RT News - January 26th 2023

NATO's powerful tanks to Ukraine: The US, Germany and their allies agree to send heavy tanks to Ukraine for the first time to bolster what they call Kiev's upcoming counter-offensive against Russia.
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Washington and Berlin are remarkably out of sync, when explaining what their tanks will actually be aiming for in Ukraine.
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(QS press "more" below to expand details)
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Donetsk/Donbass. Roman Kosarev reports from an area in the republic which comes under constant shelling. A teacher at a local school says just getting the kids back and forth is a scary task. Many (dozens and dozens) in this village have been killed by Ukraine forces shelling and bombing since Russian forces retook the civilian only region.
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Iraq: Devaluation of the Iraqi currency. Iraq has seen a 7% devaluation. The official rate stands at 1,470 dinars for $1. On Wednesday, the street exchange rate was 1,610 to the dollar. Most politicians in Iraq blame the drop on recent measures by the U.S. Treasury. (QS isn't the only country to be placed in this position) As Iraq's currency plummets to new lows, locals rally against the Iraq's central bank, accusing it of serving American interests at their expense. Chris Emms investigates and reports - (QS it's time for the world to stop accepting phoney US dollar dominance. Multipolar world)
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Spies in the kitchen? Watch report from Rachel Marsden and read (9) below. Also recall the UK taxpayers (most of whom that didn't want 5G networks at all) footed the bill for the cost of £billions and removal of installed 5G kit from Huawei - now extended to December 2023 and no, I'm not making it up. https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/uk-extends-deadline-remove-huawei-equipment-5g-network-core-2022-10-13/)
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Russia's FM Sergei Lavrov is now in Ethiopia as part of his scheduled trip to Africa; yesterday he was in Angola and said the west's financial systems are not to be trusted and talked of the new BRICS currency to avoid financial sabotage and stopping development. This year, South Africa takes the Chair of BRICS and has many important plans. Bisrat Melesse (an Ethiopian local correspondent) reports. Africa/Russia ties - the importance and relevance is discussed by Frehoyowt Kebede, a political analyst
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Happy Republic Day to India, as the country celebrates the 74th anniversary of its Constitution, with a grand parade where Russian military cadets were exclusively invited. RT talks to some of the attendees (not all of them, the Republic Day applies to 1.4 billion people! )
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Mike Pompeo's new book (QS: - what you didn't know he was an author too? Kamal Khashoggi's offing (five years too late to do anything about, it happened "under his watch" - recall Iran's Qasem Soleimani, sanctioned by the United Nations and the European Union, designated as a terrorist by the USA. Soleimani was assassinated on 3rd January 2020 in a foreign country (Baghdad, Iraq), on the orders of Pres. Trump) is played down just to sell his rotten book.) RT discusses.
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Pakistan: Pakistani authorities on January 25 arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party senior leader Fawad Chaudhry amidst raging political tension in the country. His arrest comes amongst rumours that Pakistan's government is calling for the arrest of former leader, Pres Imran Khan. Arslan Rafiq Bhatti reports from Zaman Park, Lahore. Fawad Chaudhry's hearing is scheduled for the 27th January.

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Below - via RT's website 1) --- NATO's best tanks are going to Ukraine, what will it mean on the battlefield?
2) --- White House explains tanks for Ukraine pledge
RECAP --- 3) --- Germany approves Leopard tank deliveries to Ukraine: Numbers, suppliers and timeframe explained
4) --- Ukraine demands jets and missiles
5) --- Germany ‘at war’ with Russia – FM
6) --- Top Russian official assesses relations with Baltic states using GoT quote
7) --- ‘There is another Ukraine’ – exiled opposition leader to RT
8) --- New US ambassador arrives in Moscow
9) --- China can spy through household devices, report warns

If you are lucky enough to live in a country which isn't censored from Russian news, the www.RT.com website has endless masses of interesting and useful stuff on it and is highly recommended.
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25 Jan, 2023 18:36

1) --- NATO's best tanks are going to Ukraine, what will it mean on the battlefield?

Kiev will get what it demanded from the West, but will it be enough?

Tank supplies to Ukraine from NATO members is the top news story this week. Kiev has been calling for these weapons from its western sponsors since the beginning of the Russian offensive, and it looks like now, eleven months into the fighting, these demands are being met.

