RT News - January 17th 2023

China/India relations and U.S. interference: Beijing slams the US over it's stance on the China-India border issue, claiming the question is a matter of bilateral relations only. Wang Xiaojian said "The border issue is a matter for the two countries to be resolved through dialogue and consultation."
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The Croatian president has criticized NATO's ongoing support for Kiev, calling it Washington's proxy war against Russia. Hungary's Viktor Orban says it's Europe who will bear the brunt of the sanctions and anti-Russian policies, not USA.
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Africa: At least 50 women are abducted overnight in Burkina Faso. As the country continues to battle a violent Islamist terrorists insurgency. RT hears more from some local people. (These terrorists are paid by external forces and use "Islam" as a cover-all excuse. In truth they aren't even to be considered Muslims. Find their sponsors, end the horror. We should all hunt out our old CB radios which we don't use any more and send them to African nations suffering from these b. awful crimes of terror. Maybe we could make a campaign for it..?)
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Africa: DR Congo. "Islamic State" terrorists bombed a church in the the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday. At least 14 people were killed and dozens more injured. (These terrorists are paid by external forces and use "Islam" as a cover-all excuse. In truth they aren't even to be considered Muslims. Find their sponsors, end the horror) Guylain Balume reports from Goma (warning, sensitive images)
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The Kremlin rejects accusations it's responsible for a missile strike on a residential building in Dnepropetrovsk. That's after a Zelensky adviser blamed the deadly explosion on Ukraine's own air defence.
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Prominent Ukrainian blogger calls for genocide of all Russians. Melania Podolyak and wants the entire nation “wiped off the face of the Earth”
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The tennis star Novak Djokovic is allowed to play at the Australian Open despite being un-vaccinated. RT explores how Covid-19 restrictions have changed around the globe. "Are we being told the truth about the COVID19 vaccine?" In depth report from Steve Sweeny.
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The South African Pres Ramaphosa has cancelled the Davos summit saying he has more pressing domestic challenges to deal with. Many other countries will "skip" the Davos event. Only Olaf Scholz (Germany) will attend from the G7 group. China and Russia also have more pressing concerns. A Swiss MP has said the people whose problems need to be solved aren't present at Davos. (QS: In truth they never have been). Neither China or Russia (or their prominent businessmen) will attend Davos.
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Sri Lanka debt problem. Both China and India are offering to help Sri Lanka through their debt crisis. Analysis from Dr. Srimal Fernando (specialist in international relations)
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1) --- Top US general inspects Ukrainian troops
1a) --- US expands Ukrainian troop training to Germany
2) --- British Army chief comments on tanks for Ukraine
2a) --- Ukraine tank donor to ‘follow German lead’
2b) --- Ukraine’s defeat may lead to WWIII – EU state's PM
3) --- Escort agencies booked solid for Davos forum – media
4) --- CIA director made secret trip to Kiev prior to Ukraine conflict – media
5) --- Catholic priest burned alive
6) --- China urges Israel to avoid provocations
7) --- Putin and Erdogan discuss ‘priorities’
i) --- Interesting, free, informative RT Documentary (RTD)
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17 Jan, 2023 05:19

1) --- Top US general inspects Ukrainian troops

Mark Milley visited a German camp to oversee the Pentagon’s newly expanded training program

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, the highest-ranking officer in the American armed forces, met with Ukrainian soldiers undergoing Pentagon training at a base in Germany, where Washington recently stepped up efforts to prepare foreign troops for combat.

The general visited the US Army’s Grafenwoehr Training Area in the German state of Bavaria for just shy of two hours on Monday, overseeing training operations with Ukrainian soldiers and their American instructors.

“This is not a run-of-the-mill rotation. This is one of those moments in time where if you want to make a difference, this is it,” Milley said during a meeting with commanders.

Though journalists were allowed access to the training site, they were reportedly barred from filming or photographing the general as he spoke with Ukrainians, or from relaying the contents of their conversations.

The trip coincided with an expansion of the US training program for Ukrainian troops at the Grafenwoehr base just one day prior, with Milley saying the Pentagon now hopes to turn out 500 combat-ready soldiers in five to eight weeks. He added that the program would focus on combined arms training – referring to battlefield cooperation between infantry, armor, artillery and aerial units.

