It is day 365 of the war in Ukraine. Follow the latest news about the war and all its aftermath in this live blog.
This is the most important news
- Dutch trade with Russia has shrunk by 40%.
- Biden: No sign that Russia is considering using nuclear weapons
- United Nations calls February 24, 2023 “a sad milestone”
“AIVD warned Baudet about Russian flu”
05:45 | The AIVD warned Forum for Democracy leader Thierry Baudet in 2020 that he and his party were being targeted by Russian spies. According to intelligence services, a woman who was in the party also maintained close contact with the Russian embassy, ​​according to research by de Volkskrant.
After de Volkskrant’s questions, Baudet confirms that around 2020 he had a personal conversation with the top head of the AIVD’s intelligence service, Erik Akerboom, in his office in the House of Representatives. According to the Forum leader, it was a “vague and unreal conversation” in which he was casually referred to possible Russian intelligence operations. “He said: ‘I still want to warn you: you may be approached by Russian agents.'”
Baudet denies that the head of the AIVD warned that people from the FVD were in contact with the Russian authorities. “I didn’t take it that way. If so, it should have been more specific.” The leader of the Forum, who is also president of the party, did not take action after the meeting with the Aivd. According to Baudet, Akerboom’s “commentary remark” cannot even be qualified as a warning.
Sources tell de Volkskrant that during that time the AIVD kept tabs on a young woman who was active in the FVD entourage and who also regularly visited the Russian embassy.
Trade with Russia has significantly decreased
05:30 | The Netherlands sold 38% less to Russia last year, reports the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). After the Russian invasion of Ukraine a year ago, European Union countries introduced numerous export bans. For example, it is forbidden to export semiconductors and other technology to Russia that can be used for military purposes. Despite all the sanctions, the value of Dutch imports from Russia has increased, mainly due to the sharp increase in energy prices.
According to the statistics office, the Netherlands mainly exported fewer semiconductors, cars and other means of transport, machines, household appliances, flowers and plants to Russia. The total value of products still sold to Russia amounted to 3.7 billion euros.
Biden: No sign that Russia is considering using nuclear weapons
04:00 | US President Joe Biden on Wednesday again criticized Russia’s freezing of the New START nuclear disarmament treaty, but stressed that there was no indication that Moscow was getting anywhere near actually using a nuclear weapon.
“It’s a big mistake to do that, not very responsible,” Biden told ABC News in Poland. “But I don’t read that he’s thinking about using nuclear weapons or anything like that.” Biden further noted that he has seen “no evidence” of any change in Moscow’s stance on the use of nuclear weapons.
The New START treaty limits the number of nuclear weapons possessed by the two superpowers. Putin’s announcement was internationally condemned, though the Russian foreign minister later said Moscow would continue to abide by the treaty’s restrictions “responsibly” until it expires in February 2026.
Biden told ABC News he was “confident we would fix this,” without elaborating.
UN: invasion insult to our collective conscience
02:00 | The Russian invasion of Ukraine is an “insult to our collective conscience,” said UN head Antonio Guterres. The secretary-general spoke at the start of a special general assembly of UN member states on the Russian invasion that began a year ago on Friday.
Guterres called the upcoming February 24 “a sad milestone for the Ukrainian people and for the international community”. The General Assembly is considering the possibility of Russia withdrawing its troops and of Ukraine’s borders being respected.
According to insiders, the declaration does not contain any peace proposals, but is largely a reiteration of the position expressed by the majority of the 193 member states in last year’s General Assembly. The so-called resolution, presented by Ukraine and the European Union, is due for a vote on Thursday.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
