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Vladimir Putin will address both houses of Russia’s parliament this morning ahead of the presidential election in mid-March.
His speech, likely to include his propagandistic narrative on the war in Ukraine, will be broadcast across at least 20 cinemas in Russia to a wider audience. It is expected to last more than an hour.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the speech could be considered Putin’s election programme.
Putin’s victory in the election is certain, affording him his fifth term in office and setting him up to rule Russia for the rest of his life. He is now the longest standing Russian leader since Joseph Stalin.
It comes as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was accused of leaking sensitive information about British involvement in Ukraine.
Tobias Ellwood, the former chairman of the Commons defence committee, accused Mr Scholz of “a flagrant abuse of intelligence deliberately designed to distract from Germany’s reluctance to arm Ukraine”.
His comments were in response to remarks by Mr Scholz in which he said that German soldiers could not follow the lead of their British and French allies in “the way of target control and accompanying target control”.
Recommended Who is Vladimir Kara-Murza? The new face of Russia’s anti-Putin resistance David Cameron steps up pressure on Putin to free ‘heir’ to Alexei Navalny European leaders rule out sending troops to Ukraine after Macron suggestion – as Russia warns of war with Nato
Key Points Navalny’s widow claims his 'body was abused’ Macron says putting Western troops on ground in Ukraine cannot be ruled out North Korea has sent millions of artillery shells to Russia, South Korea says Russia captures village near Avdiivka
Show latest update 4 minutes ago Putin praises annexation of Crimea
Vladimir Putin says the annexation of Crimea is a “matter of pride”, a decade after it was announced.
Tom Watling 29 February 2024 09:18
7 minutes ago Putin begins his parliamentary address
Vladimir Putin has begun his parliamentary address.
We will keep you updated on what he says as translations come through.
Tom Watling 29 February 2024 09:14
24 minutes ago European leaders rule out sending troops to Ukraine after Macron suggestion – as Russia warns of war with Nato
Leaders across Europe have lined up to rule out putting troops on the ground in Ukraine after French president Emmanuel Macron announced he was open to the idea of sending soldiers to fight against Vladimir Putin’s forces – as the Kremlin warned of the “inevitability” of a direct war with Nato if such a move took place.
The war of words came as Russian forces expanded their takeover of a section on the eastern front line, further capitalising on Ukraine’s significant artillery disadvantage created by the depletion of Western supplies to the country over the last six months.
European leaders rule out sending troops to Ukraine as Russia warns of war with Nato It comes as Ukraine’s troops withdraw from three towns in two days as Putin’s forces advance on the eastern front line
Tom Watling 29 February 2024 08:58
46 minutes ago Ukraine repels Russian attacks but situation is difficult, top general says
Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops from the village of Orlivka, west of Avdiivka, but the situation on the eastern front remains difficult, Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has admitted
Orlivka is less than 2 kilometres northwest of Lastochkyne, which was recently occupied by Russian forces.
Russian forces last week captured the strategic eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka after a months-long assault and are pressing on several other areas along the front line, Ukrainian authorities say.
Ukraine‘s military said this week it had withdrawn from two more villages near Avdiivka, losing more territory as support from its Western allies runs short.
“The enemy continues active offensive actions in many areas of the front line. The situation is particularly tense in the Avdiivka and Zaporizhzhia sectors,” Gen Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app.
He said Russian assault units were trying to break through the Ukrainian defences and capture the settlements of Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi and Krasnohorivka.
Syrskyi, who visited troops on the eastern front, said some commanders had revealed certain shortcomings in their “situational awareness and assessment of the enemy”, which directly affected the sustainability of defence in certain areas.
“I took all measures to remedy the situation on the ground, with the allocation of additional ammunition and material resources, as well as the necessary reserves,” Syrskyi said.
The Ukrainian military and President Volodymyr Zelensky have repeatedly said that troops are lacking military equipment and ammunition needed to repel Russian attacks because of a shortage of military aid from Western allies.
Ukraine’s military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi visits positions near the frontline in eastern Ukraine
(Telegram )
Tom Watling 29 February 2024 08:35
1 hour ago Germany accused of ‘flagrant abuse of intelligence’ for revealing British help in Ukraine
German chancellor Olaf Scholz has been accused of a “flagrant abuse of intelligence” for divulging details of British aid for Ukrainian forces.
Mr Scholz said Germany will not be sending Kyiv Taurus, Berlin’s version of the Storm Shadow missile, pointing to a risk of his country becoming directly involved in the war, referring to the UK and French assistance to Ukraine.
