this week but outlined a number of secondary areas where there could be room for negotiation and an opportunity to avoid full-scale war.

Russia faces devastating sanctions - including halt to gas pipeline

Meanwhile Washington and other Western allies warned the Kremlin it faces devastating economic sanctions if it decides to pursue military intervention.

US officials said Germany would not allow the newly-constructed Nord Stream 2 pipeline to bring gas from Russia if it goes to war.

And Whitehall sources have told Sky News that Britain is considering sending "hundreds more" troops to the Ukrainian border to bolster NATO's presence.

But despite the possibility of an imminent invasion, Ukrainian officials have tried to convey a sense of calm.

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Its defence minister Oleksii Reznikov told parliament on Friday that the total number of Russian troops near Ukraine is comparable to Moscow's military build-up in the spring of 2021, when it eventually decided to pull its forces back.

"We haven't observed any events or actions of military character that significantly differ from what was going on last spring," with the exception of the deployment to Belarus, Reznikov said.

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2022-01-28 16:30:00Z
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Kamis, 27 Januari 2022

Russia sees 'little ground for optimism' in Ukraine talks - The Times

Russia said that there were hopes for continued talks with the United States and Nato over Ukraine but “little grounds for optimism” as it considered their written responses to its demands that Nato rules out further expansion into eastern Europe.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said that the US document “contains no positive response on the main issue” but could lead to “serious talk on secondary issues”. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that there were “always prospects for continuing a dialogue” but that he saw “little grounds for optimism”.

An official reaction to the US document by President Putin would come soon, Peskov said.

The US document and a similar response from Nato was delivered to Moscow after a series of talks with Russia,

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2022-01-27 11:00:00Z
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Man appears in court charged with attempting to withdraw uncle's pension from Irish post office - Belfast Live

A man has appeared in court charged with attempting to withdraw his uncle’s pension in a Carlow Post Office.

Declan Haughney, 40, of Pollerton Road, Carlow, appeared before a sitting at Kilkenny District Court this morning - charged with deception, the Irish Mirror reports.

Mr Haughney is charged with attempting to withdraw the pension of his uncle Peadar Doyle, 66, at Hoseys Post Office in Carlow last Friday - on two occasions, on the same morning.

Mr Haughney is accused of entering the Post Office at 11:04am where he “dishonestly induced by deception” a member of staff.

It is alleged he did so by producing a social welfare card in the name of Peadar Doyle - in an attempt to collect a pension payment of €240.

He is further accused of the same offence - dishonestly inducing a member of staff at the same premises - at 11:14am.

Both charges are contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001.

Appearing before Judge Geraldine Carthy, Garda Joe O’Keeffe of Carlow Garda Station gave evidence of arrest charge and caution.

He said the accused made no reply when charged with both offences after caution.

Mr Haughey’s solicitor Brendan O’Flaherty said his client was not seeking bail at this time.

The judge therefore remanded Mr Haughney, who was dressed in a black tracksuit, into custody.

Mr O’Flahery asked for legal aid for his client, informing the Judge that he was not working.

The Judge therefore granted legal aid and remanded Mr Haughney into custody.

He is set to appear before a sitting of Carlow District Court next week.

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2022-01-27 12:29:11Z
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Live news: Russia has 'little cause for optimism' after US rejects its Nato demands - Financial Times

Levi Strauss said its revenues grew more than forecast in the lead-up to the festive season, even as it navigated supply chain woes that wiped out the benefit of Black Friday sales.

A shift to casual clothing has boosted demand for Levi’s jeans, including newer styles with a baggier fit, as consumers work from home during the pandemic.

The San Francisco-based company also got a boost last quarter as more shoppers returned to stores. It reported a 28 per cent increase in net revenues for company-operated stores compared with the same period a year ago.

Overall, net revenues jumped 22 per cent to $1.7bn in the three months to the end of November, surpassing analysts’ forecast of $1.68bn and the company’s own outlook that sales would grow as much as 21 per cent.

