Page 29 - bon-dia-aruba-20220121

A29
world news Diabierna 21 Januari 2022

Russia announces sweeping naval drills amid Ukraine tensions

(AP) — Russia on Thurs- en visited Ukraine Wednes- of separatist-held areas in the
day announced sweeping day to reassure it of Western country’s eastern industrial
naval drills in several parts support and met with his heartland.
of the world this month, British, French and German
and claimed the West is counterparts in Berlin on Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
plotting “provocations” Thursday to discuss Ukraine Peskov said the U.S. threat
in neighboring Ukraine and other security matters. to cut off Russia from the
where the Kremlin has Blinken is set to meet Rus- global banking system could
been accused of planning sian Foreign Minister Sergey encourage hawkish forces
aggressive military action. Lavrov in Geneva on Friday. in Ukraine to use force to
reclaim control of the rebel
Amid a buildup of an es- Russian Foreign Ministry east.
timated 100,000 Russian spokeswoman Maria Zakha-
troops near the border with rova alleged that Ukrainian “It may implant false hopes
Ukraine and massive joint and Western claims of an in the hotheads of some rep-
war games with Belarus, the imminent Russian attack on resentatives of the Ukrainian
Defense Ministry said it will Ukraine were a “cover for leadership who may decide
also conduct maneuvers in- staging large-scale provoca- to quietly restart a civil war in
volving the bulk of Russia’s tions of their own, including their country,” Peskov said in
naval potential. those of military character.” a conference call with report-
ers.
“The drills are intended to “They may have extremely
practice navy and air force tragic consequences for the In a move that further beefs
action to protect Russian na- regional and global security,” up forces near Ukraine, Rus-
tional interests in the world’s Zakharova said. sia has sent an unspecified
oceans and to counter mili- number of troops from its far
tary threats to the Russian She pointed to the delivery of east to its ally Belarus, which
Federation,” the ministry weapons to Ukraine by Brit- shares a border with Ukraine,
said, adding that they will ish military transport planes for major war games that run
start this month and run in recent days, claiming that through Feb. 20. Ukrainian
through February. Ukraine perceives Western officials have said Moscow
military assistance as a “carte could use Belarusian territory
It said the exercise will in- blanche for a military opera- to launch a potential multi-
volve over 140 warships and clude NATO’s expansion to tion in Donbas.” pronged invasion.
more than 60 aircraft, and U.S. President Joe Biden said Ukraine and other ex-Soviet
will be conducted in both lit- Wednesday he thinks Rus- nations and the deployment Donbas, located in eastern The head of the European
toral waters and more distant sia will invade Ukraine and of alliance weapons there. Ukraine, is under control Union’s executive arm, Eu-
“operationally important” warned President Vladimir of Russia-backed separatists ropean Commission Presi-
areas including the Mediter- Putin that his country would Washington and its allies who have fought Ukrainian dent Ursula von der Leyen
ranean, northeastern Atlantic pay a “dear price” in lives lost firmly rejected Moscow’s de- forces for nearly eight years, reiterated Thursday that the
and the Pacific Ocean. and a possible cutoff from mands in security talks last a conflict that has killed more EU “will respond with mas-
the global banking system if week but kept the door open than 14,000 people. sive economic and financial
The ministry said several it does. to possible further talks on sanctions” if Russia invades
Russian warships are cur- arms control and confidence- Ukraine said earlier this week Ukraine. “We hope an attack
rently taking part in a joint Moscow has repeatedly de- building measures to reduce that it has taken the delivery won’t happen, but if it does,
exercise with China and Iran nied having plans to launch the potential for hostilities. of anti-tank missiles from we are prepared,” von der
in the Gulf of Oman that be- an offensive. But it has sought the U.K. It has rejected Mos- Leyen said during an online
gan Tuesday and will last un- a set of security guarantees Amid the tensions, U.S. Sec- cow’s claims that it plans an speech to the Davos business
til the weekend. from the West that would ex- retary of State Antony Blink- offensive to reclaim control forum.

UN approves resolution condemning denial of Nazi Holocaust

(AP) — The U.N. Gener- and Germany, which strong- “We now live in an era in spreading the “pandemic of by 114 nations, commends
al Assembly approved an ly supported the resolution, which fiction is becoming distortions and lies” about countries that have preserved
Israeli-sponsored resolu- stressed the significance of fact and the Holocaust is be- the Holocaust Nazi death camps and other
tion Thursday condemn- the resolution’s adoption on coming a distant memory,” “Social media giants can no sites from the Holocaust and
ing any denial of the Ho- Jan. 20: It is the 80th anni- Israel’s U.N. Ambassador longer remain complacent to urges the 193 U.N. member
locaust and urging all versary of the Wannsee Con- Gilad Erdan told the assem- the hate spread on their plat- states “to develop educational
nations and social media ference where Nazi leaders bly in urging support for the forms” and must take action programs that will inculcate
companies “to take active coordinated plans for the resolution. “And as this hap- now, the Israeli ambassador future generations with the
measures to combat anti- so-called “Final Solution of pens following the greatest said. lessons of the Holocaust in
semitism and Holocaust the Jewish Question” at a crime in human history, now order to help to prevent fu-
denial or distortion.” villa on the shores of Berlin’s comes the greatest cover-up The resolution, cosponsored ture acts of genocide.”
Wannsee Lake in 1942 during in human history.”
The 193-member world body World War II.
approved the resolution by Erdan, the grandson of Holo-
consensus -- without a vote The result was the establish- caust survivors, said the reso-
-- and with a bang of a gavel ment of Nazi death camps lution preserves the memory
by Assembly President Ab- and the murder of nearly 6 of the 6 million victims and is
dulla Shahid who met with a million Jews, comprising a commitment to make sure
group of Holocaust survivors one-third of the Jewish peo- that Holocaust distortion and
before the assembly meeting. ple. In addition, millions of denial “will be tolerated no
Israel’s No. 1 enemy, Iran, people from other nationali- more.”
“disassociated” itself from the ties, minorities and targeted
resolution. groups were killed, according He said social media plat-
to the resolution. forms including Facebook,
The ambassadors of Israel Twitter and You Tube are