The British Foreign Ministry plans to announce new sanctions against Russia on January 31. This is reported by TASS with reference to an unnamed source in the government of the country. The informant added that the UK expects to target Russia’s strategic and financial interests in this way.
It is not yet known whether new sanctions will be imposed immediately or whether the government will adopt a sanctions package that will be introduced in the event of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, it is known that the UK will join the discussions at the UN Security Council in New York on Monday. This will be an attempt to put further pressure on Russia.
Three days ago, Foreign Minister Liz Truss announced the introduction of new sanctions against Russia. She noted that restrictions will be directed against individuals and financial organizations.
Russian border guards detained Ukrainian fishermen in the Black Sea. This was stated by the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova. She appealed to her Russian colleague Tatiana Moskalkova with a request to intervene in the situation and facilitate the release of civilians.
According to Denisova, from the city of Genichsk, Kherson region, two fishermen on the Volga vessel went to sea on January 25, 2022. Ruslan Romanyuta and Ivan Gerasimenko have not returned home yet. According to preliminary information, their ship’s engine failed. Fishermen washed ashore near the town of Shchelkino in the Crimea. There they were detained by Russian border guards. However, there was no official information about this from the border service of the Russian Federation.
The National Police of Ukraine has opened a criminal case under the article “enforced disappearance”.
The head of the political council of the Ukrainian party “Opposition Platform — For Life” Viktor Medvedchuk in his Telegram channel spoke about future reforms in the country.
In his opinion, Ukraine should become a bridge in relations between Russia, the West and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. He is also convinced of the need to come to social democracy through “Scandinavian reforms”.
Medvedchuk condemned “wild capitalism”, which, according to him, is destroying Ukraine right now. The country’s authorities should focus on the development of healthcare, economy, education and provision of pensioners, the politician believes.
Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried answered the question when the next conversation between Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov could take place.
“I expect it to take place next week,” she said on the Dozhd TV channel (recognized in Russia as a foreign agent – Ed.).
Donfried added that this meeting has not been scheduled yet, but Blinken and Lavrov agreed in Geneva that they would continue the conversation after Moscow received a written response from Washington to the proposals on security guarantees.
“They don’t wash, they don’t study, they don’t get treated”
A documentary film “Tragic January” was shown on the Kazakh state channel “Khabar” in the evening. As it was». For the first time, the name of the religious organization whose members took part in the pogroms was mentioned in it. We are talking about the radical cell “Yakyn Inkar”, banned in the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan andTajikistan. In the countries of Central Asia, this radical organization, which is a wing of the Tablighi Jamaat movement (also banned in the Russian Federation and the states of Central Asia) settled since the beginning of 2010. What the followers of the cell are famous for and why they are recognized as an extremist organization, was understood by MK.
Photo: A frame from the video
The Yakyn Inkar movement, the literal translation of the name of which is the Denial of everything except God, was founded in India in 1926. The followers of this trend preach the denial of all the benefits of civilization, calling for the norms of everyday life of the time of the Prophet Muhammad. The members of the cell do not recognize healthcare, do not teach children at school. But this, in fact, is not why this sect is recognized as extremist in many Asian countries. And for the fact that the adherents of this organization categorically deny the right to the existence of other religions, which falls under the definition of religious extremism.
In addition, the followers of the movement do not consider it necessary to comply with the laws of the state. They also urge not to obey the muftis and distort the norms of Islam, which is why it is considered extremist in the Muslim community. As the head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (DUM) of Jalal-Abad region, Abdulaziz azhi Zakirov, said about them: “We are against the actions of those people who call themselves inkar, yakyn and do the wrong things. This is not according to Sharia and not according to the laws. Just lying at home and doing nothing, saying that “God willing” is completely wrong. You need to work hard, try ».
In Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, this movement has long been recognized as extremist, the activity of cells has been banned. But the adherents of “Yakyn inkar” in 2012 managed to gain a foothold in the north of Kyrgyzstan in the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions. Later, the ideas of the organization spread in the Chui, Osh, Jalal-Abad and Batken regions, as well as in the cities of Tokmak, Bishkek, Kant, Kyzyl-Kiye and Osh. At first, people in long Pakistani clothes, with uncut hair and beards,they looked like weirdos. But then, when more and more supporters began to appear and whole families and villages refused to send their children to schools, get passports, use health services and generally make contact with the state, the alarm was sounded in Kyrgyzstan. Moreover, it was from among poorly educated and unemployed youth that recruiters recruited “recruits” to ISIS (an organization banned in the Russian Federation, recognized as a terrorist organization) and other radical movements.
In 2017, the Yakyn Inkar movement was recognized as extremist by the October District Court of Bishkek. After that, detentions of its active members began in the country. In 2017, 32 members of the Yakyn Inkar were detained in the Osh region. There are 16 more people in the next one. Many of them received 3-4 years in prison. Last year the term of their arrest just expired.
