The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday voted to revoke the authorization for China Unicom's US unit to operate in the United States, citing national security concerns.

The 4-0 vote to revoke the authority that had been granted in 2002 is the latest move by the American regulator to bar Chinese telecommunications carriers from the United States because of national security concerns.

The order requires China Unicom Americas to end domestic interstate and international telecommunications services in the United States within 60 days of the order's publication.

The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

A lawyer for the company released a statement from China Unicom that said the FCC decision was "without any justifiable grounds and without affording the required due process. It added that China Unicom "will proactively protect the rights and interests of the company and its customers."

The FCC said China Unicom Americas is ultimately owned and controlled by the Chinese government and provides mobile virtual network operator services and international private leased circuit and Ethernet private line services along with IP transit, cloud and resold services in the United States.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said since the approval "the national security landscape has shifted and there has been mounting evidence - and with it, a growing concern - that Chinese state-owned carriers pose a real threat to the security of our telecommunications networks."

The FCC said China Unicom's "responses were incomplete, misleading, or incorrect."

Rosenworcel noted that last year the FCC published the first-ever list of communications equipment and services that pose an unacceptable risk to national security. This month, she wrote to the Commerce Department, the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and other agencies in order to update that list.

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said China Unicom "can continue to offer data center services to American consumers" despite the revocation.

He said the FCC and Congress should examine this issue and determine whether the commission needed broader authority to address security concerns posed by the centers.

The FCC began making efforts in March to revoke the authorization for China Unicom, Pacific Networks and its wholly owned subsidiary ComNet.

In October, the FCC revoked the US authorization for China Telecom (Americas), saying it "is subject to exploitation, influence and control by the Chinese government." The Chinese failed to win an appeal of the decision.

In 2019, the FCC rejected China Mobile Ltd's bid to provide US telecommunications services, citing national security risks.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday voted to revoke the authorization for China Unicom's US unit to operate in the United States, citing national security concerns.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday voted to revoke the authorization for China Unicom's US unit to operate in the United States, citing national security concerns. The 4-0 vote to revoke the authority that had been granted in 2002 is the latest move by the American regulator to bar Chinese telecommunications carriers from the United States because of national security concerns. The order requires China Unicom Americas to end domestic interstate and international telecommunications services in the United States within 60 days of the order's publication. The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comments. A lawyer for the company released a statement from China Unicom that said the FCC decision was "without any justifiable grounds and without affording the required due process. It added that China Unicom "will proactively protect the rights and interests of the company and its customers." The FCC said China Unicom Americas is ultimately owned and controlled by the Chinese government and provides mobile virtual network operator services and international private leased circuit and Ethernet private line services along with IP transit, cloud and resold services in the United States. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said since the approval "the national security landscape has shifted and there has been mounting evidence - and with it, a growing concern - that Chinese state-owned carriers pose a real threat to the security of our telecommunications networks." The FCC said China Unicom's "responses were incomplete, misleading, or incorrect." Rosenworcel noted that last year the FCC published the first-ever list of communications equipment and services that pose an unacceptable risk to national security. This month, she wrote to the Commerce Department, the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and other agencies in order to update that list. FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said China Unicom "can continue to offer data center services to American consumers" despite the revocation. He said the FCC and Congress should examine this issue and determine whether the commission needed broader authority to address security concerns posed by the centers. The FCC began making efforts in March to revoke the authorization for China Unicom, Pacific Networks and its wholly owned subsidiary ComNet. In October, the FCC revoked the US authorization for China Telecom (Americas), saying it "is subject to exploitation, influence and control by the Chinese government." The Chinese failed to win an appeal of the decision. In 2019, the FCC rejected China Mobile Ltd's bid to provide US telecommunications services, citing national security risks.

FCC revokes China Unicom's authorisation to operate in US

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy holds a briefing after a phone call with US counterpart Joe Biden over ongoing conflict with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy briefs the press amid ongoing conflict with Russia

Russia has said that it does not want a war after the United States warned Moscow may invade Ukraine next month.

Russia says it does not want a war with Ukraine

The United States has threatened to halt the opening of Nord stream 2 gas pipeline if Russia invades Ukraine. However, Germany has said that it would not rule out imposing sanctions on the project.

Nord stream 2 could be axed if Russia invades Ukraine, warns US

US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has revoked the license for giant telecom operator China Unicom to further limit Chinese influence over American consumers and businesses.

US FCC revokes license for China Unicom over espionage fears

The United States has once again voiced some serious concerns over India's purchase of the multi-billion dollar missile defense system from Russia. The United States has said that Russia selling the S-400 missile defense system to India has shined a spotlight on the destabilizing role that Moscow plays in the region.

US voices concerns over India's S-400 purchase from Russia

The world awaits Lunar News Year, with Washington, D.C. is ready to welcome Lunar New Year the year of the tiger.

Washington, D.C. is ready to welcome Lunar New Year

United States has rejected Russia's demands. Moscow is responding by stepping up its deployments along the Ukraine border. More troops and military equipment are being deployed. Palki Sharma brings you the latest.

Gravitas: Ukraine crisis: United States rejects Russia's demands

Citing the threat of missile or drone attacks from Yemen-based Houthi rebels, the US has started to advise citizens to do not travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). &nbsp;&nbsp;

The US State Department has actually added the “threat of missile or drone attacks” to a travel advisory for the UAE, which was already on a list of “do not travel” destinations for the citizens of the United States due to the Covid pandemic. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rockets-hit-baghdad-airport-compound-no-casualties-448370" hreflang="en">Rockets hit Baghdad airport compound; no casualties</a>

“The possibility of attacks affecting US citizens and interests in the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula remains an ongoing, serious concern,” the State Department of the US said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

“Rebel groups operating in Yemen have stated an intent to attack neighbouring countries, including the UAE, using missiles and drones. Recent missile and drone attacks targetted populated areas and civilian infrastructure,” it added.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uae-summons-people-after-videos-appear-on-social-media-of-missile-interception-448362" hreflang="en">UAE summons people after videos appear on social media of missile interception</a>

In response to the travel warning from the US, an Emirati official told the AFP news agency that the UAE remains “one of the most secure countries”. &nbsp;

“This is not going to be the new normal for the UAE. We refuse to acquiesce to the threat of Houthi terror that targets our people and way of life,” the official said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Citing the threat of missile or drone attacks from Yemen-based Houthi rebels, the US has started to advise citizens to do not travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Citing the threat of missile or drone attacks from Yemen-based Houthi rebels, the US has started to advise citizens to do not travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The US State Department has actually added the “threat of missile or drone attacks” to a travel advisory for the UAE, which was already on a list of “do not travel” destinations for the citizens of the United States due to the Covid pandemic. Also Read: Rockets hit Baghdad airport compound; no casualties “The possibility of attacks affecting US citizens and interests in the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula remains an ongoing, serious concern,” the State Department of the US said. “Rebel groups operating in Yemen have stated an intent to attack neighbouring countries, including the UAE, using missiles and drones. Recent missile and drone attacks targetted populated areas and civilian infrastructure,” it added. Also Read: UAE summons people after videos appear on social media of missile interception In response to the travel warning from the US, an Emirati official told the AFP news agency that the UAE remains “one of the most secure countries”. “This is not going to be the new normal for the UAE. We refuse to acquiesce to the threat of Houthi terror that targets our people and way of life,” the official said. (With inputs from agencies)

Missile, drone attacks force US to issue travel advisory for the UAE

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was finally closing in on a hard-fought agreement with Republicans on a gun safety measure, following a string of horrific shootings in 2019, when the talks suddenly collapsed.

