(Bloomberg) — Russia’s foreign minister brushed off U.S. claims that Moscow plans to release a graphic, fake video purporting to show a Ukrainian attack on Russia or Russian-speaking people, as a way to justify an invasion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the pair’s 38th one-on-one exchange. China and Russia “coordinated their stances” on issues including Ukraine at talks on Thursday between their foreign ministers.
Moscow has repeatedly denied that it plans to attack Ukraine, while stationing an estimated 100,000 troops close to the border. Russia has decried the use of NATO forces near Russia’s borders.
Key Developments
- Putin’s Financial Fortress Blunts Impact of Threatened Sanctions
- Putin Courts China’s Xi for Help in Showdown With the West
- Ukraine Briefing Spurs Greater Urgency on Sanctions in Congress
- What we know so far about potential U.S.-EU sanctions on Russia
- Where military forces are assembling around Russia and Ukraine
All times CET
Russia Blamed for German Energy Cyber Attack (11:00 a.m.)
A Russia-linked cybercrime gang was allegedly responsible for ransomware attacks that took down a swath of Germany’s fuel-distribution system this week. Hackers using “Black Cat” ransomware infected computers at Mabanfaft GmbH and Oiltanking GmbH Group, say people familiar with an investigation of the breaches.
While there’s no confirmed link to the Russian state, the attacks come as the U.S., U.K. and others warn of the risk of cyberattacks as part of a campaign to put pressure on Europe for its support of Ukraine.
Lavrov Calls U.S. Claim of Fake Video ‘Delusional’ (10:10 a.m.)
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed claims by the U.S. that Russia plans to produce a graphic propaganda video that purports to show a terrorist attack on Russian-speaking people.
“I read on the internet that the State Department made some statements that Russia is allegedly preparing a fake video with an apparent attack by Ukrainian soldiers on Donbas,” Lavrov said in a clip posted by Ren TV. “This kind of fantasy is delusional in my opinion, and they are more and more of them every day.”
U.S. officials warned previously that Moscow may be planning a false flag event that would create a justification for sending troops into Ukraine, and have said it used similar tactics when it occupied Crimea and fought a war with Georgia.
Carlsberg CEO Downplays Impact on Business (9:30 a.m.)
The Danish brewer Carlsberg A/S said its business won’t be hit too hard by a possible Russia-Ukraine conflict. Carlsberg gets less than 8% of its profit from the two countries, CEO Cees ‘t Hart said in a Bloomberg Television interview. A decade ago, eastern Europe accounted for almost half of the company’s earnings.
Putin, Xi Meet; Russia will Supply Gas From Far East (9:13 a.m.)
In their first in-person meeting since 2019, Putin told China’s Xi that Russia will supply 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year to China from Far East under a new contract.
During the summit, timed to show solidarity on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics, Putin said conditions between the two countries were of an “unprecedented nature and an example of a dignified relationship.”
EU Warned of New Russian Cyber Threat (8:40 a.m.)
European Union institutions were warned Thursday of a new Russian-backed cyber threat that’s been running credential harvesting activity since mid-2021, according to an alert seen by Bloomberg News.
The alert says it’s possible the capabilities will be used for cyberespionage purposes. No institutions have been targeted yet. The alert didn’t mention Ukraine.
The group, known as Reuse Team or Callisto, has been involved in state-sponsored espionage and criminal activity since the early 2000s, the alert said. The group has recently targeted an EU body and was involved in a campaign that targeted a European ministry of foreign affairs in 2020. It has gathered intelligence related to foreign policy in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus, according to a 2017 report by F-Secure, a cyber security research firm.
Gazprom Reliability in Doubt, Von Der Leyen Says (8:31 a.m.)
Gazprom is abiding by its contracts with the EU but unlike other suppliers isn’t shipping more gas than planned to Europe, and that’s casting doubt on its reliability, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in an interview with Les Echos and Handelsblatt.
Gazprom’s behavior is “weird,” and Russia is using gas deliveries as a way to put pressure on Europe, she said.
Von der Leyen also described the EU’s sanctions package in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, which includes including shutting Moscow off from foreign capital, and controlling exports of critical goods to Russia needed in areas such as artificial intelligence, weapons, quantum computing, lasers and space technologies.
Macron to Visit Russia, Ukraine Next Week (8:21 a.m.)
French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Moscow on Monday and Ukraine on Tuesday, an Elysee official said, as he continues an active diplomatic role in the crisis.
The trips will follow three calls in the past week between Macron and Vladimir Putin to discuss the Ukrainian situation.
U.S. Lawmakers Briefed by Top Security Team (11:00 p.m.)
U.S. lawmakers are rushing to draft a new round of potential sanctions on Russia intended as a deterrent to any aggression against Ukraine. The sense of urgency in Congress escalated following day-long briefings Thursday by top national security officials.
Negotiations had been slowed as Democrats and the Biden administration resisted Republican efforts to impose more sanctions on Russia now. Both sides agree on the need for more punishing penalties should Russia invade Ukraine, which the Kremlin denies it plans to do.
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