The Ukrainian soldiers will receive instruction on a wide variety of arms and equipment over the next several weeks, including the Bradley Fighting Vehicles contained in the latest $3 billion US arms package for Kiev. Milley noted that the Pentagon has offered similar training to Ukrainian soldiers since before the current conflict erupted, but said American advisers have been more focused on instruction for certain US-supplied gear since last February.

However, despite around $25 billion in direct military aid being approved by the White House since last February, Kiev has clamored for additional supplies, specifically requesting heavy armor such as the M1 Abrams main battle tank. Washington appears unwilling to grant that wish for now.

Meanwhile in Kiev, a delegation of top US military and diplomatic officials met with their Ukrainian counterparts on Monday, also holding a sit-down with President Vladimir Zelensky. The American team included Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Under Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, who said they met with Ukrainian officials to “discuss diplomatic efforts and security assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s security capabilities,” as well as US economic aid and future trade relations. https://www.state.gov/deputy-secretary-shermans-travel-to-ukraine/

Moscow has repeatedly denounced the massive wave of foreign arms to Kiev, with President Vladimir Putin recently saying that Russia is now facing the combined “military potential and capabilities of almost all major NATO countries.” Insisting the support will have no effect on Russian military operations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday declared that Western tanks shipped to Kiev “will burn like the rest [of their weapons].”
https://www.rt.com/news/569985-milley-inspects-ukrainian-troops/
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16 Jan, 2023 07:18

1a) --- US expands Ukrainian troop training to Germany

The goal is to return 500 fighters to the battlefield in five to eight weeks, General Mark Milley says

Washington kicked off its expanded training program for Ukrainian troops in Germany on Sunday, General Mark Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said.

“This support is really important for Ukraine to be able to defend itself,” Milley said on Monday, as quoted by AP. “And we’re hoping to be able to pull this together here in short order.”

The plan is for a battalion of some 500 troops to get back to fighting Russia in five to eight weeks, according to the general.

The launch of the training program follows an announcement by the US earlier this month that it would be sending dozens of Bradley infantry vehicles to Ukraine, with Germany and France also promising to supply similar armor. At the weekend, the UK officially confirmed that it would provide 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Kiev, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg considering the provision of more “heavy warfare equipment” for the Zelensky government from the West in “the near future.”

It would be “ideal” if the newly trained Ukrainian troops were back in action and able to use this hardware “sometime before the spring rains show up,” Milley said.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is expected to visit the Grafenwoehr training base in Germany’s Bavaria on Monday to take a first-hand look at the program.

The so-called combined arms training will see US instructors teaching Ukrainian servicemen to better coordinate their company- and battalion-size units, jointly using artillery, armor and ground forces. Those skills should allow them to resist Russian attacks more effectively and carry out offensive operations of their own, according to AP.

Milley pointed out that the US had been providing this type of training to the Ukrainians before the conflict between Moscow and Kiev began. Since last February, the Americans have been more focused on teaching Kiev’s soldiers to operate specific US-supplied equipment, including HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and M777 howitzers. Over 3,100 servicemen have received such training so far, the general said.

Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that the US and NATO “de facto… have already become an indirect party” to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Their extensive assistance to Kiev has made their involvement “obvious,” he said.
https://www.rt.com/news/569928-ukraine-training-us-germany/
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16 Jan, 2023 21:42

2) --- British Army chief comments on tanks for Ukraine

Sending Challengers to Kiev will make the UK weaker but is worth it, General Sir Patrick Sanders has warned

While applauding the promised delivery of Challenger 2 tanks to the government in Kiev, the chief of the general staff of the British Army warned on Monday that the move will have an adverse effect on its combat readiness and asked for more funding for weapons.

Sending 14 tanks to Ukraine will leave the British Army “temporarily weaker,” General Sir Patrick Sanders wrote in an internal memo, according to state broadcaster BBC.

“There is no doubt that our choice will impact our ability to mobilize the army against the acute and enduring threat Russia presents and meet our NATO obligations,” Sanders noted, adding that it was vital that the army’s “warfighting capability” be restored swiftly.

However, he also argued that Ukraine would put the tanks to “good use” and that helping them defeat Russia “makes us safer.”