New plans in the House to impeach former President Donald Trump meant that Republicans were no longer in the mood to compromise with Democrats on anything, and the emerging accord went the way of so many seemingly promising ones on Capitol Hill in recent years, stymied by Republicans who said they were willing to accept some sort of deal — just not that one.

“The world has become so polarized that our Republican colleagues come so very close to closing a deal, but then they begin staring down the abyss of their base and they recoil,” said Blumenthal, who attributed the Republican recalcitrance to fear of a political backlash for any cooperation with Democrats.

The same has been true for other politically charged issues where efforts at compromise have ended up going nowhere in Congress. Republicans initially seemed willing to engage on legislation addressing immigration and police misconduct, for example, only to abruptly pull back, blaming Democrats for what they called unreasonable demands or a refusal to take hard steps that might anger their liberal supporters.

So as a group of senators in both parties has recently ramped up discussions aimed at reaching a compromise on voting legislation, leading Democrats who saw their far broader voting rights package stall in the Senate last week have been wary.

They worry that the emerging legislation could be a distraction from the pressing issue their bill was meant to address — Republican voter-suppression efforts at the state level — and amount to little more than cover for Republicans who want to appear interested in protecting election integrity despite uniformly opposing Democrats’ voting rights bill.

They have taken note that Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader, has blessed the effort — a telltale sign, say Democrats who have learned to be endlessly suspicious of his motives, that it might go nowhere.

The Democratic fear is that once the moment passes and attention shifts away from election law to spending issues and now a contentious Supreme Court nomination, the talks will fizzle and Democrats will be left with nothing to show for their voting rights drive, even as the 2022 midterms loom and the 2024 election is just over the horizon.

But leaders of the talks that now include at least 16 senators divided between Republicans and Democrats say they are substantive, gaining momentum and could produce legislation that might prevent another Jan. 6-style confrontation by focusing on fixing the deficiencies in the 135-year-old Electoral Count Act.

They point to the bipartisan infrastructure measure that many of the same lawmakers were able to produce last year as their model for negotiations and as proof that compromise is still possible.

“I’m encouraged by the fact that almost every day, someone calls me and asks to join our group,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a centrist and a leader of the compromise effort. She characterized its members, who met virtually this week, as ranging from “pretty conservative to pretty liberal.”

“This is a serious, committed group of senators from both sides of the aisle,” she said in an interview. “This is not a surface effort.”

Aiding the outlook for the talks is the fact that Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the majority leader, is also now encouraging them. He is taking what one ally described as a wait-and-see attitude after initially lashing out at the potential compromise as a ruse to undercut the Democratic voting rights package.

A separate group that includes Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., chair of the Rules Committee, and Angus King, I-Maine, is drafting comparable legislation.

Virtually all Democrats back the idea of fixing the Electoral Count Act, which lays out the ceremonial process by which Congress makes an official count of the presidential election results to confirm the victor, to guard against its being exploited in the way that Trump and his allies attempted to do so.

But they caution that it is no substitute for their proposals, which focus on countering efforts to make it harder for minorities to vote and restoring parts of the landmark Voting Rights Act.

“I don’t think anybody is against fixing the piece,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said about the electoral vote counting process. “But nobody should pretend that this in any way solves the bigger issues regarding the attack on our democracy.”

Collins, however, said that the focus on how presidential electoral votes are tallied should be the aim of any new voting legislation as a direct response to the assault on the Capitol last January by Trump’s supporters seeking to interfere with the tally.

“That the Democrats didn’t put anything on the Electoral Count Act in their 735-page bill is astounding to me given the link to Jan. 6,” Collins said.

Collins and others said the ongoing negotiations were extending beyond counting the electoral ballots into shoring up other areas of the federal election process after the experiences of 2020. Those involved in the talks are now beginning to focus on specific areas where they think action is needed to try to develop relevant consensus legislation.

Those areas include overhauling the Electoral Count Act to clarify issues such as the role of the vice president, who presides over the congressional count, and what to do in cases of competing slates of voters; handling threats against election workers and officials, and imposing penalties for election interference; voting rights and practices; renewing the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and providing new grants for election entities; and the presidential transition.

The subject of the transition arose after the General Services Administration delayed officially signing off on the transition between administrations when Trump refused to concede and lodged false claims of widespread voter fraud.

The tension in the negotiations is most likely to come from efforts by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and other Democrats involved who want to expand the emerging measure to cover voting rights and practices, folding in some elements of the stalled Democratic legislation. Republicans have so far shown no inclination to reopen that fight.

“We have had that debate,” Collins said.

The goal of the talks is to get at least 10 Republicans to come aboard and hold all Democrats in line to assemble at least 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, with the hope that more Republicans would join in as they saw the potential for legislative action.

While Democrats have been able to find Republicans such as Collins and Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Rob Portman of Ohio to join them on various measures, achieving critical mass has proved much more difficult.

“Depending on the issue, you may be able to find one or two Republicans who are wiling to make a deal, but finding 10 is a whole different ballgame,” Van Hollen said. “For a variety of reasons, too many Republicans can never get to yes.”

But despite past bad experiences and reservations about the ongoing talks, Democrats said they still held out hope they could find common ground with Republicans on voting issues.

