Ukraine latest: Zelenskyy reacts to crucial US Senate vote; Russia ‘plans to double’ number of troops at key NATO borders

By admin On Feb 13, 2024

Key points

12:55:01 German chancellor hits out at ‘dangerous’ Trump comments on NATO

By Siobhan Robbins, Europe correspondent

The German chancellor has hit back at Donald Trump’s NATO comments, calling the “relativisation” of the alliance’s mutual defence clause “dangerous” and only serving Russia.

While Olaf Scholz didn’t mention the former US president by name, his remarks come after Mr Trump sparked outrage by suggesting the US might not protect NATO allies from a potential Russian invasion if they weren’t spending enough on defence.

“Any relativisation of NATO’s guarantee of assistance is irresponsible and dangerous,” Mr Scholz told reporters following a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “It is solely in Russia’s interests. Nobody should play around or trade with Europe’s security.”

Invoking the motto of The Three Musketeers, he said NATO’s “promise of protection applies unreservedly – all for one, one for all”.

His Polish counterpart made a similar statement following a meeting with the French president earlier in the day, saying there was no alternative to a partnership between the EU, NATO and the US in the face of mounting security concerns.

Poland, France and Germany also vowed to make Europe stronger as fears grow that a return of Mr Trump to the White House could allow Russian aggression to spread.

Mr Tusk travelled to Paris and then Berlin seeking stronger ties with Europe’s two largest powers as the war in Ukraine approached its third year.

“There is no reason why we should be so clearly militarily weaker than Russia, and therefore increasing production and intensifying our cooperation are absolutely indisputable priorities,” he said in arguing for the European Union to become “a military power” in its own right.

What did Trump say?

Mr Trump caused alarm after he claimed during a campaign rally that he would potentially “encourage” Russia to invade NATO allies who didn’t meet the defence spending target.

“You didn’t pay. You’re delinquent. Yes, let’s say that happened. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want,” he warned.

NATO members are ideally meant to dedicate 2% of their national income to defence.

While Poland has long since hit this level, Germany became a target for Mr Trump while he was in power for falling short.

Following the invasion of Ukraine, Berlin stepped up its defence spending and is expected to meet the benchmark this year.

12:13:18 Zelenskyy welcomes US Senate vote

As we’ve just reported, the US Senate has passed a bill containing $61bn in aid for Ukraine.

The bill will now go through the House of Representatives before it can be passed into law.

Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy wrote on X: “American assistance brings just peace in Ukraine closer and restores global stability, resulting in increased security and prosperity for all Americans and all the free world.”

As Ukraine’s biggest financial supporter, US aid is crucial for Kyiv to push back Russia’s invasion.

12:00:34 US Senate passes bill sending aid to Ukraine

The Democratic-led US Senate has passed a $95bn bill containing aid for Ukraine – as well as Israel and Taiwan.

It was supported by a vote of 70-29, with 22 Republicans joining most Democrats in passing the bill.

However, the measure will now be sent to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives – where its chances of passing are substantially lower.

Doubts are growing about the legislation’s fate in the House, where it must be approved before it can be signed into law.

Even before the Senate vote, eight hardline Republican opponents of Ukraine aid held an overnight marathon of speeches that dominated the chamber floor for more than six hours.

Joe Biden has been urging Congress to allow more aid to Ukraine and other US partners, but he has come up against tough Republican opposition – largely from those aligned with Donald Trump.

The bill has been criticised by Republican Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, for lacking provisions to stem immigration.

“In the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters,” Mr Johnson said in a statement.

“America deserves better than the Senate’s status quo,” said Mr Johnson, who has suggested in the past that the House could split the legislation into separate bills.

11:11:33 Ukraine’s GDP rises by 3.5%

Ukraine’s gross domestic product rose 3.5% in January on the previous year, its economy ministry has said.

Growth is expected to continue in the first quarter, driven by improving logistics for producers on things like export routes and state spending for rebuilding critical infrastructure, the ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine’s economy was devastated by the Russian invasion in 2022 as millions fled the country, cities and infrastructure were bombed, and logistics, supply chains and exports were disrupted.

In 2022, GDP fell by about one-third.

But Ukrainian businesses have started adapting as the war approaches the two-year mark.

The government estimated that GDP grew by about 5% in 2023 and the economy ministry expects the economy to grow by 4.6% this year.

10:23:39 Kremlin dismisses warnings on Russian propaganda

The Kremlin has said warnings from European countries about “Russian propaganda” are simply a way of “punishing media they dislike”.

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said anything that countered the mainstream narrative was now labelled as propaganda by the West.

