Sunrise Power’s hopes of securing a $2.35 billion award against Nigeria in the arbitration proceedings at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) over the disputed Mambilla hydropower project were badly hit during ongoing hearings in Paris, France, TheCable understands.

While Nigeria was defended by former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari as well as former ministers Babatunde Fashola and Suleiman Adamu who testified as factual witnesses, those who had been listed as witnesses by Sunrise did not show up.

The panel sittings started on Saturday, January 18, but the hearings from factual witnesses started on Monday, January 20, and ended on Thursday, January 23.

Obasanjo testified on Wednesday while Buhari took his turn on Thursday.

The sittings continue till next week but only expert opinions are still being taken.

The parties to the arbitration will then submit written submissions to the tribunal, after which they will get a date to adopt the addresses.

The tribunal will thereafter pick a date to announce its determination.

Arbitration hearings are bound by a confidentiality rule and are not meant to be reported in detail in the media.

HEAVYWEIGHT WITNESSES

Getting two former presidents to testify for Nigeria was a masterstroke — in the opinion of those familiar with the proceedings.

TheCable understands that Obasanjo and Buhari testified “strongly”, “frankly” and “unequivocally” that the award of the contract to Sunrise in 2003 was without valid approval and the 2020 settlement agreement also lacked legitimacy.

Fashola, who was minister of power from 2015 to 2019, testified along with Adamu, minister of water resources from 2019 to 2023.

Both former ministers reportedly articulated their testimonies on the loopholes that question the processes that produced the original contract as well as the settlement agreement now in dispute.

Witnesses were also called to give expert opinions on the differences between corruption in the West and Africa.

Sunrise is trying to argue that the payments traced to government officials were not bribes but African cultural obligations.

Nigeria presented an expert from the US while Sunrise fielded one from South Africa.

SUNSET FOR SUNRISE

For Sunrise, promoted by Leno Adesanya, its key witnesses failed to show up to adopt their statements, meaning their submissions are deemed abandoned and of no moment.

Olu Agunloye, the minster of power who awarded the contract to Sunrise in 2003 a day after it was turned down by the federal executive council (FEC), was listed as a witness but he did not show up.

He is currently being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for his role in the saga.

Michael Aondoakaa, former attorney-general of the federation (AGF) who was also listed as a witness by Sunrise, showed up briefly in Paris and returned to Nigeria without testifying.

He has since denied claims that he was  under duress from the Nigerian government to withdraw from the arbitration. This could have been argued as witness intimidation before the tribunal by Sunrise.

A third key witness — a Senegalese lady allegedly offered to Abubakar Malami, Buhari’s AGF, to induce him to sign the 2020 settlement agreement — also failed to show up to defend Sunrise.

TheCable understands that Malami, who had earlier submitted a witness statement which Sunrise was hoping to use against him at the tribunal, did not take the stand.

Malami instead lined up behind Buhari to prepare him for the testimony.

This ensured Buhari’s testimony was “successful” and also pulled the rug from under Adesanya’s feet, those familiar with the proceedings told TheCable.

THE MAMBILLA SAGA

Sunrise had, on October 10, 2017, started arbitration against Nigeria at the ICC International Court of Arbitration seeking a $2.354 billion award for “breach of contract” in relation to a 2003 agreement to construct the 3,050MW plant in Mambilla, Taraba state, on a “build, operate and transfer” basis valued at $6 billion.

In the second arbitration, the company is asking for a $400 million settlement being the terms of the Nigerian government failing to honour the settlement agreement both parties entered into in 2020 to end the arbitration.

In an interview with TheCable in 2023, Obasanjo challenged his former minister of power, Olu Agunloye, to tell Nigerians where he derived the authority to award the contract to Sunrise in 2003.

“When I was president, no minister had the power to approve more than N25 million without express presidential consent. It was impossible for Agunloye to commit my government to a $6 billion project without my permission and I did not give him any permission,” Obasanjo told TheCable.

“If a commission of inquiry is set up today to investigate the matter, I am ready to testify. I do not even need to testify because all the records are there. I never approved it.

“When he presented his memo to the federal executive council (on May 21, 2003), I was surprised because he had previously discussed it with me and I had told him to jettison the idea, that I had other ideas on how the power sector would be restructured and funded.