“I have to have hope because I couldn’t come to work every day if I didn’t,” Blumenthal said. “I sincerely hope that some of my colleagues on some issues will come together.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was finally closing in on a hard-fought agreement with Republicans on a gun safety measure, following a string of horrific shootings in 2019, when the talks suddenly collapsed.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was finally closing in on a hard-fought agreement with Republicans on a gun safety measure, following a string of horrific shootings in 2019, when the talks suddenly collapsed. New plans in the House to impeach former President Donald Trump meant that Republicans were no longer in the mood to compromise with Democrats on anything, and the emerging accord went the way of so many seemingly promising ones on Capitol Hill in recent years, stymied by Republicans who said they were willing to accept some sort of deal — just not that one. “The world has become so polarized that our Republican colleagues come so very close to closing a deal, but then they begin staring down the abyss of their base and they recoil,” said Blumenthal, who attributed the Republican recalcitrance to fear of a political backlash for any cooperation with Democrats. The same has been true for other politically charged issues where efforts at compromise have ended up going nowhere in Congress. Republicans initially seemed willing to engage on legislation addressing immigration and police misconduct, for example, only to abruptly pull back, blaming Democrats for what they called unreasonable demands or a refusal to take hard steps that might anger their liberal supporters. So as a group of senators in both parties has recently ramped up discussions aimed at reaching a compromise on voting legislation, leading Democrats who saw their far broader voting rights package stall in the Senate last week have been wary. They worry that the emerging legislation could be a distraction from the pressing issue their bill was meant to address — Republican voter-suppression efforts at the state level — and amount to little more than cover for Republicans who want to appear interested in protecting election integrity despite uniformly opposing Democrats’ voting rights bill. They have taken note that Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader, has blessed the effort — a telltale sign, say Democrats who have learned to be endlessly suspicious of his motives, that it might go nowhere. The Democratic fear is that once the moment passes and attention shifts away from election law to spending issues and now a contentious Supreme Court nomination, the talks will fizzle and Democrats will be left with nothing to show for their voting rights drive, even as the 2022 midterms loom and the 2024 election is just over the horizon. But leaders of the talks that now include at least 16 senators divided between Republicans and Democrats say they are substantive, gaining momentum and could produce legislation that might prevent another Jan. 6-style confrontation by focusing on fixing the deficiencies in the 135-year-old Electoral Count Act. They point to the bipartisan infrastructure measure that many of the same lawmakers were able to produce last year as their model for negotiations and as proof that compromise is still possible. “I’m encouraged by the fact that almost every day, someone calls me and asks to join our group,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a centrist and a leader of the compromise effort. She characterized its members, who met virtually this week, as ranging from “pretty conservative to pretty liberal.” “This is a serious, committed group of senators from both sides of the aisle,” she said in an interview. “This is not a surface effort.” Aiding the outlook for the talks is the fact that Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the majority leader, is also now encouraging them. He is taking what one ally described as a wait-and-see attitude after initially lashing out at the potential compromise as a ruse to undercut the Democratic voting rights package. A separate group that includes Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., chair of the Rules Committee, and Angus King, I-Maine, is drafting comparable legislation. Virtually all Democrats back the idea of fixing the Electoral Count Act, which lays out the ceremonial process by which Congress makes an official count of the presidential election results to confirm the victor, to guard against its being exploited in the way that Trump and his allies attempted to do so. But they caution that it is no substitute for their proposals, which focus on countering efforts to make it harder for minorities to vote and restoring parts of the landmark Voting Rights Act. “I don’t think anybody is against fixing the piece,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said about the electoral vote counting process. “But nobody should pretend that this in any way solves the bigger issues regarding the attack on our democracy.” Collins, however, said that the focus on how presidential electoral votes are tallied should be the aim of any new voting legislation as a direct response to the assault on the Capitol last January by Trump’s supporters seeking to interfere with the tally. “That the Democrats didn’t put anything on the Electoral Count Act in their 735-page bill is astounding to me given the link to Jan. 6,” Collins said. Collins and others said the ongoing negotiations were extending beyond counting the electoral ballots into shoring up other areas of the federal election process after the experiences of 2020. Those involved in the talks are now beginning to focus on specific areas where they think action is needed to try to develop relevant consensus legislation. Those areas include overhauling the Electoral Count Act to clarify issues such as the role of the vice president, who presides over the congressional count, and what to do in cases of competing slates of voters; handling threats against election workers and officials, and imposing penalties for election interference; voting rights and practices; renewing the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and providing new grants for election entities; and the presidential transition. The subject of the transition arose after the General Services Administration delayed officially signing off on the transition between administrations when Trump refused to concede and lodged false claims of widespread voter fraud. The tension in the negotiations is most likely to come from efforts by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and other Democrats involved who want to expand the emerging measure to cover voting rights and practices, folding in some elements of the stalled Democratic legislation. Republicans have so far shown no inclination to reopen that fight. “We have had that debate,” Collins said. The goal of the talks is to get at least 10 Republicans to come aboard and hold all Democrats in line to assemble at least 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, with the hope that more Republicans would join in as they saw the potential for legislative action. While Democrats have been able to find Republicans such as Collins and Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Rob Portman of Ohio to join them on various measures, achieving critical mass has proved much more difficult. “Depending on the issue, you may be able to find one or two Republicans who are wiling to make a deal, but finding 10 is a whole different ballgame,” Van Hollen said. “For a variety of reasons, too many Republicans can never get to yes.” But despite past bad experiences and reservations about the ongoing talks, Democrats said they still held out hope they could find common ground with Republicans on voting issues. “I have to have hope because I couldn’t come to work every day if I didn’t,” Blumenthal said. “I sincerely hope that some of my colleagues on some issues will come together.”

Are new voting bill talks for real or for show?

Britain's Prince Andrew has asked for a US jury trial even as he continues to deny that he committed sexual assault on Virginia Giuffre over two decades ago.

Prince Andrew asks for a US jury trial even as he continues to deny sexual assault allegations

Officials from Russia and Ukraine met in Paris to diffuse tension. The United States is now busy issuing fresh warnings over invasion threats.

US answers to Russia's security demands as tensions mount over Ukraine

Central Bank Federal Reserve is likely to hike interest rates this March and has reaffirmed plans to end its bond purchases.

US: Central Bank Federal Reserve is likely to hike interest rates in March

Nurses and doctors in California are burned out.

Although COVID-19 hospitalisations appear to be peaking in California and remain substantially lower than during last winter’s surge, health care workers have been toiling in uncertain and stressful conditions for nearly two years.

Coronavirus cases surge, new variants appear and shortages of protective gear, medicines and staff continually emerge.

Still, a majority of health workers who wrote to us said that despite their frustrations, they did not plan to leave their jobs.

They do not want to let down their co-workers or abandon their patients. They want to combat misinformation, administer COVID-19 vaccines and, as much as possible, help others.

Here’s what they shared about how they are coping with this latest surge and why they keep showing up at work:

“As the daughter of an Army veteran, a sense of duty was instilled in me at a young age. I am a nurse and have worked in a hospital setting for over 20 years; I can’t leave health care during its greatest need.

"I love my co-workers. We’ve already been through three waves together — we will get through this one as well.” —&nbsp;Laura Maffeo, registered nurse, Anaheim

“My family is fully vaccinated and we no longer worry about getting seriously ill, especially with this recent variant. As long as schools are open and we have that support for our kids, we feel that we (my wife is also a physician) will get through this. We have to.”&nbsp;— Dr. George Spanos, radiologist, Los Angeles

“The only thing that keeps me going is the need. I am a retired pharmacist who went back to work just to increase the availability of vaccinations (of every sort).

"I spend time combating misinformation, making the vaccination experience comfortable and praising the recipients who join me in uplifting the community well-being.”—&nbsp;Sandra Bardas, clinical pharmacist, Menlo Park

“I have a mortgage payment, little kids in school and a husband who lost his job. I’m the financial backbone of my family, and I’m fortunate to make a salary that enables us to cover our bills. I really don’t know what else I would do, so I make the best of it.” —&nbsp;Jenny Burnett, registered nurse, Concord

“My co-workers and I keep each other going by supporting, finding humor in things, being good listeners. This is a job where you are always needed.” —&nbsp;Lindsey Stover, registered nurse, Los Angeles

“My hospital sees very underserved patients who have very little interaction with the health care systems, and these are the patients I’ve committed myself to serving.

"My colleagues and fellow staff keep me going each day. It’s always a great time being with them. Seeing how generous my co-workers are — watching them give so much of themselves for their work and their community — inspires me to keep going alongside them.” —&nbsp;Dr. Jessica Martin Moreno, emergency medicine resident, Fresno

“Our nurses need to not feel more abandoned than they already are. I see how hard they’re working, that they keep showing up, and it keeps me showing up.”&nbsp;— Joanna Mello, assistant nurse manager, Sacramento

“As an Indigenous woman, I’m just trying to do my best to help my people and others like us survive this pandemic. I’m doing good work in a community health center that tries to help the most vulnerable. And even if I get death threats or scorn and yelled at by those who misunderstand what we’re doing, my family sees me. And loves me.

"And I can come home every night knowing that in my last days, I’ll have done everything I could to keep my loved ones, and yours, safe.”—&nbsp;Dr. Kalamaoka’aina Niheu, family medicine, Albany

Nurses and doctors in California are burned out. Although COVID-19 hospitalisations appear to be peaking in California and remain substantially lower than during last winter’s surge, health care workers have been toiling in uncertain and stressful conditions for nearly two years.

