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Hungary Magyarország
01/02/2022 A peaceful solution to the standoff between Russia and Ukraine through dialogue is in Hungary’s interest, Defence Minister Benkő told public television yesterday. Benkő also warned against ratcheting up Cold War rhetoric. Referring to a recent request to station NATO troops in Hungary, Benkő said the country’s Armed Forces had undergone a comprehensive development programme since 2017, resulting in “robust defence capabilities” that NATO had acknowledged. “This is why we say there is no need for a 1,000-strong NATO contingent to be stationed in Hungary,” he added. In the current situation, Hungary’s armed forces are tasked with ensuring peace and security in the country and the region rather than “show force that would rouse people’s fear and anxiety”. NATO’s plan for the conflict includes peaceful solutions as well as deterrence, Benkő said. Referring to his talks with UK counterpart Wallace earlier yesterday, Benkő said Wallace had praised the standard and professionalism of Hungary’s armed forces and agreed there was no need to offer troops to the country. Benkő said Hungary’s government had always rejected the notion of foreign forces being stationed in the country. Benkő said the government had made it “very clear” that Hungary was a part of NATO and the EU organisations. The government sees the country’s future as part of those alliances, he said. (Source: DailyNewsHungary)
2022. II. 1. Élelmiszerárstop. "Megvédjük a magyar családokat az inflációtól: fenntartjuk a rezsicsökkentést, bevezettük a kamatstopot, emellett rögzítettük az üzemanyagok árát." Mindezek mellett a kormány arról döntött, hogy három hónapra árstopot vezet be egyes alapvető élelmiszerekre. Az érintett termékek árát úgy kell megállapítani, hogy az nem lehet magasabb a 2021. október 15. napon alkalmazott árnál. Az árstop 2022. február 1-től május 1-ig tart. Az árszabályozás alapvető élelmiszerekre terjed ki: kristálycukor, búzafinomliszt, finomított napraforgó-étolaj, házi sertéscomb, csirkemell, csirke far-hát, ultramagas hőmérsékleten hőkezelt, 2,8% zsírtartalmú tehéntej. Ha a 2021. október 15. napján alkalmazott ár kiárusítás, leárazás, akció, szezonális kedvezmény, promóciós értékesítés során alkalmazott ár lenne, úgy a kedvezményes értékesítés előtti árat kell alkalmazni. Az árszabályozással kapcsolatos tájékoztatást a kereskedőknek ki kell függeszteniük az üzletek bejáratánál jól látható helyen, csomagküldő kereskedelem esetén pedig a nyitólapon közzétenni azt, a vonatkozó rendeletben foglalt formai és tartalmi előírásoknak megfelelően. A szabályok betartását az általános fogyasztóvédelmi hatóság, azaz a megyei és fővárosi kormányhivatalok a Nemzeti Élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági Hivatal bevonásával ellenőrzik. A szabályok megszegése pénzbírsággal vagy az üzlet bezárásával büntethető. (Forrás: Kormány)
Czechia
February 01, 2022 Yesterday, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala held talks with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Prague Perebyinis about bilateral relations and the crisis on the Ukrainian-Russian border. Last week, the Czech government agreed to provide Ukraine with 4,000 artillery shells for about 37 million korunas (€1.5 million). Fiala stated at the time that Czechia supports Ukraine and believes in a diplomatic solution. “We are trying to get the situation resolved peacefully, through diplomacy and to discourage Russia from any military aggression,” he said, adding that the government was preparing for worse-case scenarios. According to Kiev, Moscow is intent on destabilizing Ukraine rather than using military force. (Source: Remix)
Poland
February 1, 2022 Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says Warsaw is ready to supply Ukraine with military aid including ammunition and various types of drones. “We stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian neighbors in light of the threat they are now facing from Russia. However, solidarity and words are not enough today; now they need to be forged into action,” Morawiecki told in the Polish capital. “For this and other reasons, which are related to the very threatening military situation, which, unfortunately, has developed there, we are also ready to hand over defensive weapons.” (Source: AlJazeera)
European Union
