Ahead of the crucial talks over the current Ukraine situation on Monday (January 10), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov sat for a working dinner with the United States delegation led by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Geneva on Sunday.&nbsp;

The dinner was held at the luxury residence of the US ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament. Sergei Ryabkov told reporters that preliminary talks with a top US diplomat had been "complex but businesslike", Russian news agencies reported.&nbsp;

After a weeks-long standoff over Russian troop deployments near its border with Ukraine, the West has been accusing Russia that it is planning an invasion. However, officials from both countries are meeting to de-escalate the situation and try to avert a crisis.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/left-out-of-high-level-talks-ukraine-tries-other-diplomatic-channels-443446">Left out of high-level talks, Ukraine tries other diplomatic channels</a>

"The conversation was difficult, it couldn't have been easy," the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency after meeting. "I think that tomorrow we won't waste any time," Ryabkov said. he added that he "never loses optimism."

On the other hand, Sherman told Ryabkov that Washington "would welcome genuine progress through diplomacy," the US State Department said.&nbsp;

What to expect during the meeting?

Russia's state-owned RIA news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying it was entirely possible the diplomacy could end after a single meeting. "I can't rule out anything, this is an entirely possible scenario and the Americans ... should have no illusions about this," he was quoted as saying.&nbsp;

"Naturally, we will not make any concessions under pressure" or amid constant threats from participants in the talks, said Ryabkov, who will lead the Russian delegation in Geneva.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-talks-on-ukraine-blinken-warns-russia-of-confrontation-443436">Ahead of talks on Ukraine, Blinken warns Russia of confrontation</a>

Ukraine crisis

In the past few months, Russian President Vladimir Putin has deployed tens of thousands of Russian troops within reach of the border with Ukraine.&nbsp;

US, Ukraine and the other Western countries say Russia is planning an invasion, eight years after Russia seized the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Russia has denied invasion plans and said it is responding to what it calls aggressive and provocative behaviour from the NATO military alliance and Ukraine. Russia is also pushing to join NATO.&nbsp;

In response to Russian demands for Western security guarantees, the United States and allies have said they are prepared to discuss the possibility of each side restricting military exercises and missile deployments in the region.

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(With inputs from agencies)

Ahead of the crucial talks over the current Ukraine situation on Monday (January 10), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov sat for a working dinner with the United States delegation led by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Geneva on Sunday.

Ahead of the crucial talks over the current Ukraine situation on Monday (January 10), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov sat for a working dinner with the United States delegation led by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Geneva on Sunday. The dinner was held at the luxury residence of the US ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament. Sergei Ryabkov told reporters that preliminary talks with a top US diplomat had been "complex but businesslike", Russian news agencies reported. After a weeks-long standoff over Russian troop deployments near its border with Ukraine, the West has been accusing Russia that it is planning an invasion. However, officials from both countries are meeting to de-escalate the situation and try to avert a crisis. ALSO READ | Left out of high-level talks, Ukraine tries other diplomatic channels "The conversation was difficult, it couldn't have been easy," the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency after meeting. "I think that tomorrow we won't waste any time," Ryabkov said. he added that he "never loses optimism." On the other hand, Sherman told Ryabkov that Washington "would welcome genuine progress through diplomacy," the US State Department said. What to expect during the meeting? Russia's state-owned RIA news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying it was entirely possible the diplomacy could end after a single meeting. "I can't rule out anything, this is an entirely possible scenario and the Americans ... should have no illusions about this," he was quoted as saying. "Naturally, we will not make any concessions under pressure" or amid constant threats from participants in the talks, said Ryabkov, who will lead the Russian delegation in Geneva. ALSO READ | Ahead of talks on Ukraine, Blinken warns Russia of confrontation Ukraine crisis In the past few months, Russian President Vladimir Putin has deployed tens of thousands of Russian troops within reach of the border with Ukraine. US, Ukraine and the other Western countries say Russia is planning an invasion, eight years after Russia seized the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia has denied invasion plans and said it is responding to what it calls aggressive and provocative behaviour from the NATO military alliance and Ukraine. Russia is also pushing to join NATO. In response to Russian demands for Western security guarantees, the United States and allies have said they are prepared to discuss the possibility of each side restricting military exercises and missile deployments in the region. × (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: Russia says preliminary talks with US in Geneva 'complex but businesslike'

The United States and its NATO allies are moving to bulk up their military commitments in the Baltics and Eastern Europe as the standoff with Russia over Ukraine deepens.

Denmark is sending fighter jets to Lithuania and a frigate to the Baltic Sea. France has offered to send troops to Romania. Spain is sending a frigate to the Black Sea. President Joe Biden has put thousands of U.S. troops on “high alert.”

And then there is Germany. In recent days, Germany — Europe’s largest and richest democracy, strategically situated at the crossroads between East and West — has stood out more for what it will not do than for what it is doing.

No European country matters more to European unity and the Western alliance. But as Germany struggles to overcome its post-World War II reluctance to lead on security matters in Europe and set aside its instinct to accommodate rather than confront Russia, Europe’s most pivotal country has waffled in the first crucial test for the new government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Germany’s evident hesitation to take forceful measures has fueled doubts about its reliability as an ally — reversing the dynamic with the United States in recent years — and added to concerns that Moscow could use German wavering as a wedge to divide a European response to any Russian aggression.

Biden held a video call with European leaders Monday night, saying it went “very, very, very” well, and beforehand Scholz reiterated that Russia would suffer “high costs” in case of a military intervention. But Germany’s allies have still been left to wonder what cost it is prepared to bear to confront possible Russian aggression.

“Within the European Union, Germany is crucial to achieve unity,” said Norbert Röttgen, a senior conservative lawmaker and advocate of a more muscular German foreign policy. “Putin’s goal is to split the Europeans, and then split Europe and the U.S. If the impression prevails that Germany is not fully committed to a strong NATO response, he will have succeeded in paralyzing Europe and dividing the alliance.”

As Russia held military drills near the Ukrainian border Tuesday, Scholz met with President Emmanuel Macron of France in Berlin, warning Moscow that “a military aggression calling into question the territorial integrity of Ukraine would have grave consequences.”

But the German government has not only ruled out any arms exports to Ukraine, it is also holding up a shipment of nine communist-era howitzers from Estonia to Ukraine.

Scholz and other senior Social Democrats in his government and party have been vague about whether shuttering the controversial Nord Stream 2 undersea gas pipeline from Russia to Germany would be part of an arsenal of possible sanctions against Russia, insisting it was a “private-sector project” and one “separate” from Ukraine.

Friedrich Merz, the designated new leader of Angela Merkel’s opposition conservative party, meanwhile, has warned against excluding Russian banks from the Swift payment transactions network that handles global financial transfers because it would “harm” Germany’s economic interests.

Germany’s muddled stance has been especially unsettling to Ukraine and its eastern neighbors. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Berlin of effectively “encouraging” Russian aggression. Other were no less scathing.

“Berlin is making a big strategic mistake and putting its reputation at risk,” Laurynas Kasčiūnas, chair of the national security committee of the Lithuanian Parliament, told public broadcaster LRT.

Artis Pabriks, Latvia’s defense minister, said these days German deterrence was “not sending weapons to Ukraine, but a field hospital.”

The strain in the alliance came to a head this past weekend, when the chief of the German navy said President Vladimir Putin of Russia deserved “respect” and that Crimea would “never” be returned to Ukraine. Vice Adm. Kay-Achim Schönbach resigned, but the backlash was swift and emotional.

“This patronizing attitude subconsciously also reminds Ukrainians of the horrors of the Nazi occupation, when Ukrainians were treated as subhuman,” said Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany.

Washington has been at pains to publicly stress its trust in Berlin, while privately lobbying Scholz to take a harder line.

Biden sent several emissaries to Berlin. William J. Burns, head of the CIA, presented Scholz with the latest intelligence on Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who stopped in Berlin before meeting his Russian counterpart in Geneva last week, said Sunday he had “no doubts” about Germany’s determination to stand up to Russia.

“It is telling that the U.S. has to publicly reaffirm its trust in Germany,” Jana Puglierin of the Berlin-based European Council on Foreign Relations said. “That used to be a given.”

