RT News - December 28th 2022

Fakery and outright lies: Another Ukrainian politician gets caught red-handed with a fake news story - as she posts an old photo of an Irish boy, claiming he's a child victim of the conflict in Ukraine, it's not the first time. Report.Show more

More than 20 million children are at risk of hunger, thirst and deadly infections in Africa - that's the latest from UNICEF - we heard from their Regional Director. (QS the next 1,000 large wind turbines should be at sea off eastern Africa and should be used only for supplying power for desalination plants and pumping of water to all drought-risk areas - cost around $2 billion - or around 1/4 of the cost of us keeping the Ukraine government in it's palaces each month. It would also give much needed employment. I know where I would prefer my money to go)

India probes its pharmaceutical companies, after Gambia claims an Indian-made cough syrup killed at least 60 children - which New Delhi denies.

Spacex and Iran: It's complicated. Another way for the U.S. to meddle in Iran's affairs?

RT has a look around 2022 and wonders if 2023 will be more positive; guests.

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Below 1) --- Merkel doubles down on Ukraine peace revelations
2) --- Russia hosts high-level Türkiye-Syria meeting
3) --- Another Ukrainian terrorist attack foiled – Moscow
4) --- Beijing warns Taiwan against using people as ‘cannon fodder’
5) --- Number of Ukrainian refugees in Poland revealed
Feature : 6) --- Hunting for Russians: How a Ukrainian law firm runs a campaign targeting ordinary people in Western Europe
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28 Dec, 2022 08:36

1) --- Merkel doubles down on Ukraine peace revelations

The former German leader reiterated that the 2014-15 Minsk accords were meant to give Kiev a stronger army

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has once again confirmed that the 2014-15 Ukraine peace deal she helped arrange was meant to allow Kiev to strengthen its armed forces.

The Minsk accords, brokered by Germany, France, and Russia, were meant to stop the fighting in Donbass and create a path for the region’s peaceful reintegration into Ukraine. Kiev promised to enact constitutional reform that would grant autonomy to the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. The deal, however, was never implemented, as Ukraine argued over the interpretation of the agreement.

“The 2014 Minsk Agreements represented an attempt to give Ukraine time,” Merkel told Italian magazine Sette on Tuesday. “Ukraine has used this time to become stronger, as we see today. The country of 2014-15 was not the same as it is today. And I doubt that NATO could have done much to help Ukraine as it does right now.”

Former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko said in June that Kiev had used the Minsk accords to buy time to rebuild its military and economy. Merkel made a similar point this month, describing the agreements to Die Zeit newspaper as an attempt to allow Ukraine to “get stronger.”

Moscow cited Kiev’s failure to implement Minsk as one of the reasons it launched its military operation in the neighboring state in late February. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Merkel’s words demonstrate that “they were also lying to us and only wanted to pump Ukraine with weapons and get it prepared for a military conflict.”

Merkel’s view on the Minsk agreements was also criticized by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who described the revelations from her Die Zeit interview as “unbelievable.” Vucic promised to draw lessons for Belgrade, which in the past has conducted EU-brokered negotiations with the breakaway region of Kosovo.
https://www.rt.com/news/569036-merkel-minsk-accords-ukraine/
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28 Dec, 2022 16:22 **Breaking**

2) --- Russia hosts high-level Türkiye-Syria meeting

Ankara and Damascus hold talks involving defense chiefs, reportedly for the first time in over a decade

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu met with his Turkish and Syrian counterparts in Moscow on Wednesday. Türkiye’s defense minister held negotiations with Syria’s defense head, reportedly for the first time since 2011.

Hulusi Akar and Ali Mahmud Abbas, representing Ankara and Damascus, respectively, discussed “ways to resolve the Syrian crisis” and “joint efforts to combat extremist groups in Syria,” as well as possible solutions to the refugee problem, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement after the meeting.

Both sides said the format was “constructive” and stressed they were interested in continuing the discussions for the sake of stabilizing Syria and the region as a whole, Moscow said.