“I told him as much at the council meeting and directed him to step down the memo. I find it surprising that Agunloye is now claiming he acted on behalf of Nigeria. If I knew he issued such a letter to Sunrise, I would have sacked him as minister during my second term. He would not have spent a day longer in office.”

Buhari, on his part, denied authorising the settlement agreement of 2020.

“While I understood that my ministers of justice, power and water resources were approached by Sunrise and were engaging with various stakeholders that were involved in the project to resolve the issues blocking the project’s implementation, at no time did I specifically instruct them to enter into and conclude any settlement agreement with Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited,” he wrote to Fagbemi.

“Indeed, when the proposed settlement agreement and addendum were presented to me for my consideration and approval on 20th April 2020, I refused to approve the settlement deal because I was convinced that there was no basis for Sunrise’s claim.

“I hope the above clarifications will assist you in your defence of our country from these ‘invisible contractors who all too often quietly take Nigeria for many millions in out-of-court settlements’, as I stated in my recent statement regarding Nigeria’s victory in the P&ID saga.”

The Cable

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has confirmed that 31 passengers and seven crew members sustained injuries following an emergency landing of a United Airlines flight at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

The incident occurred on Thursday when United Airlines flight UA613, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, en route to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) from Lagos, made an emergency return and landed safely at 3:22am on Friday.

According to a statement by Obiageli Orah, FAAN’s director of public affairs and consumer protection, the flight carried 245 passengers, along with eight cabin crew members and three pilots.

“All passengers and crew disembarked safely,” Orah said. “However, four passengers and two crew members sustained serious injuries, while 27 passengers and five crew members suffered minor injuries.”

She further explained that the flight had departed MMIA at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday but returned shortly after, with the aircraft parking at gate D31. The Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Aviation Medical, and Aviation Security teams were already on standby and swiftly facilitated the deboarding process at 3:37 a.m.

Injured passengers were promptly attended to, with some receiving treatment at the MMA Clinic and the Headquarters Clinic. Those with serious injuries were stabilized and transferred to the Duchess Hospital in Ikeja. Passengers with minor injuries were treated on-site and discharged.

Accommodations were provided for some passengers in nearby hotels. Orah noted that the aircraft did not sustain any significant damage during the incident.

The authority commended the quick response of the rescue teams, ensuring the safety and well-being of all onboard.

Hamas has added up to 15,000 fighters since start of war, US figures show

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has recruited between 10,000 and 15,000 members since the start of its war with Israel, according to two congressional sources briefed on U.S. intelligence, suggesting the Iran-backed fighters could remain a persistent threat to Israel.

The intelligence indicates a similar number of Hamas fighters have been killed during that period, the sources said. The latest official U.S. estimates have not been previously reported.

Hamas and Israel began a ceasefire on Sunday after 15 months of a conflict that has devastated the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East.

The sources briefed on the intelligence, which was included in a series of updates from U.S. intelligence agencies in the final weeks of the Biden administration, said that while Hamas has successfully recruited new members, many are young and untrained and are being used for simple security purposes.

The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.

On Jan. 14, then-President Joe Biden's Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States believed Hamas had recruited almost as many fighters as it had lost in the Palestinian enclave, cautioning that this was a "recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war."

He did not provide further details about the assessment, but Israeli figures have put the total militant death toll in Gaza at around 20,000.

“Each time Israel completes its military operations and pulls back, Hamas militants regroup and re-emerge because there’s nothing else to fill the void,” Blinken said. Both Israel and the United States brand Hamas a terrorist group.

Asked for comment, a Hamas official said he was checking with the relevant parties in the group. Hamas armed wing spokesman Abu Ubaida said in July that the group had been able to recruit thousands of new fighters.

In the days since the ceasefire, Hamas has shown itself to be deeply entrenched in Gaza despite Israel's vow to destroy the militant group. The territory's Hamas-run administration has moved quickly to reimpose security measures and to begin restoring basic services to parts of the enclave, much of which has been reduced to wasteland by the Israeli offensive.

Since the start of the war, American officials have not said publicly how many fighters Washington believes Hamas has lost, only noting that the group has been significantly degraded and has likely lost thousands.

WARNINGS OF A CONTINUED THREAT

U.S. officials have issued similar warnings since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. More than 46,000 people have been killed in the Israeli assault that followed, according to Palestinian health authorities whose figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

At a congressional hearing in March 2024, then-Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said that the war in Gaza would have "generational impact on terrorism" and that the crisis had already "galvanized violence by a range of actors around the world."