On Monday, he said that German soldiers could not follow the lead of their British and French allies in “the way of target control and accompanying target control”.
Germany accused of ‘abuse of intelligence’ for revealing British help in Ukraine Olaf Scholz’s comments will ‘no doubt be used by Russia to racket up the escalator ladder’, says Tobias Ellwood
Tom Watling 29 February 2024 08:07
1 hour ago Ukraine downs Russian fighter jet, Kyiv claims
Ukraine has downed another Russian fighter jet, the head of the Ukrainian Air Force has claimed.
“Today, February 29, is a date that occurs once every four years, but it is already a familiar day for Russians with the loss of another plane,” said Mykola Oleshchuk.
He said Ukraine shot down a Su-34 fighter jet in the eastern direction, without providing further details.
At least half a dozen Su-43s have been shot down in the past fortnight, according to claims made by Mr Oleshchuk.
Tom Watling 29 February 2024 07:38
2 hours ago David Cameron steps up pressure on Putin to free ‘heir’ to Alexei Navalny
David Cameron is to rachet up pressure on Vladimir Putin by meeting the wife of Russia’s most prominent opposition leader after Alexei Navalny for crunch Whitehall talks, The Independent can reveal.
In a marked escalation of political tensions between the UK and Russia, the foreign secretary will on Friday sit down with Evgenia Kara-Murza, whose Cambridge-educated husband, Vladimir Kara-Murza, is serving a 25-year sentence in a remote Siberian penal colony for spreading “false” information about the Russian army.
The high-level talks come as human rights figures warn the “heir to Navalny” is next on Putin’s hitlist.
David Cameron steps up pressure on Putin to free ‘heir’ to Alexei Navalny Exclusive: The Whitehall talks come as human rights figures warn British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza is next on Putin’s hitlist
Tom Watling 29 February 2024 07:17
3 hours ago Putin allies tell Macron: Any French troops you send to Ukraine will suffer fate of Napoleon's army
Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament and a close Putin ally, said Macron appeared to see himself as Napoleon and warned him against following in the footsteps of the French emperor.
“To maintain his personal power, Macron could not think of anything better than to ignite a third world war. His initiatives are becoming dangerous for the citizens of France,” Volodin said on his official social media feed.
“Before making such statements, it would be right for Macron to remember how it ended for Napoleon and his soldiers, more than 600,000 of whom were left lying in the damp earth.”
Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia made rapid progress initially and captured Moscow. But Russian tactics forced his Grande Armee into a long retreat and hundreds of thousands of his men died as a result of disease, starvation and cold.
French President Emmanuel Macron attends a press conference at the end of the meeting in support of Ukraine
(EPA)
Barney Davis 29 February 2024 06:02
4 hours ago A Russian court sentences the co-chair of a Nobel-winning rights group to 30 months in prison
A Moscow court on sentenced a veteran human rights advocate who spoke out against the war in Ukraine to two years and six months in prison. He was taken directly into custody from the courtroom.
Oleg Orlov, 70, was convicted of “repeatedly discrediting” the Russian army in an article he wrote denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. He has rejected the case against him as politically motivated.
The prosecution demanded that he be sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison.
A Russian court sentences the co-chair of a Nobel-winning rights group to 30 months in prison A Moscow court has sentenced a veteran human rights advocate who spoke out against the war in Ukraine to two years and six months in prison
Barney Davis 29 February 2024 05:01
5 hours ago Navalny to be buried in Moscow on Friday amid protests
Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s funeral will be held in Moscow on Friday, his wife Yulia announced, but she said she was unsure if it would pass off peacefully and that plans for a civil memorial service had been blocked.
Navalny’s allies accused the Kremlin of thwarting their attempts to organise a separate civil memorial service in a hall which could have accommodated more people, and of blocking plans to bury Navalny a day earlier. The Kremlin has said it has nothing to do with such arrangements.
“Two people - Vladimir Putin and (Moscow Mayor) Sergei Sobyanin - are to blame for the fact that we have no place for a civil memorial service and farewell to Alexei,” Yulia, his wife, wrote on X.
“People in the Kremlin killed him, then mocked Alexei’s body, then mocked his mother, now they are mocking his memory.”
The Kremlin denies any involvement in Navalny’s Feb. 16 death at age 47 in an Arctic penal colony and his death certificate - according to his supporters - says he died of natural causes.
(REUTERS)
Barney Davis 29 February 2024 03:50
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