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The US has announced tank deliveries to Ukraine
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PETRAS MALUKAS / AFP
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China: US responsible for war
11:24 a.m .:
China is one of Russia’s closest allies.
Now the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning has launched an all-out attack on the United States.
"The USA are the ones who triggered the Ukraine crisis," he said in Beijing.
They are also “the biggest factor fueling the crisis”.
The arms shipments only prolonged and intensified the conflict.
Mao Ning made the allegations in response to a question about American allegations that Chinese companies might be supporting the Russian side.
The spokeswoman spoke of “unfounded suspicions” and “unfounded blackmail”.
China will not stand by if the US harms the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected in Beijing on Sunday and Monday.
The last time a US Secretary of State visited China was in October 2018.
After drone attack in Iran: Russia warns of escalation
10:50 a.m .:
A military facility was attacked in Iran over the weekend.
Russia has now condemned the drone attack and warned of "provocations" that could escalate the already tense situation.
Such actions could have "unforeseeable consequences for peace and stability in the Middle East," according to the Moscow Foreign Ministry.
In the Ukraine war, in which Russia obtains drones from Iran, for example, Moscow has repeatedly warned of an escalation.
According to Reuters news agency, a US official said on Sunday that Israel appeared to be behind the attack.
Iran said it intercepted the attack and said there were no casualties or serious damage.
Moscow: Negotiations pointless after tank decision
10.19 a.m .:
The Russian leadership has declared peace negotiations to be hopeless because of the planned western tank deliveries to Ukraine.
"Under the current conditions, since Washington has announced its decision to supply tanks and its vassals (...) are competing over who will supply how much armor to Ukraine, there is no point in talking to the Ukrainian Nazis or their puppeteers," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the state news agency Ria Novosti.
In its propaganda, Moscow repeatedly claims that National Socialists are in power in Kyiv and are being directed from abroad.
Moscow: End of disarmament treaty "very likely"
9:52 a.m .:
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov sees it as “very likely” that the “New Start” nuclear disarmament treaty with the United States will expire in February 2026.
Talks about an extension collapsed in November.
Since then, Washington and Moscow have been unable to agree on terms for new talks.
Read more here.
Scholz criticizes the debate about fighter jets
9:28 a.m .:
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has criticized the debate about the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine.
»It is idiosyncratic that this debate is being held.
Some people have to ask themselves: Why is he asking the question when it's about helping the Ukrainians," said Scholz on Sunday evening (local time) at a press conference in Santiago de Chile.
A serious debate is now necessary and not "an outbidding competition (...), in which perhaps domestic political motives (...) are in the foreground".
Ukraine is demanding fighter jets, and the United States has not fundamentally ruled out a delivery.
The SPD leader Saskia Esken did not fundamentally rule out the delivery of combat aircraft on Sunday in the ARD.
Rocket hits apartment building in Kharkiv, woman dies
8:56 a.m .:
In the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, an “elderly woman” died in a Russian attack, according to Ukrainian sources.
According to the region's governor, Oleg Synehubov, a rocket struck an apartment building and started a fire.
Three other people were injured and the fire was extinguished at 3:20 a.m. local time.
Selenskyj remains confident of victory
8:21 a.m .:
Despite the difficult situation at the front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shown himself confident of victory.
“2023 must and will definitely be the year of our victory!” Zelenskyj wrote on Telegram on Sunday.
In his video speech every evening, with a view to the hard-fought east of his country, he also conceded: "The situation is very tough."
In the Donetsk region, the cities of Bakhmut and Wuhledar in particular are still exposed to constant Russian shelling.
Despite high losses in their own ranks, the Russians did not reduce the intensity of their attacks there.
"Russia hopes to prolong the war," said Zelenskyy.
"So we have to make time our weapon." He was also alluding to Western arms shipments.
hba/AFP/dpa/Reuters