Gathering exact data on Hamas is notoriously difficult because of a lack of verifiable intelligence from inside Gaza and because the group's recruitment and training efforts are fluid. But official U.S. figures show that prior to Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas had anywhere between 20,000 and 25,000 fighters.

Asked on Wednesday about Blinken's comments, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon acknowledged Hamas' recruitment efforts but played down the threat.

"We know that Hamas recruits youngsters," Danon said. "But even if they recruit youngsters, they don't have the weapons or the training facilities. So basically, yes, you can incite those youngsters against Israel, but they cannot become a terrorist, because you cannot equip them with weapons or rockets."

Following the ceasefire, Israeli troops have begun to move back from some of their positions inside Gaza. The second phase of the ceasefire deal could bring about a permanent end to the fighting.

The terms of that phase still need to be negotiated.

In his resignation speech on Tuesday, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, Israel's military chief, said Hamas had been severely damaged and that most of the group's military commanders had been killed. But he said the group had not been eliminated and the Israel Defense Forces would continue to fight to further dismantle Hamas.

One of the most difficult issues involved in negotiating the next phases is postwar Gaza's governance. Some Israeli officials say they won't accept Hamas staying in power. Hamas so far has not given ground.

Newly inaugurated President Donald Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Sunday that Hamas will never govern Gaza and if it reneges on the deal, Washington will support Israel "in doing what it has to do."

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

US suspends aid to Ukraine – Politico

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has frozen nearly all aid grants to Ukraine for 90 days, Politico reported on Friday. The move comes after President Donald Trump ordered a full review of all foreign assistance.

Rubio instructed diplomatic and consular posts to issue “stop-work orders” on nearly all “existing foreign assistance awards,” Politico said, citing an internal document.

According to Politico, the order has “shocked”State Department officials and appears to apply to funding for military assistance to Ukraine.

The magazine cited three current and two former officials familiar with the matter as saying that Rubio’s guidance means that “no further actions will be taken to disperse aid funding to programs already approved by the US government.”

The BBC, which also reviewed the State Department memo, reported that it appears to “affect everything from development assistance to military aid.”

Although the Pentagon previously told Voice of America that the aid freeze would not affect “security assistance to Ukraine,” Rubio’s memo reportedly only granted exceptions for military aid to Israel and Egypt, without mentioning any other country.

Journalist Ken Klippenstein posted what he said was a copy of Rubio’s guidance, which “pauses all new obligations of funding, pending a review, for foreign assistance programs” funded through the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

A USAID official told Reuters that among the programs that were frozen are assistance to schools and healthcare, including emergency maternal care and the vaccination of children.

Since February 2022, USAID has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in “direct budget support,” according to its website.

The US has provided nearly $66 billion in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022, according to the Pentagon.

Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor Joe Biden for approving unconditional aid to Ukraine and has vowed to implement cost-cutting measures. He also promised to quickly negotiate a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine says it hit Russian oil refinery in big drone attack

Ukraine said on Friday it had struck a Russian oil refinery and a microchip factory in a huge drone attack that caused fires at the refinery's production facilities and an oil pumping station.

Russia said hours earlier that its forces had repelled an overnight drone attack, but four industry sources confirmed to Reuters that one of Russia's oldest refineries had been struck in the city of Ryazan southeast of Moscow overnight.

The attack set ablaze oil storage at the refinery and damaged equipment including a railway loading rack and a hydrotreater unit used to remove impurities from refined products, the sources said.

Video footage posted on social media showed smoke and flames engulfing an oil refinery in Ryazan, and people apparently running for safety in panic. Reuters was able to verify the location of the video footage but not when it was shot.

If confirmed, the overnight strikes underline Ukraine's ability to hit targets deep inside Russia as the two sides try to strengthen their positions before any peace talks get under way following Donald Trump's return to the White House.

The U.S. president has said he intends to bring a swift end to nearly three years of war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he was open to discussions with Trump on the Ukraine war, but that the question of negotiating with Ukraine was complicated by the fact that its president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, had signed a decree preventing him from conducting talks with Putin.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he saw no objective signs that Ukraine or the West were ready for peace talks.

"On the contrary, Western military supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces are continuing, ultimatums to Russia are being worked out, there is a (Ukrainian) legal ban on negotiations, and the issue of the legitimacy of the Ukrainian authorities is not being resolved," Lavrov said in remarks published on Friday.