Levi said its revenues took a $50m hit from supply chain constraints during the quarter. That offset a 3 per cent boost from Black Friday sales and the company’s acquisition of the Beyond Yoga brand.

Harmit Singh, chief financial officer, said staffing challenges as well as supply chain bottlenecks kept Levi from meeting all of the demand for its products. Sales have not suffered much from price increases, he said.

“Demand is outstripping supply,” Singh said in an interview, adding that Levi has maintained pricing power during a period of elevated cost inflation fuelled by wages, commodities and store rent.

Levi predicted that net revenues will improve by 11 to 13 per cent in fiscal 2022 to between $6.4bn and $6.5bn, above analysts’ forecast of $6.37bn. It expects adjusted earnings of $1.50 to $1.56 per share, compared with Wall Street’s estimate of $1.53.

Shares rose 1.9 per cent in after-hours trading on Wednesday.

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2022-01-27 10:30:06Z
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Ukraine-Russia crisis: Britain could send hundreds more troops to eastern Europe amid invasion fears, Sky News understands - Sky News

The UK is considering sending hundreds more troops to bolster NATO's flank in eastern Europe ahead of any potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sky News understands.

Britain has been in talks with the US about potential deployments as concern mounts over what action Russian President Putin may take as he continues to mass tens of thousands of troops and weaponry around Ukrainian borders.

A Whitehall source stressed that no decision had yet been taken but that sending hundreds more British forces to "eastern Europe" was an option - "one of many".

A second Whitehall source said nothing had been signed off but confirmed a new deployment was possible, though they said it was still "very much speculation".

Such a move could be used as a last-ditch effort to make the Kremlin think twice if diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis fail because it would be the exact opposite of what Mr Putin has demanded.

He wants all NATO forces to withdraw from eastern and central European countries, saying their presence poses a security threat to Russia. NATO denies the claim.

It would also bolster protection for nervous eastern NATO member states that worry they could be next to face a Russian attack should President Putin decide to go on the offensive again in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already signalled that the UK would consider increasing its forces in the east of Europe in response to any invasion of Ukraine.

The United States has also put 8,500 troops on a heightened alert to mobilise to Europe to support NATO if needed.

The alliance has started to strengthen its defences with a small number of warplanes and ships. It has also signalled it was preparing to increase its forces along its eastern flank should Russia launch a new assault on Ukraine.

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CNN reported on Wednesday that the US and a handful of allies, including the UK, were in discussions to send thousands more personnel to eastern European NATO countries ahead of any potential further move into Ukraine by Russia.

Ukraine is not one of the alliance's 30 members but has said it would like to join - a desire that is one of the major flashpoints of friction between the West and Moscow.

Kyiv residents taking invasion threat in their stride

How many NATO troops are ready if Russia launches new invasion?

NATO mulls new battlegroups

Sky News understands that NATO allies have been mulling the possibility of setting up new 1,000-strong battlegroups in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia.

France has offered to lead any new battlegroup in Romania

They would be similar to so-called Enhanced Forward Presence deployments in the three Baltic states and Poland.

These were founded in 2016 as part of NATO's move to bolster its defences and ability to deter Russian aggression after the Crimea annexation in 2014 and its backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The UK leads the Estonia battlegroup, contributing about 800 servicemen and women. It also contributes some 150 troops to a US-led battlegroup in Poland.

All 30 NATO members need to agree

The CNN report said the new mobilisations under consideration by the US and the small number of allies included possible deployments of approximately 1,000 military personnel each to Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, similar to the existing battlegroups in the Baltics and Poland.

It was not immediately possible to confirm this detail.

A new deployment would only be a NATO mission if all 30 members agree to it - even if they do not contribute troops.

The Telegraph first reported on the potential new British deployment. It quoted government sources as saying that "very advanced discussions" were under way.

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2022-01-27 07:30:00Z
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Rabu, 26 Januari 2022

Stephen Breyer planning to retire from US Supreme Court - Financial Times

Stephen Breyer, a liberal member of the US Supreme Court, plans to retire this year, according to media reports, a move that will pose a political test for president Joe Biden as he seeks to install a progressive replacement.