Sanders took over as chief of the army general staff in June last year, and immediately argued the British land forces should be “capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle.”

Britain has promised to send Ukraine 14 of the Challenger 2s, in the first delivery of Western-made main battle tanks since the conflict escalated in February 2022. London has also pledged 30 AS90 self-propelled guns.

The Kremlin reacted by saying the Challengers “will burn like the rest” of Western-supplied armor. Russia has repeatedly warned the US and its allies against sending more weapons to Kiev, saying that this only prolonged the conflict and risked open confrontation. NATO is insisting it is not a party to the conflict, while continuing to supply Ukraine with billions of dollars in military aid.

Last month in an interview, Ukraine’s top general claimed he needed 300 tanks to successfully fight Russia. Britain operated a total of 227 Challenger 2s as of 2020, when the defense ministry reportedly considered mothballing the entire armor corps as too costly.

On Monday, however, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told the House of Commons he needed more money for the military. Current plans call for £24 billion ($29.3 billion) over the next decade, though any new vehicles won’t be operational until the early 2030s, according to the BBC.
https://www.rt.com/news/569977-british-army-tanks-ukraine/
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17 Jan, 2023 01:12

2a) --- Ukraine tank donor to ‘follow German lead’

Finland is waiting for approval before sending any Leopard 2s to Kiev

While Helsinki is willing to give some of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, their delivery will ultimately depend on the German military industry and the government in Berlin, Finland’s defense minister Mikko Savola said on Monday.

“It depends very much on Germany’s lead, how we act with these Leopard tanks,” Savola told Reuters. “These require a German export permit and in addition to that, the German defense industry has a very strong role in this, in how substitutive equipment can be obtained.”

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said last week that his country could donate several of the German-made tanks to Ukraine, but only as part of a broader European coalition. This followed a statement by Polish President Andrzej Duda that Kiev will definitely get “a company” of Leopards as part of a Warsaw-led push.

Such a transfer would legally require Berlin’s permission, however, and so far it has not been granted. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Monday demanded of the Germans to move quickly, arguing that Ukraine’s defeat could mean a Russian “invasion” of other EU countries and a Third World War.

Savola said that Finland will discuss the tank issue later this week, perhaps at a meeting of “like-minded countries” in Estonia, and on Friday at the meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Germany.

There is no defense minister in Berlin at the moment, as Christine Lambrecht officially resigned her post on Monday. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has yet to name her replacement.

Meanwhile, the tank manufacturer Rheinmetall has warned that it might take a year to make the Leopards fit for Ukrainian service. The project would also cost hundreds of millions of euros, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger claimed in an interview over the weekend. Papperger said up to 110 tanks could eventually be refurbished, of which 88 are the older Leopard 1 models. Ukrainian officials have said they needed at least 300.

Moscow has repeatedly warned the US and its allies that sending weapons to Kiev prolongs the conflict but will not change its outcome. German tanks “will burn like the rest” of Western weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
https://www.rt.com/news/569982-finland-ukraine-tanks-germany-lead/
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16 Jan, 2023 18:13

2b) --- Ukraine’s defeat may lead to WWIII – EU state's PM
The prime minister of Poland has urged Germany to send tanks to Ukraine

Ukraine’s defeat may lead to a Third World War, meaning Germany and other NATO countries must step up and send Kiev more weapons, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki claimed on Monday.

Speaking in Berlin at a celebration of German politician Wolfgang Schauble’s 50-year career, Morawiecki insisted that Germany must allow the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Poland and Finland have promised Kiev the tanks, but need formal German permission to actually hand them over.

“Today Ukrainians are fighting not only for their freedom, but also in defense of Europe,” Morawiecki insisted. “I call on the German government to act decisively and deliver all types of weapons to Ukraine.”

“The defeat of Ukraine may become a prelude to World War III, so today there is no reason to block support for Kiev and postpone matters indefinitely,” he added.

The Polish PM also spoke of “Ukrainian blood being shed” to prevent what he claimed could be a Russian attack on other EU countries. Last week, Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov said in an interview that Ukraine was shedding blood to carry out “NATO’s mission,” so the US-led bloc ought to supply it with weapons.

Germany has about 110 Leopard tanks that it could potentially hand over to Ukraine – 88 of which are the old Leopard 1s – but actually making them fit for service would cost hundreds of millions of euros and take about a year, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger claimed in an interview over the weekend.