After Kyrgyzstan took up the “Inkars”, they tried to move to Kazakhstan. But in the neighboring country, they did not take a closer look at the radicals for five years, as it was in Kyrgyzstan. Already in 2018, the Astana court recognized this organization as extremist, saying that its goal is to create a caliphate in a single country, including on the territory of Kazakhstan, which implies a violent change in the constitutional order, violation of sovereignty.So this radical cell did not receive much distribution in the country, being “strangled in the bud”,
However, religious scholars believe that «Yakyn inkar» cannot be fully considered a terrorist structure, rather – destructive. Because its adherents do not work, have, as a rule, an untidy appearance, have no education and do not recognize secular sciences, do not use transport, do not take money in their hands. “This group has certain signs of fanaticism and contradicts not only the traditional forms of Islam, but also the social order, national traditions andprogress (science, culture). Therefore, by its nature it is not extremist or terrorist, but has a destructive orientation,”the Kyrgyz theologian, expert on religion, director of the analytical center “Religion, Law and Politics” Kadyr Malikov said about them.
All this suggests that the adherents of “Yakyn inkar” could have participated in the riots, but they are definitely not suitable for the role of organizers and “shock forces” for the wrong fighting qualities.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted military exercises in the Kherson region, near the border with Crimea. This is reported by the Ukrainian newspaper “Suspilne”, referring to the Command of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to the publication, artillery firing took place at one of the landfills in the Kherson region. Ukrainian gunners honed their firing skills from Msta-B howitzers. According to the legend of the exercises, the reconnaissance unit found armored vehicles and enemy personnel.
The distance between the enemy and the Ukrainian units was 20 kilometers. Therefore, the APU involved artillery calculations of howitzers “Msta-B”, which worked out shooting at targets.
The North Atlantic Alliance and the Russian Federation need to resume diplomatic contacts. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
As the head of the alliance noted, NATO is ready to “honestly sit down at the negotiating table” with Russia, negotiate on the merits and hear the issues that Moscow is concerned about. The parties can agree, Stoltenberg stressed.
Earlier, NATO countries began to strengthen their military presence in Eastern Europe. The situation around Ukraine is cited as a reason for the build-up of military power on the eastern flank of the alliance: Brussels believes that Russia is preparing aggression against a neighboring country, although Moscow has repeatedly rejected any accusations of aggressive intentions against Kiev.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that the “trigger” of protest actions in the country, which turned into riots, was systemic corruption.
Tokayev said that he had declared a ruthless fight against corruption, and the Nur Otan party of power should be at the forefront of this fight, putting forward appropriate initiatives.
According to Tokayev, quoted by the press service of the head of state on Twitter, it is important to form an absolute rejection of corrupt behavior by citizens in society.
Было бы неплохо, если бы Запад «немного потаскал Украину за ухо» за ненужные провокации, которые устраивает Киев. Об этом изданию Euractive сообщил анонимный источник из НАТО.
Американцы хотят немедленной деэскалации с Россией. Однако ситуация в любой момент может взорваться, даже если Запад поверит Москве, что она не планирует вторжения. Между тем, на Украине есть проблемы с тем, кто находится у власти и теми, кто имеет превосходство в армии.
Представитель страны-участницы НАТО подчеркнул, что за «борьбой двух могучих слонов» внимательно наблюдает Китай. В последние годы он растет не только в экономическом смысле.
Источник допустил, что с течением времени ситуация может стабилизироваться. Но на Украине «некоторые» склонны к излишним провокациям, и Западу неплохо было бы «немного оттаскать их за ухо».
Собеседник издания допустил, что Россия не собирается нападать. Для этого нужны большие силы, нежели те, что консолидированы на границе с Украиной.
«Есть варианты снижения напряженности уже завтра», — сказал источник. Он добавил, что Москва выступает за «политическую горячую линию» для связи между президентом РФ Владимиром Путиным и главой НАТО Йенсом Столтенбергом.
Собеседник издания почеркнул, что НАТО не давала разрешения на поставку оружия на Украину из стран Балтии. Судя по всему, отмашку дал Пентагон.
Читайте также: Лавров сравнил споры России и США с играми в бейсбол и лапту.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke about the return of ethnic Russians from post-Soviet countries. He wished them to stay where they were born.
“It is in the interests of all CIS countries that all citizens of the newly independent states remain where they were born and where they have taken root,” Lavrov told reporters.
At the same time, he stressed that Russians should not be discriminated against in these countries. According to him, he would prefer that Russians “live peacefully and prosper in Kazakhstan and in all other republics”. However, Russia will continue to work to simplify the acquisition of citizenship for those who want to return.
Lavrov also said that it is necessary to increase the use of “soft power” to protect the rights of Russians in other countries. He noted that in post-Soviet countries, the desire to establish their national identity as soon as possible is associated with “excesses”.