Nurses and doctors in California are burned out. Although COVID-19 hospitalisations appear to be peaking in California and remain substantially lower than during last winter’s surge, health care workers have been toiling in uncertain and stressful conditions for nearly two years. Coronavirus cases surge, new variants appear and shortages of protective gear, medicines and staff continually emerge. Still, a majority of health workers who wrote to us said that despite their frustrations, they did not plan to leave their jobs. They do not want to let down their co-workers or abandon their patients. They want to combat misinformation, administer COVID-19 vaccines and, as much as possible, help others. Here’s what they shared about how they are coping with this latest surge and why they keep showing up at work: “As the daughter of an Army veteran, a sense of duty was instilled in me at a young age. I am a nurse and have worked in a hospital setting for over 20 years; I can’t leave health care during its greatest need. "I love my co-workers. We’ve already been through three waves together — we will get through this one as well.” — Laura Maffeo, registered nurse, Anaheim “My family is fully vaccinated and we no longer worry about getting seriously ill, especially with this recent variant. As long as schools are open and we have that support for our kids, we feel that we (my wife is also a physician) will get through this. We have to.” — Dr. George Spanos, radiologist, Los Angeles “The only thing that keeps me going is the need. I am a retired pharmacist who went back to work just to increase the availability of vaccinations (of every sort). "I spend time combating misinformation, making the vaccination experience comfortable and praising the recipients who join me in uplifting the community well-being.”— Sandra Bardas, clinical pharmacist, Menlo Park “I have a mortgage payment, little kids in school and a husband who lost his job. I’m the financial backbone of my family, and I’m fortunate to make a salary that enables us to cover our bills. I really don’t know what else I would do, so I make the best of it.” — Jenny Burnett, registered nurse, Concord “My co-workers and I keep each other going by supporting, finding humor in things, being good listeners. This is a job where you are always needed.” — Lindsey Stover, registered nurse, Los Angeles “My hospital sees very underserved patients who have very little interaction with the health care systems, and these are the patients I’ve committed myself to serving. "My colleagues and fellow staff keep me going each day. It’s always a great time being with them. Seeing how generous my co-workers are — watching them give so much of themselves for their work and their community — inspires me to keep going alongside them.” — Dr. Jessica Martin Moreno, emergency medicine resident, Fresno “Our nurses need to not feel more abandoned than they already are. I see how hard they’re working, that they keep showing up, and it keeps me showing up.” — Joanna Mello, assistant nurse manager, Sacramento “As an Indigenous woman, I’m just trying to do my best to help my people and others like us survive this pandemic. I’m doing good work in a community health center that tries to help the most vulnerable. And even if I get death threats or scorn and yelled at by those who misunderstand what we’re doing, my family sees me. And loves me. "And I can come home every night knowing that in my last days, I’ll have done everything I could to keep my loved ones, and yours, safe.”— Dr. Kalamaoka’aina Niheu, family medicine, Albany

Despite burnout, these California health care workers aren’t quitting

One person was killed and four were injured after a shooting at a hotel in Northwest Washington. The incident took place during a party in a room.&nbsp;

Shots were fired around 3:30 am at Days Inn hotel, which is located on 4400 Connecticut Avenue NW, in the Van Ness neighbourhood.&nbsp;

DC police department, on their Twitter handle, wrote, "MPD has located four adult female shooting victims related to this incident at the Days Inn."&nbsp;

The department further added that another female victim "in grave condition has been pronounced deceased."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/breaking?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#breaking</a> Multiple people shot 4400 Connecticut Ave NW DC. We are live with the latest. <a href="https://t.co/Kmk55t6i5g">pic.twitter.com/Kmk55t6i5g</a>
— Darcy Spencer (@darcyspencer) <a href="https://twitter.com/darcyspencer/status/1486650073933090816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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DC Police Chief Robert Contee said that it was not immediately clear what led up to the shooting, but the police are working quickly to resolve the case.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-to-reduce-quarantine-period-for-arrivals-to-14-days-448155">Also read |&nbsp;Hong Kong to reduce quarantine period for arrivals to 14 days</a>

The officers believe that they have identified most of the people involved.

“They came into the District of Columbia, possibly from Maryland, they rented a room, it may have been just some kind of social interaction going on and one thing led to another that resulted in this shooting,” Contee said in a report by local news channel NBC.&nbsp;

Police commander Duncan Bedlion while speaking to a local news channel said that they had received "complaints from the community" about the hotel in the past.

"We receive complaints related to drug activity and that's something we actively work to address with the community," he said.

The area was sealed for police investigation and it opened at 7 am.&nbsp;

No suspect has been identified so far.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

One person was killed and four were injured after a shooting at a hotel in Northwest Washington. The incident took place during a party in a room. Shots were fired around 3:30 am at Days Inn hotel, which is located on 4400 Connecticut Avenue NW, in the Van Ness neighbourhood.

One person was killed and four were injured after a shooting at a hotel in Northwest Washington. The incident took place during a party in a room. Shots were fired around 3:30 am at Days Inn hotel, which is located on 4400 Connecticut Avenue NW, in the Van Ness neighbourhood. DC police department, on their Twitter handle, wrote, "MPD has located four adult female shooting victims related to this incident at the Days Inn." The department further added that another female victim "in grave condition has been pronounced deceased." #breaking Multiple people shot 4400 Connecticut Ave NW DC. We are live with the latest. pic.twitter.com/Kmk55t6i5g — Darcy Spencer (@darcyspencer) January 27, 2022 × DC Police Chief Robert Contee said that it was not immediately clear what led up to the shooting, but the police are working quickly to resolve the case. Also read | Hong Kong to reduce quarantine period for arrivals to 14 days The officers believe that they have identified most of the people involved. “They came into the District of Columbia, possibly from Maryland, they rented a room, it may have been just some kind of social interaction going on and one thing led to another that resulted in this shooting,” Contee said in a report by local news channel NBC. Police commander Duncan Bedlion while speaking to a local news channel said that they had received "complaints from the community" about the hotel in the past. "We receive complaints related to drug activity and that's something we actively work to address with the community," he said. The area was sealed for police investigation and it opened at 7 am. No suspect has been identified so far. (With inputs from agencies)

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&nbsp;Forces from a Kurdish-led militia on rooftops traded fire with dozens of Islamic State fighters still holed up in an embattled prison in northeastern Syria on Thursday, despite claims by the U.S.-backed militia a day earlier that it had regained full control of the entire complex.

The prison, in the city of al-Hasaka, housed thousands of Islamic State former fighters. Their fellow militants attacked a week ago in an attempt to free them. An official with one of the Syrian-Kurdish paramilitary groups battling the Islamic State said 60 to 90 militants from the group were still fighting from inside the partly destroyed prison complex, most of them attackers who had stormed the prison but some of them prisoners who had joined forces with them.

The prison attack was the starkest evidence yet of a resurgence of Islamic State across parts of Syria and Iraq, three years after the group lost the last territorial foothold in its so-called caliphate across a vast stretch of both countries. The extremists have also mounted a series of attacks on military forces in neighbouring Iraq in recent months.

The prison fight drew the U.S. military into the fray in support of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, providing airstrikes, intelligence and armoured vehicles to cordon off the prison. This was the broadest confrontation between U.S. forces and the Islamic State since the end of the caliphate.

The fighting was also raging in surrounding areas near the prison complex.

At a traffic circle a few hundred yards from the prison complex in the centre of al-Hasaka, a New York Times team took cover along with a group of local journalists and civilians caught in the middle as Kurdish-led forces traded fire with Islamic State gunmen who had opened fire from a street near the prison.

Explosions from rocket-propelled grenades fired by the Kurdish-led forces at the prison and the sound of truck-mounted anti-aircraft guns rang out.

The SDF said two Islamic State fighters were killed in the engagement near the traffic circle, but there were no reports of civilians harmed in that clash.

