Germany says Kremlin’s declare it’s planning warfare with Russia is ‘absurd’
Kate Connolly
Germany’s ambassador to Moscow was summoned to the Russian international ministry on Monday with a view to clarify the leaked dialogue between senior navy personnel about sending weapons to Ukraine.
Alexander Graf Lamsdorff arrived on the international ministry with out responding to journalists’ requests for remark, in accordance with studies on Russian information businesses.
Germany’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, has accused Russia of waging “an data warfare” towards Germany, by intercepting after which leaking a delicate assembly amongst high-level navy officers of the German navy or Bundeswehr.
Russia has accused Germany, backed by its allies, of planning an all-out warfare on Russia.
Russia’s international minister, Sergei Lavrov, mentioned the leaked discussions confirmed that the urge for food for warfare in Europe “nonetheless stays very very excessive”, and the intention was to make sure “Russia’s strategic defeat on the battlefield”.
The previous Russian president Dmitry Medvedev commented that: “Germany is planning a warfare with Russia”.
Pistorius dismissed the reactions as: “fully absurd”, accusing Moscow of eager to sow mistrust and discord in Germany.
Within the phone convention, 4 officers, together with the pinnacle of Germany’s air power, Ingo Gerhartz, put together for a dialogue with defence minister Pistorius concerning the potential deployment of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, coming to the conclusion {that a} speedy supply and using the missiles within the quick future would solely be potential if German troopers have been concerned.
Taurus coaching for Ukrainian troopers with a view to keep away from placing German troopers on Ukraine soil, was a risk, however would take months of preparation. The officers additionally mentioned the opportunity of utilizing the missiles to destroy the Russian-built bridge connecting the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula and Russia.
Final week, Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, dominated out the sending of Taurus missiles as a result of he mentioned the operation would contain sending German troops to Ukraine. He mentioned: “German troopers can at no level and in no place be linked with the targets that this (Taurus) system reaches. Not even in Germany.”
Because the German authorities struggles to cope with the fallout from the leak, with questions requested concerning the safety of its inner communications and hypothesis over what different discussions Russia has been in a position to pay attention to, defence coverage consultants mentioned the intercepted communication was clearly meant to undermine Germany’s Ukraine technique.
Roderich Kiesewette, the opposition Christian Democrats’ defence skilled, mentioned that Russia had leaked the assembly at this second in time with a view to particularly: “undermine a German Taurus supply”. He urged the leak was carried out “with a view to divert public dialog away” from different points, together with the dying of Alexei Navalny.
Key occasions
Right here is extra on the deal Poland signed a deal to purchase anti-tank grenade launchers from Sweden’s Saab.
The deal considerations the Carl-Gustaf M4 grenade launcher, which is meant to fight all kinds of trendy fight automobiles.
Poland’s defence minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, mentioned Poland would obtain a number of thousand grenade launchers and several other hundred thousand rounds of ammunition, in addition to the required infrastructure, coaching and different components needed to make use of the weapon.
Poland signed a deal to purchase anti-tank grenade launchers from Sweden’s Saab in a deal value 6.5 billion złotys (£1.3bn), Poland’s defence minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, has mentioned.
Warsaw has been certainly one of Kyiv’s staunchest supporters since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has mentioned Ukraine should regain management over all of its territory with a view to deter Moscow from additional aggression.
This yr, Poland – which borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad – is spending about 4% of gross home product on defence because it seeks to strengthen its armed forces within the face of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
British troopers are “on the bottom” in Ukraine serving to Kyiv’s forces hearth long-range Storm Shadow missiles, in accordance with a leak in Russian media of a top-secret name involving German air power officers.
The Kremlin mentioned the leak demonstrated the direct involvement of the “collective west” within the warfare in Ukraine – whereas former British defence ministers expressed frustration with the German navy in response to the revelations.
Launched on Friday by the editor of the Kremlin-controlled information channel RT, Margarita Simonyan, the audio recording – confirmed as genuine by Germany – captures Luftwaffe officers discussing how Berlin’s Taurus missiles may very well be used to attempt to blow up the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia with occupied Crimea.
Through the dialog, Lt Gen Ingo Gerhartz, the pinnacle of the Luftwaffe, describes how Britain works with Ukraine on deploying Storm Shadow missiles towards targets as much as 150 miles behind Russian strains.
“In the case of mission planning,” the German commander says, “I understand how the English do it, they do it fully in reachback. Additionally they have a number of individuals on the bottom, they do this, the French don’t.”
Reachback is a navy time period to explain how intelligence, gear and assist from the rear is introduced ahead to models deployed on the entrance, however Gerhartz suggests the British method is deeper, involving assist on website.
You’ll be able to learn the complete story by my colleagues, Dan Sabbagh and Kate Connolly, right here:
Polish farmers’ blockade of the border with Ukraine has not affected the supply of navy or humanitarian assist to the nation, Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmygal, has mentioned.
Farmers have been blocking the border and different highways to protest what they are saying is unfair competitors from items coming into the Polish market from Ukraine.