The US has announced it will send 31 Abrams main battle tanks. In a hastily scheduled speech on Wednesday, President Joe Biden noted that they are complicated to operate and maintain, so the US will provide Kiev with “parts and equipment necessary to effectively sustain these tanks on the battlefield.”

It was also confirmed, the same day, that the German government will send Leopard 2A6 tanks from its own stock and will allow other nations, such as Poland, to transfer German-made machines, to Ukraine. On January 14, London announced plans to ship its Challengers 2s to Kiev, while it now seems inevitable that Paris will supply AMX-56 Leclerc vehicles.

Russian experts and journalists have been locked in a heated debate over the differences between these western main battle tanks and the Russian T-90s, comparing their armor, guns, accuracy, active and passive protection systems, maneuverability, fire-control systems, ammunition, and many other attributes.

At the end of the day though, these discussions lack any practical value. The battlefield is the only litmus test for the advantages and drawbacks of any type of weapon or military equipment. Reliable statistics on combat use are all that is required for a comparative analysis of modern main battle tanks, if it is to be credible.

Another thing to remember is that all tanks are vulnerable to modern anti-tank systems, so the question is, how many NATO tanks are going to make their way to Ukraine?

How many tanks does Kiev need?

To simplify calculations, we’ll be using an armored division, the main structural and tactical unit of armored forces in the former Soviet republics, as our yardstick. According to Soviet manuals, an armored division must have 296 tanks, 230 infantry fighting vehicles, 54 self-propelled artillery systems, over 2,000 regular vehicles, and almost 12,000 soldiers and officers.

How many divisions does Kiev need? At least one per each of the three main fronts — in Lugansk, Donetsk, and Zaporozhye. The line of contact in the special military operation zone right now is 815 km long, making three divisions too modest an amount to make a difference, but let’s disregard this for the time being.

Three armored divisions combined would have a total of about 900 tanks. Apart from that, another armored division may be necessary on the Belarusian front, which could see some very heavy fighting. In case of an escalation there, an armored division or a similar unit in reserve is a must, which drives the number of required tanks up by 300 to 1,200.

Finally, no commander-in-chief can do without his own reserve, the so-called reserve of the supreme high command. Without at least one armored division, this reserve cannot really count as such, which means another 300 tanks for a required total of 1,500.

Another thing to consider is probable Ukrainian losses during offensive operations. The average daily losses of an armored unit in this case stand at 10 to 15%. About 15 to 20% of incapacitated tanks are typically irrecoverable losses, while the rest require repairs (general maintenance for 30 to 50%, medium-level repairs for 15 to 30%, and an overhaul for 10 to 20%).

Simply put, at least another 300 tanks are required to offset losses during combat operations. This gives us a figure of 1,800 tanks, which must be considered an absolute minimum.

These are very approximate and somewhat simplistic calculations, yet they give us ballpark figures.

How many tanks will Kiev get?

So far, NATO countries have earmarked tanks for Ukraine numbered in the dozens. This is only a fraction of the hypothetical minimum.

Great Britain and Poland have officially pledged an armored company each, respectively consisting of up to 14 tanks. Germany will supply a similar amount, while the US is preparing the supply of 31 Abrams heavy weapons.

At a recent meeting of the US-led Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, officials from 12 countries discussed sending a total of about 100 tanks to Kiev, if Berlin were to give the green light, which, according to an ABC report, it has done.

Rheinmetall could additionally supply a total of 139 tanks to Ukraine, including 88 Leopard 1s and 51 Leopard 2A4s, yet the German manufacturer concedes that only 29 of them could be shipped before the summer of 2023.

What impact will NATO’s tanks have?

Will all these tanks see combat any time soon? Let’s consider the example of the M1 Abrams, which is seen as one of the symbols of US military power.

A small number of these tanks manned by poorly trained crews and lacking full-scale maintenance and supply infrastructure support would most likely yield negative results. They will fail to change Ukraine’s fortunes on the battlefield, while images of burning American tanks will likely hurt US public opinion.

Thus, one of America’s premier weapons, the pride and joy of its defense industry, will be humiliated on the battlefield for a long time. This is something the Pentagon can’t allow to happen under any circumstances.

Therefore, before any actual fighting happens, evacuation teams, tank repair units, and spare part supplies must be in place, while crews must receive superior training to handle American tanks.