A bulldozer emerged from the ruins of a cultural centre next to the prison complex carrying the crumpled body of an Islamic State fighter before dumping it in the back of a pickup truck.

At another building behind the cultural centre, which had been hit by an airstrike, SDF fighters pulled out the remains of two other Islamic State fighters. A charred oil tanker on its side still burned across the street.

SDF forces said the tanker and three others that were burned beside it had been destroyed in a U.S. airstrike.

Siyamend Ali, the head of media for the People’s Protection Units, one of the Kurdish factions in the SDF, said more than 3,000 detainees had surrendered and most had been taken to a new detention facility built by the U.S.-led coalition that has fought the Islamic State in Syria.

He said some of the Islamic State militants still inside the prison were believed to be foreign fighters.

“The prison attack has activated sleeper cells in other places,” Ali said.

Forces from a Kurdish-led militia on rooftops traded fire with dozens of Islamic State fighters still holed up in an embattled prison in northeastern Syria on Thursday, despite claims by the U.

Forces from a Kurdish-led militia on rooftops traded fire with dozens of Islamic State fighters still holed up in an embattled prison in northeastern Syria on Thursday, despite claims by the U.S.-backed militia a day earlier that it had regained full control of the entire complex. The prison, in the city of al-Hasaka, housed thousands of Islamic State former fighters. Their fellow militants attacked a week ago in an attempt to free them. An official with one of the Syrian-Kurdish paramilitary groups battling the Islamic State said 60 to 90 militants from the group were still fighting from inside the partly destroyed prison complex, most of them attackers who had stormed the prison but some of them prisoners who had joined forces with them. The prison attack was the starkest evidence yet of a resurgence of Islamic State across parts of Syria and Iraq, three years after the group lost the last territorial foothold in its so-called caliphate across a vast stretch of both countries. The extremists have also mounted a series of attacks on military forces in neighbouring Iraq in recent months. The prison fight drew the U.S. military into the fray in support of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, providing airstrikes, intelligence and armoured vehicles to cordon off the prison. This was the broadest confrontation between U.S. forces and the Islamic State since the end of the caliphate. The fighting was also raging in surrounding areas near the prison complex. At a traffic circle a few hundred yards from the prison complex in the centre of al-Hasaka, a New York Times team took cover along with a group of local journalists and civilians caught in the middle as Kurdish-led forces traded fire with Islamic State gunmen who had opened fire from a street near the prison. Explosions from rocket-propelled grenades fired by the Kurdish-led forces at the prison and the sound of truck-mounted anti-aircraft guns rang out. The SDF said two Islamic State fighters were killed in the engagement near the traffic circle, but there were no reports of civilians harmed in that clash. A bulldozer emerged from the ruins of a cultural centre next to the prison complex carrying the crumpled body of an Islamic State fighter before dumping it in the back of a pickup truck. At another building behind the cultural centre, which had been hit by an airstrike, SDF fighters pulled out the remains of two other Islamic State fighters. A charred oil tanker on its side still burned across the street. SDF forces said the tanker and three others that were burned beside it had been destroyed in a U.S. airstrike. Siyamend Ali, the head of media for the People’s Protection Units, one of the Kurdish factions in the SDF, said more than 3,000 detainees had surrendered and most had been taken to a new detention facility built by the U.S.-led coalition that has fought the Islamic State in Syria. He said some of the Islamic State militants still inside the prison were believed to be foreign fighters. “The prison attack has activated sleeper cells in other places,” Ali said.

US-backed forces in Syria are still fighting Islamic State at prison

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of building up troop presence on Ukraine's borders, while the US has warned Moscow against "intimidating" Ukraine.

Zelensky has described these as a regular interference by Russia. "Muscle-flexing in the form of military exercises and possible provocations along the border are traditional Russian games," he said in a statement.

He also accused the Vladimir Putin-led country of creating a "threatening atmosphere" while Ukraine is aiming to resume a ceasefire that was brokered last year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cannot-ape-putin-explains-why-he-chose-to-get-vaccinated-in-private-373949">'Cannot ape': Putin explains why he chose to get vaccinated in private</a>

Kremlin, however, has denied reports and has claimed Russia is 'not threatening' Ukraine.&nbsp;

"No doubt such a scenario would lead to a further increase in tensions close to Russia's borders. Of course, this would call for additional measures from the Russian side to ensure its security,"&nbsp;Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told media.

The Kremlin has also warned that Russia will take&nbsp;'measures' if Western troops are sent to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US State Department has warned Russia against massing troops on the border.

The department said it is "absolutely concerned by recent escalations of Russian aggressive and provocative actions in eastern&nbsp;Ukraine."

"What we would object to are aggressive actions that have an&nbsp;intent of intimidating, of threatening, our partner&nbsp;Ukraine."

Experts believe the buildup on the border is Russia’s technique to put the newly-elected Joe Biden’s administration to test after the US president labelled Putin as a "killer”."

There has been a rise in violence between Ukraine’s government forces and Kremlin-backed separatists.

As of now, Zelensky said, 20 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed and 57 wounded since the start of the year.

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of building up troop presence on Ukraine's borders, while the US has warned Moscow against "intimidating" Ukraine.

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of building up troop presence on Ukraine's borders, while the US has warned Moscow against "intimidating" Ukraine. Zelensky has described these as a regular interference by Russia. "Muscle-flexing in the form of military exercises and possible provocations along the border are traditional Russian games," he said in a statement. He also accused the Vladimir Putin-led country of creating a "threatening atmosphere" while Ukraine is aiming to resume a ceasefire that was brokered last year. Also read | 'Cannot ape': Putin explains why he chose to get vaccinated in private Kremlin, however, has denied reports and has claimed Russia is 'not threatening' Ukraine. "No doubt such a scenario would lead to a further increase in tensions close to Russia's borders. Of course, this would call for additional measures from the Russian side to ensure its security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told media. The Kremlin has also warned that Russia will take 'measures' if Western troops are sent to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US State Department has warned Russia against massing troops on the border. The department said it is "absolutely concerned by recent escalations of Russian aggressive and provocative actions in eastern Ukraine." "What we would object to are aggressive actions that have an intent of intimidating, of threatening, our partner Ukraine." Experts believe the buildup on the border is Russia’s technique to put the newly-elected Joe Biden’s administration to test after the US president labelled Putin as a "killer”." There has been a rise in violence between Ukraine’s government forces and Kremlin-backed separatists. As of now, Zelensky said, 20 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed and 57 wounded since the start of the year.

Ukraine accuses Russia of massing troops on border; Moscow warns 'measures'

A massive troop buildup and two major nuclear powers on either side, a&nbsp;lot can go wrong.

