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Live Ukraine-Russia war
Germany says decision on tanks to take a month Updated 47 minutes ago
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius speaks to the media during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius speaks at Ramstein Air Base CREDIT: Thomas Lohnes/Getty
KEY MOMENTS
Chosen by us to get you up to speed at a glance
1:58pm
UK vows to aid Ukraine bid for 'criminal accountability' over war
1:44pm
Germany: Wrong' impression that Germany alone is blocking tanks for Ukraine
11:04am
'Never a moment' when Leopard tank delivery was linked to US sending Abrams
10:28am
CIA chief in dash to Kyiv to relay Russian military secrets to Zelensky
10:20am
Ukraine says detained seven 'Russian agents'
Germany has dashed hopes for a quick delivery of tanks to Ukraine by saying the decision could take "a month."
Boris Pistorius, the defence minister, said that allies had discussed the subject at the meeting of defence ministers at Ramstein airbase.
He said there were "good reasons for, good against" and said a decision could be "made in a week, in a month, or in a day."
The newly appointed minister said he had ordered the defence ministry to audit the stocks of Leopard tanks.
It was unclear if Berlin would agree to allow other nations to press ahead by granting them export licenses for the Leopard II's in their arsenal.
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Maighna Nanu
3:43PM
Poland: No deal on tanks for Ukraine, but hope remains
No decision on supplying Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine was reached at a meeting of allies at Germany's Ramstein Air Base, but Poland's defence minister said he remained optimistic that efforts to provide them would end in success.
"Hope comes from the fact that...defence ministers of 15 countries met on the sidelines of today's conference and we talked about this topic," Mariusz Blaszczak told reporters in Ramstein. "I am convinced that coalition building will end in success."
2:50PM
Fund BBC World Service or risk losing 'information Cold War' to Russia and China, government told
The Government must take back responsibility for funding the World Service, the BBC has said, or risk losing the “information Cold War” to Russia and China.
Richard Sharp, the BBC chairman, warned that the service is in jeopardy without a substantial increase in funding, but this cannot be met by the corporation.
“Our commitment has to be to deliver maximum possible value for the licence fee. So we have to ask ourselves how far it is appropriate for audiences in Leicester to continue to pick up the tab for services in Lagos,” Mr Sharp said.
Read more on the story from Anita Singh here
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2:32PM
Watch: Leopard 2 explainer
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2:15PM
Estonia thinks Berlin will announce decision in "coming days"
Estonia's defence minister has said he believes Germany will allow other countries to send their Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.
Hanno Pevkur, who is attending a meeting of military donor nations at the US air base in Ramstein, Germany, said he believes Berlin will announce its decision in the "coming days".
"I am more than sure that Germany will not stop any other country who is ready to contribute with the tanks that they (Germany) have to approve," Mr Pevkur told BBC Radio 4's The World At One.
"Either today or in coming days, this is something I fully believe Germany will not stop (other countries) sending Leopards to Ukraine."
1:58PM
UK vows to aid Ukraine bid for 'criminal accountability' over war
The UK vowed to help Ukraine "pursue criminal accountability for Russia's illegal invasion", as international support grows for a special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly branded Moscow's renewed military assault on its neighbour, launched last February, "an outrageous violation of the rules-based international order".
He said London had accepted an invitation from Kyiv to join "a core group of like-minded partners" seeking legal accountability, with a new "hybrid" tribunal among the potential options to be assessed.
"Alongside other international partners invited by Ukraine, the UK will shape thinking on how to ensure criminal accountability for Russia's aggression against Ukraine," his department said.
"This includes assessing the feasibility of a new 'hybrid' tribunal".
1:44PM
Germany: Wrong' impression that Germany alone is blocking tanks for Ukraine
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that Berlin was not isolated among allies in preventing the delivery to Ukraine of Western-made battle tanks, which are highly sought after by Kyiv.
The impression that "there is a united coalition and that Germany is standing in the way is wrong," Pistorius said, adding that "there are many allies who say we share the view that I have put forward here".