Last but not least, the first deployment of US main battle tanks in Ukraine must be accompanied by a significant Ukrainian army success, at least at the tactical level, which would necessitate no fewer than 200–300 (maybe even 400–500) tanks.

Otherwise, supplying the M1 Abrams to Ukraine makes neither military nor political sense. Transferring them one company (10 to 15 tanks) at a time would only mean that this equipment will burn on the battlefield without making any significant impact or even catching anyone’s attention.

So far, according to known data, Russia has not had any significant trouble dealing with enemy equipment. This is something on which both the Russian Ministry of Defense and most Western analysts seem to agree.

Since the launch of the military operation, according to Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman, Russian forces have destroyed 376 planes, 203 helicopters, 2,944 UAVs, 402 anti-aircraft missile systems, 988 MLRVs, and 3,898 field artillery guns and mortars.

As well as 7,614 tanks and other armored vehicles.

No room for complacency

It’s very likely that the first NATO tank companies will be used as training units for Ukrainian crews, while Poland will initially provide maintenance and repair capacity for servicing German or American tanks.

One shouldn’t think, however, that training will stretch over a very long time. It can take just weeks to do a full training program, while teaching T-64/84 crews to fight in the M1 Abrams or the Leopard 2A5 could be completed in a matter of days.

What matters in the reports about the West mulling tank supplies to Ukraine is not the tanks themselves as much as the breaking of a taboo, which, until recently, prevented the transfer of heavy western-made armored vehicles to Ukraine.

Once this taboo is broken, there is every reason to assume that, sooner or later, Kiev will receive not only the 1,800 western main battle tanks it badly needs, but much more than that.

At that point in time and maybe even earlier, Ukraine will be able to create a strike force on the Zaporozhye front for example. If a force like that succeeds in breaching Russian defenses, it could cover the 82 km to Melitopol in less than three days, which would dissect the whole depth of the Russian defense in this region.

With this in mind, the Russian armed forces must achieve tangible military and political results long before western arms supplies reach their full potential.
https://www.rt.com/news/570476-tanks-for-ukraine/
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25 Jan, 2023 21:34

2) --- White House explains tanks for Ukraine pledge

Washington changed its position on tank deliveries due to “conditions on the ground”

The decision to send M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine has been prompted by changes in warfare between Moscow and Kiev, as well as the evolving situation on the ground, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby explained on Wednesday.

“We have been, from the beginning of this war now 11 months ago, have been evolving the capabilities we’re providing with Ukraine, with the conditions on the ground,” Kirby told a press briefing shortly after US President Joe Biden announced he would dispatch 31 tanks to Kiev.

“What’s changed… are the conditions on the ground and the kinds of fighting that the Russians are doing right now, and the kinds of fighting, more importantly, that we believe the Ukrainians are going to need to be capable of in the weeks and months ahead, well into 2023,” Kirby went on, apparently referring to an anticipated offensive by Ukrainian forces.

The tanks themselves will not get transferred to Ukraine at once, he noted, adding that they will make it into the country in “many months.” At the same time, the training of Ukrainian crews to operate the 62-ton behemoths is set to begin shortly.

“[The tanks] are going to require some unique maintenance and operational requirements on the Ukrainians, which is why we want to make sure that we get them trained up. So that train is going to start very soon, and then the tanks will follow,” Kirby said.

The Abrams announcement came as Washington’s European allies agreed to supply the Kiev forces with German-made Leopard 2 tanks. Berlin, long reluctant to deliver the advanced armored vehicles to Ukraine, has finally agreed to allow third countries operating the tanks to re-export them to Ukraine, and pledged to provide 14 Leopards from its domestic stocks as well.

The new deliveries come on top of the continuous lavish military support poured into Ukraine by the collective West over the nearly year-long conflict. According to the latest statements from Biden, the US and its allies have provided Ukraine with over 3,000 armored vehicles and more than 8,000 artillery pieces so far. The official readout of Biden’s speech, however, has lowered the latter figure to 800 pieces.

