Summary of the day
Officials and pundits in the west reacted with dismay with Tucker Carlson’s interview with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, called Putin’s claim that the war in Ukraine was a result of Nato expansion “clearly ridiculous”.
Reacting to the interview, Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt said that America “will suffer from having him spreading lies unchallenged and unfiltered” and “this is how democracies die.”
A spokesperson for the European Commission said that the interview with Putin was just a repeat of his usual “lies” and “war propaganda”.
Ville Cantell, a director at the Finnish ministry of foreign affairs, suggested watching 20 Days in Mariupol instead of the Putin interview.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy awarded Valerii Zaluzhnyi the title of Hero of Ukraine, after firing him as Ukraine’s top commander.
A bipartisan American congressional delegation arrived Kyiv, amid mounting pressure for more aid.
Tobias Billström, the Swedish minister for foreign affairs, underscored that aid to Kyiv “is being constantly monitored.”
Norway’s ministry of defence said that the country’s government is proposing providing more NASAMS to Ukraine.
The United Arab Emirates said it succeeded in mediating a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
Polish farmers blocked roads, including on border crossings with Ukraine.
'Shocking': Polish minister criticises Carlson interview
The Polish foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, has pushed back against Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin.
“We are used to paranoid justifications for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. What’s shocking is that this time they are enabled by an American journalist,” he said.
It's not the first time the Russian dictator V. Putin blames 🇵🇱, invaded by the USSR on 17.09.1939, for the outbreak of the #WWII.
— Radek Sikorski (@radeksikorski) February 9, 2024
We are used to paranoid justifications for Russia's invasion of 🇺🇦 in 2022.
What’s shocking is that this time they are enabled by an 🇺🇸 journalist.
A bipartisan American delegation is in Kyiv, amid pressure for more aid.
Great to welcome to Kyiv a bipartisan congressional delegation to led by House Intelligence Chair @RepMikeTurner and including @RepFrenchHill, @RepJasonCrow, @RepSpanberger, and @ZachNunn. pic.twitter.com/3HopaeNzyz
— Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) February 9, 2024
Here are more images from Polish farmers’ protests today.
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defence minister, has thanked Lithuania for providing another package of military support.
🇺🇦🇱🇹 Ukraine received another vital military package from Lithuania, which includes winter equipment & tens of thousands of warm clothing sets.
— Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) February 9, 2024
I am grateful to the Lithuanian Minister of National Defence, @a_anusauskas, and all Lithuanian people for their unwavering support. We…
Norway to provide more NASAMS to Kyiv
Norway’s ministry of defence said today that the country’s government is proposing providing more NASAMS – short to medium range ground-based air defence systems – to Ukraine.
Norway🇳🇴 provide more NASAMs to Ukraine🇺🇦🇳🇴. The Government proposes to the Norwegian Parliament to order a further ten launch units and four fire control centers of the air defense system NASAMS #Ukraine #Norway https://t.co/SgrxygJl3w pic.twitter.com/rf901i28Uc
— Forsvarsdepartement (@Forsvarsdep) February 9, 2024
Updated
A spokesperson for the European Commission has said that last night’s interview with Vladimir Putin was just a repeat of his usual “lies” and “war propaganda” aimed at “justifying atrocities” and “normalising aggression”.
“We saw nothing new in Putin’s interview,” said a foreign affairs spokesperson on Thursday.
“We regret that Putin is actually provided a platform to manipulate and spread propaganda. Putin reinforced his well-known lies about Ukraine. These are dangerous lies,” they added.
Last night Putin claimed the West could stop the war by stopping the supply of arms to Ukraine.
The EU said on Friday it would “stand by Ukraine every day” and would be supplying it with 500,000 rounds of ammunition by March and would meet its target of 1m rounds of ammunition by December.
Updated
Here’s a photo showing Polish farmers blocking a road near the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing in Medyka.
Zaluzhnyi named Hero of Ukraine
In a much-watched move, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy has replace his most senior military commander.
Today, he awarded Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi the title of Hero of Ukraine.
“For outstanding personal merits in the defense of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, selfless service to the Ukrainian people, I at this moment decree: To award the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Golden Star to Zaluzhnyi Valerii Fedorovych, General,” reads a decree published today, Ukrinform reported.
'Clearly ridiculous': British leader pushes back against Putin's claims on Nato expansion
Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, called a claim by Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, that the war in Ukraine was a result of Nato expansion “clearly ridiculous”, PA reports.
Sunak said:
Russia conducted an illegal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. I’m proud that the UK has stood strongly with Ukraine from the beginning.
He said “we can’t let this type of behaviour go unchecked. It impacts all of our security.”
The British leader added:
We’ve already seen the impact it had on everyone’s energy bills. And that’s why we’re working closely, not just with the US but with allies around the world, to give Ukraine the support it needs for as long as it takes to repel the Russian invasion.
Polish farmers block border crossings with Ukraine
Polish farmers blocked roads today, including on border crossings with Ukraine, Reuters reported.
Looking ahead
Next week will be a busy time for policymakers grappling with geopolitical challenges.
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group will meet in Brussels on Wednesday.
Nato defence ministers will meet on Thursday. The session will include a meeting of the Nato-Ukraine Council.
And starting Friday, senior officials will gather for the three-day Munich Security Conference, where speakers will include Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog.
As Europeans urge US allies to continue providing aid to Ukraine, Tobias Billström, the Swedish minister for foreign affairs, has underscored that aid to Kyiv “is being constantly monitored.”
