Biden Strikes Down Chinese Peace Proposal As Zelensky Vows to Escalate War if Necessary

"The Chinese peace proposal, released after atomic weapons began to be discussed with more seriousness, encourages both parties to find a way to end the conflict and asks the international community to “support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible”.

 The Russian government reacted positively to the peace proposal, though it insisted that any peace agreement involve the acceptance of Russian control over the four eastern oblasts of Ukraine that it controls. The American government and NATO, however, joined Zelensky in having a muted, if not negative response to the peace proposal.

Discussing the peace proposal in an interview with ABC, President Joe Biden said “Putin’s applauding it, so how could it be any good?”

“I’ve seen nothing in the plan that would indicate that there is something that would be beneficial to anyone other than Russia, if the Chinese plan were followed.” he added. “The idea that China is going to be negotiating the outcome of a war that’s a totally unjust war for Ukraine is just not rational.” TP

Zelenskyy addresses Lithuania, Germany, and Denmark with thanks

"Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has released video addresses to the Lithuanians,
Germans and Danes, thanking them for their countries' contributions to supporting Ukraine." PRAVADA

Border guards kill Russian assault group in Bakhmut in close combat

"Fighters of the State Border Guard Service have killed an assault group of Russians in
Bakhmut." PRAVADA

Berlin rally against arming Ukraine draws tens of thousands

"Tens of thousands of Germans braved the elements to attend the Uprising for Peace, a
massive rally organized by Die Linke (Left Party) politician Sahra Wagenknecht and author Alice Schwarzer." RT

Zelensky: America Will ‘Lose NATO’ and Global Leadership Role if it Stops Funding War in Ukraine

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that if America pulls military support
from his country, the United States will “lose NATO” and its global leadership position.

Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv (Kiev) on the one-year anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of his country, Zelensky responded to a question on the growing unpopularity of continued support for the war in Ukraine in the United States by criticizing Americans who do not want to continue to send arms and billions of their taxpayer dollars to his administration." Breitbart

Mercenary Wagner Group Designated "Transnational Criminal Organization"

"Russia’s homegrown version of Blackwater – has been busy fighting the NATO coalition in Eastern Ukraine and arguably committing atrocities of various sorts. 

Wagner does a lot of shady stuff not just in Ukraine but in Africa and elsewhere as well.

 

Via US Department of the Treasury:

“ PMC Wagner (Wagner Group) is a Russian private military company led by

Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a Putin crony and the target of multiple U.S. sanctions. Wagner Group has been involved in Kremlin-backed combat operations around the world in support of Putin’s war on Ukraine…

In light of the transcontinental threat posed by the Wagner Group, Treasury is concurrently redesignating the Wagner Group pursuant to E.O. 13667 for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, the targeting of women, children, or any civilians through the commission of acts of violence, or abduction, forced displacement, or attacks on schools, hospitals, religious sites, or locations where civilians are seeking refuge, or through conduct that would constitute a serious abuse or violation of human rights or a violation of international humanitarian law.” ZH

Russia, China and South Africa to conduct joint military exercises, Ukraine "deeply disappointed"

"Ukrainian diplomats are disappointed that China and South Africa are to conduct joint naval
exercises with Russia. A ship marked with the letters "Z" and "V" will participate in the exercises [these insignia, used by Russian troops during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have become distinctive symbols of Russian military aggression – ed.]. " PRAVADA

Russian strike damages Kherson pipeline, leaving 40,000 people without heat

"...situation in Kherson......The latest Russian strike has damaged the main pipeline that
provided heating to about 600 buildings – more than 40,000 people!" Pravada

South Africans Without Electricity For Nine Hours A Day Amid "Ginormous" Blackouts

"This crisis, discussed in more detailed below, came to a head overnight when South African

utility Eskom - which is not only the largest producer of electricity in South Africa but in all of Africa, and is among the top utilities in the world in terms of generation capacity and sales - and which has been forced to implement power cuts every day this year as its fleet of old and defective coal-powered stations frequently breaks down, reached an unprecedented level of power cuts, indicated by the company spokesman. 

The company cut 7.045GW from the grid through load shedding so as to keep the grid from a total collapse, Sikonathi Mantshantsha said in a post on Twitter."in practical terms, it means households losing power 3 times a day, each time lasting ~3 hours" or a total of 9 hours without power every day. Economists polled by Bloomberg predict the economy shrank in the final quarter of 2022 and that it’s on course to contract in the three months through March largely because of the sustained power cuts." ZH

Pentagon pledged “consequences” for China if it heeds Russia's pleas for arms

"The Pentagon on Wednesday pledged “consequences” for Beijing if it heeds Moscow’s desperate pleas for arms and ammunition but yet again stopped short of detailing how it would follow through on the stern but vague threat. Spokeswoman Sabrina Singh delivered the cagey response during a press conference in which she demurred despite repeated requests for specifics.

China sees Russia as an irreplaceable economic and logistical partner, particularly if it, too, tries to execute a land-grab in the future on territory it considers its own – chiefly the independent island nation of Taiwan." USNews&WorldReport

Russian Air Force Pilot Killed in Plane Crash Near Ukraine Border

"A Russian pilot was killed on Thursday when a military plane crashed in the southern region
of Belgorod near the border with Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced.   

“After completing a combat mission, a Su-25 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces crashed while returning to its base in the Belgorod region. The pilot died," the ministry said in a statement cited by Russia’s state-run Interfax news agency.  

The plane crashed in the village of Orekhovo some 20 kilometers from the border with Ukraine." MT

Three explosions recorded in Mariupol. Russian military personnel hit

 "Three explosions were recorded in temporarily occupied Mariupol. The enemy troops were hit in the territory of the Illich Iron & Steel Works and near the airport." UKRIN

Greece Not Supplying S-300 Air Defense Systems to Kiev Despite US Requests

"Athens will not supply S-300 air defense missile systems to Ukraine, despite the United
States' relevant requests, as this would weaken Greece's defense, the country's Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos told media." Sputnik

British supermarkets begin rationing vegetables

"The UK’s largest grocer, Tesco, has joined rivals Asda, Morrisons and Aldi by slapping limits on purchases of salad vegetables due to supply shortages, the company announced....Analysts say the current troubles stem from two reasons. Firstly, suppliers in Morocco and Spain, the UK's biggest sources of fresh vegetables in the winter, have been suffering from cold temperatures, rain and flooding over the past month, which disrupted harvests and halted deliveries. Secondly, the UK’s own farmers have been struggling to power their greenhouses due to rising energy prices." RT

Ransomware Attack On Food Giant Dole Temporarily Shuttered US Production

"Dole Food is one of the world's largest producers and distributors of fresh fruits and vegetables. An alarming report reveals the company temporarily shuttered all operations across North America after a cyberattack earlier this month. 

"Dole Food Company is in the midst of a Cyber Attack and have subsequently shut down our systems throughout North America," Emanuel Lazopoulos, senior vice president at Dole's Fresh Vegetables division, wrote in a memo to retailers on Feb. 10. The memo was obtained by CNN this week. 

Dole sent the memo to supermarkets after customers complained about its prepackaged salads, which include salad blends, salad kits, and ready-to-eat salads, being out of stock. " ZH