“There have been no circumstances of supply of weapons and navy gear, humanitarian assist, or gas to Ukraine being blocked,” Shmygal informed reporters in Kyiv.
“No cargo formally registered as navy or humanitarian has been detained,” he added.
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A bunch of greater than 40 international locations reiterated requires Russia to permit an unbiased worldwide investigation into the dying of opposition chief Alexei Navalny in jail.
The decision was made by EU ambassador Lotte Knudsen on the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on behalf of all 27 EU states and 16 different international locations, together with Canada, the UK, the USA and Ukraine, in accordance with Reuters.
Knudsen mentioned:
We’re outraged by the dying of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, for which the final word duty lies with President [Vladimir] Putin and the Russian authorities.
Russia should permit an unbiased and clear worldwide investigation into the circumstances of his sudden dying.
Navalny, Putin’s fiercest critic inside Russia, died on the age of 47 in an Arctic penal colony on 16 February, sparking accusations from his supporters that he had been murdered.
The Kremlin has denied any state involvement within the dying of the opposition chief, who was laid to relaxation in Moscow on Friday.
Russia’s Investigative Committee says it has launched a procedural investigation into the dying, and the Kremlin has mentioned it doesn’t bow to EU calls for.
UN Nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi mentioned he intends to debate Russia’s plans for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant it’s occupying in Ukraine when he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin this week.
Grossi is because of depart for Russia on Tuesday, he informed a press convention on the opening day of a quarterly assembly of his company’s 35-nation Board of Governors at which envoys from numerous international locations marked the second anniversary of Russian forces seizing the Zaporizhzhia plant, Reuters studies.
Grossi’s journey to Russia has lengthy been deliberate. He initially meant to go there final month after a visit to Ukraine.
When requested what he would focus on with Putin, Grossi mentioned:
There are points associated to the longer term operational standing of the plant. Is it going to be began or not? What’s the concept? What’s the concept when it comes to the exterior energy provide strains, since what we see is extraordinarily fragile and skinny?
Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear energy plant, has misplaced its connection to all its exterior energy strains eight occasions up to now 18 months, forcing it to depend on diesel turbines for important features like cooling gas in its reactors to keep away from a probably catastrophic meltdown.
Whereas certainly one of its principal energy strains is now functioning and its six reactors are in shutdown, which reduces the operational threat, the Worldwide Atomic Power Company says the scenario on the plant stays precarious.
Though Grossi stopped in need of spelling out that he would meet Putin, he mentioned:
It’s the thought … That is the intention.
He left open what different points may be mentioned.
I’d not be coming with a hard and fast listing of things. Because it occurs, when I’ve a gathering with a world chief that has obligations, and particularly a nuclear-weapon possessor state, everlasting member of the safety council, I can’t exclude that different issues are mentioned.
A Russian prosecutor has requested for the jail time period of a former staffer of Alexei Navalny to be elevated, Navalny’s workforce mentioned on Telegram, within the first main courtroom listening to associated to an ally of the opposition politician since his dying final month.
Liliya Chanysheva, the previous head of Navalny’s workplace within the central Bashkortostan area, and her former colleague, Rustem Mulyukov, have been the primary Navalny staffers to be convicted of nationwide safety fees after his organisation was deemed “extremist” in 2021, Reuters studies.
Navalny, certainly one of president Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critics inside Russia, died aged 47 in an Artic penal colony on 16 February. The Kremlin has angrily rejected claims it was concerned in his dying.
Chanysheva was handed a seven-and-a-half yr sentence final yr for collaborating in Navalny’s organisation, whereas Mulyukov acquired two-and-a-half years for comparable fees.
A prosecutor in a cassation courtroom in Samara on Monday demanded Chanysheva’s sentence be elevated to 10 years as a result of she “provoked and incited Ufa residents” to protest within the streets, referring to Bashkortostan’s capital, unbiased outlet SOTA quoted the prosecutor as saying.
The cassation courtroom returned Chanysheva and Mulyukov’s circumstances to Bashkortostan’s supreme courtroom for a brand new examination, her lawyer wrote on Telegram.
At the very least two different Navalny staffers stay imprisoned in Russia: Vadim Ostanin, who ran Navalny’s department in Barnaul and Ksenia Fadeyeva, an area lawmaker and former head of Navalny’s anti-corruption organisation in Tomsk.
A number of of Navalny’s legal professionals have been additionally detained final yr and are awaiting trial.
Ukraine expects the European Fee to current a negotiation framework for Kyiv’s accession to the EU “no later than 12 March”, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna has been quoted as saying.
“No later than 12 March, we anticipate the European Fee to current a negotiation framework and assess the progress of reforms in order that EU international locations can decide on 19 March,” Stefanishyna informed journalists, in accordance with Ukrinform.
“We hope that there will probably be no delays,” she added.
The European Fee advisable final November that formal EU membership negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova ought to start, which its president, Ursula von der Leyen, described as a response to “the decision of historical past”.