Moscow has repeatedly warned the West that sending weapons to Kiev prolongs the conflict but will not change its outcome. German tanks “will burn like the rest” of Western weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

Morawiecki’s visit came on the same day German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht confirmed she was stepping down. Germany has pledged to begin the deployment of a Bundeswehr-operated Patriot air defense battery to Poland. That move was arranged after a Ukrainian missile struck a Polish village in November, killing two civilians. Warsaw ended up having to debunk Kiev’s claims that the missile had been Russian.
https://www.rt.com/news/569966-poland-germany-ukraine-tanks/
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16 Jan, 2023 18:17

3) --- Escort agencies booked solid for Davos forum – media

Sexual harassment by wealthy men at WEF is “so common” that female guests are advised not to attend events alone, an Austrian outlet has reported

The Swiss escort agencies near Davos are already fully booked ahead of this year’s World Economic Forum, the elite gathering that brings together heads of state, corporate executives, and influential non-profiteers, Austrian outlet Exxpress reported on Sunday, citing a missive purportedly sent from one such agency.

In a message to unnamed hospitality staff and published by Express, escort agency Sensuallounge Escort urges readers to book their “fine selection of ladies and gentlemen” ahead of time to ensure “the best possible care and company during the World Economic Forum.”

Sensuallounge reportedly offers “services for all sexual orientations,” and the outlet claims one night with one of their employees costs €2,350 (just over $2,500). The service does not appear to accept cash as payment, offering clients the option of paying with a major credit card or via PayPal.

Explaining that the WEF’s annual get-together is high season for Swiss prostitutes, Exxpress revealed the agencies set up dedicated websites for the conference. Their roster seemingly fully booked, Sensuallounge’s site had already disappeared as of Monday.

While the WEF invited about 2,500 people as accredited delegates this year, over 30,000 more are expected to descend upon the ski resort for the dinners, parties, and, according to a growing body of journalism documenting the “dark side of Davos,” sex for payment that occurs outside the forum.

Sex workers also await in hotels and bars frequented by guests, according to a 2020 report from the Times UK, and women - even if they are accredited WEF attendees - are “routinely harassed” by the men who dominate the conclave. Indeed, the event began warning women that year not to go out alone after dark, “because if something happens with some big CEO, who is going to be believed? You or them?”

Prostitution at Davos has caused controversy in years past, though the bigger concern appears to be keeping the working class under control. The Swiss Army has been authorized to deploy as many as 5,000 troops if needed to provide security to the billionaires.

The theme for 2023’s conference, which runs from January 16-20, is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World.” Protesters were already onsite ahead of the event’s official opening on Monday, denouncing attendees’ use of private jets to deliver climate-change platitudes, and the presence of fossil-fuel executives at the supposedly sustainability-conscious forum.
https://www.rt.com/news/569971-escort-services-booked-wef-davos/
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16 Jan, 2023 17:42

4) --- CIA director made secret trip to Kiev prior to Ukraine conflict – media

Bill Burns reportedly warned Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky that he might be assassinated

CIA chief Bill Burns reportedly made a secret visit to Ukraine in January 2022, a month before Russia’s offensive against Kiev started, and told President Vladimir Zelensky that Moscow was plotting to assassinate him.

The clandestine meeting between Burns and Zelensky came to light in a soon-to-be-released book by author Chris Whipple on Joe Biden’s presidency, Business Insider reported on Monday. The trip came at a time when the Ukrainian president was publicly dismissive of US claims that Russia was poised to attack Kiev and was arguing that the warnings were creating “panic.”

“Burns had come to give him a reality check,” Whipple wrote in his book, ‘The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House’. Biden had instructed the US spy chief to “share precise details of the Russian plots.”

While Zelensky had been reluctant to believe US intelligence assessments of a likely Russian offensive, he was immediately “sobered” and “taken aback” by the claim that he personally might be targeted. As it turned out, the assassination claim was apparently false, inasmuch as there have been no confirmed Russian attempts to kill Zelensky. Russian forces presumably had ample opportunities to take shots at the Ukrainian leader, especially as he ventured out of hiding increasingly, visiting such locales as Bucha and the front-line city of Bakhmut.