01 February 2022 Approval for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has been put on hold, and the European Commission will scrutinise the project’s compliance with the trading bloc’s energy policy, revealed the commission’s vice president Dombrovkis yesterday. He argued the European Union (EU) will do everything it can to ensure Russia is unable to use natural gas as a weapon. The £8.4bn Nord Stream 2 project was completed last September, with its certification held up last year amid governance concerns from German regulators. No decision on the pipeline from the domestic authorities was expected until this summer, but the pipeline also needs to be approved by the European Commission. It has the right to examine whatever position Germany takes, with a possibility to extend the period by another two months under certain conditions, and it can also pause the process unilaterally. The German regulator, Bundesnetzagentur, initially raised concerns over Nord Stream AG’s independence from Kremlin-backed gas giant Gazprom and laid down requirements last November for Gazprom to set up a separate company to oversee the German section of the pipeline. However, worries over its political influence have only grown since then, with the International Energy Agency accusing Russia of throttling supplies into Europe, and of trying to minimise the role of Ukraine by reducing its transit fees from pipes flowing through the country. Russian President Putin has dismissed such accusations as ‘politically motivated blather’, while Gazprom has insisted it has fulfilled every contract it has brokered in Europe. The gas titan failed to reach its fully-year export targets for Europe and Germany last year, and cut its export growth into the continent to five per cent over the last three months of the year. Dombrovkis said: “It is important that the United States, NATO and all EU Member States continue to cooperate closely, supporting Ukraine in response to Russian escalation. We are united in sending a clear message to Russia: any further aggressive action would bring it severe political and economic consequences.” Dombrovskis also said the commission plans to approve a €1.2bn financial aid package to Ukraine today. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has threatened to place sanctions on the pipeline if Russia instigates conflict in the region. The US has said the pipeline will not be greenlit if Ukraine is invaded. Another aggravating factor is the Yamal-Europe pipeline, which typically supplies Europe with around a sixth of its gas imports. It has flowed eastwards away from Germany for over a month and Gazprom currently has no exports planned via the pipeline this month. Wholesale prices rose five-fold over the course of 2021, and while prices have effectively halved since Christmas they remain historically high with fears that elevated costs could effectively be baked into the market. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline would double Russia’s exports with Germany, pumping 55 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year into the continent via the Baltic sea floor. Any call to reject Nord Stream 2 would not come without costs, as the trading bloc currently relies on Russia for around 40 per cent of its natural gas imports. The decision would infuriate Moscow. European gas prices have gone on a wild journey over recent months and remain historically high. The continent scarcely escaped serious difficulties this winter, effectively bailed out by a flotilla of US tankers last month. In the end, only Moldova and Kosovo suffered from power outages. It is unlikely that new deals with non-Russian gas suppliers would sustainably replace both the potential gains in supplies Nord Stream 2 could provide, and Russia’s current gas offerings to the continent. EU-focused think tank Bruegel has recently suggested that the trading bloc would only be able to temporarily keep up with consumption demand if there were severe shortages. Platts Analytics suggest European storage stocks are around 19 bcm below the five-year seasonal average. Over the past few weeks, the US has been scrambling to procure deals with non-Russian gas suppliers such as Qatar, while EU energy chief Simson is set to attend conferences in Azerbaijan and Washington to negotiate potential energy settlements. Qatar does have contracts to fulfil across the world amid rebounding demand in Asia, with Europe just one of many players in a global gas supply crisis. The country typically favours long-term contracts. Qatar has also attached strings to any future arrangements. The current crisis could provide new partners with previously unexpected opportunities. In gas markets, the deep shortage that has developed on both global LNG markets and in the European gas market point to some market opportunities for producers to find high interest in those volumes. This may allow new pipeline projects from Central Asia or the Mediterranean region, new fields in the North Sea, or new LNG projects (especially in the US) to lock in volumes at prices that would have been difficult to negotiate just 12 months ago. LNG has to be converted to usable supplies through an extensive storage process. European LNG imports hit a record high last month, at 11.8 bcm, compared with a previous record in November 2019 of around 9 bcm. With supplies rising from 51 per cent to 75 per cent of capacity in Western and Southern Europe, this means the continent only has limited capabilities to absorb further flows of LNG. Nearly 45 per cent of the LNG imports were from the United States. (Source: CityA.M.)