Moscow has repeatedly urged the West to stop “pumping” Ukraine with weaponry, warning that the enduring aid would not change the ultimate outcome of the conflict but rather only prolong the hostilities and inflict more suffering on common Ukrainians.
https://www.rt.com/news/570485-ukraine-abrams-tanks-explained/
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25 Jan, 2023 17:21 --------- RECAP

3) --- Germany approves Leopard tank deliveries to Ukraine: Numbers, suppliers and timeframe explained

The “extremely dangerous decision” by Berlin takes the ongoing conflict to a “new level of confrontation,” Moscow says

The German government has changed its stance on Leopard 2 main battle tank deliveries to Ukraine. Giving in to mounting pressure from its allies, Berlin pledged to send in a company-strong number of tanks itself while allowing other European nations to deliver German-made armor from their stocks as well.

“This decision follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability. We are acting in a closely coordinated manner internationally,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Wednesday.

Size of looming Leopard 2 force revealed

Berlin has promised to approve re-export permits for third countries in possession of Leopard 2 tanks, as well as to begin training Ukrainian crews in Germany shortly. The German government said the outstanding goal was to “quickly” create two tank battalions, equipped with armored vehicles of this type, for the Ukrainian military. The plan also envisions logistics and maintenance support, as well as deliveries of ammunition for the tanks. The vehicles, however, will only arrive in Ukraine after three or four months, the country’s new defense minister, Boris Pistorius, has said.

What did Germany pledge to deliver?

Berlin itself has pledged to deliver a company-sized tank force from Bundeswehr stocks, comprising 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks – one of the latest variants of the combat vehicle. The number is well below the announced plan to create a two-battalion-strong force, typically made up of some 80 vehicles. The rest is expected to be delivered by other European nations operating tanks of this type.

At the same time, Leopard 2 manufacturer, German arms giant Rheinmetall, said over the weekend it was in possession of some 51 older Leopard 2A4 tanks, which may potentially end up being supplied to Ukraine as well. The company said it has 29 Leopard 2A4 tanks in its inventory, which are being overhauled as part of Berlin’s weapons transfer program with other European nations and will be operational by April or May. An additional batch of 22 vehicles requires more work and would be ready in about a year.

What other countries will send Leopard 2 tanks?

So far, only Poland has officially confirmed plans to send 14 older Leopard 2A4 to Ukraine, with Warsaw even threatening to do so without Berlin’s approval shortly before Germany gave in to international pressure on the issue.

Another Leopard 2 operator, Spain, said it was “willing” to cooperate with its allies and do “whatever is necessary” to deliver Leopards to Ukraine. A similar message was sent by the Netherlands, which said no decision had been made yet, but a potential delivery was “certainly” not ruled out. The country does not actually own Leopard 2 tanks; instead, it leases 18 of them from Germany, and now it is considering buying those vehicles to donate them to Kiev. Sweden, which operates its own variant of Leopard 2A5, Stridsvagn 122, said it may send in some of its tanks at a later stage as well. Norway and Portugal, each operating around 36 Leopard 2 tanks, are considering providing some of their vehicles as well, according to local media reports.

Ukraine celebrates tank pledge

Kiev has long demanded more military hardware from its Western backers, including Leopard 2 tanks, and the change of heart in Berlin has been welcomed by top Ukrainian officials. “The first step on tanks has been taken. Next one – the ‘tank coalition’. We need a lot of Leopards,” the head of Ukraine’s presidency, Andrey Yermak, wrote on Telegram.

Moscow blasts the ‘extremely dangerous’ move

Moscow has condemned Berlin’s decision, with Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechayev, saying the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks clearly shows that Germany and its closest allies are not interested in a diplomatic solution in Ukraine but are “set on its permanent escalation” instead and will continue the “unlimited pumping” of Ukraine with “new deadly weapons.”

“This extremely dangerous decision takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation and contradicts the statements of German politicians about Germany’s unwillingness to get involved in it,” Nechayev said in a statement published on the embassy’s website.

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26 Jan, 2023 05:00

4) --- Ukraine demands jets and missiles

An advisor to Ukraine’s leader said he is confident a deal will be made for long-range missiles

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has called on Western countries to supply fighter jets and long-range munitions, urging for more weapons just hours after the United States and Germany agreed to send heavy battle tanks.

Speaking in a video address on Wednesday, Zelensky thanked his German and American counterparts for their decision to send tanks, but quickly shifted to Ukraine’s need for additional arms.

“We must also open deliveries of long-range missiles to Ukraine, it is important – we must expand our cooperation in artillery,” he said, adding that his country also requires fighter jets, and that “speed and volume are key now.”

