The European Union maintains sanctions against Russia for the war in Ukraine. This decision was made by the representatives of the Twenty-Seven on Monday, overcoming initial resistance from Hungary, which requested solidarity and guarantees that oil and gas will continue to flow to its territory, previously supplied by Russian fuels. The Orbán government has not hidden its pro-Russian sympathies and its confidence in the peace plan announced by Trump to end the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, both sides are trying to consolidate their positions while waiting for the details of that peace initiative to be finalized. Moscow announced on Monday that it had recaptured a town in the Kursk area that was previously occupied by Ukrainian troops. This invasion of Russian territory offers Kiev the possibility to use it in a potential negotiation.
Putin and Xi congratulate Lukashenko on his reelection for a seventh term in Belarus
The presidents of Russia and China congratulated Alexander Lukashenko on Monday for his reelection for a seventh term in Belarus, which according to Vladimir Putin shows that the Belarusian leader has the "undoubted" support of the people. Lukashenko, 70, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, was reelected on Sunday with 86.82% of the votes, according to the Electoral Commission, as reported by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.
During his now-ending term, Lukashenko completely suppressed any dissent following the major protests against him in 2020. The exiled opposition described the elections as a "farce". "His convincing victory in the elections clearly attests to his great political authority and the undoubted support of the population for the policy pursued by Belarus," declared Russian President Vladimir Putin in a message posted on the Kremlin's website.
"He will always be a welcome and beloved guest on Russian soil (...) I hope to see him soon in Moscow," he added. Belarus is an important ally of Russia, and its territory served as a rear base for Moscow's troops when they launched the offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.
Direct contacts between Moscow and the new US administration have not yet begun
Direct contacts between Russian authorities and the US President, Donald Trump's administration, have not yet started, and communications are only being conducted through the Russian embassy in the US, reported the Russian news agency Interfax citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister.
The diplomat, Sergei Ryabkov, also mentioned that there was no agreement yet on when Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could speak on the phone.
The Kremlin had previously stated on Monday that they had not received any signals from the United States regarding the organization of a possible meeting between the two leaders, but they were still willing to arrange such a meeting.
Sweden intercepts a Bulgarian ship for damages to communication cables in the Baltic Sea
Swedish coastguards intercepted and immobilized a Bulgarian ship after an underwater communication cable between Sweden and Latvia was damaged over the weekend, as reported by the ship's owner on Monday. The Latvian government mobilized a warship to the scene to investigate the incident, and Swedish authorities opened an investigation for suspicions of "sabotage."
The Baltic Sea countries have increased surveillance in the area after several underwater cables were damaged in recent months, a series of incidents that experts attribute to sabotage acts linked to Russia.
The Swedish coast guard ordered the Bulgarian ship to "enter its territorial waters, and it is now anchored while an investigation is ongoing," stated Alexander Kalchev, CEO of Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar), the ship's owner, to AFP.
Ukrainian military officer arrested for embezzlement
The deputy commander of a Ukrainian army unit has been arrested for embezzling night vision equipment worth over 90,000 euros during the war with Russia, as reported on Monday by the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation (DBR).
The man, who was in charge of logistics for his unit, claimed in his report that 24 night vision devices were lost in combat when, in reality, he had ordered his subordinates to hide them "in a pile of garbage in a warehouse," the DBR stated in a press release. During the searches of the unit, warehouses, and the suspect's residence, "material evidence of illegal activity was seized," the investigation office added. The military officer is currently in pretrial detention.
The European Union agrees to renew sanctions against Russia for the war in Ukraine
The European Union countries have agreed on Monday to renew the bloc's sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine, as announced by the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.
"Europe delivers. The EU Foreign Ministers have just agreed to renew sanctions against Russia once again. This will continue to deprive Moscow of income to finance its war," stated Kallas in a post on the X social network. The renewal of sanctions became possible after Hungary withdrew its veto and joined the rest of the bloc's countries. Since the beginning of 2022, the EU has already adopted 15 packages of sanctions against Russia, and the renewal of these restrictive measures requires the unanimity of the bloc's countries.
However, Hungary had suggested the possibility of vetoing the renewal of sanctions, which expire on January 31, arguing that it would be convenient to first know the policy that the new US government will adopt.
Albares states that it is "unacceptable" for Hungary to block the extension of sanctions against Russia
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, warned on Monday that it is "unacceptable" for any member state to block the extension of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, restrictive measures that expire on January 31 and that Hungary is currently resisting to endorse.
"The sanctions must be renewed. We have to make that decision unanimously, but I do not see any criteria or any political reason that could be beneficial to any European citizen for those sanctions not to be renewed," said the minister upon his arrival at a Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels where this issue will be addressed.
Albares emphasized that, approaching the third anniversary of the large-scale Russian invasion, it is necessary to "once again highlight" the unconditional European support for Kiev and the support for the principles of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, a process in which sanctions against Moscow are "a fundamental instrument."
Russian forces claim to have recaptured a town in Kursk
Russia announced on Monday that the Northern Troops Group had liberated the settlement of Nikolayevo-Darino, a town in the Russian region of Kursk, which had been taken by Kiev forces in the offensive launched last August. "During offensive operations, units of the Northern Troops Group liberated the settlement of Nikolayevo-Darino," a town on the border with Ukraine, stated the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Ukraine claims to control hundreds of square kilometers in the Kursk region, an advance perceived as a strategy for potential peace negotiations, nearly three years after the start of the Russian offensive.
The Witches of Bucha, the exclusively female war volunteer unit
"Inna is a veteran school teacher. She looks like she has never set foot in a gym in her life, has three children, and a recruited husband she hasn't seen in a long time. "I teach math to children and never thought I would be learning to use a weapon to shoot down drones" ".
Zelensky calls on the world from Auschwitz to "prevent evil from winning"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country has been fighting against the Russian invasion for three years, called on the world on Monday to "prevent evil from winning" on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp.
"The memory of the Holocaust is gradually fading, we must not allow it to be forgotten," stated Zelensky, of Jewish origin. "It is everyone's mission to do everything possible to prevent evil from triumphing," he added, clearly referring to Russia.