Russia Oroszország
1 February 2022 Text of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Mr. Lavrov`s written message on Indivisibility of Security addressed to the Heads of Foreign / External Affairs Ministers / Secretaries of the US, Canada and several European countries "134-01-02-2022 Unofficial translation You are well aware that Russia is seriously concerned about increasing politico-military tensions in the immediate vicinity of its western borders. With a view to avoiding any further escalation, the Russian side presented on 15 December 2021 the drafts of two interconnected international legal documents – a Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on Security Guarantees and an Agreement on Measures to Ensure the Security of the Russian Federation and Member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The U.S. and NATO responses to our proposals received on 26 January 2022 demonstrate serious differences in the understanding of the principle of equal and indivisible security that is fundamental to the entire European security architecture. We believe it is necessary to immediately clarify this issue, as it will determine the prospects for future dialogue. The Charter for European Security signed at the OSCE Summit in Istanbul in November 1999 formulated key rights and obligations of the OSCE participating States with respect to indivisibility of security. It underscored the right of each participating State to be free to choose or change its security arrangements including treaties of alliances, as they evolve, as well as the right of each State to neutrality. The same paragraph of the Charter directly conditions those rights on the obligation of each State not to strengthen its security at the expense of the security of other States. It says further that no State, group of States or Organization can have any pre-eminent responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the OSCE area or can consider any part of the OSCE area as its sphere of influence. At the OSCE Summit in Astana in December 2010, the leaders of our nations approved a declaration that reaffirmed this comprehensive package of interconnected obligations. However, the Western countries continue to pick up out of it only those elements that suit them, and namely – the right of States to be free to choose alliances for ensuring exclusively their own security. The words ‘as they evolve’ are shamefacedly omitted, because this provision was also an integral part of the understanding of ‘indivisible security’, and specifically in the sense that military alliances must abandon their initial deterrence function and integrate into the all-European architecture based on collective approaches, rather than as narrow groups. The principle of indivisible security is selectively interpreted as a justification for the ongoing course toward irresponsible expansion of NATO. It is revealing that Western representatives, while expressing their readiness to engage in dialogue on the European security architecture, deliberately avoid making reference to the Charter for European Security and the Astana Declaration in their comments. They mention only earlier OSCE documents, particularly often – the 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe that does not contain the increasingly ‘inconvenient’ obligation not to strengthen own security at the expense of the security of other States. Western capitals also attempt to ignore a key OSCE document – the 1994 Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security, which clearly says that the States will choose their security arrangements, including membership in alliances, ‘bearing in mind the legitimate security concerns of other States’. It will not work that way. The very essence of the agreements on indivisible security is that either there is security for all or there is no security for anyone. The Istanbul Charter provides that each OSCE participating State has equal right to security, and not only NATO countries that interpret this right as an exceptional privilege of membership in the ‘exclusive’ North Atlantic club". (...) "The situation demands a frank clarification of positions. We want to receive a clear answer to the question how our partners understand their obligation not to strengthen their own security at the expense of the security of other States on the basis of the commitment to the principle of indivisible security. How specifically does your Government intend to fulfil this obligation in practical terms in the current circumstances? If you renege on this obligation, we ask you to clearly state that". (...) "Your response will help to better understand the extent of the ability of our partners to remain faithful to their commitments, as well as the prospects for common progress toward decreasing tensions and strengthening European security". (Source: mid.ru): https://tinyurl.com/3b2fyh6y