The wrenching debate over where precisely German loyalties lie is not new. Russian-German relations have been shaped by centuries of trade and cultural exchange but also two World Wars. The Cold War added yet another layer of complexity: West Germany became firmly embedded in the Western alliance while East Germany lived under Soviet occupation.

“Why do we see Russia differently from the Americans? History,” said Matthias Platzeck, chair of the Russian-German Forum and a former chair of Scholz’ Social Democrats. “Germany and Russia have been linked for a thousand years. The biggest Russian czarina was Catherine the Great, a German, who incidentally made Crimea part of Russia.”

“We attacked Russia twice, and the second time it was a genocidal war,” he added. “Twenty-seven million Soviets died, 15 million Russians among them.”

That does not mean that Germany has failed to stand up to Russia in recent years. Germany commands a multinational NATO battle unit in Lithuania and helps monitor Baltic airspace for Russian interference. It is planning to send fighter jets to Romania next month to do the same there. (And yes, it is also sending a field hospital to Kyiv, Ukraine, next month.)

In 2014, when Putin invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea, it was Merkel who rallied neighboring countries in East and West to back tough sanctions on Russia.

But the change of German leadership after 16 years with Merkel at the helm has put in place a government that is divided on how hard a line to draw with Russia.

Scholz’s Social Democrats have traditionally favored a policy of working with the Russians. In the 1970s, Chancellor Willy Brandt engineered the policy of rapprochement with Moscow during the Cold War, while the last Social Democratic chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, is not just a close friend of Putin (he celebrated his 70th birthday with him) but has been on the payroll of Russian energy companies since 2005.

The new Green Party foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, has been more outspoken on being tougher on Russia. But even she has drawn a line on sending German arms to Ukraine, citing “history.”

The arms-export policy in many ways embodies the modern German paradox of a nation that knows it has to assume more leadership responsibility in the world but is not quite ready to act that way.

“The idea that Germany delivers weapons that could then be used to kill Russians is very difficult to stomach for many Germans,” said Marcel Dirsus, a political analyst and nonresident fellow at the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University in Germany.

The government has been even more divided over Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline owned by Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy company, that many fear will hand Putin an easy way to exert influence over America’s European allies.

Russia is Europe’s main supplier of natural gas. Once Nord Stream 2 is operational, Gazprom would be able to sell additional gas to European customers without paying transit fees to Ukraine.

Championed by Merkel in 2015, a year after Russia first invaded Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 has long inflamed Washington and European capitals alike.

While the Green Party's Baerbock has not been shy about expressing her hostility toward the project, Merkel and Scholz have defended it on economic and energy security grounds and long ruled out using it as leverage in talks about sanctions.

It was only last week, standing next to the NATO general secretary, that the chancellor shifted his language, saying that “everything” would be on the table in case of a Russian invasion.

“Putin gave NATO a new reason to exist,” Dirsus said. “Who knows, maybe he can teach the Germans once and for all that the world has changed and they need to be prepared to pay to defend peace.”

The United States and its NATO allies are moving to bulk up their military commitments in the Baltics and Eastern Europe as the standoff with Russia over Ukraine deepens.

The United States and its NATO allies are moving to bulk up their military commitments in the Baltics and Eastern Europe as the standoff with Russia over Ukraine deepens. Denmark is sending fighter jets to Lithuania and a frigate to the Baltic Sea. France has offered to send troops to Romania. Spain is sending a frigate to the Black Sea. President Joe Biden has put thousands of U.S. troops on “high alert.” And then there is Germany. In recent days, Germany — Europe’s largest and richest democracy, strategically situated at the crossroads between East and West — has stood out more for what it will not do than for what it is doing. No European country matters more to European unity and the Western alliance. But as Germany struggles to overcome its post-World War II reluctance to lead on security matters in Europe and set aside its instinct to accommodate rather than confront Russia, Europe’s most pivotal country has waffled in the first crucial test for the new government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Germany’s evident hesitation to take forceful measures has fueled doubts about its reliability as an ally — reversing the dynamic with the United States in recent years — and added to concerns that Moscow could use German wavering as a wedge to divide a European response to any Russian aggression. Biden held a video call with European leaders Monday night, saying it went “very, very, very” well, and beforehand Scholz reiterated that Russia would suffer “high costs” in case of a military intervention. But Germany’s allies have still been left to wonder what cost it is prepared to bear to confront possible Russian aggression. “Within the European Union, Germany is crucial to achieve unity,” said Norbert Röttgen, a senior conservative lawmaker and advocate of a more muscular German foreign policy. “Putin’s goal is to split the Europeans, and then split Europe and the U.S. If the impression prevails that Germany is not fully committed to a strong NATO response, he will have succeeded in paralyzing Europe and dividing the alliance.” As Russia held military drills near the Ukrainian border Tuesday, Scholz met with President Emmanuel Macron of France in Berlin, warning Moscow that “a military aggression calling into question the territorial integrity of Ukraine would have grave consequences.” But the German government has not only ruled out any arms exports to Ukraine, it is also holding up a shipment of nine communist-era howitzers from Estonia to Ukraine. Scholz and other senior Social Democrats in his government and party have been vague about whether shuttering the controversial Nord Stream 2 undersea gas pipeline from Russia to Germany would be part of an arsenal of possible sanctions against Russia, insisting it was a “private-sector project” and one “separate” from Ukraine. Friedrich Merz, the designated new leader of Angela Merkel’s opposition conservative party, meanwhile, has warned against excluding Russian banks from the Swift payment transactions network that handles global financial transfers because it would “harm” Germany’s economic interests. Germany’s muddled stance has been especially unsettling to Ukraine and its eastern neighbors. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Berlin of effectively “encouraging” Russian aggression. Other were no less scathing. “Berlin is making a big strategic mistake and putting its reputation at risk,” Laurynas Kasčiūnas, chair of the national security committee of the Lithuanian Parliament, told public broadcaster LRT. Artis Pabriks, Latvia’s defense minister, said these days German deterrence was “not sending weapons to Ukraine, but a field hospital.” The strain in the alliance came to a head this past weekend, when the chief of the German navy said President Vladimir Putin of Russia deserved “respect” and that Crimea would “never” be returned to Ukraine. Vice Adm. Kay-Achim Schönbach resigned, but the backlash was swift and emotional. “This patronizing attitude subconsciously also reminds Ukrainians of the horrors of the Nazi occupation, when Ukrainians were treated as subhuman,” said Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany. Washington has been at pains to publicly stress its trust in Berlin, while privately lobbying Scholz to take a harder line. Biden sent several emissaries to Berlin. William J. Burns, head of the CIA, presented Scholz with the latest intelligence on Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who stopped in Berlin before meeting his Russian counterpart in Geneva last week, said Sunday he had “no doubts” about Germany’s determination to stand up to Russia. “It is telling that the U.S. has to publicly reaffirm its trust in Germany,” Jana Puglierin of the Berlin-based European Council on Foreign Relations said. “That used to be a given.” The wrenching debate over where precisely German loyalties lie is not new. Russian-German relations have been shaped by centuries of trade and cultural exchange but also two World Wars. The Cold War added yet another layer of complexity: West Germany became firmly embedded in the Western alliance while East Germany lived under Soviet occupation. “Why do we see Russia differently from the Americans? History,” said Matthias Platzeck, chair of the Russian-German Forum and a former chair of Scholz’ Social Democrats. “Germany and Russia have been linked for a thousand years. The biggest Russian czarina was Catherine the Great, a German, who incidentally made Crimea part of Russia.” “We attacked Russia twice, and the second time it was a genocidal war,” he added. “Twenty-seven million Soviets died, 15 million Russians among them.” That does not mean that Germany has failed to stand up to Russia in recent years. Germany commands a multinational NATO battle unit in Lithuania and helps monitor Baltic airspace for Russian interference. It is planning to send fighter jets to Romania next month to do the same there. (And yes, it is also sending a field hospital to Kyiv, Ukraine, next month.) In 2014, when Putin invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea, it was Merkel who rallied neighboring countries in East and West to back tough sanctions on Russia. But the change of German leadership after 16 years with Merkel at the helm has put in place a government that is divided on how hard a line to draw with Russia. Scholz’s Social Democrats have traditionally favored a policy of working with the Russians. In the 1970s, Chancellor Willy Brandt engineered the policy of rapprochement with Moscow during the Cold War, while the last Social Democratic chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, is not just a close friend of Putin (he celebrated his 70th birthday with him) but has been on the payroll of Russian energy companies since 2005. The new Green Party foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, has been more outspoken on being tougher on Russia. But even she has drawn a line on sending German arms to Ukraine, citing “history.” The arms-export policy in many ways embodies the modern German paradox of a nation that knows it has to assume more leadership responsibility in the world but is not quite ready to act that way. “The idea that Germany delivers weapons that could then be used to kill Russians is very difficult to stomach for many Germans,” said Marcel Dirsus, a political analyst and nonresident fellow at the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University in Germany. The government has been even more divided over Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline owned by Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy company, that many fear will hand Putin an easy way to exert influence over America’s European allies. Russia is Europe’s main supplier of natural gas. Once Nord Stream 2 is operational, Gazprom would be able to sell additional gas to European customers without paying transit fees to Ukraine. Championed by Merkel in 2015, a year after Russia first invaded Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 has long inflamed Washington and European capitals alike. While the Green Party's Baerbock has not been shy about expressing her hostility toward the project, Merkel and Scholz have defended it on economic and energy security grounds and long ruled out using it as leverage in talks about sanctions. It was only last week, standing next to the NATO general secretary, that the chancellor shifted his language, saying that “everything” would be on the table in case of a Russian invasion. “Putin gave NATO a new reason to exist,” Dirsus said. “Who knows, maybe he can teach the Germans once and for all that the world has changed and they need to be prepared to pay to defend peace.”