THIRTEEN RUSSIAN REGIONS TARGETED

The overnight drone attack appeared to be one of Kyiv's biggest of the war.

Russia's Defence Ministry said 20 Ukrainian drones had targeted the Ryazan region in an assault that involved a total of 121 drones and targeted 13 regions, including Moscow.

The Ukrainian military said on Facebook that fires had broken out at the damaged refinery's production facilities and at an oil pumping station but did not make clear how serious the damage was.

Ukraine's military said it had also struck the Kremniy El microelectronics plant in Russia's Bryansk region, which Kyiv said produced components for Russian air defence missile systems, nuclear-capable missiles, and on-board electronics for combat aircraft.

Russia's state TASS news agency cited a statement from the Kremniy plant as saying work at the factory had been suspended after a drone attack and that nobody had been hurt.

The plant suffered damage to some of its production facilities and to a warehouse, and its power supply had been disrupted, TASS cited the statement as saying.

Pavel Malkov, the Ryazan regional governor, said on Telegram that emergency services were tackling the aftermath.

Russia's Defence Ministry made no mention of casualties or damage but said six drones had been destroyed over the Moscow region and one over the capital itself.

It said drones had also been destroyed over the border regions of Bryansk and Belgorod and the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula. The Saratov, Rostov, Voronezh, Tula, Oryol, Lipetsk and the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops hold a chunk of land despite Russian efforts to eject them, were also targeted.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said early on Friday that air defences had intercepted attacks by Ukrainian drones at four locations around the Russian capital. There was no word of any major damage or casualties.

RT/Reuters

A 10-year-old boy reprimanded by his father for not completing his homework took revenge on his parent by calling the police and telling them that his father was hiding forbidden drugs.

The bizarre incident took place earlier this month in China’s Yongning County. After being severely scolded by his father for not completing his homework on time, a 10-year-old boy stormed out of the house and went straight to a nearby store and asked if he could use the phone. The fifth grader dialed 110, China’s emergency number, and asked to speak to the police, claiming that he had proof his father was concealing poppy shells, considered an illegal drug, at home. Then he waited calmly for the police to arrive and let them home so they could conduct a search and confirm his story.

During their search, the police found eight dried poppy shells on the balcony of the boy’s home, and the boy’s father admitted to buying them but added that he only planned to use them for medicinal purposes. He expressed regret about breaking the law, which classifies poppy shells as a dangerous drug, but insisted that he did so unknowingly. The police took the evidence and the suspect to a nearby station and have since passed on the case to the Anti-Narcotics Brigade.

Chinese police is using this unusual case to once again remind the public that it is illegal to grow or possess poppy husks without permission, and violators will face criminal penalties. Although dried husks do have medicinal value, as they can ease pain, assist sleep and reduce stress, the fact remains that their cultivation and possession are illegal as they are associated with the production of opium, a drug that once brought China to its knees.

You’re probably wondering what happened to the 10-year-old boy after this stunt. We are, too, but Chinese media doesn’t seem to have an answer. He probably never imagined he risked sending his father to prison out of anger, but here we are…

Oddity Central

Union Bank has started implementing new point-of-sale (PoS) withdrawal restrictions following a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directive issued in December 2024. The new regulations set a daily withdrawal limit of N100,000 per customer and a weekly limit of N500,000.

The CBN explained that these measures are designed to address industry challenges, prevent fraud, and standardize operational practices across Nigerian banks. In a customer communication, Union Bank confirmed the new limits, encouraging customers to explore alternative transaction channels such as mobile banking, online platforms, and ATM withdrawals.

This implementation comes in the wake of regulatory actions against nine banks, including Union Bank, which were sanctioned for failing to ensure adequate cash availability during the recent festive season. The banks faced fine of N150 million each for non-compliance with the central bank's cash distribution guidelines.

The bank's email to customers explicitly stated: "Effective immediately, the daily withdrawal limit on POS is now N100,000, while the weekly limits are now fixed at N500,000."

Customers are advised to familiarize themselves with these new withdrawal restrictions and utilize the bank's alternative digital banking services for their financial transactions.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Federal Government has announced plans to transition all examinations in Nigeria to a 100% computer-based testing (CBT) system by 2027. This was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during the inauguration of the Committee on Improvement of Quality Examinations in Abuja on Thursday.