Breyer, 83, is expected to step down at the end of the court’s current term in June. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate majority leader, said Breyer “is, and always has been, a model jurist”, and vowed that Biden’s nominee “will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate judiciary committee, and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed”.

When asked about the news at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, Biden told reporters: “There has been no announcement from Justice Breyer. Let him make whatever statement he’s going to make, and I’ll be happy to talk about it later.”

The Supreme Court’s oldest member has come under mounting pressure in recent months to step down so Biden can nominate a younger liberal to fill his lifetime seat on America’s highest court. There are no term limits for Supreme Court justices.

While the retirement would not shift the court’s ideological balance between conservatives and liberals, it will give Biden an opportunity to ensure Breyer’s seat goes to someone who will share similar views.

Breyer and his former colleague Ruth Bader Ginsburg first faced calls to resign in 2011, when Randall Kennedy, a Harvard Law School professor, argued in a contentious essay for The New Republic that the two justices should step aside to allow then-Democratic president Barack Obama to select their successors.

Ginsburg died in 2020 aged 87, just months before the end of Donald Trump’s presidency. He filled her seat ahead of presidential elections in November with Amy Coney Barrett, cementing a 6-3 conservative majority on the court’s bench.

Breyer, who was nominated by former president Bill Clinton, has been a member of the court for almost three decades.

Supreme Court justices are chosen by presidents but require confirmation by a simple majority in the Senate. The confirmation process, which includes a series of public hearings before the Senate judiciary committee, has become one of the most politically charged events in Congress.

“I think it could move very expeditiously because the White House has been thinking about this for a year, even before that,” said Carl Tobias, law professor at the University of Richmond.

While presidential appointments have in the past received bipartisan support, that has changed in recent years. The Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Barrett, with Susan Collins the only Republican to vote against her confirmation and no Democrats backing her.

Another Trump pick, Brett Kavanaugh, was also mired in controversy amid sexual harassment allegations dating back to his teenage years. He was ultimately confirmed in a 50-48 Senate vote, with Joe Manchin as the lone Democrat supporting his nomination.

As a candidate for president, Biden vowed to nominate a black woman to the Supreme Court bench should a vacancy arise during his tenure. Just two black justices — Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas — have sat on the Supreme Court, and only five women have served as justices.

Ketanji Brown Jackson, a judge on the powerful appeals court for the District of Columbia, and Leondra Kruger, a justice on the California supreme court, are seen as among the lead contenders to take Breyer’s seat.

The Senate previously confirmed Jackson — who clerked for Breyer at the Supreme Court in 1999 and 2000 — by a bipartisan vote of 53-44 during her nomination to the appeals court last year.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, did not offer any details on the administration’s thinking about a nominee to replace Breyer, but said the president “stands by” his vow to tap a black woman to the Supreme Court.

When asked if Biden might consider Kamala Harris, the vice-president, to fill the vacancy, Psaki responded: “The president has every intention . . . of running for re-election, and for running for re-election with vice-president Harris on the ticket as his partner.”

Dick Durbin, the Democrat from Illinois who chairs the Senate judiciary committee, praised Breyer as a “trusted voice on the bench with a first-rate legal mind” and said he looked “forward to moving the president’s nominee expeditiously” through the committee.

Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican on the Senate judiciary committee, called Breyer a “scholar and a gentleman” but did not indicate any inclination to back a Biden nominee.

“If all Democrats hang together — which I expect they will — they have the power to replace Justice Breyer in 2022 without one Republican vote in support,” Graham said. “Elections have consequences, and that is most evident when it comes to fulfilling vacancies on the Supreme Court.”

NBC News first reported on Breyer’s retirement. The Supreme Court did not immediately return a request for comment.

Additional reporting by James Politi

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2022-01-26 20:24:47Z
1260697256

Jumat, 28 Januari 2022

'No decision made'

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Rabu, 26 Januari 2022