Where is Germany in the Ukraine standoff? Its allies wonder.

The Biden administration and its allies are assembling a punishing set of financial, technology and military sanctions against Russia that they say would go into effect within hours of an invasion of Ukraine, hoping to make clear to President Vladimir Putin the high cost he would pay if he sends troops across the border.

In interviews, officials described details of those plans for the first time, just before a series of diplomatic negotiations to defuse the crisis with Moscow, one of the most perilous moments in Europe since the end of the Cold War. The talks begin Monday in Geneva and then move across Europe.

The plans the United States has discussed with allies in recent days include cutting off Russia’s largest financial institutions from global transactions, imposing an embargo on American-made or American-designed technology needed for defense-related and consumer industries, and arming insurgents in Ukraine who would conduct what would amount to a guerrilla war against a Russian military occupation, if it comes to that.

Such moves are rarely telegraphed in advance. But with the negotiations looming — and the fate of Europe’s post-Cold War borders and NATO’s military presence on the continent at stake — President Joe Biden’s advisers say they are trying to signal to Putin exactly what he would face, at home and abroad, in hopes of influencing his decisions in coming weeks.

The talks Monday will be led by the deputy secretary of state, Wendy Sherman, an experienced diplomat who negotiated the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran. Russian officials are expected to press their demands for “security guarantees,” including prohibiting the deployment of any missiles in Europe that could strike Russia and the placement of weaponry or troops in former Soviet states that joined NATO after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Putin is also demanding an end to NATO expansion, including a promise that Ukraine could never join the nuclear alliance. While the Biden administration has said it is willing to discuss all Russian security concerns — and has a long list of its own — the demands amount to a dismantling of the security architecture of Europe built after the Soviet Union’s collapse.

On Wednesday, members of the NATO alliance will meet with Russia in Brussels. The next day in Vienna, Ukrainian officials will also be at the table, for the first time, for talks at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. But with 57 members, that group is so large that few expect serious negotiations.

U.S. diplomats worry that after the whirlwind week, the Russians could declare that their security concerns are not being met — and use the failure of talks as a justification for military action. “No one should be surprised if Russia instigates a provocation or incident,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday, and “then tries to use it to justify military intervention, hoping that by the time the world realizes the ruse, it’ll be too late.”

This time, he said, “we’ve been clear with Russia about what it will face if it continues on this path, including economic measures that we haven’t used before — massive consequences.”

That warning, however, is an unspoken acknowledgment that the Obama administration’s response in 2014, when Putin last invaded parts of Ukraine, was too tentative and mild. At that time, Putin surprised the world by annexing Crimea and fueling a grinding proxy war in eastern Ukraine. Now, U.S. officials say they are trying to learn from their past mistakes.

An internal review of those actions, conducted by the White House in recent weeks, concluded that while Obama-era sanctions damaged Russia’s economy and led to a sell-off of its currency, they failed at their central strategic objective: to cause so much pain that Putin would be forced to withdraw. Nearly eight years later, Russia still holds Crimea and has ignored most of the diplomatic commitments it made in the negotiations that followed, known as the Minsk accords.

Those sanctions started with actions against some smaller Russian banks and individuals directly involved in the invasion. Virtually all of the sanctions — and additional measures imposed after Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and after the SolarWinds cyberattack in 2020 that sabotaged computer programs used by the federal government and American companies — remain in place. But there is scant evidence that they have deterred Putin, who began building up forces near the Ukrainian border just as Biden announced his response to SolarWinds this past spring.

When asked recently whether he could point to any evidence that the Russians were deterred by recent sanctions, a senior aide to Biden paused a moment and then said, “No, none.”

Rather than start with moves against small banks and on-the-ground military commanders, officials said, the new sanctions would be directed at cutting off the largest Russian financial institutions that depend on global financial transfers. The plan was described by one official as a “high-impact, quick-action response that we did not pursue in 2014.”

The officials declined to say whether the United States was prepared to cut Russia off from the SWIFT system, which executes global financial transactions among more than 1,100 banks in 200 countries. But European officials say they have discussed that possibility — something most major European powers had declined to consider until recently, for fear that Russia might retaliate by attempting to cut off gas and oil flows in the winter, even briefly.

The SWIFT cutoff has been used against Iran with some success. But Cynthia Roberts, a professor of political science at Hunter College in New York, noted that Russia had learned a lot about “global sanctions-proofing,” and she expressed doubt that the country would suffer as much as U.S. officials contend if it were disconnected from SWIFT.

“They would definitely take a big hit,” she said at a seminar held this past week by the Center for the National Interest. But she noted that Russia had stockpiled hundreds of billions in gold and dollar reserves and that the Bank of China had joined Russia’s own domestic version of SWIFT. That raises the possibility that Russia and China, as part of their expanding partnership, might join forces to help Moscow evade the West’s action.

The bottom line, she said, is that “sanctions have a very poor coercive track record.”

The technology sanctions would target some of Putin’s favored industries — particularly aerospace and arms, which are major producers of revenue for the Russian government. The focus would be on Russian-built fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft systems, anti-satellite systems, space systems and emerging technologies where Russia is hoping to make gains, like artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

Similar export controls have been surprisingly effective against China’s leading producer of cellphones, Huawei, which for a while was among the top providers of smartphones to the world. That part of its business has all but collapsed in the past year because it cannot obtain advanced chips. But the Russian economy bears little resemblance to China’s, and it is not clear that it is equally vulnerable to an embargo of semiconductors and other microelectronics that are critical to Chinese manufacturing.

There are other options under consideration that go well beyond merely banning the sale of computer chips. In one additional step, according to U.S. officials, the Commerce Department could issue a ruling that would essentially ban the export of any consumer goods to Russia — from cellphones and laptop computers to refrigerators and washing machines — that contain American-made or American-designed electronics. That would apply not only to American makers, but also to European, South Korean and other foreign manufacturers that use American chips or software.

Unlike China, Russia does not make many of these products — and the effects on consumers could be broad.

But a senior European official said there was still a debate about whether the Russian people would blame Putin, or the United States and its allies, for their inability to buy the goods.

While the Commerce and Treasury departments work on sanctions that would maximize America’s advantages over Russia, the Pentagon is developing plans that have echoes of the proxy wars of the 1960s and ’70s.

To underscore the potential pain for Russia, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, spoke with his Russian counterpart two weeks ago and delivered a stark message: Yes, he said, you could invade Ukraine and probably roll over the Ukrainian military, which stands little chance of repelling a far larger, better armed Russian force.

