(Bloomberg) — European Union leaders edged closer to a Russian gas-price cap as a further measure to punish President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, as Kremlin forces intensified strikes on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.
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President Joe Biden said the Russian leader’s warnings that he may resort to deploying tactical nuclear weapons must be taken seriously and could lead to “Armageddon.” The US is trying to find an “off-ramp” for Putin, the US leader said.
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to backers of human rights in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, collectively cited by the Nobel committee for their “outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power.” But some in Ukraine made clear their chagrin at sharing the prize.
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Key Developments
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Human Rights Champions Win Nobel Peace Prize as War Rages
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For Europe, Biden’s ‘Armageddon’ Warning Can’t Be Dismissed
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Russia Escalates Strike on Southeast City as Ukrainians Advance
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Oil Poised for Biggest Weekly Rally Since March on OPEC+ Move
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NATO Once Feared a Putin Victory, Now It Worries Over His Defeat
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European Gas Prices Ease as Bloc Seeks to Blunt Energy Crisis
On the Ground
Moscow’s troops are likely establishing defensive positions in the upper Kherson region following the collapse of the Russian line in northeast Kherson, the US-based Institute for the Study of War said. Russian forces continued to conduct routine artillery, air and missile strikes west of Hulyaipole, and in the Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaiv regions on Thursday. In the past 24 hours, Russia has carried out eight missile and 15 air strikes. The city of Zaporizhzhia was attacked on Thursday night by Iranian-made drones, with infrastructure damaged in two districts, according to regional governor.
(All times CET)
Shared Nobel Peace Prize Rankles Some in Ukraine (6:28 p.m.)
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak criticized the Nobel committee for awarding its peace prize to activists from Russia and Belarus together with a rights group in his country, summing up the anger many in Ukraine expressed on social media.
Sardonically calling the peace prize “awesome,” Podolyak wrote on Twitter that “the Nobel Committee has an interesting understanding of word ‘peace’ if representatives of two countries that attacked a third one receive @NobelPrize together. Neither Russian nor Belarusian organizations were able to organize resistance to the war.”
But Olexandra Matviychuk, the head of the winning Ukrainian rights organization, praised the Russian and Belarusian winners on Facebook. “Delighted that the Center for Civil Liberties, which I lead, received the Nobel Prize today along with our friends and partners at Memorial and Viasna,” she wrote.
Ukranian Troops Say Musk’s Starlink Devices Are Out on Front Lines (6:34 p.m.)
Ukrainian troops are reporting outages of their Starlink devices on the front lines, limiting communication efforts in recent weeks, the Financial Times reported, citing Ukrainian officials and soldiers.
But that may be because Elon Musk’s SpaceX was trying to prevent misuse of the satellite communications system by Russian forces, Roman Sinicyn a co-coordinator at the Serhiy Prytula Charity, a foundation that donates Starlink systems to the Ukrainian armed forces, told the FT.
Ukrainian Railways to Restore Connections with Izyum, Minister Says (6:15 p.m.)
Ukrainian’s state-run railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, plans to restore connections with the liberated town of Izyum in the Kharkiv region, on Monday, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Facebook.
“As soon as we get the ‘green light’ from military and pyrotechnicians, will work on connection with Kupiansk, the key railway hub of Kharkiv Region,” Kubrakov said. He said establishing contact with Izyum and other settlements will allow providing aid faster and displaced people will be able to check the homes they left behind.
EU Aims to Finish Gas Price-Cap Plan in Two Weeks (5:33 p.m.)
The EU’s executive arm is urgently planning to prepare several different options for how to cap the price of natural gas as it tries to alleviate an energy crisis
The aim is for a proposal to be completed by the time leaders meet in Brussels for an Oct. 20-21 summit. A consensus for measures to tackle rising energy prices emerged at an EU leaders summit in Prague, as several member states warned the EU needs to act quickly or jeopardize the bloc’s solidarity as nations start go their own way.
St. Petersburg Cancels New Year Celebrations for War Effort (4:05 p.m.)
Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg announced Friday that it’s cancelling New Year celebrations to redirect funds to the war effort in Ukraine. The money saved will be spent on equipment for Russian conscripts and volunteers fighting in the conflict, City Hall said on its website.