According to the minister, the newly inaugurated committee is tasked with addressing challenges in the education sector, standardizing examination practices, and ensuring fairness and quality. He highlighted the government’s commitment to combating widespread examination malpractices and improving the overall integrity of educational assessments.

Alausa emphasized that tackling examination malpractices requires a comprehensive approach, noting that students are not the only offenders. He pointed out that parents, teachers, school principals, and even exam supervisors often play a role in the misconduct.

“To address these challenges, we aim to ensure that by 2027, all exams will be computer-based. This will require significant effort and the use of technology to achieve our goals,” Alausa said.

He also revealed that the committee would work to eliminate examination leakages, address identity theft during exams, and improve supervision standards. Additionally, measures would be implemented to curb practices such as the swapping of candidates during exams.

To enhance the authenticity of examination results, the minister announced that certificates issued by national examination bodies would now include three key identifiers: the candidates’ national identification numbers, photographs, and dates of birth.

“I have directed all examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB, to ensure these identifiers are included in the certificates for the upcoming May, June, and July exams. This will help us achieve near-perfect accuracy in identifying candidates,” he explained.

Alausa described examination malpractice as a growing threat, warning that it undermines the efforts of diligent students and the credibility of the education system.

The chairman of the newly formed committee, Is-haq Oloyede, who is also the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), expressed gratitude for the government’s trust. He pledged to carry out the committee’s mandate with diligence and efficiency.

The minister concluded by stressing that the transition to computer-based examinations would be supported by substantial government funding for education, ensuring the success of this ambitious reform.

At least 20 fishermen have been killed in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno after Boko Haram insurgents attacked their village, fishermen and local security officers said on Thursday.

Nigeria has been grappling with a 16-year-long Islamist insurgency in its northeast driven primarily by Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP that has led to huge human and economic losses, including mass displacement and a humanitarian crisis.

Modu Ari, a member of the civilian joint task force, said the insurgents stormed the fishing community of Gadan Gari on Wednesday at about 11:00 GMT, and opened fire at fishermen working in the area, killing at least 20.

Mustapha Kacahallah, a resident, said his child was killed in the attack and that they had buried more than 15 people.

The military and Borno state officials have not yet commented on the attacks.

Reuters

Israel sees more to do on Lebanon ceasefire as deadline nears

Israel said on Thursday the terms of a ceasefire with Hezbollah were not being implemented fast enough and there was more work to do, while the Iran-backed group urged pressure to ensure Israeli troops leave south Lebanon by Monday as set out in the deal.

The deal stipulates that Israeli troops withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah remove fighters and weapons from the area and Lebanese troops deploy there - all within a 60-day timeframe which will conclude on Monday at 4 a.m (0200 GMT).

The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities triggered by the Gaza war. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon and left Hezbollah severely weakened.

"There have been positive movements where the Lebanese army and UNIFIL have taken the place of Hezbollah forces, as stipulated in the agreement," Israeli government spokesmen David Mencer told reporters, referring to UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

"We've also made clear that these movements have not been fast enough, and there is much more work to do," he said, affirming that Israel wanted the agreement to continue.

Mencer did not directly respond to questions about whether Israel had requested an extension of the deal or say whether Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon after Monday's deadline.

Hezbollah said in a statement that there had been leaks talking about Israel postponing its withdrawal beyond the 60-day period, and that any breach of the agreement would be unacceptable.

The statement said that possibility required everyone, especially Lebanese political powers, to pile pressure on the states which sponsored the deal to ensure "the implementation of the full (Israeli) withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the last inch of Lebanese territory and the return of the people to their villages quickly".

Any delay beyond the 60 days would mark a blatant violation of the deal with which the Lebanese state would have to deal "through all means and methods guaranteed by international charters" to recover Lebanese land "from the occupation's clutches," Hezbollah said.

Israel said its campaign against Hezbollah aimed to secure the return home of tens of thousands of people forced to leave their homes in northern Israel by Hezbollah rocket fire.

It inflicted major blows on Hezbollah during the conflict, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah and thousands of the group's fighters and destroying much of its arsenal.

The group was further weakened in December when its Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad, was toppled, cutting its overland supply route from Iran.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, said Israel had put an end to hostilities and was removing its forces from Lebanon, and that the Lebanese army had gone to locations of Hezbollah ammunition stores and destroyed them.

He also indicated there was more to do to shore up the ceasefire. "Are we done? No. We will need more time to achieve results," he said.