But the swift victory would be followed, Milley told Gen. Valery Gerasimov, by a bloody insurgency, similar to the one that led to the Soviet retreat from Afghanistan more than three decades ago, according to officials familiar with the discussion.

Milley did not detail to Gerasimov the planning underway in Washington to support an insurgency, a so-called porcupine strategy to make invading Ukraine hard for the Russians to swallow. That includes the advance positioning of arms for Ukrainian insurgents, probably including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, that could be used against Russian forces.

More than a month ago, Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, created a new interagency planning cell to examine a range of contingencies if Putin goes ahead with an invasion. The cell, which reports directly to Sullivan, includes representatives from the National Security Council, the intelligence agencies and the departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Energy and Homeland Security.

The cell is attempting to tailor responses to the many types of attacks that could unfold in the next few weeks, from cyberattacks aimed at crippling Ukraine’s electric grid and pipelines to the seizure of small or large amounts of territory.

Intelligence officials said recently that they thought the least likely possibility was a full-scale invasion in which the Russians try to take the capital, Kyiv. Many of the assessments, however, have explored more incremental moves by Putin, which could include seizing a bit more land in the Donbas region, where war has ground into a stalemate, or a land bridge to Crimea.

Several officials familiar with the planning say the administration is looking at European nations that could provide more aid to support Ukrainian forces before any conflict, as well as in the initial stages of a Russian invasion.

Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth, a Defense Department spokesperson, noted in December that the United States had already committed more than $2.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2014, including $450 million in 2021 alone. Over the past three months, it has delivered 180 Javelin missiles, two patrol boats, ammunition for grenade launchers, machine guns, secure radios, medical equipment and other items that U.S. officials describe as defensive in nature.

But the planning cell is considering more lethal weaponry, such as anti-aircraft weapons.

After visiting Ukraine last month, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a former Marine officer, said that in his view, “We need to make any incursion by Russia more painful — Day 1 painful, not six months from now painful.

“We have a short window to take decisive action to deter Putin from a serious invasion,” Moulton said. “I worry our current deterrent tactics are responding to an invasion rather than preventing it.”

One option likely to be discussed at NATO this coming week is a plan to increase, possibly by several thousand, the number of troops stationed in the Baltics and in southeast Europe.

On Friday, Blinken again warned that if the Russians invade, NATO would deploy more forces along the borders between NATO nations and Russian-controlled territory.

The Biden administration and its allies are assembling a punishing set of financial, technology and military sanctions against Russia that they say would go into effect within hours of an invasion of Ukraine, hoping to make clear to President Vladimir Putin the high cost he would pay if he sends troops across the border.

The Biden administration and its allies are assembling a punishing set of financial, technology and military sanctions against Russia that they say would go into effect within hours of an invasion of Ukraine, hoping to make clear to President Vladimir Putin the high cost he would pay if he sends troops across the border. In interviews, officials described details of those plans for the first time, just before a series of diplomatic negotiations to defuse the crisis with Moscow, one of the most perilous moments in Europe since the end of the Cold War. The talks begin Monday in Geneva and then move across Europe. The plans the United States has discussed with allies in recent days include cutting off Russia’s largest financial institutions from global transactions, imposing an embargo on American-made or American-designed technology needed for defense-related and consumer industries, and arming insurgents in Ukraine who would conduct what would amount to a guerrilla war against a Russian military occupation, if it comes to that. Such moves are rarely telegraphed in advance. But with the negotiations looming — and the fate of Europe’s post-Cold War borders and NATO’s military presence on the continent at stake — President Joe Biden’s advisers say they are trying to signal to Putin exactly what he would face, at home and abroad, in hopes of influencing his decisions in coming weeks. The talks Monday will be led by the deputy secretary of state, Wendy Sherman, an experienced diplomat who negotiated the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran. Russian officials are expected to press their demands for “security guarantees,” including prohibiting the deployment of any missiles in Europe that could strike Russia and the placement of weaponry or troops in former Soviet states that joined NATO after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Putin is also demanding an end to NATO expansion, including a promise that Ukraine could never join the nuclear alliance. While the Biden administration has said it is willing to discuss all Russian security concerns — and has a long list of its own — the demands amount to a dismantling of the security architecture of Europe built after the Soviet Union’s collapse. On Wednesday, members of the NATO alliance will meet with Russia in Brussels. The next day in Vienna, Ukrainian officials will also be at the table, for the first time, for talks at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. But with 57 members, that group is so large that few expect serious negotiations. U.S. diplomats worry that after the whirlwind week, the Russians could declare that their security concerns are not being met — and use the failure of talks as a justification for military action. “No one should be surprised if Russia instigates a provocation or incident,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday, and “then tries to use it to justify military intervention, hoping that by the time the world realizes the ruse, it’ll be too late.” This time, he said, “we’ve been clear with Russia about what it will face if it continues on this path, including economic measures that we haven’t used before — massive consequences.” That warning, however, is an unspoken acknowledgment that the Obama administration’s response in 2014, when Putin last invaded parts of Ukraine, was too tentative and mild. At that time, Putin surprised the world by annexing Crimea and fueling a grinding proxy war in eastern Ukraine. Now, U.S. officials say they are trying to learn from their past mistakes. An internal review of those actions, conducted by the White House in recent weeks, concluded that while Obama-era sanctions damaged Russia’s economy and led to a sell-off of its currency, they failed at their central strategic objective: to cause so much pain that Putin would be forced to withdraw. Nearly eight years later, Russia still holds Crimea and has ignored most of the diplomatic commitments it made in the negotiations that followed, known as the Minsk accords. Those sanctions started with actions against some smaller Russian banks and individuals directly involved in the invasion. Virtually all of the sanctions — and additional measures imposed after Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and after the SolarWinds cyberattack in 2020 that sabotaged computer programs used by the federal government and American companies — remain in place. But there is scant evidence that they have deterred Putin, who began building up forces near the Ukrainian border just as Biden announced his response to SolarWinds this past spring. When asked recently whether he could point to any evidence that the Russians were deterred by recent sanctions, a senior aide to Biden paused a moment and then said, “No, none.” Rather than start with moves against small banks and on-the-ground military commanders, officials said, the new sanctions would be directed at cutting off the largest Russian financial institutions that depend on global financial transfers. The plan was described by one official as a “high-impact, quick-action response that we did not pursue in 2014.” The officials declined to say whether the United States was prepared to cut Russia off from the SWIFT system, which executes global financial transactions among more than 1,100 banks in 200 countries. But European officials say they have discussed that possibility — something most major European powers had declined to consider until recently, for fear that Russia might retaliate by attempting to cut off gas and oil flows in the winter, even briefly. The SWIFT cutoff has been used against Iran with some success. But Cynthia Roberts, a professor of political science at Hunter College in New York, noted that Russia had learned a lot about “global sanctions-proofing,” and she expressed doubt that the country would suffer as much as U.S. officials contend if it were disconnected from SWIFT. “They would definitely take a big hit,” she said at a seminar held this past week by the Center for the National Interest. But she noted that Russia had stockpiled hundreds of billions in gold and dollar reserves and that the Bank of China had joined Russia’s own domestic version of SWIFT. That raises the possibility that Russia and China, as part of their expanding partnership, might join forces to help Moscow evade the West’s action. The bottom line, she said, is that “sanctions have a very poor coercive track record.” The technology sanctions would target some of Putin’s favored industries — particularly aerospace and arms, which are major producers of revenue for the Russian government. The focus would be on Russian-built fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft systems, anti-satellite systems, space systems and emerging technologies where Russia is hoping to make gains, like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Similar export controls have been surprisingly effective against China’s leading producer of cellphones, Huawei, which for a while was among the top providers of smartphones to the world. That part of its business has all but collapsed in the past year because it cannot obtain advanced chips. But the Russian economy bears little resemblance to China’s, and it is not clear that it is equally vulnerable to an embargo of semiconductors and other microelectronics that are critical to Chinese manufacturing. There are other options under consideration that go well beyond merely banning the sale of computer chips. In one additional step, according to U.S. officials, the Commerce Department could issue a ruling that would essentially ban the export of any consumer goods to Russia — from cellphones and laptop computers to refrigerators and washing machines — that contain American-made or American-designed electronics. That would apply not only to American makers, but also to European, South Korean and other foreign manufacturers that use American chips or software. Unlike China, Russia does not make many of these products — and the effects on consumers could be broad. But a senior European official said there was still a debate about whether the Russian people would blame Putin, or the United States and its allies, for their inability to buy the goods. While the Commerce and Treasury departments work on sanctions that would maximize America’s advantages over Russia, the Pentagon is developing plans that have echoes of the proxy wars of the 1960s and ’70s. To underscore the potential pain for Russia, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, spoke with his Russian counterpart two weeks ago and delivered a stark message: Yes, he said, you could invade Ukraine and probably roll over the Ukrainian military, which stands little chance of repelling a far larger, better armed Russian force. But the swift victory would be followed, Milley told Gen. Valery Gerasimov, by a bloody insurgency, similar to the one that led to the Soviet retreat from Afghanistan more than three decades ago, according to officials familiar with the discussion. Milley did not detail to Gerasimov the planning underway in Washington to support an insurgency, a so-called porcupine strategy to make invading Ukraine hard for the Russians to swallow. That includes the advance positioning of arms for Ukrainian insurgents, probably including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, that could be used against Russian forces. More than a month ago, Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, created a new interagency planning cell to examine a range of contingencies if Putin goes ahead with an invasion. The cell, which reports directly to Sullivan, includes representatives from the National Security Council, the intelligence agencies and the departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Energy and Homeland Security. The cell is attempting to tailor responses to the many types of attacks that could unfold in the next few weeks, from cyberattacks aimed at crippling Ukraine’s electric grid and pipelines to the seizure of small or large amounts of territory. Intelligence officials said recently that they thought the least likely possibility was a full-scale invasion in which the Russians try to take the capital, Kyiv. Many of the assessments, however, have explored more incremental moves by Putin, which could include seizing a bit more land in the Donbas region, where war has ground into a stalemate, or a land bridge to Crimea. Several officials familiar with the planning say the administration is looking at European nations that could provide more aid to support Ukrainian forces before any conflict, as well as in the initial stages of a Russian invasion. Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth, a Defense Department spokesperson, noted in December that the United States had already committed more than $2.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2014, including $450 million in 2021 alone. Over the past three months, it has delivered 180 Javelin missiles, two patrol boats, ammunition for grenade launchers, machine guns, secure radios, medical equipment and other items that U.S. officials describe as defensive in nature. But the planning cell is considering more lethal weaponry, such as anti-aircraft weapons. After visiting Ukraine last month, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a former Marine officer, said that in his view, “We need to make any incursion by Russia more painful — Day 1 painful, not six months from now painful. “We have a short window to take decisive action to deter Putin from a serious invasion,” Moulton said. “I worry our current deterrent tactics are responding to an invasion rather than preventing it.” One option likely to be discussed at NATO this coming week is a plan to increase, possibly by several thousand, the number of troops stationed in the Baltics and in southeast Europe. On Friday, Blinken again warned that if the Russians invade, NATO would deploy more forces along the borders between NATO nations and Russian-controlled territory.