So, Joe Biden dispatched his top cabinet members to Europe, America's defence and foreign secretaries.&nbsp;

They are talking to European leaders, holding meetings with the Ukrainians and increasing their military presence in Germany. Will this be enough to ensure a Russian troop withdrawal? &nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-amid-ukraine-tensions-us-to-deploy-500-more-soldiers-in-germany-377639/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Soldiers are at the border, Sukhois in the air and the navy in the Black Sea. Russia's buildup near Ukraine has alarmed the West. America says all this can't be just a training exercise and Europe is equally worried. They fear a serious escalation at the Ukrainian border. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister is meeting NATO officials. Biden's top diplomats have landed in Europe. Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken are holding talks in Brussels, the US secretary of state met with his Ukrainian counterpart and reaffirmed America's support to Ukraine. &nbsp;

The US secretary of defence was in Berlin and met his German counterpart. Austin announced that America will increase its military presence in Germany by 500 soldiers. The US has also called off the withdrawal of 12,000 soldiers from Germany. It's a reversal of former president Donald Trump's plans. &nbsp;

Russia is watching the shift. It could have implications for a major energy project, the Nord Stream 2. It's a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. The Biden administration isn't happy about it. Republicans in the US are demanding sanctions against German companies. What will President Biden do?&nbsp;

Look the other way, for the moment. Russia is raising the spectre of war against Ukraine. Now&nbsp;is not the time to sanction Germany. The United States and NATO are speaking in one voice. America sees Russia's moves as an opportunity to repair ties with Europe. It's an alliance that was battered under Trump. In his four years as president, Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, slapped tariffs on goods from the European Union and repeatedly questioned NATO members over their contributions to the alliance. &nbsp;

At the same time, Moscow cultivated bilateral ties with key European powers, the Ukrainian misadventure may change the European chessboard. &nbsp;

A massive troop buildup and two major nuclear powers on either side, a lot can go wrong. So, Joe Biden dispatched his top cabinet members to Europe, America's defence and foreign secretaries.

A massive troop buildup and two major nuclear powers on either side, a lot can go wrong. So, Joe Biden dispatched his top cabinet members to Europe, America's defence and foreign secretaries. They are talking to European leaders, holding meetings with the Ukrainians and increasing their military presence in Germany. Will this be enough to ensure a Russian troop withdrawal? Soldiers are at the border, Sukhois in the air and the navy in the Black Sea. Russia's buildup near Ukraine has alarmed the West. America says all this can't be just a training exercise and Europe is equally worried. They fear a serious escalation at the Ukrainian border. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister is meeting NATO officials. Biden's top diplomats have landed in Europe. Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken are holding talks in Brussels, the US secretary of state met with his Ukrainian counterpart and reaffirmed America's support to Ukraine. The US secretary of defence was in Berlin and met his German counterpart. Austin announced that America will increase its military presence in Germany by 500 soldiers. The US has also called off the withdrawal of 12,000 soldiers from Germany. It's a reversal of former president Donald Trump's plans. Russia is watching the shift. It could have implications for a major energy project, the Nord Stream 2. It's a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. The Biden administration isn't happy about it. Republicans in the US are demanding sanctions against German companies. What will President Biden do? Look the other way, for the moment. Russia is raising the spectre of war against Ukraine. Now is not the time to sanction Germany. The United States and NATO are speaking in one voice. America sees Russia's moves as an opportunity to repair ties with Europe. It's an alliance that was battered under Trump. In his four years as president, Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, slapped tariffs on goods from the European Union and repeatedly questioned NATO members over their contributions to the alliance. At the same time, Moscow cultivated bilateral ties with key European powers, the Ukrainian misadventure may change the European chessboard.

With Russia at Ukraine door, US and EU look for options 

The US&nbsp;administration on Monday declined to rule out sending American troops to Ukraine as new satellite images revealed Russian forces assembling at numerous critical strategic areas along the Ukrainian border in preparation for an invasion.

In a warning to Moscow on the eve of talks between presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, the US indicated it would impose tough new economic sanctions in reaction to a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to a senior US official, Biden will also make it clear to Putin that the US would not rule out eventual Ukrainian membership in Nato, as the Russian leader has asked. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-will-happen-if-russian-troops-invade-ukraine-431684">Also Read:&nbsp;What will happen if Russian troops invade Ukraine?</a>

The images show ground military equipment being deployed as well as personnel buildup in western Russia and Crimea.

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Just hours after the photos were posted, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked if Americans should be prepared for US military on the ground if Russia decided to invade.

"I’m not going to get ahead of the President’s conversations with our transatlantic partners, which is going to happen later this afternoon," Psaki responded, "and we’ll provide you a list of who will be participating in that call as soon as the scheduling details are finalized.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-planning-to-invade-ukraine-with-175000-troops-report-434188">Also read | Russia planning to invade Ukraine with 175,000 troops: Report</a>

But I would say that our objective here is to convey diplomatically that this is the moment for Russia to pull back its military buildup at the border, "Psaki added.

The United States and European allies are prepared to take "substantial economic countermeasures ... that would impose significant and severe economic harm on the Russian economy" if Russia attacks, the official said.

In addition, Biden will make clear that if Putin "moved in, there would be an increasing request from eastern flank allies and a positive response from the United States for additional forces and capabilities and exercises," they said.

(With inputs from agencies)

The US administration on Monday declined to rule out sending American troops to Ukraine as new satellite images revealed Russian forces assembling at numerous critical strategic areas along the Ukrainian border in preparation for an invasion.

The US administration on Monday declined to rule out sending American troops to Ukraine as new satellite images revealed Russian forces assembling at numerous critical strategic areas along the Ukrainian border in preparation for an invasion. In a warning to Moscow on the eve of talks between presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, the US indicated it would impose tough new economic sanctions in reaction to a Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to a senior US official, Biden will also make it clear to Putin that the US would not rule out eventual Ukrainian membership in Nato, as the Russian leader has asked. Also Read: What will happen if Russian troops invade Ukraine? The images show ground military equipment being deployed as well as personnel buildup in western Russia and Crimea. Maxar Tech satellite images show Russian troops massed near Ukraine border#russiaukraine pic.twitter.com/a8nxqSSt4y — ChicagoMike (@ChicagoMyk) December 7, 2021 × Just hours after the photos were posted, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked if Americans should be prepared for US military on the ground if Russia decided to invade. "I’m not going to get ahead of the President’s conversations with our transatlantic partners, which is going to happen later this afternoon," Psaki responded, "and we’ll provide you a list of who will be participating in that call as soon as the scheduling details are finalized. Also read | Russia planning to invade Ukraine with 175,000 troops: Report But I would say that our objective here is to convey diplomatically that this is the moment for Russia to pull back its military buildup at the border, "Psaki added. The United States and European allies are prepared to take "substantial economic countermeasures ... that would impose significant and severe economic harm on the Russian economy" if Russia attacks, the official said. In addition, Biden will make clear that if Putin "moved in, there would be an increasing request from eastern flank allies and a positive response from the United States for additional forces and capabilities and exercises," they said. (With inputs from agencies)

If Russia invades Ukraine, US to send more troops to Eastern Europe

Kremlin on Monday said that it was alarmed by US-backed push to supply arms to Ukraine and claimed that reports in US media about Russia planning to attack Ukraine were disinformation campaign.&nbsp;

Ukraine's military intelligence has told Military Times news outlet that more than 92,000 Russian troops were massed around Ukraine's borders and were preparing to attack latest by early February.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence said such an attack would probably involve air strikes, artillery and armoured attacks followed by airborne assaults in the east, amphibious assaults in Odessa and Mariupol, and a smaller incursion through Belarus.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the idea of a possible Russian attack and said that Moscow itself was being targeted in a disinformation campaign.

"This is whipping up tension and is another attempt to present Russia as the one threatening the process of settling the situation (in eastern Ukraine)." said Peskov.

"And of course we cannot rule out that this is cover for aggressive dreams that Kyiv may have. I mean aggressive dreams about a possible desire to solve the problem in the south-east by force."

Ukraine's ties with Russia collapsed in 2014 after Moscow backed separatists who seized a swath of eastern Ukraine, territory that Kyiv says it wants back. Russia also annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula that same year.

Peskov accused Ukraine of what he said were provocative actions.

"Kyiv is itself building up its forces, Kyiv is being helped to build up its forces, Kyiv is being supplied with a significant amount of weapons, including modern high-tech weapons," Peskov told reporters.

