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Saudi Arabia relations  

The rift between the Gulf states puts pressure on the price of oil  

A rift has emerged between the Arab world's largest economies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to sources to the Wall Street Journal. The news sent oil prices back on Friday afternoon.  

The reasons are several. Among other things, it is about both seeking influence over war-torn Yemen and that both oil countries are thirsty for foreign investment, within the framework of their respective economic changes.  

The disagreement has recently become noticeable in the public domain. The countries' leaders have on each occasion been absent from international events.  

Last year's peace prize winner Ales Byaljatski. Vitaly Pivovarchyk / AP  

Nobel laureate Byalyatsky is sentenced to prison in Belarus  

Last year's peace prize winner Ales Byalyatski is sentenced to ten years in prison by a Belarusian court, according to Russian media according to Reuters.  

Byalyatski and two of his associates were indicted for having smuggled money into Belarus and for having financed demonstrations, writes NTB. He has always maintained his innocence and believes that he was prosecuted for political reasons.  

The 60-year-old and civil rights activist was one of the most prominent figures arrested during the wave of anti-regime protests in the summer of 2020.  

Byalyatski was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together with the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties.

Ursula von der Leyen in Great Britain, file photo. Kin Cheung / AP

 

Russian invasion China's role 

Joe Biden is visited by von der Leyen - China on the agenda  

 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is traveling to Washington for a meeting with President Joe Biden next week, several media reports. Among other things, they will discuss investments in green transition and the war in Ukraine. 

 

According to Politico, China's attitude to the Russian invasion is expected to become a topic of conversation, shortly after the United States warned that China may be on the way to supplying Russia with weapons. 

 

Reports suggest that the US is urging allies to prepare sanctions that could be imposed quickly in such cases.  

 

Wagner director Yevgeny Prigozhin in new video/Bachmut. TT  

The Russian InvasionThe Battles  

The Wagner boss: Bachmut is practically surrounded  

The head of the paramilitary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, calls on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to order a retreat in Bakhmut in a video, writes The Guardian. The Wagner boss claims that the city, located in eastern Ukraine, is "practically surrounded" and that there is only one road to the city. 

At the same time, the American think tank ISW writes that Russian forces seem to have reduced efforts to encircle Bachmut from the southwest and northeast. Instead, Russia appears to be emphasizing the northeastern offensive, in an attempt to push out the Ukrainian forces.  

The Ukrainian military has recently said that the situation around the city is becoming increasingly difficult. But yesterday, Ukraine announced that it does not intend to retreat, among other things, because it wants to inflict damage on the Russian troops. 

Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut, February 12. Libkos / AP  

Expert: Ukraine may be forced to give Putin a symbolic victory  

The city of Bachmut has for both Russia and Ukraine a symbolic value rather than a strategic one. This is what military analyst Sean Bell says in Sky News.  

Ukraine has indicated that it will likely be forced to withdraw sooner or later, and there are two factors that are being weighed, Bell says. Either Ukrainian forces leave the city and hand Vladimir Putin a victory, or they fight to defend it.  

If Ukraine chooses the latter, and is then surrounded by Russian forces, it risks losing very experienced soldiers. Bell also says that Russia is advancing slowly, but that it is happening at a very high price.  

image from the exile group's video. TT/Screenshot  

The Russian InvasionThe Battles  

Russian right-wing extremists take on "attack" on Russian village 

 

The Russian exile group Russian Volunteer Corps claimed on Thursday that it had taken control of a village in Bryansk, Russia, several media reports. The group is led by a known Russian Nazi who is against Vladimir Putin's rule, writes the Financial Times. 

 

Yesterday, the Russian government stated that a terrorist attack took place in Bryansk. It was claimed that two civilians were killed, reports that have not been confirmed.  

 

Later on Thursday, the Russian Volunteer Corps published a video post claiming to have crossed the border into Russia. Russian citizens were also urged to "fight the regime".  

 

A spokesperson for the Ukrainian military told the Financial Times that the incident is an "internal Russian conflict" and that the group is not part of Ukraine's armed forces.