Three diplomats said on Thursday it looked like Israeli forces would still be in some parts of southern Lebanon after the 60-day mark.

A senior Lebanese political source said President Joseph Aoun had been in contact with U.S. and French officials to urge Israel to complete the withdrawal within the stipulated timeframe.

The Lebanese government has told U.S. mediators that Israel's failure to withdraw on time could complicate the Lebanese army's deployment, and this would be a blow to diplomatic efforts and the optimistic atmosphere in Lebanon since Aoun was elected president on Jan. 9.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Kremlin responds to Trump’s threat over Ukraine deal

The Kremlin has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s threats of sanctions and tariffs over a Ukraine peace deal, calling the tactics “nothing new.” Trump issued a thinly-veiled ultimatum to Moscow on Wednesday by calling on it to end the Ukraine conflict and strike a “deal”or to face new sanctions instead. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Russia remains open to “equal and respectful dialogue” with the United States, adding that, during his first term in office, Trump had engaged in this kind of exchange with President Vladimir Putin. Now, Russia is waiting for similar signals but has not seen any so far, according to the spokesman.

“Trump in his first term was the US president most frequently resorting to sanctions. He likes this method,” Peskov added.

Trump issued the warning in a post on his Truth Social online platform. Should no peace “deal”materialize “soon” enough, Trump would “have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.” 

Addressing the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, by videolink on Thursday, Trump has said he would “very much like” to meet his Russian counterpart “soon” to end the ongoing Ukraine conflict. 

Trump, who started his second term as president this week, campaigned on a promise to swiftly resolve the Ukraine conflict. He repeatedly promised to stop the fighting within 24 hours if returned to office. In the weeks leading up to his inauguration he adjusted his timeline, expressing hope to negotiate peace within six months. 

Russia has also repeatedly stated throughout the conflict that it is ready for peace negotiations at any time, while accusing Kiev of refusing to talk. Moscow has also repeatedly criticized the West’s continued military aid for Ukraine, arguing that it is only prolonging the conflict and extending human suffering. An ever deeper Western engagement in the conflict also poses risks of a direct clash between Russia and NATO, Moscow has warned.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Moscow mayor says air defences repel Ukrainian drone attacks aimed at capital

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said early on Friday that air defence units had intercepted attacks by Ukrainian drones at four locations around the Russian capital.

Sobyanin, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said air defence units southeast of the capital in the Kolomna and Ramenskoye districts had repelled one group of "enemy" drones, without specifying how many were involved.

"At the site where fragments fell, no damage or casualties have occurred," Sobyanin wrote on the Telegram messaging app, without specifying how many drones were involved. "Specialist emergency crews are at the site."

The mayor posted three more announcements in quick succession.

Sobyanin said two drones also headed for Moscow had been downed by air defences in Podolsk district, south of the capital.

He then reported a single drone downed in Troitsky district, in the southwest of the capital and in Shchyolkovo, to the northeast.

Specialist emergency crews were dispatched to all the sites, Sobyanin said.

Russian news agencies quoted Rosaviatsiya, the federal aviation agency, as saying two Moscow airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, were handling flights after suspending operations for a time. Six flights were redirected to other airports.

In the Ryazan region, southeast of Moscow, Regional Governor Pavel Markov said on Telegram that emergency services were tackling the aftermath of an air attack.

Markov said emergency crews had extinguished a fire after drone debris had damaged a house. Air defence units, he said, had destroyed drones in the region.

Unofficial Telegram channels posted videos of what bloggers described as large blazes in the city and said an oil storage depot and a power station had been hit.

Reuters could not independently confirm the reports that falling debris from a drone had damaged a private house.

The governor of the Tula region, also south of Moscow, said on Telegram that two drones had been "neutralised".

Russia's Defence Ministry had earlier said that it had destroyed 49 Ukrainian drones over a three-hour period late on Thursday, most of them over the Kursk region near the Ukrainian border.

The ministry, in a report on Telegram, said 37 drones had been destroyed solely in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces hold chunks of land after a mass incursion last August.

Unofficial Russian Telegram channels had reported a "large number" of drones over the Kursk region and posted videos of explosions.

Kursk Mayor Igor Kutsak said the attack had damaged power lines and cut off electricity to one city district.

The ministry statement said drones had also been destroyed over the border regions of Bryansk and Belgorod and the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

RT/Reuters