Some regional officials, including the governor of the Siberian region of Omsk, have complained they lack the financial means to make promised state payouts to those mobilized.
Oil Poised for Biggest Weekly Rally Since March (2:45 p.m.)
Oil headed for the biggest weekly gain since early March as OPEC+ put the market on course for further tightening ahead of winter.
West Texas Intermediate was near $90 a barrel on Friday, with futures up almost 12% for the week. Benchmark Brent topped $95 for the first time since mid-September. Russia reiterated this week that it won’t sell oil to countries that adopt a US-led price cap, adding to supply uncertainty.
Russia Demands Involvement in Nord Stream Leak Investigation (11:36 a.m.)
Russia sent a letter to Sweden demanding its authorities and state-owned gas company Gazprom PJSC be included in the investigation of the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines, newspaper Expressen reported.
The letter comes a day after Swedish public prosecutors and the security service concluded that the two Nord Stream leaks in the country’s exclusive economic zone were caused by detonations.
Read more: Russia Demands Involvement in Nord Stream Leak Investigation
Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Activists in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia (11 a.m.)
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2022 was awarded to a human rights activist from Belarus, Ales Bialiatski, who’s currently in detention, along with the Russian rights organization Memorial and Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties.
“They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power,” said Berit Reiss-Andersen, head of Norway’s Nobel committee said. “Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.”
Memorial, a group founded by Soviet-era dissidents including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov, was shut down earlier this year on the grounds that it failed to identify itself as a “foreign agent” under Russian law.
Insider Confronted Putin About War, Washington Post Reports (9 a.m.)
One of Putin’s inner circle recently confronted him over his handling of the war in Ukraine, the Washington Post reported, citing information obtained by US intelligence.
The development was considered significant enough to be included in President Joe Biden’s daily intelligence briefing, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The person’s discontent was said to be related to “mistakes being made by those executing the military campaign,” the Post reported. A spokesperson for the National Security Council declined to comment to the newspaper.
Zelenskiy Vows Zaporizhzhia Atomic Plant to Remain in Ukraine’s Hands (8:20 a.m.)
Ukraine’s president said attempts by Russia to claim ownership of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are “frankly speaking, stupid,” a day after Russia’s Vladimir Putin ordered his government to take ownership of the facility.
“Only Ukrainian specialists can guarantee that there will be no radiation incidents at the Zaporizhzhia station,” Zelenskiy said in a nightly address to the nation.
Ukraine’s leader discussed the Zaporizhzhia situation with Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, at a meeting Thursday in Kyiv. He said Ukraine is “waiting for a tough statement” from the UN agency on Putin’s “raiding” of the plant.
Ukraine May Have Captured 440 Russian Battle Tanks, UK Says (7:30 a.m.)
Ukraine has likely captured at least 440 Russian main battle tanks and some 650 other armored vehicles since February’s invasion, the UK defense ministry said.
“Over half of Ukraine’s currently fielded tank fleet potentially consists of captured vehicles,” the UK said, adding that poor training and discipline had resulted in Russian troops leaving “intact equipment” behind.
North Korea’s Kim Lauds Putin’s 70th Birthday (6:49 a.m.)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent birthday greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin, praising Moscow and bashing the US.
“Russia is reliably defending the dignity of the state and its fundamental interests from the challenges and threats by the U.S. and its vassal forces,” the state’s official Korean Central News Agency cited Kim’s message to Putin as saying.
North Korea has backed Russia’s territorial claims in Ukraine. Meanwhile, US officials said last month it suspects Russia is looking to buy rockets and artillery shells from North Korea to help with its war in Ukraine. Pyongyang has denied selling weapons and blasted the US for spreading “rumors. “
Biden Says US Trying to Find ‘Off-Ramp’ for Putin (3:55 a.m.)
Biden said the US is trying to find an “off-ramp” for Putin and worries that his threats to use tactical nuclear weapons are real and could lead to “Armageddon.”
“We’re trying to figure out what is Putin’s off-ramp? Where does he get off? Where does he find a way out?” Biden said Thursday at a fundraiser in New York City. “Where does he find himself in a position that he does not, not only lose face but lose significant power in Russia?”
“He is not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological and chemical weapons, because his military is, you might say, significantly under-performing,” Biden added.
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