2022. II. 1. 17:30 - 18:06. Orbán Viktor magyar miniszterelnök és Vlagyimir Putyin orosz elnök a találkozó utáni sajtótájékoztatón. Putyin, orosz elnök kifejezte örömét, hogy Orbán Viktor az orosz fővárosban tárgyalt. A kétoldalú együttműködés részleteit, a 2019-es budapesti látogatása óta eltelt eredményeket és a további célokat tárgyalták, fogalmazták meg. A két ország közös vállalatot hoz létre a Dél-Európába irányuló szállítás elősegítésére. Emlékeztetett: az egészségügyben is együttműködik a két ország, Magyarország a Szputnyik V-t engedélyezte és folytatódnak a tárgyalások a Szputnyik Light kapcsán is. Hangsúlyozta: Magyarország fontos partner. Felhívta a figyelmet, hogy Magyarország a felhasznált kőolaj 55 százalékát és a gáz 80 százalékát Oroszországból vásárolta. Magyarországon keresztül haladnak a tranzit útvonalak, melyek Nyugat-Európába irányulnak. A Mol kőolaj-kitermelésben játszott szerepéről is elismerően szólt. A magyar és orosz fél az atomenergia tekintetében is komoly együttműködést tud felmutatni. Elmondta, hogy megvitatták az ukrán helyzetet és az emberi jogok kérdését is. Beszéltek a nemzeti kisebbségek aggasztó helyzetéről is. Oroszország NATO felé támasztott biztosíték-igényeiről is tárgyaltak. Putyin szerint a nyugati hatalmak nem vették figyelembe Oroszország kéréseit és az aggályokat. Végezetül megköszönte Orbán Viktornak a közös eredményes munkát. Biztos abban, hogy a továbbiakban is sikeres együttműködés lesz a két ország között. Orbán Viktor magyar kormányfő emlékeztetett: tizenkettedik alkalommal találkozott az orosz elnökkel. Jelenlegi látogatása nyilvánvalóan az eddigi legfontosabb és azt békemissziónak is tekintette. Az EU a békében érdekelt, és különösen igaz ez a közép-európaiakra. Elmondta: mikor a nyugat és a kelet egymással versengett, arra Közép-Európa rajtavesztett. Érdekünk, hogy a feszültség alább hagyjon és ne térjen vissza a hidegháború – ehhez párbeszédre van szükség. Orbán Viktor erre biztatja a nyugati partnereket is. Magyarország tagja a NATO-nak és az EU-nak, közben pedig kiváló kapcsolatokat tud ápolni Oroszországgal. Ennek alapja a kölcsönös tisztelet, amit a két ország vezetői mindig megadtak a másiknak. A világjárvány során 900 ezer magyar embert sikerült beoltani orosz oltóanyaggal. Az energetikai együttműködés továbbra is jól működik, hiszen sikerült meghosszabbítani a hosszú távú gázszállítási szerződéseket. Az orosz elnök ígéretet tett arra, hogy tárgyalni fognak a Magyarországra szállítandó gáz mértékének emeléséről is. A nemzeti oltóanyaggyár is erősíti a két ország közötti együttműködést. A paksi beruházás segít abban is, hogy a magyar energiagazdálkodás teljesen zölddé váljon – fogalmazott. Kiemelte: ígéretet kapott arra, hogy több repülőjáratot indítanak Oroszországból Magyarország felé, ezzel is segítve a turizmust. További két közvetlen járat létesítéséről is tárgyalások folynak majd. Újságírói kérdésre válaszolva Putyin elnök elmondta: több orosz vállalattal is tárgyalt, például a gázszállítás kérdésében. Azok egytől egyig a magyar fél számára kedvező álláspontot mutattak. A gázszállítás növelése Oroszország számára nem fog gondot jelenteni. Bár a földrészen talán lesznek problémák az energiabiztonsággal, de Magyarországnak ilyen problémái nem lesznek. Arról is beszélt, hogy a logisztika területén nagyon jó közös lehetőségek vannak. Vegyesvállalat létrehozása is ezt segíti elő. A mezőgazdasági együttműködés új formáit is lehetségesnek tartja Magyarországgal. Putyin emlékeztetett: korábban ígéretet kaptak arra, hogy a NATO nem terjeszkedik tovább Oroszország felé. Az Egyesült Államok kilépett egy korábban megkötött megállapodásból és rakétaindító állomásokat telepítenek Európa keleti felére. A következő lépésnek Ukrajnát tekintik. Ukrajna doktrinális dokumentumaiban az áll, hogy a Krímet katonai úton szeretnék visszaszerezni – mondta Putyin. Ott lesznek a csapásmérő eszközök, ugyanúgy, mint Romániában. Feltette a kérdést: ha Ukrajna a NATO tagja lenne, rengeteg fegyverrel elkezdené támadni a Krímet és a donbaszi területet, mi lesz akkor? "Ekkor a NATO-val fogunk harcolni, valaki gondolt erre?” Az orosz elnök szerint Ukrajna egy eszköz a nyugat kezében, hogy áthágja Oroszország biztonsági igényeit. Putyin szerint mindenki szempontjait figyelembe kell venni, Oroszországét is. Orbán miniszterelnök emlékeztetett: Nyugat-Európában két-háromszorosára emelkedett az energia ára, egyedül Magyarországon nem. Ebben jelentős szerepe van az orosz gáznak. Ha orosz gáz van, rezsicsökkentés is van – jelentette ki. A nukleáris együttműködés a jó magyar klímapolitika nélkülözhetetlen eleme, és ebben is biztató az orosz fél hozzáállása – tette hozzá. A gazdasági együttműködés további területeit tekintve tárgyaltak az új együttműködési lehetőségekről. Emlékeztetett:a nyugati büntető rendelkezéseket Oroszország jól viselte. Hozzátette: a nyugati szankciók nagyobb kárt okoztak hazánknak, mint Oroszországnak. Piacot vesztettünk, míg Oroszország piackiváltó kapacitásokat teremtett. Kiemelte: a szankciós politika nem célravezető - kudarcra ítélt eszköz. Orbán Viktor szerint lehetséges olyan megállapodást kötni, ami mind Oroszország, mind a NATO és a Nyugat számára elfogadható. A NATO és Oroszország viszonyát firtató újságírói kérdésre válaszolva kifejtette: a helyzet komoly, a különbségek is jelentősek. Oroszország igényei - amelyeket a világ ismer - és az arra adott válasz nem találkoznak egymással. Ez a távolság bár jelentős, de nem áthidalhatatlan. (Forrás: Híradó)