He was being asked about a meeting yesterday between the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland in which they warned of a spike of Russian propaganda in European countries ahead of June’s elections to the European Parliament.

In a call with reporters, the Kremlin spokesman said: “It is obvious now that any sources, media or materials from the Internet that do not meet the criteria, do not operate within the information mainstream and try to cover events from different sides, are immediately recognised as propaganda tools.

“This is absolutely contrary to the ideals of a free press and once again demonstrates the authorities’ readiness to punish media they dislike. This happens often in Europe now.”

09:42:23 War with NATO possible in next 10 years – as Russia ‘plans to double’ number of troops on key borders

Moscow intends to double the number of troops stationed along Russia’s borders with NATO’s Baltic states and Finland, Estonia’s foreign intelligence service has said.

Vladimir Putin’s government is preparing for a war with NATO in the next decade, Kaupo Rosin, director-general of the Estonian service, has warned.

Mr Rosin said Russia is currently not “willing to conduct any military actions towards NATO” – but Moscow believes conflict is possible within the next 10 years, his service says.

He is the latest Western official to warn of Russia’s continued appetite for expansion beyond the invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Rosin said Russian military reforms would constitute a “substantial” increase of troops on NATO’s eastern borders.

He said: “Russians are planning to increase the military force along the Baltic states’ border but also the Finnish border. We will highly likely see an increase of manpower, about doubling perhaps.”

“We will see an increase in armed personnel carriers, tanks, and artillery systems over the coming years,” he also told journalists.

So far, the Russian troop presence along the border with new NATO member Finland has been minimal.

But the Estonian intelligence report said a new army corps would likely consist of “two or three manoeuvre units with around a dozen fire support and combat support units”.

Last week, Denmark’s defence minister warned of the possibility of a Russian attack within three to five years.

Troels Lund Poulsen said “new information” had come to light that was previously unknown to NATO countries.

08:53:08 Funeral ceremony for family killed in drone strike

Mourners wept over the coffins of a family of four killed in a Russian drone strike last Friday.

A woman named Tetiana said her son’s family had included two adults and three children, all killed in the strike on Kharkiv.

08:43:59 Russia is gaining the advantage in Ukraine, Norway warns

Norway’s intelligence service has warned Russian forces are gaining the advantage in Ukraine.

Russia’s advantage in troop numbers and material supplied by countries such as North Korea and China has put it in a stronger position than a year ago, the head of Norway’s military intelligence unit said.

Ukraine will need “extensive” Western military aid to turn the situation around, Nils Andreas Stensones said.

“In this war, Russia is currently in a stronger position than it was a year ago and is in the process of gaining the advantage,” he told reporters.

Russia “could mobilise around three times more troops than Ukraine” and is “tackling sanctions better than expected”, he said.

Its industry can now produce enough munitions, combat vehicles, drones and missiles to maintain the war effort all year, he said.

“Extensive Western weapons aid would be needed for Ukrainian forces to be able to defend themselves and regain the initiative in the conflict,” Mr Stensones said.

08:16:34 Hezbollah and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ‘training Russian drone operators’

Ukraine’s military intelligence has reported that elements of Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are training Russian drone operators.

The training is allegedly taking place at the Shayrat Air Base in Syria, where Russian operators are being shown how to use Shahed-136/-131, Ababil-3, and Qods Raab 85 drones.

Hezbollah commander Kamal Abu Sadiq is heading the training effort, Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said.

Both Iranian-backed militias and Russian forces are located at the air base – the second largest Iranian air base in Syria’s Homs province.

According to the US-based thinktank the Institute for the Study of War, the IRGC and Hezbollah previously trained Russian forces on Iranian-made drones at the Moscow-controlled Palmyra Military Airport.

07:49:58 Russia sends warning to West over ‘stealing’ of assets

Moscow has warned of a “tough” response if the US and European Union seize hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian assets.

The EU yesterday adopted a law to set aside windfall profits made on frozen Russian central bank assets and send them to Ukraine.

Since the Russian invasion, the US and its allies have blocked about $300bn of sovereign Russian assets in the West.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik radio this was “theft”.

“It’s the appropriation of something that doesn’t belong to you,” she said.

The spokeswoman warned the response from Russia would be “extremely tough” as Russia felt it was essentially dealing with thieves.

“Considering that our country has qualified this as theft, the attitude will be towards thieves,” Ms Zakharova said. “Not as political manipulators, not as overplayed technologists, but as thieves.”

Russia has said that if its property is seized then it will seize US, European and other assets in responses.

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