"There are good reasons for the delivery and there are good reasons against it," he added on the sidelines of a meeting at the Ramstein US air base on coordinating military aid to Ukraine.
1:57PM
Ukraine in pictures
A Ukrainian military medic treats a slightly wounded Ukrainian soldier in stabilization unit near the front line in Donetsk
A Ukrainian military medic treats a slightly wounded Ukrainian soldier in stabilization unit near the front line in Donetsk CREDIT: IHOR TKACHOV/AFP
Ukrainian servicemen attend a joint drills of armed forces, national guards, border guards and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) at the border with Belarus
Ukrainian servicemen attend a joint drills of armed forces, national guards, border guards and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) at the border with Belarus CREDIT: GLEB GARANICH/Reuters
People pay their respects at the scene where a helicopter crashed into civil infrastructure on Wednesday, in Brovary
People pay their respects at the scene where a helicopter crashed into civil infrastructure on Wednesday, in Brovary CREDIT: Daniel Cole/AP
1:29PM
No decision yet on Germany sending tanks to Ukraine
No decision has yet been reached on whether to deliver powerful Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, Germany's defence minister said Friday at a major donor meeting.
"Today, we still cannot say when a decision will be taken, and what the decision will be, when it comes to the Leopard tank," Boris Pistorius said during the US-hosted conference in Germany.
1:06PM
Macron proposes big hike in military spending for 2024-2030
French President Emmanuel Macron proposed boosting military spending by over a quarter in coming years, saying the hike would help ensure a transformation of the army to respond to multiple potential threats.
The planned 2024-2030 budget would enable a "transformation" programme to adapt the military to the possibility of high-intensity conflicts, made all the more urgent since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Macron said.
The budget for the period will stand at 413 billion euros ($446.99 billion), up from 295 billion euros in 2019-2025, Macron said in a New Year address to the army. This would imply on average a 28.5 per cent increase in the annual military budget from 49.2 billion euros to 68.8 billion.
"France has and will have armies ready for the challenges of the century," said Macron, speaking at the Mont-de-Marsan air base in southwestern France. He added France would invest massively in drones and military intelligence and said he was asking the military to pivot towards a strategy of high-intensity conflict.
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1:04PM
Zelensky: 'Time must become our common weapon'
12:42PM
German intelligence reportedly alarmed by Ukrainian losses in Bakhmut
Germany's foreign intelligence service is alarmed by losses the Ukrainian army is suffering in fighting against Russian forces in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Friday.
The Ukrainian army is losing a three-digit number of soldiers every day, the BND intelligence service told a group of Bundestag lawmakers who focus on security at a secret meeting this week, Spiegel said, citing information it had received.
The BND warned that the capture of Bakhmut by Russian forces would have significant consequences, as it would allow Russia to make further advances. It also said the Russian army was using its own soldiers like cannon fodder in Bakhmut, Spiegel added.
Russian proxy forces in eastern Ukraine said on Friday that Russian forces had taken control of Klishchiivka, a small settlement south of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
12:22PM
Borrell: Europe prepared to provide heavy tanks to Ukraine
European countries are prepared to send heavy tanks to Ukraine, the bloc's chief diplomat said on Friday, adding he hoped the decision to send them will be made.
"I think Ukraine needs the combat arms and heavy tanks that it has asked for and some European countries are prepared to give and I hope that is the decision that is taken," Josep Borrell told reporters in Madrid.
12:16PM
Ukraine can win the war if the West delivers tanks, Zelensky adviser says
Ukraine can win the war this year if the West delivers modern battle tanks and long range precision missiles, its government believes, writes Roland Oliphant.
Mikhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky, told the Telegraph he believed Western governments would overcome Berlin's reluctance to deliver main battle tanks and that German Leopard IIs and British Challenger II s could be in battle "by Spring."
Asked if Ukraine could win the war this year, he said: "Yes."
"I'd refer you to Mr Budanov's comments, since he spends more time analysing balances of forces and Russia's reserves," he said, referring to the head of Ukraine's military intelligence. "We definitely think by Spring we will have enough equipment to effectively unblock all our territory. That means liberation."