Washington’s decision to send 31 Abrams tanks broke a stalemate with Berlin, which had refused to send its own Leopard 2 tanks or allow allies to re-export them to Kiev unless the United States followed suit. Ukrainian officials had long pleaded for heavier armor, specifically the M1 Abrams, among other advanced weapon systems from the West.

A top advisor to Zelensky, Mikhail Podolyak, told the Telegraph on Wednesday that he expects Ukraine’s patrons to provide long-range missiles eventually, claiming they would be “part of the negotiation process” for the next weapons delivery to Kiev.

“Right now we are seeing a sharp change in sentiment among the political elites of European countries, who understand that we need to transfer all equipment, including armored vehicles,” he said. “And we will reach, I am sure, no doubt, an agreement on long-range missiles.”

The advisor added that “Only these missiles will make it possible to destroy almost the entire infrastructure of the Russian rear army.”

Citing unnamed sources, the Telegraph reported that the UK government has “not ruled out” longer-range missiles, but currently has no plans to supply them. Washington has previously refused Ukraine’s requests for ATACMS surface-to-surface missiles, which have a range of around 190 miles (305km), though it is unclear whether that, like the M1 Abrams decision, might be subject to change.

Moscow has repeatedly called on Western countries to halt the flow of weapons into Ukraine, saying the arms will only prolong the conflict and make a negotiated settlement impossible. Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, condemned the upcoming tank shipments as “another blatant provocation,” insisting the hardware will be “destroyed” by Russian forces.
https://www.rt.com/news/570489-ukraine-demands-jets-missiles/
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25 Jan, 2023 15:42

5) --- Germany ‘at war’ with Russia – FM

Annalena Baerbock made the admission in a debate with EU colleagues, pushing for the delivery of tanks to Kiev

Arguing in favor of sending tanks to Kiev, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said EU countries were fighting a war against Russia. US and EU officials have previously gone out of their way to claim they were not a party to the conflict in Ukraine.

“And therefore I’ve said already in the last days – yes, we have to do more to defend Ukraine. Yes, we have to do more also on tanks,” Baerbock said during a debate at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Tuesday. “But the most important and the crucial part is that we do it together and that we do not do the blame game in Europe, because we are fighting a war against Russia and not against each other.”

While Chancellor Olaf Scholz has insisted that Germany ought to support Ukraine but avoid direct confrontation with Russia, his coalition partner Baerbock has taken a more hawkish position. According to German media, her party - the Greens - has been in favor of sending Leopard 2 tanks to Kiev, and eventually managed to pressure Scholz into agreeing. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, who was reluctant to send tanks to Ukraine, was pushed to resign.
see tweet https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1618217167388053504

This is not the first time Baerbock has made waves with her position on the conflict. She told an EU gathering in Prague last August that she intends to deliver on her promises to Ukraine “no matter what my German voters think.

Quoting Baerbock’s words on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the West just keeps admitting that they had been planning the current conflict for years.

“If we add this to Merkel’s revelations that they were strengthening Ukraine and did not count on the Minsk agreements, then we are talking about a war against Russia that was planned in advance. Don’t say later that we didn’t warn you,” Zakharova insisted.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel told German media in early December that the 2014 ceasefire brokered by Berlin and Paris was actually a ploy to “give Ukraine valuable time” for a military build-up. Former French president Francois Hollande has confirmed this, while Ukraine’s leader at that time, Pyotr Poroshenko, openly admitted it as well.

Russia’s operation in Ukraine was a “forced and last-resort response to preparations for aggression by the US and its satellites,” former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev claimed on Monday.
https://www.rt.com/news/570469-germany-war-russia-baerbock/
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25 Jan, 2023 11:52

6) --- Top Russian official assesses relations with Baltic states using GoT quote

“What Is Dead May Never Die,” Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has said, as Moscow downgraded its relations with Tallinn and Riga

The chairman of Russia’s State Duma has accused the Baltic countries of taking orders from Washington and Brussels and losing their independence, after Moscow downgraded its relations with Latvia and Estonia.

“What Is Dead May Never Die,” Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel on Wednesday, quoting from George R.R. Martin’s novel “A Song of Ice and Fire,” which was adapted into the popular HBO TV series “Game of Thrones”.