US details costs of a Russian invasion of Ukraine

A senior United States administration official on Saturday (January 8) said that Washington is ready to discuss the missile systems, military exercises, Ukraine tensions with Russia. The talks that could begin as early as Sunday in Geneva, media reports stated, citing a special telephone briefing for reporters.&nbsp;

Amid escalating tensions between Russia and the West, US and Russian diplomats are meeting in Switzerland to try to defuse tensions.&nbsp;

The senior official said that "there are some areas... where we think it might be possible to make progress," provided any promises are "reciprocal".

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-talks-on-ukraine-blinken-says-nato-prepared-to-respond-to-russian-aggression-443219">Ahead of talks on Ukraine, Blinken says NATO prepared to respond to Russian aggression</a>

"Russia has said it feels threatened by the prospect of offensive missile systems being placed in Ukraine... The United States has no intention of doing that. So this is one area where we may be able to reach an understanding if Russia is willing to make a reciprocal commitment," said the official, who requested anonymity.&nbsp;

"Russia has also expressed an interest in discussing the future of certain missile systems in Europe, along the lines of the INF Treaty, which receive Russia violated and the previous US administration withdrew from. We are open to discussing this possibility as well," he added.

The official said that Moscow has also expressed an interest in discussing the future of certain missile systems in Europe, along the lines of the INF Treaty (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty). &nbsp;He added that the US is "open to discussing this.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-members-express-solidarity-ahead-of-russia-talks-we-are-also-consulting-with-other-key-partners-443099">NATO members express solidarity ahead of Russia talks: 'We are also consulting with other key partners'</a>

US-Russia talks

According to a State Department spokesperson, US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman is to meet Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov for the Sunday evening talks.&nbsp;

Sherman will be accompanied by Lieutenant General James Mingus, the Joint Staff director of operations, and Ryabkov will attend the talks with Russian deputy defence minister Colonel General Aleksandr Fomin.

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(With inputs from agencies)

A senior United States administration official on Saturday (January 8) said that Washington is ready to discuss the missile systems, military exercises, Ukraine tensions with Russia.

A senior United States administration official on Saturday (January 8) said that Washington is ready to discuss the missile systems, military exercises, Ukraine tensions with Russia. The talks that could begin as early as Sunday in Geneva, media reports stated, citing a special telephone briefing for reporters. Amid escalating tensions between Russia and the West, US and Russian diplomats are meeting in Switzerland to try to defuse tensions. The senior official said that "there are some areas... where we think it might be possible to make progress," provided any promises are "reciprocal". ALSO READ | Ahead of talks on Ukraine, Blinken says NATO prepared to respond to Russian aggression "Russia has said it feels threatened by the prospect of offensive missile systems being placed in Ukraine... The United States has no intention of doing that. So this is one area where we may be able to reach an understanding if Russia is willing to make a reciprocal commitment," said the official, who requested anonymity. "Russia has also expressed an interest in discussing the future of certain missile systems in Europe, along the lines of the INF Treaty, which receive Russia violated and the previous US administration withdrew from. We are open to discussing this possibility as well," he added. The official said that Moscow has also expressed an interest in discussing the future of certain missile systems in Europe, along the lines of the INF Treaty (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty). He added that the US is "open to discussing this. ALSO READ | NATO members express solidarity ahead of Russia talks: 'We are also consulting with other key partners' US-Russia talks According to a State Department spokesperson, US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman is to meet Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov for the Sunday evening talks. Sherman will be accompanied by Lieutenant General James Mingus, the Joint Staff director of operations, and Ryabkov will attend the talks with Russian deputy defence minister Colonel General Aleksandr Fomin. × (With inputs from agencies)

US ready to talk missiles and military exercises in Ukraine with Russia: Official

A man in Texas named Zachary Taylor Blood has admitted that he was trying to smuggle two people into the United States in a coffin, as per the US Department of Justice's Southern District of Texas. &nbsp;

The justice department revealed on Wednesday (January 26) that the 33-years-old used coffin draped with an American flag, just like those carry soldiers killed in combat.&nbsp;

It has also been understood that those two men in the coffin were Mexican nationals, who admitted to having crossed the Rio Grande river into the US and paying a man to take them to the Texas city of San Antonio.&nbsp;

The suspect was caught when in October he drove a van "modified to transport caskets" to a checkpoint near the US-Mexico border in Texas, federal prosecutor Jennifer Lowery's office said in a statement.

When asked by agents what he was transporting, Blood responded "dead guy, Navy guy," according to the statement. "However, the coffin was in poor condition and the American flag was taped to the top with packing tape," the Justice Department said.&nbsp;

As per the reports, Blood faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.&nbsp;

According to official statistics, the United States recorded nearly two million migrant apprehensions for illegal entry into the country along its southern border with Mexico in 2021.&nbsp;

Migrant arrivals to the United States declined markedly during the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic but began to pick up later in 2020, before surging since President Joe Biden took office in January last year.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A man in Texas named Zachary Taylor Blood has admitted that he was trying to smuggle two people into the United States in a coffin, as per the US Department of Justice's Southern District of Texas.

