‘Humiliated’ Putin ‘could go extreme’ after Kherson defeat

Jump to contentSign up to our newslettersSubscribeNewsSportsVoicesCultureLifestyleTravelPremiumCloseZelenskyy hails freedom in Russian-free region of Kherson.mp4 Russian president Vladimir Putin could ‘raise the stakes’ after his latest embarassing defeat in Kherson as Ukraine prepares for victory, the chair of the UK defence select committee has said.In an interview with Sky’s Kay Burley, Tobias Ellwood, who is currently in Odesa, said: ‘Putin is now humiliated. And there’s huge concern that he’s going to go more extreme. He’s going to find more imaginative ways to raise the stakes.’The Conservative MP for Bournemouth East added that Russia has started to ‘regroup’ on the other side of the Dnipro River. The UK defence ministry also stated that Moscow has made the Azov Sea port town of Henichesk a ‘temporary capital’ of the occupied region.His comments come as Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said today his country will have to fight ‘a little longer’ to secure victory against Russia’s invasion. He also called for a clear exit of Russia from Ukraine, by withdrawing all its troops and armed formations, to bring about the end of the war.1668504042France’s presidency said on Tuesday that it was crucial Paris and Beijing cooperated more closely to overcome the consequences of the war in Ukraine after Emmanuel Macron met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit in Indonesia. France, along with its Western partners, has tried for several months to persuade countries that have not openly criticised Russia for its invasion of Ukraine to take a tougher stance and encourage Russia to change course. Paris has in particular hoped that China would apply the necessary pressure on President Vladimir Putin, although there has been little sign of a change in the Chinese position. ‘The president expressed his deep concern over the choice made by Russia to continue this war in Ukraine,’ the French presidency said in a statement after Macron and Xi met at the G20 leaders’ summit. ‘The consequences of this conflict go beyond Europe’s borders and should be overcome with close cooperation between France and China,’ it said. Macron’s office said the two leaders had agreed it was urgent to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine and reaffirmed their position on preventing the use of nuclear weapons. However, a Chinese summary of the talks made no mention of Ukraine until the final paragraph. It focused more on respecting each other’s core interests and a call for France to provide a fairer, more just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies in France. ‘President Xi made the point that China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is clear and consistent; China stands for ceasefire, cessation of the conflict and peace talks,’ the Chinese statement said, adding that China would continue to work in its way to play a constructive role.Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 November 2022 09:201668502381India’s prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged a return to diplomacy to end the Russia-Ukraine war, reiterating the South Asian nation’s call for peace in the ongoing conflict.India has not condemned Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, but Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin in September that ‘today’s era is not an era of war’.’I have repeatedly said that we have to find a way to return to the path of ceasefire and diplomacy in Ukraine,’ Modi said in his opening remarks at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Bali, Indonesia.’The need of the hour is to show concrete and collective resolve to ensure peace, harmony and security in the world.’The summit marks the first time G20 leaders are meeting since Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow describes as a ‘special military operation’.There should be no restrictions on energy supplies and stability in the energy market should be ensured, Modi said.’India’s energy security is also important for global growth,’ said Modi, according to a statement released by the Indian foreign ministry.’Today’s fertiliser shortage is tomorrow’s food crisis, for which the world will not have a solution. We should make a mutual agreement to keep the supply chain of both fertilizers and food grains stable and assured,’ Modi also said.Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 November 2022 08:531668501605Prime minister Rishi Sunak today extended his support for Ukraine at the G20 summit while confirming a long-planned order for warships from BAE Systems .Russian president Vladimir Putin’s regime would hear the chorus of global opposition to its actions, Sunak said’Russia’s actions put all of us at risk,’ he said at the summit in Bali, Indonesia. ‘As we give the Ukrainian people the support they need, we are also harnessing the breadth and depth of UK expertise to protect ourselves and our allies.’Sunak also announced a 4.2 billion pound ($4.94 billion) contract to BAE Systems to build five ships for the Royal Navy, a government statement said.This contract, in addition to the three ships already under construction, comes as the next phase in the Type 26 frigate programme and all the eight of the Type 26 frigates are expected to be completed by the mid-2030s, the statement said.The British government has planned to build a total of eight Type 26s since 2015, when it cut the programme from 13 ships.Ships of the class will be advanced warships to be used in anti-submarine warfare to protect the British nuclear deterrent at sea, according to the government.The prime minister and fellow leaders would stress at this week’s meeting that Russia’s role in the international system would never be normalised while the war in Ukraine continued, the statement added.Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 November 2022 08:401668500705Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov will meet with White House officials on Tuesday to discuss the treatment of Russians who are in US prisons, the Russian embassy said on Tuesday.’It seems to me that the American authorities could do more, at least help people who find themselves in such difficult conditions, both with food and medical care,’ Antonov was cited as saying on the embassy’s Telegram messaging app.On Monday, US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns met with Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service, to discuss, among others, the issue of U.S. prisoners in Russia.The Russian embassy said that Antonov will ‘raise the issue of softening the conditions of detention of Russians in U.S. prisons’ at his meeting at the White House.The embassy also said that Antonov visited Roman Seleznev, the son of Russian lawmaker Valery Seleznev, who was sentenced in 2017 to 27 years in prison for his role in a cyber assault.Antonov called Seleznev’s prison conditions in North Carolina ‘unacceptable’ and said the embassy will demand Seleznev is transferred to a penitentiary with better care.’Roman’s (Seleznev’s) illnesses from being in jail have only gotten worse,’ Antonov said.Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 November 2022 08:251668499805Leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) nations opened talks on Tuesday on the island of Bali, with a plea by host Indonesia for unity and concrete action to mend the global economy despite deep rifts over the war in Ukraine.’We have no other option, collaboration is needed to save the world,’ Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in opening remarks, before the leaders of the world’s wealthiest nations began closed-door discussions.’G20 must be the catalyst for inclusive economic recovery. We should not divide the world into parts. We must not allow the world to fall into another cold war.’The G20, which includes countries ranging from Brazil to India, Saudi Arabia and Germany, accounts for more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product, 75% of international trade and 60% of its population.A positive sign on the eve of the summit was a three-hour bilateral meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in which the two leaders pledged more frequent communications despite many differences.Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 November 2022 08:101668498971Russian president Vladimir Putin could ‘raise the stakes’ after his latest embarassing defeat in Kherson as Ukraine prepares for victory, the chair of the UK defence select committee has said. In an interview with Sky’s Kay Burley, Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative MP for Bournemouth East, who is currently in Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa, said: ‘Putin is now humiliated. And there’s huge concern that he’s going to go more extreme. He’s going to find more imaginative ways to raise the stakes.’He added that Russia has started to ‘regroup’ on the other side of the Dnipro River.Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 November 2022 07:561668498905Russian forces who destroyed much of the Ukrainian city of Kherson have not killed off the faith that better things will come, some residents said as they gathered at a demolished television tower.Russia pulled all its troops out of a pocket on the west bank of the Dnipro River in Ukraine last week, which included Kherson city, the only regional capital it had captured since the February invasion.On Monday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kherson, the biggest prize Ukrainian troops have recaptured so far, vowing to press on until Kyiv reclaims control of all its occupied territory.Media in the southern city reported that Russian troops while retreating had blown up part of a television broadcasting centre and damaged heating and power infrastructure.’It is painful to watch how the city was being destroyed in front of our eyes,’ said resident Tetiana, who declined to give her last name.’It looks as if a dinosaur is on the ground,’ she said of the collapsed television tower that had been a city landmark.’I feel sorry for it. But the faith anyway remains.’Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 November 2022 07:551668498005The UK ministry of defence stated that following the withdrawal of troops from Kherson city, Russia has made the Azov Sea port town of Henichesk a ‘temporary capital’ of the occupied region. Russia will likely also redeploy military command units to the Henichesk area, the update added. Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 November 2022 07:401668497240Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement that there will be no ‘Minsk 3’ deal to end the fighting in Ukraine confirms that Kyiv is not interested in holding peace talks with Moscow, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 November 2022 07:271668495262The Russian military has now moved its regional headquarters from Kherson to a port town on the Azov Sea port town and is taking shelter there after completing the withdrawal of its forces over the weekend, according to the UK’s MoD.’With the abandonment of Kherson city, Russia has made the Azov Sea port town of Henichesk a ‘temporary capital’ of the occupied region. Russia will likely also redeploy military command units to the Henichesk area,’ the ministry said.It added that the choice of this area as a command node by the Kremlin ‘hints at the priorities and concerns of Russian commanders as they consolidate their defences in southern Ukraine’.’It is well positioned to coordinate action against potential Ukrainian threats from both Kherson city in the west, or via Melitopol to the north-east, and to receive reinforcements from Crimea,’ the MoD said.’Above all, it is currently out of range of Ukrainian artillery systems which have inflicted heavy damage on Russian field command posts,’ it added.Arpan Rai15 November 2022 06:54Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inRegistration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inUkraineRussiaKhersonVladimir PutinVolodymyr ZelenskyG20Volodymyr Zelensky makes a surprise visit to Kherson in Kherson, UkraineGetty ImagesPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in