Earlier this week, Russia lowered its diplomatic relations with Estonia to the level of charges d’affaires and both countries expelled each other’s ambassadors. Before that, Moscow was ordered to drastically reduce its personnel working at the Russian embassy in Tallinn. Latvia, in solidarity with Estonia, has also said it will downgrade its ties with Russia. Relations with Lithuania were scaled back in April last year.

Volodin claimed in his post that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have lost their sovereignty and are ignoring the interests of their own people, while indulging in Russophobia.

“Representatives of the local leadership compete to see who will oppose Russia more harshly,” he wrote, while accusing the Baltic nations of violating human rights, infringing upon national minorities, and forbidding them from speaking their native languages. Meanwhile, independent journalists and human rights activists are persecuted, the speaker claimed.

“Cooperation with these countries is impossible due to the loss of their independence. The decision to lower the level of diplomatic relations with Estonia and Latvia should have been made long ago,” Volodin said, adding that “the dead cannot die twice.”

After the announcement that Moscow was scaling back its relations with Estonia, Russia’s Foreign Ministry released a statement claiming that Tallinn had elevated “total Russophobia and cultivation of hostilities towards Russia” to the level of state policy, and accused the Estonian government of “deliberately destroying” bilateral relations.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570458-russia-baltic-states-relations/
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26 Jan, 2023 05:30

7) --- ‘There is another Ukraine’ – exiled opposition leader to RT

Vladimir Zelensky is carrying out the Western plan of conflict with Russia, says Viktor Medvedchuk

**** watch interview right here on Rumble https://rumble.com/v275nes-exchanged-leader-of-ukrainian-opposition-party-speaks-to-rt-exclusive.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=7 ****

Exiled leader of the banned opposition platform “For Life” Viktor Medvedchuk still considers himself a Ukrainian citizen and lawmaker, and is building a team of like-minded people to represent the Ukraine he claims is suppressed by the current government in Kiev. President Vladimir Zelensky is a dictator sacrificing the country on behalf of Western powers, Medvedchuk told RT.

When Zelensky claims Ukraine is united, he leaves out that this unity was forced at gunpoint, Medvedchuk said. There are many people who disagree with the current government in Kiev, “another Ukraine, not that of [WWII Nazi collaborator Stepan] Bandera, one that has nothing to do with the statements and policies of neo-Nazism pursued by Zelensky,” he added.

Today’s Ukraine violates every provision of its own constitution, Medvedchuk argued, and “ceased to be independent and sovereign” after the February 2014 coup, when it “passed completely under external control of the West.”

Zelensky first placed Medvedchuk under house arrest, then sent him to a “dungeon” run by the Ukrainian SBU security service, where the opposition politician said he was exposed to “constant psychological pressure and humiliation.” In September 2021, he was flown to Poland, and then to Türkiye, where he was handed over to the Russians.

Contrary to popular misperception, he said, he was not traded for the leaders of the neo-Nazi “Azov” regiment who surrendered in Mariupol. Those were exchanged for captured Russian soldiers, Medvedchuk said, while he was traded for “ten foreign mercenaries who fought in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

Kiev has accused Medvedchuk of treason and said he secretly obtained Russian citizenship. He rejects both claims as false, saying the “falsified charges” related to his legitimate mediation on behalf of the Ukrainian government with the breakaway Donbass regions and Moscow in 2014-15. About 1,500 Ukrainian POWs came home as a result of his efforts, he noted.

“I remain a citizen of Ukraine,” Medvedchuk insisted, adding that Zelensky had no right to revoke his passport and calling the move “completely reckless and I would say insane.” If he wanted to get a Russian passport or move to Russia, the politician said, he would have done so years ago. “But I did not leave. And I did not surrender.”

“Zelensky is the kind of man who thinks mainly about PR when it comes to any affairs of state,” Medvedchuk said. “This government tries to hide reality from the people and disguise its actions, which are not in the interest of Ukraine or the Ukrainian people.”

It is Britain that controls Zelensky and Kiev, much more than the US, Medvedchuk claimed, spearheading the push by the collective West to make Ukraine into a springboard against Russia.