The agenda was confirmed in a statement issued by the defense ministry in Ankara. Turkish media also noted that this was the first meeting at this level between the neighboring countries since the Syrian conflict began 11 years ago.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan severed diplomatic relations with Syria in March 2012. In October of last year, the foreign ministers of the two countries met at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Serbia, where it was revealed that their respective intelligence agencies had resumed communications.

The Moscow meeting comes just days after Akar revealed he had been negotiating with Moscow over the use of Syrian airspace for Türkiye’s ‘Operation Claw-Sword,’ a campaign of air and artillery strikes on the Kurdish militias in northern Syria.

Ankara considers the US-backed Kurdish militants to be terrorists allied with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it blamed for the mid-November suicide bombing in Istanbul that killed six people and wounded 81 more.

A much bigger bone of contention between the neighboring countries is Türkiye’s backing for Syrian rebels that have sought to overthrow the government in Damascus. The remnants of the rebellion, largely defeated by the Syrian Army with Russia’s support, have fallen back to Idlib province in Syria’s northwest.
https://www.rt.com/news/569064-turkiye-syria-talks-moscow/
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28 Dec, 2022 12:34

3) --- Another Ukrainian terrorist attack foiled – Moscow

Two Russian nationals were killed in the southern part of the country while resisting arrest, the state security service says

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has prevented a Ukrainian terrorist attack in the south of the country. The two people involved were neutralized by law enforcement officers and were allegedly planning to go to Ukraine to fight against Russian forces, the FSB has claimed.

In a statement on Tuesday, the security service described the perpetrators as Russian nationals with prior criminal records and who were part of a terrorist group. On the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, they were “preparing a terrorist act in the town of Chegem of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic,” located in the North Caucasus near the Georgian border.

“After committing the crime, they planned to leave for Ukraine to participate in hostilities against Russian Armed Forces,” the FSB added.

The two terrorists were killed on Monday in the neighboring city of Nalchik as they attempted to fire back at security officers. The FSB said it had found and seized explosives, an assault rifle, and a handgun with ammunition at the scene. Footage released by the agency showing the weaponry appears to corroborate this claim.

In recent months amid the Ukraine conflict, Russia’s security services have foiled several attempts to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks on behalf of Kiev. On Monday, the FSB intercepted a group of Ukrainian saboteurs as they tried to cross into Russian territory, four of whom were killed in a firefight.

Last month, the security agency also prevented a Ukrainian bomb attack at a market in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region, as well as a plot targeting a gas pipeline connecting Russia and Türkiye.

While Kiev has never claimed responsibility for these incidents, Russia insists that Ukraine is behind the attacks and has accused President Vladimir Zelensky of resorting to terrorist tactics.
https://www.rt.com/russia/569050-russia-foils-ukraine-terror-attack/
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28 Dec, 2022 15:04

4) --- Beijing warns Taiwan against using people as ‘cannon fodder’

Dying for Taiwan’s separatist activities would be ”worthless,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has warned

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday blasted Taipei’s decision to extend compulsory military service from four months to a year. The move will only lead to the island’s population being used as “cannon fodder” to fuel Taiwan’s “separatist” ambitions, its spokesman said.

“Struggling for the great task of achieving national reunification is immeasurably significant, dying for Taiwan independence separatist activities is completely worthless,” the ministry’s spokesman, Wang Wenbin, told journalists when asked about Taipei’s decision.

The official then said that Beijing believes “Taiwan compatriots are highly principled, they will not be put up as cannon fodder by Taiwan independence separatist forces.” His words came a day after the self-governing island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, announced the conscription extension, citing China’s “intimidation and threats against Taiwan.”

While calling the decision “incredibly difficult,” Tsai maintained the island would need better troops since the current military system is insufficient, particularly in case of a rapid attack on Taiwan. The change, which is expected to take effect in 2024, would see draftees undergoing more rigorous training and learning to use such weapons as Stinger anti-air missiles.