A man in Texas named Zachary Taylor Blood has admitted that he was trying to smuggle two people into the United States in a coffin, as per the US Department of Justice's Southern District of Texas. The justice department revealed on Wednesday (January 26) that the 33-years-old used coffin draped with an American flag, just like those carry soldiers killed in combat. It has also been understood that those two men in the coffin were Mexican nationals, who admitted to having crossed the Rio Grande river into the US and paying a man to take them to the Texas city of San Antonio. The suspect was caught when in October he drove a van "modified to transport caskets" to a checkpoint near the US-Mexico border in Texas, federal prosecutor Jennifer Lowery's office said in a statement. When asked by agents what he was transporting, Blood responded "dead guy, Navy guy," according to the statement. "However, the coffin was in poor condition and the American flag was taped to the top with packing tape," the Justice Department said. As per the reports, Blood faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. According to official statistics, the United States recorded nearly two million migrant apprehensions for illegal entry into the country along its southern border with Mexico in 2021. Migrant arrivals to the United States declined markedly during the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic but began to pick up later in 2020, before surging since President Joe Biden took office in January last year. (With inputs from agencies)

A man in Texas admits he was trying to smuggle migrants to US in coffin draped in American flag

Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, it has been reported that more than 10,000 Russian troops have been returning to their permanent bases.&nbsp;

Interfax news agency stated&nbsp;on Saturday (December 25), citing the Russian military that the troops are returning after month-long drills near the Ukraine border.&nbsp;

The reported withdrawal of troops comes amid speculations by the West that Moscow has been plotting to invade Ukraine.&nbsp;

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"A stage of combat coordination of divisions, combat crews, squads at motorised units...has been completed," Interfax news quoted the army as saying.

"More than 10,000 military servicemen... will march to their permanent deployment from the territory of the combined arms' area of drills," it added.

It has been understood that drills were held in several regions near Ukraine, including in Crimea, as well as in the southern Russian regions of Rostov and Kuban.

Heavy deployment of troops by Russia to the north, east and south of Ukraine had fuelled fears in Kyiv and Western capitals that Moscow was planning an attack.&nbsp;

ALSO READ&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-blocks-website-of-protest-monitoring-group-for-allegedly-promoting-terrorism-and-extremism-439910">Russia blocks website of protest monitoring group for allegedly promoting 'terrorism and extremism'</a>

Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly declined the reports as it says that it can deploy its troops on its territory as it sees fit.&nbsp;

If reports are to be believed, an estimated number of Russian troops recently moved closer to Ukraine vary from 60,000 to 90,000.&nbsp;

Although, one US intelligence document indicated that the number could be ramped up as high as 175,000.&nbsp;

WATCH | French warship visits Ukrainian port amid escalating tensions with Russia

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Recently, the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss concerns about Russia's military build-up on the borders of Ukraine.

"They discussed NATO's dual-track approach to Russia, noting the alliance remains ready for meaningful dialogue with Russia, while standing united to defend and protect allies," the US State Department said.

Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, it has been reported that more than 10,000 Russian troops have been returning to their permanent bases. Interfax news agency stated on Saturday (December 25), citing the Russian military that the troops are returning after month-long drills near the Ukraine border.

Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, it has been reported that more than 10,000 Russian troops have been returning to their permanent bases. Interfax news agency stated on Saturday (December 25), citing the Russian military that the troops are returning after month-long drills near the Ukraine border. The reported withdrawal of troops comes amid speculations by the West that Moscow has been plotting to invade Ukraine. ALSO READ | Vladimir Putin says Soviet Santa is 'real force' behind his rapid rise "A stage of combat coordination of divisions, combat crews, squads at motorised units...has been completed," Interfax news quoted the army as saying. "More than 10,000 military servicemen... will march to their permanent deployment from the territory of the combined arms' area of drills," it added. It has been understood that drills were held in several regions near Ukraine, including in Crimea, as well as in the southern Russian regions of Rostov and Kuban. Heavy deployment of troops by Russia to the north, east and south of Ukraine had fuelled fears in Kyiv and Western capitals that Moscow was planning an attack. ALSO READ | Russia blocks website of protest monitoring group for allegedly promoting 'terrorism and extremism' Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly declined the reports as it says that it can deploy its troops on its territory as it sees fit. If reports are to be believed, an estimated number of Russian troops recently moved closer to Ukraine vary from 60,000 to 90,000. Although, one US intelligence document indicated that the number could be ramped up as high as 175,000. WATCH | French warship visits Ukrainian port amid escalating tensions with Russia × Recently, the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss concerns about Russia's military build-up on the borders of Ukraine. "They discussed NATO's dual-track approach to Russia, noting the alliance remains ready for meaningful dialogue with Russia, while standing united to defend and protect allies," the US State Department said.

Thousands of Russian troops returning to bases after drills near Ukraine: Report

Taking inspiration from the natural ability to regrow a limb by some creatures like lizards and starfish, scientists are working on how the same can be implemented in the lab that can help millions of people who lost their limb(s).

Taking inspiration from the natural ability to regrow a limb by some creatures like lizards and starfish, scientists are working on how the same can be implemented in the lab that can help millions of people who lost their limb(s). Although there have been advancements in technology like prosthetics, but doctors are probing various ways to induce human limb regeneration. In a new study published on Wednesday (January 26) in the journal Science Advances, a group of scientists informed that they were able to trigger the regrowth of legs in adult frogs. ALSO READ | How climate change will impact plantation of cash crops such as avocado, coffee and cashew? US-based scientist Michael Levin and his colleagues said that they have witnessed the regrowth of an amputated leg in a type of African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). They described the process as a "step closer to the goal of regenerative medicine." A part of the study read: "We developed a complex intervention for adult Xenopus hind-leg amputations to address several key open aspects of the limb regeneration roadmap." During the process, the scientists used a combination of a five-drug cocktail and a silicone wearable bioreactor called 'BioDome' to attain control over the local microenvironment of a wound in vivo. The scientists revealed that the cocktail was only applied for 24 hours. After 18 months, the limb was almost fully functional. ALSO READ | Can weed cure Covid? Cannabis compound stops coronavirus in test tube In addition to that, they sought to use compounds that could trigger a sustainable, endogenous morphogenetic cascade without subsequent intervention or continuous micromanagement by choosing a variety of compounds. As per the study, the frogs were able to swim and respond to touch and they also grew several toes but not the webbing between them. Levin said as quoted by NBC News: "This makes me very happy because if this is our first guess and it’s this good, imagine what the optimized version is going to look like in the future." An associate professor named James Monaghan in the department of biology at Northeastern University, who was not involved in the research called the results "impressive" and "exciting". As quoted by CNN, he said, "Xenopus frogs are somewhere in between a salamander that regrows a limb nearly perfectly and a mammal that generates a scar after amputation. Adult Xenopus frogs regenerate a spike after amputation, but the spike lacks any pattern like a limb."

Frogs regrow amputated limbs in lab. Can it promise a future beyond prosthetics for humans?

A new study highlights the potential impact of climate change on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers globally. It has been found that plantation crops such as coffee, cashew and avocado will face the repercussions of global warming.&nbsp;

Coffee, cashew and avocado are said to be among the most important cash crops as they contribute substantially to the earnings of farmers. Therefore, it is important to consider the possible impacts of climate change while long-term agricultural planning, tells the study, which is&nbsp;published&nbsp;in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0261976">Plos One</a>.

As per the study, global warming of 1.2°C up to 3.0°C by 2050 is estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change depending on different greenhouse gas emission pathways.&nbsp;

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The study reasons&nbsp;that such temperature changes will hamper the climate suitability of growing regions for crops.&nbsp;

The study also showed that such changes can cause shifts in production regions or call for adaptation measures in agricultural management.&nbsp;

The study aims at estimating current and future biophysical suitability for coffee arabica, cashew and avocado production on a global scale. It has also helped in identifying global and regional trends. &nbsp;

When one talks about the coffee plantation, strong reductions in climate suitability are expected in most current growing regions.

However, in a few regions, coffee cultivation might derive profits from climate change, the studies tell.

