News briefs Texas native and journalist Austin Tice is still imprisoned in Syria Tribune News Service · Dec 9, 2022
Champagne-sipping Putin says ‘they started it’ to justify Russian strikes on Ukraine energy Russian President says attacks began in retaliation to Ukraine’s alleged attack on the Crimea Bridge in October The Independent UK · Dec 9, 2022
US warns of expanding Iran, Russia defence ‘partnership’ Washington accuses Moscow of offering Tehran ‘an unprecedented level of military and technical support’. Al Jazeera · Dec 9, 2022
Vladimir Putin critic Ilya Yashin sentenced to eight years in prison for spreading ‘false information’ Russian opposition leader tried over YouTube video released in April Evening Standard · Dec 9, 2022
The hard-won benefits of soft diplomacy The world seems like a calmer place after the G20 meeting in Bali last month. The question is why. Bangkok Post · Dec 9, 2022
Putin says Russia may add nuclear first strike to strategy Vladimir Putin said Russia may consider formally adding the possibility of a preventive nuclear first strike to disarm an opponent to its military doctrine, just days after warning that the risk of atomic war is rising. Tribune News Service · Dec 9, 2022
Vladimir Putin says agreement will ‘have to be reached’ to end Ukraine conflict Vladimir Putin has said that an agreement “will have to be reached” to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Evening Standard · Dec 9, 2022
Putin Says Russia Could Adopt US Preemptive Strike Concept Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow could adopt what he described as a US concept of using preemptive military strikes, noting it has the weapons to do the job, in a blunt statement amid rising Russia-NATO tensions over Ukraine. "We are just thinking about it. Asharq Al-Awsat · Dec 9, 2022
'Public sector strikes are a mass howl of rage against a decade of cruel cuts' Brian Reade says nurses and fellow workers have had enough of wage erosion under this Tory government - as divide and rule is how the right-wing Establishment has always operated Daily Mirror · Dec 9, 2022
Putin says Russia could adopt US preemptive strike concept Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Moscow might think about adopting what he described as a U.S. concept of a preemptive military strike, noting that it has the weapons to do the job The Independent UK · Dec 9, 2022
Silencing Russian music plays into Putin’s hands Letters: Readers on the Ukrainian culture minister’s call for a boycott of Russian culture, in protest at the invasion of Ukraine The Guardian - UK · Dec 9, 2022
Putin threatens oil production cuts over price cap President says future prisoner swaps with US are possible and Russia’s hypersonic weapons would defend it if attacked. Al Jazeera · Dec 9, 2022
Russia must pull troops out of Ukraine before peace talks, says Rishi Sunak PM promises more weapons in phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky The Independent UK · Dec 9, 2022
Russia is expanding its nuclear arsenal, U.S. defense secretary says Russia is expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin, faced with setbacks in Ukraine, has repeatedly suggested he could use nuclear weapons. Reuters · Dec 9, 2022
Reuters · Dec 9, 2022 Putin says loss of trust in West will make future Ukraine talks harder President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia's near-total loss of trust in the West would make an eventual settlement over Ukraine much harder to reach, although contacts between Russian and U.S. intelligence services were at least continuing.
Axios · Dec 9, 2022 Putin: More prisoner swaps with U.S. "possible" after Griner-Bout exchange “We didn’t set the task to move from those talks to something else, but they do create a certain atmosphere."
Tribune News Service · Dec 9, 2022 UAE’s diplomatic might grows with Russian release of WNBA star Among all the countries that have tried to mediate with Russia since it invaded Ukraine earlier this year — from France to South Africa — the United Arab Emirates and its Middle East partners are the ones showing an ability to get things done.
Tribune News Service · Dec 9, 2022 Modi to skip annual Putin summit over Ukraine nuke threats Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi won’t be holding an annual in-person summit with Vladimir Putin after the Russian president threatened to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Reuters · Dec 9, 2022 Ukraine should continue to fight, Nobel Peace laureate says Ukraine should continue to fight Russian troops, the leader of a Ukrainian rights group that won the Nobel Peace Prize said on Friday, adding that any attempt to enter into talks to end the war would be interpreted by Russia as a sign of weakness.
Reuters · Dec 9, 2022 Putin: Russia may have to make Ukraine deal one day, but partners cheated in the past Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would likely have to reach agreements regarding Ukraine in the future, but felt betrayed by the breakdown of the Minsk agreements.
The Independent UK · Dec 9, 2022 Trump turned down Paul Whelan and Viktor Bout prisoner swap years ago, John Bolton says Mr Trump blasted the Biden administration’s deal on his Truth Social platform – despite refusing to take action to try to free Mr Whelan for two years of his own presidency
Reuters · Dec 9, 2022 Putin says further prisoner exchanges with United States are possible Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that further prisoner swaps between the United States and Russia were possible, and that contacts between the two countries' intelligence services would continue.
Al Jazeera · Dec 9, 2022 Russia: Putin critic gets 8 years in jail for ‘false information’ Ilya Yashin was tried after casting doubt over the Kremlin’s narrative on atrocities that took place in Bucha, Ukraine.
Daily Mirror · Dec 9, 2022 Russian defence minister's lover kicked out country over threat to national security Yelena Kaminskas has been denied entry to Lithuania for five years and had her residence permit revoked - she has also been banned from the EU for three years
The Independent UK · Dec 9, 2022 Ukrainian Nobel Prize winner says Putin must face tribunal A representative of one the the organizations sharing this year’s Nobel Peace Prize says she thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin must face an international tribunal for the fighting in Ukraine