The development comes amid heightened tensions in the region. Beijing considers Taiwan to be sovereign Chinese territory under its One-China policy. The island, which has been self-governing since 1949, never officially declared its independence from China.

Washington, which formally adheres to the One-China policy, still maintains close relations with Taipei and supplies the island with arms. Both Washington and Beijing have repeatedly accused each other of destabilizing the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
Earlier this week, the Taiwanese authorities claimed that over 70 Chinese military aircraft and reconnaissance drones, as well as several naval vessels, had been spotted near the island. The Chinese military had previously announced “strike drills” in the area.
https://www.rt.com/news/569066-china-taiwan-conscription-cannon-fodder/
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28 Dec, 2022 15:38

5) --- Number of Ukrainian refugees in Poland revealed

950,000 people are registered as such, with the total number of Ukrainian nationals in the country exceeding two million, a senior official has said

Nearly a million Ukrainian refugees are now residing in Poland, Bartosz Marczuk, vice president of the Polish Development Fund, revealed on Tuesday. He estimated Warsaw has spent at least $8 billion to support Ukraine in 2022.

In a series of tweets, Marczuk offered a detailed look into the refugee situation in Poland in light of the Ukraine conflict. According to his data, “there are 950,000 refugees in Poland now, which is over 400,000 below the summer peak.”

Marczuk stated that Poland has also become home to another 1.2-1.3 million people from Ukraine who had moved there before the hostilities broke out in late February.

The total number of Ukrainians in Poland amounts to about 2.3 million, he added.

Meanwhile, the official continued, 90% of the refugees are women and children, making up 2.5% of the population of the country.

While in Poland, Ukrainian refugees receive social benefits, including education allowances. Meanwhile, 65% of school-age children are enrolled in local institutions, while 50% of preschoolers are attending kindergartens, he noted, suggesting that some students may be taking online classes. The Polish authorities spend some 200 million Polish Zloty ($45 million) per month on these efforts, he said.

However, Warsaw has to bear other expenses as well. “In 2022, Poland made serious efforts to help Ukraine,” he said, adding that it had allocated 35-40 billion zloty ($7.9-9 billion) for supporting Ukraine. The sum includes security assistance, private aid, allowances from the budget, local governments, and NGOs.

However, he pointed to a “very high employment rate” among refugees of working age, with about 320,000 people having a job. In the near future, this will enable billions of zloty to be generated for the budget from taxes and contributions from refugees’ salaries alone, Marczuk claimed.

In October, Poland proposed tightening the rules and depriving Ukrainians of financial assistance if they leave the country for more than a month. The government has also announced that starting next year, refugees living in state accommodation centers for longer than 120 days will have to start paying for their housing and food.
https://www.rt.com/news/569063-ukrainian-refugees-poland-number/
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28 Dec, 2022 10:30

Feature : 6) --- Hunting for Russians: How a Ukrainian law firm runs a campaign targeting ordinary people in Western Europe

The Lviv-based lawyers promise to ‘solve the issue’ of the ‘rashist’ presence

Boutique Ukrainian law firm T&M has launched an appalling new service allowing residents of Western European countries to “cleanse Europe of rashists,” a reference to the derogatory neologism used by officials in Kiev, which combines the words “Russian” and “fascist.”

Titled “give in charge rashist” (apparently a bad translation of the Ukrainian title “turn in a rashist”), the webportal invites visitors who are “tired of potential invaders living near you” to “let us know and we will try to solve this issue in the legal field.”

“We are a team of lawyers who decided to use legal methods to cleanse Europe of potential invaders,” the site explains. “No one will know who surrendered the rashist. It's completely free. You pay nothing, but you get a bonus to karma. You are making a personal contribution to a peaceful future.”

Reporting a “possible aggressor” is said to be “easy.” Concerned citizens can easily use a form to anonymously submit the names and social media accounts of Russian citizens living in any European country, who may be “potentially dangerous” and a “carrier of propaganda and violence.”