Whipple claimed that US intelligence was so detailed that it helped Ukrainian security forces foil two Russian attempts to assassinate Zelensky. Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov denied media reports in April that Moscow wanted the Ukrainian president dead, adding that regime change wasn’t among the goals of Russia’s military operation.

Burns, who served as US ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008, also provided Zelensky with details of the plans for Russia’s military offensive, according to Whipple’s book. The author didn’t identify his sources, saying his interviews were done on condition of anonymity.

While Biden’s administration has tried to take credit for its warnings about the conflict, US intelligence agencies haven’t been altogether accurate in their Ukraine assessments. For example, they reportedly told the White House that Russia would overwhelm and defeat Ukrainian forces within a few days. The CIA’s plan was to support an insurgency against Russian occupiers.
https://www.rt.com/news/569969-cia-chief-secret-meeting-zelensky/
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16 Jan, 2023 19:15

5) --- Catholic priest burned alive

Armed men set Isaac Achi’s home in northern Nigeria on fire after they were unable to break in, police said

Catholic priest Reverend Isaac Achi was burned alive on Sunday in a botched home invasion at his house in Kaffin Koro parish in Nigeria’s Niger state, a police spokesman has told Associated Press.

When the armed would-be robbers failed to break in, they opted to set the compound on fire instead, leaving the priest to burn, while his assistant, Father Collins, narrowly escaped with his life, taking a bullet to the shoulder as he fled.

Nigerian authorities explained that militant groups are increasingly targeting rural communities in the north and central areas of the country thanks to small and ill-equipped security forces incapable of opposing them. While these "bandits" have reportedly killed thousands and kidnapped others for ransom, occasionally targeting religious figures for an extra terror factor, they are apparently rarely detained.

"These terrorists have lost it and drastic action is needed to end this ongoing carnage," Niger Governor Abubakar Sani Bello said in a statement issued by his press secretary on Sunday. He urged the security agencies to develop new strategies for combating the militant groups but asked the population to remain calm as his government continued to "do its best to secure the lives and livelihoods of the people."

The Christian Association of Nigeria's (YOWICAN) youth wing issued a statement describing the attack as an act of terrorism aimed at wiping out the entire Nigerian Christian community.

"The continuous killing, as well as kidnapping of Christian clerics in Nigeria is alarming. This has to be stopped at all costs. The Christian community must rise and come together to put an end to this," chairman Amb. Belusochukwu Enwere declared, calling for the responsible parties to be "brought to book."

"Nigeria is becoming a killing field where people are slaughtered like chickens."

Police also confirmed that armed men attacked a Christian church in Katsina state on Sunday, kidnapping 25 worshipers and leaving the pastor behind with injuries including a gunshot wound to the hand. Another priest, Rev. John Mark Chietnum, was kidnapped and murdered just last July in Kaduna state, in the northwest.
https://www.rt.com/news/569975-catholic-priest-burned-alive/
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16 Jan, 2023 20:51

6) --- China urges Israel to avoid provocations

Beijing’s new foreign minister says Chinese leaders are “deeply worried” about rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians

China’s new foreign minister, Qin Gang, has wrapped up his first overseas trip by calling for Israel to avoid further provocations that could escalate heightened tensions with Palestinians.

“Israel should stop all incitement and provocation and avoid any unilateral actions that might lead to aggravation of the situation,” Qin said at a press briefing on Sunday in Cairo, where he met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry at the end of a five-nation Africa tour. He added that “China is deeply worried” about deteriorating Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Qin made his comments at a time when Israel’s newly elected government is punishing the occupied territories for seeking a legal ruling from the UN’s International Court of Justice on their plight. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government reportedly banned public displays of Palestinian flags, revoked the travel pass of the Palestinian foreign minister and announced that it would withhold funds that would normally be transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also stirred outrage by visiting the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Qin, who was promoted last month from his role as Beijing’s ambassador to the US, called for “maintaining the status quo” at the Temple Mount, which includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-most holy shrine.

China has advocated a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestine. “The international community should increase its sense of urgency, put the Palestine issue at the top of the international agenda, and promote the resumption of peace talks between Israel and Palestine,” Qin said.