"And we are observing this with great alarm, knowing the significant influence of extreme-minded politicians in Ukraine," he said.

Ukraine says it is upgrading its combat capabilities to defend itself against new possible Russian aggression.

(With inputs from agencies)

Kremlin on Monday said that it was alarmed by US-backed push to supply arms to Ukraine and claimed that reports in US media about Russia planning to attack Ukraine were disinformation campaign.

Kremlin on Monday said that it was alarmed by US-backed push to supply arms to Ukraine and claimed that reports in US media about Russia planning to attack Ukraine were disinformation campaign. Ukraine's military intelligence has told Military Times news outlet that more than 92,000 Russian troops were massed around Ukraine's borders and were preparing to attack latest by early February. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence said such an attack would probably involve air strikes, artillery and armoured attacks followed by airborne assaults in the east, amphibious assaults in Odessa and Mariupol, and a smaller incursion through Belarus. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the idea of a possible Russian attack and said that Moscow itself was being targeted in a disinformation campaign. "This is whipping up tension and is another attempt to present Russia as the one threatening the process of settling the situation (in eastern Ukraine)." said Peskov. "And of course we cannot rule out that this is cover for aggressive dreams that Kyiv may have. I mean aggressive dreams about a possible desire to solve the problem in the south-east by force." Ukraine's ties with Russia collapsed in 2014 after Moscow backed separatists who seized a swath of eastern Ukraine, territory that Kyiv says it wants back. Russia also annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula that same year. Peskov accused Ukraine of what he said were provocative actions. "Kyiv is itself building up its forces, Kyiv is being helped to build up its forces, Kyiv is being supplied with a significant amount of weapons, including modern high-tech weapons," Peskov told reporters. "And we are observing this with great alarm, knowing the significant influence of extreme-minded politicians in Ukraine," he said. Ukraine says it is upgrading its combat capabilities to defend itself against new possible Russian aggression. (With inputs from agencies)

Alarmed by US arms push for Ukraine, says Kremlin

As fresh tensions build up between the US and Russia over reported military build-up near Ukraine border, Moscow on Saturday clarified that President Vladimir Putin has no plans to launch an offensive against the neighbouring country,&nbsp;news agency ANI reported.

Speaking to Greek TV channel ANT1, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that purported military build-up near its borders was in response to US military’s presence in Ukraine.

When asked whether Putin was planning to carry out an attack on Ukraine Peskov was quoted as saying, "No, the problem is very simple".

He added, "Russia is moving its forces within its territory, and we can move our forces in any direction we want and closer to the areas that could pose a threat [and currently] we see US warplanes landing in Ukraine and US military equipment approaching our borders.”&nbsp;

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Peskov’s response came a week after US intelligence officials claimed that Russia was planning for a possible military offensive against Ukraine “that could begin as soon as early 2022 and would include an estimated 1,75,000 personnel”.

The new intelligence finding estimates that half of the Russian personnel are already deployed along various points near Ukraine's border, news agency AP quoted a Biden administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-will-happen-if-russian-troops-invade-ukraine-431684">Read in Pics:&nbsp;What will happen if Russian troops invade Ukraine?</a>

Earlier on Friday, US President Joe Biden said that he would make it “very, very difficult” for Russia to launch any invasion of Ukraine, which warned that a large-scale attack could be planned for next month.

The US president told reporters he was putting together “the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do”.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-chief-jens-stoltenberg-turns-down-russias-demand-to-deny-ukraine-entry-436007">Also Read:&nbsp;NATO chief&nbsp;turns down Russia's demand to deny Ukraine entry</a>

Moscow seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has since backed separatists fighting Kyiv in the east of the country. The conflict has left more than 13,000 dead.

(With inputs from agencies)

As fresh tensions build up between the US and Russia over reported military build-up near Ukraine border, Moscow on Saturday clarified that President Vladimir Putin has no plans to launch an offensive against the neighbouring country, news agency ANI reported.

As fresh tensions build up between the US and Russia over reported military build-up near Ukraine border, Moscow on Saturday clarified that President Vladimir Putin has no plans to launch an offensive against the neighbouring country, news agency ANI reported. Speaking to Greek TV channel ANT1, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that purported military build-up near its borders was in response to US military’s presence in Ukraine. When asked whether Putin was planning to carry out an attack on Ukraine Peskov was quoted as saying, "No, the problem is very simple". He added, "Russia is moving its forces within its territory, and we can move our forces in any direction we want and closer to the areas that could pose a threat [and currently] we see US warplanes landing in Ukraine and US military equipment approaching our borders.” Also read | UK warns Russia on 'strategic mistake' over military action in Ukraine Peskov’s response came a week after US intelligence officials claimed that Russia was planning for a possible military offensive against Ukraine “that could begin as soon as early 2022 and would include an estimated 1,75,000 personnel”. The new intelligence finding estimates that half of the Russian personnel are already deployed along various points near Ukraine's border, news agency AP quoted a Biden administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Read in Pics: What will happen if Russian troops invade Ukraine? Earlier on Friday, US President Joe Biden said that he would make it “very, very difficult” for Russia to launch any invasion of Ukraine, which warned that a large-scale attack could be planned for next month. The US president told reporters he was putting together “the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do”. Also Read: NATO chief turns down Russia's demand to deny Ukraine entry Moscow seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has since backed separatists fighting Kyiv in the east of the country. The conflict has left more than 13,000 dead. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine row: US military equipment approaching our borders, says Russia while admitting own troop buildup

US says Russia to use force by mid-Feb amid Ukraine invasion fears

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the top US negotiator in US-Russia talks over Ukraine briefed NATO allies on Tuesday after inconclusive talks with Kremlin. Sherman held talks with Russia in Geneva on Monday (January 10). She met Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister &nbsp;Sergei Ryabkov

Some European officials have complained that Washington is taking the lead in talks with Moscow.&nbsp;

They fear being excluded from moves to resolve tensions on the Ukraine border and to head off confrontation.

But Sherman insisted that European allies are being kept in the loop, after meeting NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and ambassadors from the NATO member states.

"The United States is committed to working in lockstep with our allies and partners to urge de-escalation and respond to the security crisis caused by Russia," she tweeted.

With Stoltenberg, Sherman "affirmed a unified NATO approach toward Russia, balancing deterrence and dialogue, and stressed our unwavering support for Ukraine".

And, in a tweet addressed to Ukraine's deputy minister of foreign affairs Emine Dzhaparova, she assured Kiev that the allies "will not make decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine".

After more than seven hours of negotiations in Geneva on Monday, the Russian and US officials both offered to keep talking, though there was no sign of a breakthrough.

The high-stakes meeting came as fears simmered of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;

Moscow has demanded wide-ranging security concessions from Washington and its NATO allies, which in turn have threatened severe economic sanctions if there is any Russian attack.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the top US negotiator in US-Russia talks over Ukraine briefed NATO allies on Tuesday after inconclusive talks with Kremlin.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the top US negotiator in US-Russia talks over Ukraine briefed NATO allies on Tuesday after inconclusive talks with Kremlin. Sherman held talks with Russia in Geneva on Monday (January 10). She met Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov Some European officials have complained that Washington is taking the lead in talks with Moscow. They fear being excluded from moves to resolve tensions on the Ukraine border and to head off confrontation. But Sherman insisted that European allies are being kept in the loop, after meeting NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and ambassadors from the NATO member states. "The United States is committed to working in lockstep with our allies and partners to urge de-escalation and respond to the security crisis caused by Russia," she tweeted. With Stoltenberg, Sherman "affirmed a unified NATO approach toward Russia, balancing deterrence and dialogue, and stressed our unwavering support for Ukraine". And, in a tweet addressed to Ukraine's deputy minister of foreign affairs Emine Dzhaparova, she assured Kiev that the allies "will not make decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine". After more than seven hours of negotiations in Geneva on Monday, the Russian and US officials both offered to keep talking, though there was no sign of a breakthrough. The high-stakes meeting came as fears simmered of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has demanded wide-ranging security concessions from Washington and its NATO allies, which in turn have threatened severe economic sanctions if there is any Russian attack. (With inputs from agencies)

US calms European allies' fears over its talks with Russia over Ukraine

In his latest remarks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Russia had to choose between dialogue and confrontation.