Some important coffee regions in Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam and Colombia will all decrease by around 50 per cent by 2050.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/extra-money-with-parents-changes-babies-brains-says-a-landmark-study-447588">Extra money with parents changes babies' brains, says a landmark study</a>

For both cashew and avocado, global assessment of current and future suitability is not available. However, the suitable areas for cashews and avocados will increase but most will be far from current sites of production. The authors of the study suggested more research is needed to help farmers adapt.&nbsp;

"Global biophysical modelling of current and future suitability of coffee, cashew and avocado is therefore essential to make informed decisions in long-term agricultural planning with the aim of maintaining farmers’ livelihoods and of fostering the sustainable use of natural resources," a part of the study read.&nbsp;

The study modelled crop suitability based on their biophysical requirements as it tells, "For the first time, both land and soil (artificial surfaces, protected areas, soil texture, coarse fragments, pH, organic carbon content, salinity) and climate (temperature, precipitation, humidity) parameters were taken into account on a global scale."

A new study highlights the potential impact of climate change on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers globally. It has been found that plantation crops such as coffee, cashew and avocado will face the repercussions of global warming.

A new study highlights the potential impact of climate change on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers globally. It has been found that plantation crops such as coffee, cashew and avocado will face the repercussions of global warming. Coffee, cashew and avocado are said to be among the most important cash crops as they contribute substantially to the earnings of farmers. Therefore, it is important to consider the possible impacts of climate change while long-term agricultural planning, tells the study, which is published in the journal Plos One. As per the study, global warming of 1.2°C up to 3.0°C by 2050 is estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change depending on different greenhouse gas emission pathways. ALSO READ | Can weed cure Covid? Cannabis compound stops coronavirus in test tube The study reasons that such temperature changes will hamper the climate suitability of growing regions for crops. The study also showed that such changes can cause shifts in production regions or call for adaptation measures in agricultural management. The study aims at estimating current and future biophysical suitability for coffee arabica, cashew and avocado production on a global scale. It has also helped in identifying global and regional trends. When one talks about the coffee plantation, strong reductions in climate suitability are expected in most current growing regions. However, in a few regions, coffee cultivation might derive profits from climate change, the studies tell. Some important coffee regions in Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam and Colombia will all decrease by around 50 per cent by 2050. ALSO READ | Extra money with parents changes babies' brains, says a landmark study For both cashew and avocado, global assessment of current and future suitability is not available. However, the suitable areas for cashews and avocados will increase but most will be far from current sites of production. The authors of the study suggested more research is needed to help farmers adapt. "Global biophysical modelling of current and future suitability of coffee, cashew and avocado is therefore essential to make informed decisions in long-term agricultural planning with the aim of maintaining farmers’ livelihoods and of fostering the sustainable use of natural resources," a part of the study read. The study modelled crop suitability based on their biophysical requirements as it tells, "For the first time, both land and soil (artificial surfaces, protected areas, soil texture, coarse fragments, pH, organic carbon content, salinity) and climate (temperature, precipitation, humidity) parameters were taken into account on a global scale."

How climate change will impact plantation of cash crops such as avocado, coffee and cashew

Virginia Giuffre: Who is she and what are her allegations against Prince Andrew? Where is she now?

The United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday (January 25) said that he will think about imposing personal sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he invades Ukraine.&nbsp;

Amid heightened tensions at the Russia-Ukraine border, the Western countries fear that Putin is plotting to invade the&nbsp;country it invaded in 2014.

The crisis got escalated drastically after Russia amassed tens of thousands of troops on its borders with Ukraine. However, Russia denies it is planning an attack.&nbsp;

Russia has said it could take unspecified military action if a list of demands is not met, including a promise from NATO never to admit Ukraine as a member.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-the-west-can-use-economic-sanctions-to-target-russia-over-ukraine-conflict-447444">How the West can use economic sanctions to target Russia over Ukraine conflict</a>

In the aftermath, the West tried to de-escalate the situation and now has stepped up military preparations and made plans to shield Europe from a potential energy supply shock.&nbsp;

Now, Biden has come up with the rare sanctions threat as NATO places forces on standby and reinforces eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets in response to Russia's troop build-up near its border with Ukraine.&nbsp;

While addressing a presser, Biden was asked if he would see himself imposing sanctions on Putin directly. "Yes," he responded. "I would see that."

Direct US sanctions on foreign leaders are rare but not unprecedented. Others who have faced sanctions include Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, Syria's Bashar al-Assad and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.

Russian state TV plays down

On one side, NATO forces have&nbsp;gathered against a potential invasion - creating a war-like situation.&nbsp;On the other hand, Russian state TV has played down the entire crisis.&nbsp;

Russian state TV - vital for the Kremlin's public messaging over 11 time zones - has often focused in recent days on other issues such as Russian athletes' hopes for the Beijing Winter Olympics or rising Omicron cases.

"At the moment, there's no sense the enemy is at the door and that we're starting a war soon... That's not happening at all," said one Russian media analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

As mentioned by Reuters, Russian state media say Western "panic" is fuelling the tensions, along with the US troop reinforcements to the region and arms supplies to Kyiv while reporting the crisis.&nbsp;

They do not mention the presence of around 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine's border. "They've invented it (the Russian threat)... The Americans have been scaring themselves about a Russian invasion for months," a reporter for the Vesti news programme told viewers.

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&nbsp;

The United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday (January 25) said that he will think about imposing personal sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he invades Ukraine.

The United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday (January 25) said that he will think about imposing personal sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he invades Ukraine. Amid heightened tensions at the Russia-Ukraine border, the Western countries fear that Putin is plotting to invade the country it invaded in 2014. The crisis got escalated drastically after Russia amassed tens of thousands of troops on its borders with Ukraine. However, Russia denies it is planning an attack. Russia has said it could take unspecified military action if a list of demands is not met, including a promise from NATO never to admit Ukraine as a member. IN PICS | How the West can use economic sanctions to target Russia over Ukraine conflict In the aftermath, the West tried to de-escalate the situation and now has stepped up military preparations and made plans to shield Europe from a potential energy supply shock. Now, Biden has come up with the rare sanctions threat as NATO places forces on standby and reinforces eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets in response to Russia's troop build-up near its border with Ukraine. While addressing a presser, Biden was asked if he would see himself imposing sanctions on Putin directly. "Yes," he responded. "I would see that." Direct US sanctions on foreign leaders are rare but not unprecedented. Others who have faced sanctions include Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, Syria's Bashar al-Assad and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi. Russian state TV plays down On one side, NATO forces have gathered against a potential invasion - creating a war-like situation. On the other hand, Russian state TV has played down the entire crisis. Russian state TV - vital for the Kremlin's public messaging over 11 time zones - has often focused in recent days on other issues such as Russian athletes' hopes for the Beijing Winter Olympics or rising Omicron cases. "At the moment, there's no sense the enemy is at the door and that we're starting a war soon... That's not happening at all," said one Russian media analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity. As mentioned by Reuters, Russian state media say Western "panic" is fuelling the tensions, along with the US troop reinforcements to the region and arms supplies to Kyiv while reporting the crisis. They do not mention the presence of around 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine's border. "They've invented it (the Russian threat)... The Americans have been scaring themselves about a Russian invasion for months," a reporter for the Vesti news programme told viewers. ×

Ukraine crisis: Joe Biden's rare sanction threat to Vladimir Putin; Russian media's narrative is different

As tensions continue to rise between Russia and Ukraine, the first shipment of assistance sent by the United States to Ukraine arrived in Kyiv, the US Embassy informed on Saturday (January 22).&nbsp;

The first shipment of a $200 million security support package includes aid such as ammunition for the front line defenders of Ukraine.&nbsp;

The shipment — and $2.7 billion since 2014 — demonstrates US commitment to helping Ukraine bolster its defences in the "face of growing Russian aggression", said the US Embassy in Kyiv tweeted.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-checkmate-why-the-orion-combat-drone-is-a-gamechanger-446455">Russia's 'checkmate': Why the Orion combat drone is a gamechanger</a>

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The first shipment of assistance recently directed by President Biden to Ukraine arrived in Ukraine tonight. This shipment includes close to 
200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for the front line defenders of Ukraine. [1/2] <a href="https://t.co/YeYanK0Px6">pic.twitter.com/YeYanK0Px6</a>
— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbassyKyiv/status/1484709938807070721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The aid comes amid the Western countries, including the US are trying to de-escalate the tensions after Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops on its borders with Ukraine.&nbsp;

The Western states fear Moscow is planning a new assault on a country it invaded in 2014. However, Russia denies planning a new military offensive.&nbsp;

The aid has arrived in Ukraine after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv this week. In reply, Ukraine’s defence minister thanked the United States for the aid.