The goal of the West is to “stir up some kind of confrontation within Russia, processes that can weaken the Russian leadership,” which is what Zelensky is trying to do, Medvedchuk told RT. However, “it is clear that Ukraine cannot defeat Russia, due to well-known factual circumstances.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/570486-medvedchuk-another-ukraine-opposition/
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26 Jan, 2023 07:30

8) --- New US ambassador arrives in Moscow

Lynne Tracy takes the helm at the diplomatic mission at a time when bilateral relations are at one of their lowest points ever

The US embassy in Moscow has welcomed its new ambassador, Lynne Tracy, who was sworn in earlier this month. Her predecessor’s term ended last September.

The embassy posted a photo of the envoy standing next to a diplomatic car in front of what appeared to be the officials and delegations lounge at a Moscow airport.

Tracy is a career diplomat, who served as US ambassador to Armenia between 2019 and 2023. Her other postings were in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and several former Soviet nations, including Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia. Between 2014 and 2017, Tracy held the position of deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Moscow, where she now returns to take charge.

US President Joe Biden nominated Tracy for one of the most crucial posts in the Department of State in September, the same month when Ambassador John Sullivan resigned. The Senate confirmed her candidacy in December. She is set to become the first woman ever to serve as Washington’s top envoy in Moscow, once her credentials are formally accepted.

The new ambassador arrived a day after the US confirmed that the Pentagon would deliver M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine, a move that the Biden administration previously was reluctant to take. Washington pledged 31 of the advanced armored behemoths, enough to arm a tank battalion, though the actual transfer may take months.

The US has declared that a “strategic defeat” of Russia in Ukraine is its foreign policy objective, with Biden pledging to arm Kiev for “as long as it takes” for that to happen. Moscow said Washington is acting for selfish reasons, looking to solidify its grasp on Europe and undermine a rising competitor in Russia, and that it is willing to conduct its proxy war “to the last Ukrainian.”

Russian officials have described the relationship with the US as being at rock bottom. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that ties were “probably at their lowest point, historically” and that “there is no hope for improvement anytime soon.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/570493-us-ambassador-arrives-moscow/
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24 Jan, 2023 18:19

9) --- China can spy through household devices, report warns

Internet-of-things-enabled devices are constantly reporting usage data back to their manufacturers, the UK government was warned

Chinese-made microchips embedded in internet-of-things devices like smart fridges, cars, and televisions allow Beijing to spy on unsuspecting Britons, a report from think tank OODA published on Monday and seen by the UK Telegraph revealed.

The report alleges that the threat from Chinese-made components, called cellular IoTs, is greater than that posed by the Chinese-made Huawei 5G components, which the UK government decided to cut out of Britain's 5G network by 2027, under heavy US pressure.

These 'Trojan horse' modules are found in every device connected to the Internet of Things, from laptops and smart-watches to cars, refrigerators, smart meters, doorbell cameras, credit card payment machines, even lightbulbs. Designed to collect usage data and transmit it back to the manufacturer using 5G networks, they can produce a relatively detailed picture of a user, a community, or an entire industry.

The Chinese companies that dominate the industry must turn that data over to the Chinese government if asked, the report warns. Such a wealth of data could be used to identify and surveil potential intelligence sources or other VIPs, pinpointing who handles sensitive information and which possible avenues for blackmail or bribery might work on them – a fear that became very real earlier this month when the devices were found in ministerial cars in the UK.

Passive surveillance could allow Beijing to pinpoint supply-chain vulnerabilities, while active intervention could sabotage a competitor – or an entire nation’s infrastructure, according to the report.

“The data generated by automated logistics, manufacturing, and transport systems…could be invaluable as a means of ensuring that the holder’s economic interests prosper over those of a competitor,” the report states, likening the wealth of data recorded by the microchips to “a form of data-driven insider knowledge.”

Its author, veteran UK China adviser Charles Parton, urged London not to allow China to obtain a monopoly on the devices. While more than half (54%) the world’s cellular IoTs are already manufactured by three Chinese companies, Western firms also make them. He stressed that government agencies and companies operating in sensitive sectors like defense should audit their devices by the end of 2025 and replace any vulnerable devices, warning that millions of potential espionage units are already being used in the UK.

Beijing has dismissed the surveillance claims as “political manipulation,” warning that barring Chinese companies from the UK market would not only “seriously undermine international trade rules,” but also “fragment the global market and sabotage the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.
https://www.rt.com/news/570432-chinese-chips-espionage-threat-report/
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