The Chinese envoy also had meetings on Sunday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit. Qin said leaders in the region have agreed to work with Chinese officials to implement the Riyadh Declaration, which was issued at the end of the Arab-China Summit last month in Saudi Arabia. The declaration “affirms a multilateral international order” and rejects “politicization of human rights issues and their use as a tool to interfere in internal affairs of other countries,” he added.

For decades, Chinese FMs have traditionally toured Africa shortly after being appointed. Beijing has undertaken massive infrastructure projects across the continent, running up $160 billion in loans to African countries. Trade between China and Africa totaled about $260 billion last year.
https://www.rt.com/news/569976-china-urges-israel-avoid-provocations/
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16 Jan, 2023 23:21

7) --- Putin and Erdogan discuss ‘priorities’

Presidents of Russia and Türkiye talked Syrian peace, Ukraine conflict, and grain for Africa

Türkiye could soon normalize relations with Syria, while Africa could start receiving Russian flour from Turkish mills, according to the readouts of Monday’s phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, published by Moscow and Ankara.

The two presidents discussed “comprehensive” cooperation and “exchanged views” on the conflict in Ukraine, with Putin pointing out the “destructive policy” of Kiev and its Western sponsors, the Kremlin said. Other “priorities” mentioned include energy cooperation and the “creation of a regional gas hub in Türkiye.”

Putin and Erdogan also discussed the “ways to normalize relations” between Türkiye and Syria and negotiate an end to the Syrian conflict there. Moscow hosted a historic meeting between Turkish and Syrian officials at the end of December.

The Kremlin acknowledged that the “Istanbul package agreements” were on the agenda as well, in particular the “unblocking of food and fertilizer shipments from Russia.” The Turkish-brokered grain deal has enabled Ukraine to safely export grain, mainly to Western clients, but the US and its allies had not removed obstacles to Russian exports in line with the agreement.

A much shorter Turkish readout focused on Erdogan’s eagerness to mediate peace talks between Kiev and Moscow. Ankara recently hosted Russian and Ukrainian human rights officials, reportedly to discuss prisoner exchange.

The two presidents discussed specific steps to “turn Russian grain into flour in Türkiye and send it to African countries in need,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement cited by Anadolu Agency.

Erdogan had brought up the grain topic in the previous phone call with Putin, on January 5. He elaborated on the scheme on Sunday, while addressing youth activists in the southwestern Muğla province, according to the Turkish outlet Sabah. Noting that more than 17 million tons of grain have been exported from Ukraine since August, Erdogan explained that 44% of it ended up in Europe, and only 14% in Africa.

The US and its allies have not explicitly embargoed Russian grain or fertilizer exports, but instead sanctioned the Russian shipping industry and blocked it from accessing any insurance or brokerage services. Moscow has pointed out this sleight of hand, noting that Ukraine’s grain shipments – advertised as saving Africa from famine – went mainly to Western Europe and Asia instead, while preventing the grain Russia promised to Africa for free from being delivered.
https://www.rt.com/russia/569979-putin-erdogan-phone-call/
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i) --- Interesting, free, informative RT Documentary (RTD) right here on Rumble - 85 Adventures #85Adventures approx 50 minutes, excellent https://rumble.com/v24taww-russia-85-adventures-rt-documentary.html
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"Why is an ascent of mount Elbrus, the highest in Europe, counted in hours? Why do future UFC champions train at high altitude? Why do you need butter to appease spirits in Buryatia? You’ll find all the answers, and more, if you join us. Russia is known for its many landmarks, but they have never been grouped into a single journey before. Russia Beyond did just that. They travelled the country to experience unique adventures in all corners of Russia as part of their Russia: 85 Adventures project.
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The team visits the birthplace of 29-time UFC champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov in Dagestan and takes a dog sled ride in Yakutia. They climb Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak and go fishing in Astrakhan; a Buryat shaman teaches them to ward off evil spirits; and finally, they learn the secrets of making the finest wines in the vineyards of Crimea.
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The film covers just 8 regions, but that’s more than enough to fuel any keen traveller's wanderlust and willingness to explore the many sites and activities Russia has to offer by checking out the Russia: 85 Adventures"

https://www.rbth.com/85adventures/adventure/334048-raskrasnetsya-ot-moroza
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