In return, the Lviv-based T&M “do everything to ensure that the relevant European authorities check the legality of such a person's stay in Europe,” and ”send a corresponding statement to the state authorities of the country in which the presence of a potentially dangerous rashist was reported.” The obvious desired end result is that the Russian in question will be arrested and deported, or perhaps even worse.

A disclaimer at the bottom of the page states the service “is not intended to incite ethnic, racial, religious or other enmity,” and only serves to bring its stated targets “to justice.”

T&M has been operating in Lviv since 2014, specializing in sports law, road traffic accidents, IT and technology transfer, and corporate relations. “Give in charge rashist” is a sub-page of T&M’s main site and links back to it in its disclaimers section.

“We do not collect your personal data in any way, and we use the personal data of rashists that you provide us exclusively for contacting state authorities,” it concludes. It is unknown if any “rashists” have been reported to authorities as a result of this abhorrent resource, or where they are located or what has happened to them if so.

Initiatives like this have the (likely intended) effect of creating a highly hostile environment for Russians living or traveling abroad, in which they are, regardless of their political leanings and beliefs, perceived as one and the same – “the enemy within”, plotting on behalf of the Kremlin, to the detriment of local citizens, the host country's national security or sovereignty.

While T&M appears to have launched this resource on its own initiative, there are reasons to believe the Ukrainian authorities approve of “give in charge rashist”. Ever since February 24, officials in Kiev have repeatedly demanded that other European states embargo any and all things Russian.

On December 7, Culture Minister Aleksandr Tkachenko implored the West to “boycott Tchaikovsky until this war is over.” Many European countries have already cancelled or indefinitely postponed countless concerts, dance shows, and exhibitions with even the mildest connection to Russia. The letter Z itself (used as a symbol of Moscow’s military assault on Ukraine) is being so stigmatized that businesses such as banks and food delivery services have changed their logos.

While such slights, as well as T&M’s report-a-Russian initiative, might not be taken seriously by some, attempts to criminalize and demonize Russians have been ongoing, and have led to people being killed. In December 2014, Ukrainian politician and activist Georgy Tuka launched the website Mirotvorets (‘peacemaker’ in English).

Mirotvorets publishes a constantly updated list of people considered by the hidden authors of the website to be the “enemies of Ukraine,” who have said or done things that constitute “signs of crimes against the national security of Ukraine, peace, human security, and the international law.” Some individuals listed have ended up dead, and when this happens, the word ЛИКВИДИРОВАН (“liquidated” or “eliminated”) is stamped across their entry on the site in big, red letters, along with an ‘X’.

Sometimes people end up on the Mirotvorets hit list for basic administrative reasons. In September 2018, hundreds of residents of the Zakarpatye region, including government officials, who took Hungarian citizenship were added. This led to condemnations from Budapest, and denials from Kiev that it was involved in the website.

The next month, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto angrily fired back that “it is a lie that the Ukrainian state has nothing to do with the website,” and claimed the country’s then-President Petro Poroshenko “gave his consent to the hate campaign in an attempt to increase his popularity.”

As well as average citizens, many Western figures with a high profile have ended up on Mirotvorets. This includes American journalists Chris Hedges and Glenn Greenwald, anti-war politicians Tulsi Gabbard and Rand Paul, British musician Roger Waters, and many others, such as “warmonger” Henry Kissinger. His “crime” was to worry in public that Kiev’s anti-Russian actions threatened retaliation from Moscow. https://myrotvorets.center/criminal/kissindzher-genri/

Despite the European Union, G7, United Nations and multiple rights groups calling for Mirotvorets to be closed, it has remained open. Ukrainian officials have also used the website to vet entrants into the country at border checkpoints since its launch, on top of existing government databases of undesirable elements.

While the website is managed in secret, evidence has emerged that it is closely tied to Kiev’s powerful intelligence agency, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and its domain is hosted in Langley, Virginia, US, not far from the headquarters of the CIA. Which raises the question: is “give in charge rashist” an attempt by these same dark actors to take Mirotvorets global?
https://www.rt.com/russia/568508-ukrainian-law-firm-russians/
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