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Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ members have yet to respond to Donald Trumpβs call to lower oil prices, Reuters reports.
Ministers from the group have held discussions but decided not to change their current plan to gradually increase production. Sources indicate that the upcoming OPEC+ ministerial meeting on February 3 is also unlikely to result in adjustments, with production increases set to begin in April.
At present, OPEC+ nations maintain a production cut of 5.86 million barrels per dayβapproximately 5.7% of global demand.
US sanctions on Russiaβs fuel and energy sector, imposed before Biden left office, have not significantly cut Russian oil exports, Bloomberg reports.
So far, there is no clear sign of reduced Russian oil flows. In the week ending January 26, daily exports rose by 320,000 barrels, reaching 3.07 million barrels per day. The four-week average climbed to 2.96 million barrels per day but remains 9% lower than last yearβs average.
Far-right pro-Russian Romanian politician CΔlin Georgescu called Ukraine a fictitious state and claimed that its division among neighboring countries is inevitable.
About half of the $50 billion loan for Ukraine cannot be used for weapons purchases, Spiegel reports.
The G7 and the Biden administration aimed to secure military aid for Ukraine in case Donald Trump returned to the White House. Last summer, allies agreed to provide Kyiv with a $50 billion loan from frozen Russian assets.
[...] after the November elections, the US decided to contribute its full share instead of half. Pistorius and Baerbock noted that this meant the US portion could not be used for military purposes, as Washington structured its contribution to avoid congressional opposition.
As a result, only the EUβs β¬18 billion, the UKβs β¬2.7 billion, and half of Canadaβs β¬3.3 billion remain available for Ukraineβs military needs.
Syria is demanding compensation from Russia for its βpast mistakes,β The Moscow Times reports.[...]
In particular, Syria is demanding compensation for the destruction caused by Russian airstrikes during its support of Assad in the civil war. The government stressed that rebuilding trust with the Syrian people requires concrete steps, including reparations, reconstruction, and economic recovery.
The Russian delegation, which arrived on January 28, included Putinβs special representativesβDeputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Alexander Lavrentiev. The Kremlinβs key concern was the future of its military bases in Khmeimim and Tartus. However, negotiations reportedly reached an impasse, with TΓΌrkiye opposing Russiaβs continued presence and the new Syrian administration unwilling to overlook Moscowβs past involvement in the conflict.
Bogdanov stated that, for now, the status of Russian bases in Syria remains unchanged. However, Bloomberg sources confirm that Moscow has failed to secure an agreement on their long-term presence.
The EU is preparing its 16th sanctions package against Russia, which includes a phased ban on Russian aluminum imports, additional SWIFT cutoffs, and restrictions on over 70 shadow fleet ships transporting Russian oil, Bloomberg reports.
Under the plan, European buyers could import up to 275,000 metric tons of Russian aluminum under a quota system for one year before a full ban takes effect. The proposal also includes a ban on storing Russian oil in the EU, expanded restrictions on Russian-controlled aircraft, and a prohibition on operations with certain Russian ports and airports used for arms transfers.
Other measures target three Russian-controlled banks abroad and entities using Moscowβs SWIFT-equivalent financial messaging system (SPFS). The EU also plans restrictions on software, hardware, and technology used in weapons systems, as well as sanctions on companies in China, Turkey, and other countries that help Russia bypass restrictions.
Additionally, the EU has proposed tariffs on Russian and Belarusian agricultural products that are not yet taxed, along with some nitrogen fertilizers.
The European Court of Justice has refused to lift sanctions on Alexander Vinokurov, the son-in-law of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Russiaβs Hybrid Warfare: Five Tactics That Shape the Threat (united24media.com/anti-fake/russias-hybrid-warfare-five-tactics-that-shape-the-threat-5455)
War, as we once understood it, is no longer confined to battlefields or military zones. It has taken on a new disguiseβhybrid warfare.
Russia has become a master of hybrid tactics β a calculated mix of conventional and unconventional strategies designed to destabilize, disrupt, and weaken adversaries without declaring full-scale war. Below, we examine five key tactics of Russian hybrid warfare, highlighting the growing and multifaceted threat it poses to the global order.
Read more in our editorial: https://united24media.com/anti-fake/russias-hybrid-warfare-five-tactics-that-shape-the-threat-5455
Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his support for Donald Trump and the American people following the plane crash in Washington. CBS News reports that 19 people are confirmed dead, while four survivors have not been confirmed yet. Rescue operations are ongoing and are expected to continue for several days.
Two drone attacks on a Russian oil depot in Engels damaged ten fuel tanks and destroyed four more, according to British intelligence.
Two drone attacks on a Russian oil depot in Engels damaged ten fuel tanks and destroyed four more, according to British intelligence.
This is what Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region looks like now, where about 13,000 people once lived.