Praising commitments by Western countries to supply artillery and armoured personnel carriers, he said: "There are two main elements still needed: the first are heavy western tanks that can break the deadlock," he said.
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12:13PM
Pictured: Ukrainian defence minister attends a meeting at Ramstein
Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov attends the meeting of the 'Ukraine Defense Contact Group' at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein
Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov attends the meeting of the 'Ukraine Defense Contact Group' at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein CREDIT: Michael Probst/AP
11:39AM
BBC: 900 soldiers have deserted Russian army since war began
At least 900 soldiers have deserted from the Russian army since it invaded Ukraine in February, the BBC’s Russian service has reported using court data, writes James Kilner.
The BBC investigation reflected anecdotal insight which suggests that hundreds of fed-up and scared Russian soldiers were fleeing their units.
Officially, the Russian court data registered 900 cases of soldiers “leaving their units without authorisation”.
Tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine and regular army units have been broken, forcing the Kremlin to mobilise 320,000 men to plug frontline gaps.
11:24AM
UK joins international push to hold Russia accountable for Ukraine invasion
Britain said it had joined a group of international partners pursuing criminal accountability for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The government said in a statement it had been invited by Ukraine to join the group and encouraged other G7 nations to also take part.
"These atrocities must not go unpunished," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, citing the deaths of soldiers and civilians and the displacement of millions of Ukrainians.
"That’s why the UK has accepted Ukraine’s invitation to join this coalition, bringing our legal expertise to the table to explore options to ensure Russia’s leaders are held to account fully for their actions.”
Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation", has denied targeting civilians and other war crimes.
11:04AM
'Never a moment' when Leopard tank delivery was linked to US sending Abrams
A German government spokesman said that there was "never a moment" when the delivery of Leopard tanks was linked with the delivery of Abrams tanks.
Germany faces mounting pressure to supply battle tanks to Kyiv
Germany faces mounting pressure to supply battle tanks to Kyiv CREDIT: Michael Sohn/AP
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10:52AM
US officials said its 'silly' for Germany to demand American tanks first
US officials have said it is "silly" for Germany to demand American tanks first.
Senior officials expressed their frustration with German officials to CNN over the German request for American tanks alongside German ones.
“It’s silly,” a senior administration official said of the German request for American tanks alongside German ones. “It’s as if they think they’re the same and they’re not. It doesn’t feel like they understand the difference.”
Last night US officials familiar with the situation told CNN the tank question was still undecided ahead of today's Ramstein meeting, and that it would be surprising if Germany changed its mind.
10:29AM
First UN humanitarian convoy reaches Soledar area in Ukraine
The United Nations said Friday that its first humanitarian convoy had reached the area around war-scarred Soledar in eastern Ukraine.
"This is the first inter-agency convoy to reach this area since the war began," UN humanitarian agency spokesman Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva.
10:28AM
CIA chief in dash to Kyiv to relay Russian military secrets to Zelensky
The head of the CIA secretly travelled to Ukraine for a top-secret meeting with President Zelensky to share intelligence on Russia's military plans.
William Burns met with the Ukrainian president in Kyiv where they spoke about Russia's upcoming manoeuvres in the next phase of the war, sources told the Washington Post.
It came as the US announced a new $2.5 billion military package, including hundreds of armoured vehicles and support for Ukraine's air defence.
10:20AM
Ukraine says detained seven 'Russian agents'
Ukraine said it had detained seven "Russian agents" suspected of handing coordinates to Moscow's forces to carry out strikes in the eastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, where dozens of civilians were recently killed in a missile attack.
"The detainees gave the Russians the coordinates of critical infrastructure facilities," Ukraine's security services said in a statement. "Information about the possible involvement of the detainees in the Russian missile attack on a residential building in Dnipro on January 14, 2023 is currently being checked."
10:09AM
Kremlin: Western tanks will change 'nothing' on battlefield
The Kremlin warned Friday that Western tanks will make little difference on the ground in Ukraine as Western powers gathered to discuss a new package of military aid for Kyiv.