Lásd még: 2022.02.01. "Orbán Viktor: Békemisszió is a moszkvai látogatás" /video/ (Forrás: Híradó / MTI/: https://tinyurl.com/2p8fbh96
2022.02.01. “No EU leader wants war,” says Orbán. “My visit today is also a kind of peace mission. I would like to reassure you that none of the leaders of the European Union and its member nations want a war or conflicts,” Prime Minister Orbán said, meeting with President Putin in Moscow today, regarding the rapidly escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine, according to reports by Russian news agency TASS, based on the few minutes of that were made public. “We call for political solutions and mutually beneficial agreements,” Orbán added, noting that the European Union is “ready for a reasonable agreement.” Prior to the meeting, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said yesterday that Moscow was impressed with “Hungary’s independent approach to representing its interests and picking its friends.” “It is also impressive that we could carry on with our many economic projects despite the coronavirus pandemic, and continue to discuss international affairs, including the most pressing ones,” he said. Regarding Ukraine, the Russian President noted that Moscow has already sent its proposals concerning international security to NATO and the US. “It would be very important to me to exchange opinions with you on the current situation in the security sphere. I will gladly inform you on how this process is developing,” Putin said. In his opening remarks, Orbán outlined that he had met with Putin twelve times during the past thirteen years. “The two of us have had the longest history in EU-Russia ties,” he added, noting that “Practically everybody who used to be a colleague of mine in running an EU country is not a colleague anymore.” Referring to the gas contract, the Hungarian PM said Hungary aims to negotiate an increase in the volume of natural gas delivered to the country under its long-term gas contract with Russia. President Putin said that the gas contract in effect until 2036 ensured Hungary’s long-term stability. Under the contract, Hungary can also purchase gas well below the market price, Putin added. Orbán called the contract “very important,” adding that Hungary aimed to negotiate an increase of the gas volume therein. The Hungarian PM thanked Putin for Russia’s deliveries of coronavirus vaccines, noting that some 900,000 Hungarians were inoculated with Sputnik V. Orbán said that despite the current “difficult times,” 2021 had been the most successful year in bilateral cooperation with Russia. The coronavirus pandemic and energy supplies, he added, had been the biggest challenges. Viktor Orbán also mentioned the upcoming parliamentary elections to the Russian President. Orbán said he wasn’t planning to leave. “There are elections in April. I’m going to run and win,” he said. “That’s why I have a reasonable assumption that you and I will cooperate for many years to come.” In response, Putin said the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orbán did a lot to develop Russian-Hungarian relations. “We usually say on occasions like this, when our partners are holding elections soon, that we will work with any government that will be elected,” Putin said at the meeting. “But I have to mention your work with respect to Russia has resulted in a lot of achievements in the interests of the Hungarian people and in the interests of Russia.” “I hope this mutual work will be continued,” he went on to say. Orbán said cooperation related to the Paks nuclear power plant was “progressing fantastically,” and Hungarian investments which were also approved by the Russian government had taken place, adding that he would put forward proposals to further develop cooperation in this area. Putin noted that bilateral trade turnover increased by 30 percent in the first 11 months of last year, adding that besides nuclear energy, major projects in engineering were also taking place between the two countries. (Source: HungaryToday)
