Minsk

Looks like Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to involve Belarus in his war against Ukraine.

"Words about NATO being a defense alliance are ridiculous, to claim such nonsense is even shameful," Lavrov said in Minsk, addressing students and teachers of the Belarusian State University and other higher education institutions, reports RIA Novosti.

In June, eight parties received enough support from voters to enter parliament, and in three of them, those who sympathize with Bulgaria's alliance with Russia and Belarus outnumber those who support the European Union and NATO. In just one of them, more than half are about to turn to Moscow and Minsk, which together attacked Ukraine four months ago.

At a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not discuss the handover of missiles with nuclear weapons to Minsk.
These are systems that are technically capable of carrying various types of weapons, said the spokesman of the Russian leader, Dmitry Peskov.

Lavrov added that he would gladly accept the invitation of the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, to gather for talks on the territory of Belarus.
"I do not see any possibility for Ukraine to make any proposals, but we will not propose anything either. We presented our proposals a long time ago. Now the ball is on their side," Lavrov said.

Angela Merkel said that while she was Chancellor of Germany she made serious efforts to prevent the situation in Ukraine from developing to its current state and said that she does not blame herself of not trying decisively enough to thwart what was happening, Reuters reported.

Angela Merkel defended her approach to Ukraine and Russia during her 16 years as Germany's leader, saying Tuesday that a much criticized 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine bought Kiev precious time and she won't apologize for her diplomatic efforts.

The Moldovan Border Police detained lawmaker Yevhen Yakovenko, 57, from Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region on Sunday evening and placed him in pre-trial detention in Chisinau.

Interpol issued an international 'red notice' for Yakovenko's arrest at the request of the Belarusian authorities.

Ljubljana – Defence expert Vladimir Prebilič has assessed for the STA that the continuation of the war in Ukraine constitutes a failure of diplomacy, while noting that the pressure from Kyiv on the EU and NATO to provide aid is not productive. He believes that the aid received by Ukraine in the current form is unsustainable in the long run.

A rocket attack on the Training Center of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Chernihiv region killed 87 people, said the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking in Davos.
The mobilized forces of the territorial defense of Ukraine were trained in that center.