"One should not exaggerate the importance of such supplies in terms of the ability to change something," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"This will add problems for Ukraine, but this will change nothing in terms of the Russian side advancing on the path to achieving its goals."
10:01AM
Zelensky: Hundreds of thank yous are not hundreds of tanks
President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged western allies to speed up delivery of military assistance, including badly needed heavy armour, to Ukraine in his country's struggle against the Russian invader.
In a remote address to defence ministers and military chiefs gathered at the US air base in Ramstein, Germany, Mr Zelensky thanked them for their previous support and urged them to make Friday's event a "Ramstein of tanks".
"I can thank you hundreds of times but hundreds of thank yous are not hundreds of tanks," he said.
"We have to speed up. Time must become our weapon, just like air defence and artillery, armoured vehicles and tanks which we are negotiating about with you and which will actually make a victory.
"The Kremlin must lose. You can start this policy today. It is in your power to make a Ramstein of tanks. Not to bargain about different numbers of tanks but to open (the) principle (of) supply that will stop Russian evil.
"It is in your power to make victory. Make your decisions hit accurately."
10:00AM
Putin's Russia faces 'incredible poverty', warns ex-IMF chief
Russia's people face "incredible poverty" following Western sanctions in response to Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine according to the former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund.
Harvard professor Kenneth Rogoff said the country is headed towards being a new Cuba, Venezuela or "a giant Iran".
Mr Rogoff also said the West needs to think about imposing secondary sanctions on the Kremlin.
He said: "If Russia escalates, what are we doing? We need to be ready. They need to know that is coming."
In all 39 countries are imposing sanctions on Russia, with the country also facing a cap on the price of its oil from the G7 nations and the EU.
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9:40AM
'History is watching us': US calls on allies to "dig deeper" in support for Ukraine
Western allies need to "dig even deeper" to support Ukraine with military aid at a crucial time in its battle against Russia, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a major donor meeting on Friday.
"We need to dig even deeper. This is a decisive moment for Ukraine," Austin said at the talks at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany. "The Ukrainian people are watching us, the Kremlin is watching us, and history is watching us," he said.
It comes after the US announced a new $2.5 billion military package, including hundreds of armoured vehicles and support for Ukraine's air defence.
Ukrainian President Zelensky said his government was expecting "strong decisions" from defence leaders of Nato and other countries meeting today to discuss boosting Ukraine's ability to confront Russian forces with modern battle tanks.
9:22AM
Ukraine-Russia in pictures
Emergency service workers rescue a dog from the rubble of a house after shelling
Emergency service workers rescue a dog from the rubble of a house after shelling CREDIT: Anadolu Agency/Anadolu
A relative looks at the site of a helicopter crash in the town of Brovary
A relative looks at the site of a helicopter crash in the town of Brovary CREDIT: NACHO DOCE/REUTERS
Britain's armoured vehicles prepare to move at the Tapa Military Camp, in Estonia
Britain's armoured vehicles prepare to move at the Tapa Military Camp, in Estonia CREDIT: Pavel Golovkin/AP
9:14AM
Germany must send Ukraine its armour
A constant complaint of successive American presidents has been the refusal of European countries to take greater responsibility for their own defence.
For years, Washington has tried to push military spending up in Europe to the Nato minimum only to meet resistance, often from the continent’s wealthiest countries.
There is no more egregious an example than Germany’s refusal to allow their Leopard tanks to be sent to Ukraine until the Americans do likewise.
Read The Telegraph's view on why Germany must send Ukraine its armour
8:49AM
Israel's foreign minister reportedly accepts invitation to visit Kyiv
Israel's foreign minister has reportedly accepted an invitation to visit Kyiv, in what would be the most high-profile visit from an Israeli politician since the invasion, writes James Rothwell, in Jerusalem.
Israel-Ukraine relations are tense due to the former refusing to provide Kyiv with air defence support against Iranian-made drone and missile strikes on civilians throughout the country.