February 1, 2022 Russian President Putin is readying for talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has taken a softer line on the Ukraine crisis than other fellow NATO and European Union member states. The Kremlin said ahead of the meeting that the leaders would discuss bilateral ties as well as “security issues on the European continent and regional conflicts,” an allusion to the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine. Orbán has said he will seek an agreement to increase Hungary’s gas imports from Russia at a time when some in Europe accuse Moscow of orchestrating an energy crisis to pressure European countries. (Source: AlJazeera)
February 1, 2022, Tuesday. After the United States and several allies announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games, Putin publicly supported Beijing, saying Russia was “standing together with China against the politicization of sport and demonstrative boycotts.” Putin is expected to visit Beijing for Friday’s Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies and for talks with his Chinese counterpart. In Beijing, Putin will have his first offline meeting with President Xi in nearly two years, to discuss Ukraine and other issues. The China-Russia bond has deepened considerably in recent years. They share resources and technology. At the same time Xi and Putin have been united by U.S. sanctions against their countries, but also by their ambition to expand their international influence and hard-fisted governing styles. Both have rewritten their country’s laws to extend their own rule and cracked down harshly on those perceived as threats to their power. Chinese diplomat Yang called Sino-Russian relations “the best in history” last year. The last time China hosted the Olympics in 2008, Russia invaded Georgia, as Putin was in Beijing to watch the Opening Ceremonies. China and Russia are divided on many issues, including some territorial claims, and their alliance remains informal. China does not recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, while Russia does not recognize China’s “nine-dash line” asserting its claims in the South China Sea. It was precisely the pressure of the United States on Russia and on China that provided this common platform, said Maslov, director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University. “It is very important to note that neither Russia makes concessions in its national interests, nor does China,” he said. The Beijing-Moscow ties have further deepened in recent years as the two faced sanctions and other similar challenges from the West. Both Beijing and Moscow see the partnership as key to countering a world dominated by the United States. In the face of the common threat of U.S. pressure, Sino-Russian trade has grown. Russia has vast natural resources and a strong software industry. China excels in technological hardware and manufacturing. The Trump administration accused Huawei and other Chinese tech companies of posing national security threats, slapping similar restrictions on Russian companies for alleged cyberattacks. The sanctions prompted Huawei’s founder, Ren, to declare a push to hire more engineers in Russia. Moscow welcomed the move, seeing partnerships as a way to advance its own high-tech industry. The growing alliance has echoes of the 1950s, when the Soviet Union and China aligned against the West in the Cold War. In a massive technology-transfer program, the Soviets helped China set up 156 major industrial enterprises, with 11,000 specialists sent from 1954 to 1958, said Torigian, a historian at American University in Washington. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Sino-Russian relations warmed again, with the two countries pledging in 1996 to build an “equal and reliable partnership.” “If we look at who are China’s allies, meaning not only in its military power but in its political ideas, we will see that only Russia is its unequivocal ally,” Maslov said. China stands to benefit from the Ukraine crisis. It has monopolized the attention of Western governments at a time when they had planned to highlight China’s human rights violations with a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics. If Russia suffers economic sanctions from the West, it could create business opportunities for China. And steady trade with China may also shield Russia from the worst effects of sanctions. There are also risks for China in a Ukraine war. China buys a significant amount of military equipment from Ukraine and would be caught in the middle. So far, though, China’s rhetoric internationally has been firmly in Russia’s corner. Last month, Beijing voiced support for Russia’s deployment of troops to Kazakhstan to quell unrest. Ties have also strengthened in other areas, such as in defense, cybersecurity and counterterrorism. “They don’t have a formal military agreement, so they have not created a formal military alliance, but the countries de facto act already as this military union,” Maslov said. “We see joint exercises being conducted and even the participation of third countries.” Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has lauded the relationship as “a model of interstate cooperation in the 21st century.” In a phone call in January 27 with U.S. Secretary of State, China’s foreign minister said that Russia’s security concerns should be taken seriously and that regional security could not be guaranteed by expanding military blocs. (Source: TheWashingtonPost)