Very important observations by @TheStudyofWar on the fact that US aid to Ukraine 🇺🇦 is being constantly monitored. And attempts of corruption is being countered efficiently. https://t.co/n01HYqkyqU
— Tobias Billström (@TobiasBillstrom) February 9, 2024
Ville Cantell, a director at the Finnish ministry of foreign affairs, has a viewing suggestion instead of the Tucker Carlson interview.
Instead of watching Putin’s parade of lies in the Tucker Carlson interview, I suggest watching 20 Days in Mariupol to see the real consequences of his actions.
— Ville Cantell (@villecantell) February 9, 2024
Unclear how Zelenskiy’s removal of military commander will improve Ukraine’s position
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s decision to replace his most senior military commander may solve a political problem, but it is not clear how it can improve Ukraine’s weakening position on the battlefield.
It was clear that the outgoing Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi had lost the confidence of the Ukrainian leader, who had come to be wary of the general’s popularity and saw him as a political threat. By refusing to resign when asked by the president last week, Zaluzhnyi had created an untenable situation at the top.
Eight days later, Zaluzhnyi has recognised reality, as Zelenskiy has made it clear he wants a change of leadership after the failed summer counteroffensive. His choice of Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, however, currently commander of land forces, is not seen as a radical departure.
“Syrskyi is close to the president,” said Oleksiy Goncharenko, an opposition Ukrainian MP close to Zaluzhnyi. “And the most important thing for Zelenskiy is that he thinks that Syrskyi is absolutely not a political person. That is his most valuable characteristic.”
While Zaluzhnyi came of age as Ukraine became independent, Syrskyi, at 58, is eight years older and was trained at the Higher Military Command school in Moscow. But he has lived in Ukraine since the 1980s and was critical in its defence in the early phases of the war.
'We need to be ready' for possible Trump presidency, senior European official says, 'whatever we feel'
Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, made headlines yesterday when he told Senate Republicans they should be ashamed, as officials on the continent feared a US aid package for Kyiv could remain bogged down.
“Dear Republican Senators of America. Ronald Reagan, who helped millions of us to win back our freedom and independence, must be turning in his grave today. Shame on you,” Tusk said.
A number of officials said that Tusk’s rhetoric reflected their concerns.
“I could think of a number of other US presidents that are turning with him,” quipped one EU diplomat.
But a senior Central European official said that “one thing is to be emotional, and maybe sentimental.”
The other side of the coin, the senior official told us, is that Trump could become president – “and we need to be ready for that, whatever we feel.”
“American isolationism is a real thing, it is not nothing new,” this person added.
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, met with lawmakers in Washington yesterday.
“It was good to talk again with members of the US Senate from both sides of the aisle,” the German leader wrote on social media, adding:
Ukraine needs all of our support in order to defend itself against Russia’s aggression.
Late yesterday, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed optimism about US support.
I am grateful to US Senate for the decision to unlock the discussion on assistance to Ukraine and other strategic partners.
A very important first step to continue support for Ukraine’s victory and increase our shared security. This is a bad day for Putin, and a good day for democracies.
Updated
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked those involved in facilitating prisoner exchanges.
In a social media post, he wrote:
Ukraine returns its people and will make every effort to continue prisoner exchanges. So that our people can come back home. I thank everyone who assists us in this and ensures this outcome.
Ukraine returns its people and will make every effort to continue prisoner exchanges. So that our people can come back home. I thank everyone who assists us in this and ensures this outcome. pic.twitter.com/2YakQePeM6
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 9, 2024
UAE says it mediated prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine
The United Arab Emirates said it succeeded in mediating a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters reports.
The UAE said it facilitated the release of 100 Russian prisoners of war in exchange for 100 from the Ukraine.
'This is how democracies die', EU lawmaker says amid Putin interview controversy
Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister and current member of the European parliament, said that Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin “is the best thing that ever happened” to the Russian leader.
“America tomorrow will suffer from having him spreading lies unchallenged and unfiltered. This is how democracies die,” he said.
Carlson interview is the best thing that ever happened to Putin.
— Guy Verhofstadt (@guyverhofstadt) February 9, 2024
America tomorrow will suffer from having him spreading lies unchallenged and unfiltered.
This is how democracies die... pic.twitter.com/nbrlkZUbnV
Putin tells Tucker Carlson the US ‘needs to stop supplying weapons’ to Ukraine
Tucker Carlson and Vladimir Putin were in the spotlight on Thursday night, as the divisive, Trump-supporting rightwing commentator interviewed the reclusive Russian autocrat.
The rambling, two-hour interview, filmed in Moscow, was Putin’s first with a western media outlet since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
It marked a new level of infamy for Carlson, who has frequently criticized US support for Ukraine, has referred to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, as a “Ukrainian pimp” and “rat-like”.
Carlson’s tone was less pugnacious in the interview with Putin, who he referred to as “Mr President” throughout.
The decision to interview Putin had been widely criticised ahead of the interview. But the opening of the conversation between the former Fox News host and Putin was a let down.
Putin spent more than 30 minutes giving a history of Russia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, in a monologue that took viewers from the ninth century rule of Oleg the Wise, to the struggles of the 1300s, through to a critique of Lenin’s foreign policy.
When a baffled-looking Carlson finally coaxed Putin into the 21st century, the Russian president accused the US and other western countries of prolonging the war in Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
Adam Gabbatt and Andrew Roth
Welcome to the blog
Good morning and welcome back to the blog.
Today we will be looking at the latest in Ukraine and concerns about the future of aid to Kyiv.
Send comments and tips to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.
