Lavrov: Russia ready for talks if West Serious
Newslooks- Sky News
Russia ‘ready for negotiations’ – if West meets conditions; Putin’s ‘private army’ recruiting ‘convicts with diseases’
Russia hits out at US over grain deal remarks; France steps in to defend UK after Moscow blames it for Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions; Putin’s “private army” said to be recruiting Russian convicts with serious diseases, as reported by Sky News.
Russia says it is ready for negotiations – if the West ‘offers some serious approaches’
Moscow has dangled the prospect of negotiations with the West, but made clear it will need some concessions.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin is ready to negotiate if the West “fully takes into account the interests” of Russia, according to state-controlled news outlet RIA Novosti.
He said Western leaders would also need to offer “some serious approaches that will contribute to defusing tensions”.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov made similar comments today, saying Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden could “discuss Russia’s security guarantees” but that such talks would require US willingness to return to “the state of December-January”.
Back in December, the Kremlin drafted agreements and sent them to NATO and the US.
In the documents, it had demanded that NATO would not expand further, and would abandon any military activity on the territory of Ukraine, other states of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
This was rejected by the US and NATO at the time.
Next month, the G20 summit of the world’s largest economies will see Mr Putin and Mr Biden both attending.
However, Politico reported that US officials were working to make sure the two leaders do not cross paths.
Russia claims it has recovered drones used in Crimea attack
The Russian Defence Ministry says it has recovered and analysed the wreckage of drones used in Crimea yesterday.
It claimed the attack caused minor damage to one of its Black Sea Fleet ships.
Analysis showed the drones were equipped with Canadian-made navigation modules, the ministry said.
It also alleged yesterday that the attack was carried out by Ukraine under British leadership.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said he will defend what Russian territory by any means necessary.
Crimea, which is in the south of Ukraine, was annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Russia has ‘detonated key bridge in Luhansk region’
A Ukrainian official has said Russia detonated the Krasna Bridge in the eastern Luhansk region today – an apparent attempt to hamper Ukrainian forces.
Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai said Russian forces are “afraid” that the Ukrainians are “very close” as the counteroffensive in the region continues.
Russian forces also reportedly blew up another bridge near Kreminna yesterday.
Heavy fighting has been taking place in the Luhansk region as Ukraine pushes towards the Russian-occupied towns of Svatove and Kreminna.
Yesterday we reported that the road between the towns is largely under the control of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The bridge is roughly halfway between the two towns.
Credit: Serhiy Haidai
France defends UK after Russian accusations
Moscow has accused the UK navy of being involved in blasts along the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
These accusations have been strongly denied by the UK, which it said were an attempt to distract from Russia’s struggle to make progress in Ukraine.
Now France has stepped in to defend Britain, with its foreign ministry saying the claims were part of Moscow’s strategy to “turn attention away from its sole responsibility in the war of aggression that it is conducting against Ukraine”.
The explosions last month are said to have damaged to Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, which are used to carry Russian gas to Europe.
It’s still not known what caused the blasts.
Russia’s decision to suspend grain deal is ‘outrageous’, says US president
The US president has called Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in a UN-brokered grain deal “purely outrageous” and said it would increase starvation.
Joe Biden made the comments while speaking to reporters yesterday evening.
Earlier, Moscow announced it would be ending its role in the grain export deal following attacks on a number of ships in occupied Crimea.
The agreement was signed in July and was allowing shipments of Ukrainian grain to be exported from blockaded ports.
A UN spokesperson has said they are in touch with Russian authorities and that all sides should refrain from doing anything to imperil the deal.
Russia condemns US over grain deal remarks
Russia has hit out at the US for making what it said were false assertions about Moscow’s decision to suspend its involvement in a UN-brokered grain export deal.
Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine attacked its Black Sea Fleet near Sevastopol on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula with 16 drones early on Saturday, and that British navy “specialists” had helped coordinate the “terrorist” attack.
Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the US, said on Telegram: “Washington’s reaction to the terrorist attack on the port of Sevastopol is truly outrageous.
“We have not seen any signs of condemnation of the reckless actions by the Kyiv regime.”
Ambassador Anatoly AntonovPic: AP
Mr Antonov added: “All the indications that the British military specialists were involved in organising the massive strike with the use of drones, are disregarded.”
The UK has dismissed Russia’s claims as false, while US President Joe Biden denounced Russia’s decision on the grain deal as “purely outrageous” and said it would increase starvation.
Putin’s ‘private army’ recruiting Russian convicts ‘with HIV and hepatitis C’
The Wagner Group – dubbed by some as Putin’s private army – is apparently lowering its standards and recruiting Russian convicts suffering from serious diseases including HIV and hepatitis C for the Ukraine war, according to UK intelligence, citing the organisation’s head, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The Ministry of Defence says that in earlier conflicts the Wagner Group has maintained “relatively high recruitment standards” with many of its operators previously serving as professional soldiers.
But the MoD added on Twitter that the admission of prisoners with serious medical concerns highlights “an approach which now priorities numbers over experience or quality”.