February 1, 2022 Russia introduces travel bans against certain EU persons. On 28 January 2022, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the representative office of the European Union about the expansion of the list of representatives of EU member states and institutions prohibited from entering the territory of the Russian Federation. The names of the banned persons did not become public. No economic sanctions have been imposed against them. The sanction has been imposed on executives of several European private military companies; representatives of law enforcement agencies; members of legislative authorities of a number of EU member states; officials of executive authorities of a number of EU member states. According to the Russian MFA, these individuals are personally responsible for promoting anti-Russian policies and “imposing” measures that infringe on the legal rights of Russian-speaking residents and the media. The measures are based on Federal Law, in response to the inclusion of Crimean security officers, judges, deputies and executive branch officials in the sanctions list. (Source: SanctionsnewsBakerMcKenzie)
Ukraine
February 1, 2022 Ukraine will increase the size of its armed forces by 100,000 people over three years, Zelenskyy says. Addressing Ukraine’s parliament, the president told legislators he hoped the date of another round of peace talks with Russia, France and Germany would be agreed soon. (Source: AlJazeera)
Asia
1 Feb 2022 COVID worries muted Lunar New Year celebrations across Asia, even as increasing vaccination rates raised hopes that the Year of the Tiger might bring life back closer to normal. Some 85 percent of Chinese people are now fully vaccinated, and more Chinese have been travelling domestically this year, despite government warnings. The Beijing Winter Olympics open near the end of the weeklong holiday. The Chinese capital has been tightening controls to contain outbreaks ahead of the sporting event. Hong Kong saw a surge in cases in January. The city has closed schools because of outbreaks and required restaurants to close at 6pm, forcing many to have their traditional New Year’s Eve family dinners at home. In Myanmar the new year coincides with the one-year anniversary of the military’s seizure of power from the democratically elected government. Supporters of the anti-military movement have called for people to close their shops and businesses in a nationwide “silent strike” from 10am to 4pm. People have responded to the call, in defiance of the military leaders who warned that anyone who participates could face legal action, including charges of violating the country’s counterterrorism law. In Singapore, the rules are likely to get in the way of the tradition of visiting relatives during the holiday. New Year celebrations are more subdued due to coronavirus restrictions that allow residents to receive only five unique visitors a day, and preferably only one visit daily. Business was brisk at a flower market in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei today as people made last-minute purchases. Some 73 percent of Taiwanese are fully vaccinated. In Thailand, Bangkok decided not to hold traditional Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown for the second year in a row but was going ahead with lighting seasonal lanterns on the district’s main street. 69 percent of people are fully vaccinated. In the old quarter of Hanoi, people flocked on the weekend to the traditional market to get decorations and flowers for the festival, known as Tet in Vietnam. More than 70 percent of Vietnamese people are fully vaccinated, and 80 percent have had at least one shot. Vietnam’s daily case count remains at about 15,000 new infections but its low hospitalisation and death rate has allowed the country to reopen for business and cautiously resume social activities. (Source: AlJazeera)
United States
February 1, 2022 The US State Department has ordered the family members of staff at its embassy in Belarus to leave the country. The move, announced in updated guidance issued today, came as the department also warned US citizens against travel to Belarus due to an “unusual and concerning Russian military buildup” along Belarus’ border with Ukraine. (Source: AlJazeera)
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