It began screening Ukraine’s laws for compliance with EU legal guidelines in January, marking the preliminary step of the accession course of, which incorporates assembly the required financial and authorized standards.
Abstract of the day to date…
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Nato will begin an train on Monday to defend its newly expanded Nordic territory when greater than 20,000 troopers from 14 international locations participate in drills lasting almost two weeks within the northern areas of Finland, Norway and Sweden. With over 4,000 Finnish troopers participating, the Norway-led Nordic Response 2024 drills are a part of the biggest Nato navy train in many years. “For the primary time, Finland will take part as a Nato member nation in exercising collective protection of the alliance’s areas,” the Finnish Protection Forces mentioned.
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The Kremlin mentioned a purported recording of German navy discussions confirmed Germany’s armed forces have been discussing plans to launch strikes on Russian territory. Russian media on Friday printed a 38-minute recording of a name during which German officers have been heard discussing weapons for Ukraine and a possible strike by Kyiv on a bridge in Crimea. Germany’s ambassador to Moscow, Alexander Graf Lamsdorff, was summoned to the Russian international ministry on Monday with a view to clarify the leaked dialogue. Russia’s international minister, Sergei Lavrov, mentioned the leaked discussions confirmed that the urge for food for warfare in Europe “nonetheless stays very very excessive”, and the intention was to make sure “Russia’s strategic defeat on the battlefield”. The previous Russian president Dmitry Medvedev commented that: “Germany is planning a warfare with Russia”. Germany’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, dismissed the reactions as “fully absurd”, accusing Moscow of eager to sow mistrust and discord in Germany.
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Disqualified Russian presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin mentioned he would preserve submitting challenges towards his exclusion from this month’s election after his newest enchantment was rejected by the supreme courtroom on Monday.
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Ukraine’s navy intelligence company launched a cyber-attack assault towards the servers of the Russian defence ministry, having access to “a bulk of categorised service paperwork,” the company mentioned.
Disqualified Russian presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin mentioned he would preserve submitting challenges towards his exclusion from this month’s election after his newest enchantment was rejected by the supreme courtroom on Monday (see earlier publish at 10.33 for extra particulars).
Nadezhdin had tried to run towards Vladimir Putin on an anti-war ticket however was barred from standing when the Central Election Fee mentioned it had discovered irregularities, together with names of lifeless individuals, within the listing of supporters’ signatures he had offered in assist of his candidacy.
He mentioned on Monday he deliberate to file an extra criticism to the presidium of the supreme courtroom after which to the constitutional courtroom.
“I’m not going to cease, I’ll struggle till the tip,” he mentioned.
Nadezhdin conceded weeks in the past that he has “zero” likelihood of showing on the poll for the March 15-17 election, however has used the protracted enchantment course of to painting himself as a fighter intent on taking part in a future function in Russia’s politics.
Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, will meet former US President Donald Trump this Friday in Florida, Reuters studies.
“It’s not playing however truly betting on the one wise likelihood, that we in Hungary guess on the return of President Trump,” he informed an financial discussion board on Monday.
“The one likelihood of the world for a comparatively quick peace deal is political change in the USA, and that is linked to who’s the president.”
The Hungarian chief, who has refused to ship weapons to Ukraine and saved up shut financial ties with Russia because the full-scale invasion in 2022, has repeatedly mentioned that solely the return of Trump to the White Home might convey peace in Ukraine.
An object that fell in a discipline in Poland, a Nato member, was a climate balloon, it has been confirmed.
The Fakt tabloid reported earlier on Monday {that a} navy object had fallen in a discipline close to the city of Milakowo, however police in close by Ostroda clater onfirmed to Reuters that the thing was a climate balloon.
“I verify that this morning we acquired a report that an object fell within the fields close to Milakowo, now we will verify that it was a meteorological balloon,” a police spokesperson mentioned.
“Our actions right here centered on securing this place till the arrival of the military, and in the intervening time we are attempting to clarify the origin of this object and why it was present in these fields in our space.”
In November 2022, a stray Ukrainian missile struck the Polish village of Przewodow in southern Poland, killing two individuals and elevating fears on the time of the warfare in Ukraine spilling over the border.
Poland plans to ask the EU to place sanctions on Russian and Belarusian agricultural merchandise, the nation’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, mentioned on Monday throughout a go to to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
Tusk has mentioned agricultural merchandise from Russia and Belarus have been inflicting market distortions.
“Latvia determined to implement an embargo on the import of (agricultural) merchandise from Russia,” he informed a information convention final week. “We’ll analyse the case of Latvia, and I don’t rule out that Poland will take an applicable initiative.”
Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has dominated out arming Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles if German troopers wanted to be concerned to assist function them.
“You can not ship a weapons system that has a really huge attain after which not take into consideration how management over the weapons system can happen,” he was quoted by Reuters as saying at a college operate.
“And if you wish to have management and it’s solely potential if German troopers are concerned, that’s out of the query for me.”
Germany has to date resisted sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine, cautious of widening the scope of the warfare and being dragged right into a direct confrontation with Russia.