While speaking at CNN's "State of the Union" show, he said, "There's a path of dialogue and diplomacy to try to resolve some of these differences and avoid a confrontation."

"The other path is confrontation and massive consequences for Russia if it renews its aggression on Ukraine. We are about to test the proposition about which path President Putin is prepared to take."

Speaking about the talks in Geneva, he said that a positive outcome would rely on Russia's readiness to get rid of its&nbsp;aggressive posture.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-talks-on-ukraine-blinken-says-nato-prepared-to-respond-to-russian-aggression-443219">Also read |&nbsp;Ahead of talks on Ukraine, Blinken says NATO prepared to respond to Russian aggression</a>

"So if we're actually going to make progress, we're going to have to see de-escalation, Russia pulling back from the threat that it currently poses to Ukraine," he said.

US and NATO have repeatedly voiced concerns over Russia’s plan to invade Ukraine, a charge that Kremlin denies. However, there have been various reports, citing satellite images, indicating that Russia has amassed thousands of troops near the Ukrainian borders.

Earlier, Blinked had slammed Russia for justifying its troop build near Ukrainian borders. He also said that the NATO alliance is prepared to respond forcefully to any Russian aggression.&nbsp;

“It (Moscow) claims that Ukraine is threatening Russia. That Ukraine seeks to provoke a conflict. And that the Russian troop build-up and the tanks and heavy artillery are all purely defensive. That’s like the fox saying it had to attack the henhouse because its occupants somehow pose a threat,” Blinken said.

(With inputs from agencies)

In his latest remarks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Russia had to choose between dialogue and confrontation. While speaking at CNN's "State of the Union" show, he said, "There's a path of dialogue and diplomacy to try to resolve some of these differences and avoid a confrontation.

In his latest remarks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Russia had to choose between dialogue and confrontation. While speaking at CNN's "State of the Union" show, he said, "There's a path of dialogue and diplomacy to try to resolve some of these differences and avoid a confrontation." "The other path is confrontation and massive consequences for Russia if it renews its aggression on Ukraine. We are about to test the proposition about which path President Putin is prepared to take." Speaking about the talks in Geneva, he said that a positive outcome would rely on Russia's readiness to get rid of its aggressive posture. Also read | Ahead of talks on Ukraine, Blinken says NATO prepared to respond to Russian aggression "So if we're actually going to make progress, we're going to have to see de-escalation, Russia pulling back from the threat that it currently poses to Ukraine," he said. US and NATO have repeatedly voiced concerns over Russia’s plan to invade Ukraine, a charge that Kremlin denies. However, there have been various reports, citing satellite images, indicating that Russia has amassed thousands of troops near the Ukrainian borders. Earlier, Blinked had slammed Russia for justifying its troop build near Ukrainian borders. He also said that the NATO alliance is prepared to respond forcefully to any Russian aggression. “It (Moscow) claims that Ukraine is threatening Russia. That Ukraine seeks to provoke a conflict. And that the Russian troop build-up and the tanks and heavy artillery are all purely defensive. That’s like the fox saying it had to attack the henhouse because its occupants somehow pose a threat,” Blinken said. (With inputs from agencies)

Ahead of talks on Ukraine, Blinken warns Russia of confrontation

Russia on Sunday ruled out any concession over Ukraine during talks with the US in Geneva. Tens of thousands of Russian troops continue to be stationed along the Russia-Ukraine border. Russia is facing massive international pressure to pull back troops.

Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian news agencies ahead of his talks in Geneva the Kremlin was also "disappointed" with signals coming from both Washington and Brussels, where NATO and the European Union are based.

"We will not agree to any concession. That is completely excluded," Ryabkov said. "We are disappointed with the signals coming in the last few days from Washington but also from Brussels."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-ready-to-talk-missiles-and-military-exercises-in-ukraine-with-russia-official-443265">US ready to talk missiles and military exercises in Ukraine with Russia: Official</a>

The high-level discussions start a week of diplomacy in which Russia will meet with NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with the US trying to assure European allies they will not be sidelined.

Russia is dead against Ukraine (formerly part of Soviet Russia) joining the NATO while Ukraine is pushing for its inclusion in the grouping. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already made it clear that Ukraine's inclusion in NATO is unacceptable.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/ukraine-is-only-one-small-part-of-putins-plans-443354">Ukraine is only one small part of Putin’s plans</a>

The United States, to be represented by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, agreed to talks even though it made plain that many of Moscow's proposals are non-starters.&nbsp;

Originally scheduled to start on Monday, Sherman is now due to have a working dinner with Ryabkov on Sunday evening, said a State Department spokesperson.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, dismissing Moscow's demands as "gaslighting", has insisted that talks will yield no progress so long as Russia has a "gun to Ukraine's head".

"We're prepared to respond forcefully to further Russian aggression. But a diplomatic solution is still possible and preferable if Russia chooses it," Blinken said on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met his US counterpart Joe Biden in Geneva in June and agreed on regular "stability" talks between Sherman and Ryabkov, who will again lead the Russian delegation.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia on Sunday ruled out any concession over Ukraine during talks with the US in Geneva. Tens of thousands of Russian troops continue to be stationed along the Russia-Ukraine border.

Russia on Sunday ruled out any concession over Ukraine during talks with the US in Geneva. Tens of thousands of Russian troops continue to be stationed along the Russia-Ukraine border. Russia is facing massive international pressure to pull back troops. Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian news agencies ahead of his talks in Geneva the Kremlin was also "disappointed" with signals coming from both Washington and Brussels, where NATO and the European Union are based. "We will not agree to any concession. That is completely excluded," Ryabkov said. "We are disappointed with the signals coming in the last few days from Washington but also from Brussels." Also Read | US ready to talk missiles and military exercises in Ukraine with Russia: Official The high-level discussions start a week of diplomacy in which Russia will meet with NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with the US trying to assure European allies they will not be sidelined. Russia is dead against Ukraine (formerly part of Soviet Russia) joining the NATO while Ukraine is pushing for its inclusion in the grouping. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already made it clear that Ukraine's inclusion in NATO is unacceptable. Also Read | Ukraine is only one small part of Putin’s plans The United States, to be represented by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, agreed to talks even though it made plain that many of Moscow's proposals are non-starters. Originally scheduled to start on Monday, Sherman is now due to have a working dinner with Ryabkov on Sunday evening, said a State Department spokesperson. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, dismissing Moscow's demands as "gaslighting", has insisted that talks will yield no progress so long as Russia has a "gun to Ukraine's head". "We're prepared to respond forcefully to further Russian aggression. But a diplomatic solution is still possible and preferable if Russia chooses it," Blinken said on Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin met his US counterpart Joe Biden in Geneva in June and agreed on regular "stability" talks between Sherman and Ryabkov, who will again lead the Russian delegation. (With inputs from agencies)

No concession over Ukraine in talks with US, says Russia

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

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