Germany will not supply weapons to Kyiv

Meanwhile, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has said that Berlin will not deliver arms to Ukraine in the standoff with Russia for now. She said it in an interview published on Saturday, a few days after Britain started supplying Kyiv with anti-tank weapons.

"I can understand the wish to support Ukraine, and that's exactly what we are doing already," Lambrecht told the Welt am Sonntag weekly.

"We have to do everything to de-escalate. Currently, arms deliveries would not be helpful in this respect, there is agreement on this in the German government," Lambrecht said.&nbsp;

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As tensions continue to rise between Russia and Ukraine, the first shipment of assistance sent by the United States to Ukraine arrived in Kyiv, the US Embassy informed on Saturday (January 22).

As tensions continue to rise between Russia and Ukraine, the first shipment of assistance sent by the United States to Ukraine arrived in Kyiv, the US Embassy informed on Saturday (January 22). The first shipment of a $200 million security support package includes aid such as ammunition for the front line defenders of Ukraine. The shipment — and $2.7 billion since 2014 — demonstrates US commitment to helping Ukraine bolster its defences in the "face of growing Russian aggression", said the US Embassy in Kyiv tweeted. ALSO READ | Russia's 'checkmate': Why the Orion combat drone is a gamechanger The first shipment of assistance recently directed by President Biden to Ukraine arrived in Ukraine tonight. This shipment includes close to 200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for the front line defenders of Ukraine. [1/2] pic.twitter.com/YeYanK0Px6 — U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) January 22, 2022 × The aid comes amid the Western countries, including the US are trying to de-escalate the tensions after Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops on its borders with Ukraine. The Western states fear Moscow is planning a new assault on a country it invaded in 2014. However, Russia denies planning a new military offensive. The aid has arrived in Ukraine after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv this week. In reply, Ukraine’s defence minister thanked the United States for the aid. Germany will not supply weapons to Kyiv Meanwhile, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has said that Berlin will not deliver arms to Ukraine in the standoff with Russia for now. She said it in an interview published on Saturday, a few days after Britain started supplying Kyiv with anti-tank weapons. "I can understand the wish to support Ukraine, and that's exactly what we are doing already," Lambrecht told the Welt am Sonntag weekly. "We have to do everything to de-escalate. Currently, arms deliveries would not be helpful in this respect, there is agreement on this in the German government," Lambrecht said. ×

First part of US defence aid arrives in Ukraine; Germany will not supply weapons to Kyiv for now

As Western countries fear Russian incursion in Ukraine, the United States President Joe Biden has clarified his comments that he delivered in this context as he suggested that the allies were split over how to react to any potential "minor incursion" from Russia.&nbsp;

During a news conference on Wednesday, it looked like Biden is suggesting that the US and other allies might disagree over the response if Moscow stopped short of a major invasion and he also said he expected Putin to launch some kind of action.&nbsp;

The presser was meant to mark Biden's administration one year in office, when he said, "It's one thing if it's a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and what to not do, et cetera." Biden also added that an invasion would be a "disaster" for Russia.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-china-block-us-bid-to-impose-un-sanctions-on-north-koreans-446312">Russia, China block US bid to impose UN sanctions on North Koreans</a>

The comments invited backlash by allies as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded sharply to that on Thursday, tweeting in English and Ukrainian: "We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations. Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones."&nbsp;

Also,&nbsp;NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg weighed in on the situation, especially on Biden's comment as he said that the "minor incursion" comment was not a green light to a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Be in no doubt that if Russia were to make any kind of incursion into Ukraine, or on any scale, whatever, I think that that would be a disaster, not just for Ukraine, but for Russia."

Biden clarification&nbsp;and damage control

Biden's comments appeared to some as giving Russia the green light to attack - a remark that could escalate the already heightened border issues between Russia and Ukraine.&nbsp;

Biden sought to clarify his comments as on Thursday (January 20), he said that "I have been absolutely clear with President (Vladimir) Putin, he has no misunderstanding. If any, any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border that is an invasion".

Biden further added that such an invasion would be met by a "severe and coordinated response, economic response as discussed in details with our allies, as laid out very clearly with President Putin."&nbsp;

A Western security source said as quoted by Reuters that "it was not helpful, in fact it was a gift to Putin, but we should not read too much into it.&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;has not given Moscow the green light for an attack on Ukraine. It was a slip of his tongue, and the official Western position will prevail."

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/arrow-3-iron-dome-whats-next-in-israels-missile-interception-strategy-446193">Arrow 3, Iron Dome: What's next in Israel's missile interception strategy?</a>

Meanwhile, the US tried to control the damage as&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken also commented during his address at a press conference&nbsp;during a visit to Berlin to meet ministers from Britain, France and Germany.&nbsp;

He said, "No matter which path Russia chooses, it will find the United States, Germany, and our allies, united."&nbsp;

Ukraine-Russia border tensions

Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops on its borders with Ukraine, and Western states fear Moscow is planning a new assault on a country it invaded in 2014.

Russia denies it is planning an attack but says it could take unspecified military action if a list of demands is not met, including a promise from NATO never to admit Ukraine as a member.

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(With inputs from agencies)

As Western countries fear Russian incursion in Ukraine, the United States President Joe Biden has clarified his comments that he delivered in this context as he suggested that the allies were split over how to react to any potential "minor incursion" from Russia.

As Western countries fear Russian incursion in Ukraine, the United States President Joe Biden has clarified his comments that he delivered in this context as he suggested that the allies were split over how to react to any potential "minor incursion" from Russia. During a news conference on Wednesday, it looked like Biden is suggesting that the US and other allies might disagree over the response if Moscow stopped short of a major invasion and he also said he expected Putin to launch some kind of action. The presser was meant to mark Biden's administration one year in office, when he said, "It's one thing if it's a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and what to not do, et cetera." Biden also added that an invasion would be a "disaster" for Russia. ALSO READ | Russia, China block US bid to impose UN sanctions on North Koreans The comments invited backlash by allies as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded sharply to that on Thursday, tweeting in English and Ukrainian: "We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations. Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones." Also, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg weighed in on the situation, especially on Biden's comment as he said that the "minor incursion" comment was not a green light to a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Be in no doubt that if Russia were to make any kind of incursion into Ukraine, or on any scale, whatever, I think that that would be a disaster, not just for Ukraine, but for Russia." Biden clarification and damage control Biden's comments appeared to some as giving Russia the green light to attack - a remark that could escalate the already heightened border issues between Russia and Ukraine. Biden sought to clarify his comments as on Thursday (January 20), he said that "I have been absolutely clear with President (Vladimir) Putin, he has no misunderstanding. If any, any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border that is an invasion". Biden further added that such an invasion would be met by a "severe and coordinated response, economic response as discussed in details with our allies, as laid out very clearly with President Putin." A Western security source said as quoted by Reuters that "it was not helpful, in fact it was a gift to Putin, but we should not read too much into it. Biden has not given Moscow the green light for an attack on Ukraine. It was a slip of his tongue, and the official Western position will prevail." IN PICS | Arrow 3, Iron Dome: What's next in Israel's missile interception strategy? Meanwhile, the US tried to control the damage as Secretary of State Antony Blinken also commented during his address at a press conference during a visit to Berlin to meet ministers from Britain, France and Germany. He said, "No matter which path Russia chooses, it will find the United States, Germany, and our allies, united." Ukraine-Russia border tensions Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops on its borders with Ukraine, and Western states fear Moscow is planning a new assault on a country it invaded in 2014. Russia denies it is planning an attack but says it could take unspecified military action if a list of demands is not met, including a promise from NATO never to admit Ukraine as a member. × (With inputs from agencies)

Joe Biden clarifies over Russia remark; Ukraine says there are no 'minor incursions' and small nations

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