Israel is reluctant to provide the support as it fears angering Russia, which largely controls Syrian airspace where the Israeli military carries out frequent air raids.
However, the decision of Iran, Israel's arch foe in the Middle East, to arm Russian invaders could force the Israeli government to shift its position.
Israel's foreign ministry has not confirmed when the visit will take place or whether it has any specific goal.
Israeli officials appear to be concerned about recent media reports claiming that the country's new government is preparing to adopt a more overtly pro-Russian stance on the war, which it denies is the case.
8:33AM
Zelensky thanks US for 'powerful' $2.5 bn defence package
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Washington for a massive new package of arms and munitions for Kyiv with Western allies set to discuss further military aid to the war-torn country.
The Ukrainian leader hailed the Stryker armoured personnel carriers, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and Avenger air defence systems included in the package as an "important help in our fight against the aggressor".
8:14AM
Chef hospitalised by Wagner boss after beating over stale tomatoes
The head of Russia’s Wagner group put a chef in hospital for two months after beating him for serving stale tomatoes, an investigation has claimed.
A witness told a French magazine that Yevgeny Prigozhin, sometimes dubbed “Putin’s chef” for his previous role catering for the Russian president, assaulted a chef after a complaint from a customer at one of his eateries about the quality of the food.
The 40-year-old ex-employee of Mr Prigozhin’s Concord Catering told Society that when a guest returned a dish because the tomatoes were not fresh “the chef was taken to the cellar and beaten to the point of being hospitalised for two months”.
Read more from Henry Samuel here
8:10AM
Macron floats new military spending plan amid Ukraine war
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to unveil his vision Friday for modernising the military in his nuclear-armed country, taking into account the impact of the war in Ukraine and evolving threats around the world.
The plan is expected to include higher military spending in line with Nato expectations that members spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence.
Macron will present the outlines of a future military spending plan for 2024-2030 meant to take into account the consequences of the war in Ukraine, and to boost defense spending in the coming years to reinforce France's domestic security and the country's ability to operate abroad.
Macron is laying out the plan in a new year's speech to civilian and military staff at the Mont-de-Marsan air base in southern France. He wants France's military strategy to strengthen the country's role as an independent global power.
8:09AM
Poland heaps pressure on Germany to send tanks to front line
Poland is ready to take "non-standard" action if Germany opposes sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski told private radio RMF FM on Friday.
Asked whether sending tanks to Ukraine would be possible even with Germany opposition, Jablonski said, "I think that if there is strong resistance, we will be ready to take even such non-standard action ... but let's not anticipate the facts."
It comes after Nato allies warned that Germany must drop its opposition to sending tanks to Ukraine or Vladimir Putin’s forces could gain the upper hand in the war.
Last night Britain and the US were at the forefront of an international pressure campaign calling on Berlin, which holds the export licence for Leopard II tanks, to send them to Ukraine and allow other nations to do so.
8:04AM
Finland promises $400 million euros of new military aid to Ukraine
Finland announced a new donation of 400 million euros ($434 million) worth of defence equipment for Ukraine.
The new donation would triple the total value of Finland's defence aid to Ukraine, bringing the total so far to 590 million euros, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. A ministry spokesperson said the package does not include Leopard 2 tanks. ($1 = 0.9227 euros)
7:41AM
Why Olaf Scholz holds the future of the Ukraine conflict in his hands
Friday’s Ramstein meeting of Ukraine and its allies will discuss the hardware of war.
There will be pledges of howitzers and personnel carriers, air defences and mortar radars, ammunition consumption and rocket-propelled logistics chains. Everything that Kyiv needs to continue its resistance against Russia’s invasion.
But one question will loom above all others. Will Germany agree to send Leopard II tanks? Or at least allow other allies to re-export theirs?
Read more from Roland Oliphant in Kyiv here
7:39AM
Latest MoD update
7:38AM
Good Morning
Good morning and welcome to today's Ukraine liveblog.
We will be guiding you through all of today's latest developments.
Related Topics
Russia-Ukraine invasion live, Russia-Ukraine war, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)
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