• 12:23 p.m .: in Baghdad, Lavrov talks about unpaid Russian oil 

The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, and his Iraqi counterpart discussed, in Baghdad, the unpaid bills expected by Russian oil companies due to American sanctions linked to the conflict in Ukraine.

During a press conference, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fouad Hussein, announced that he would discuss this file in Washington, where he will be visiting on Wednesday, considering that "the sanctions should not be imposed on the Iraq because cooperation continues with Russian companies".

Referring to these gas and oil companies in Iraq, Fouad Hussein acknowledged that they were waiting for the payment of “unpaid bills”, without disclosing the amount.

  • 12:10 p.m .: Replacement of Ukrainian defense minister will not take place this week, say Ukrainian MPs

The replacement of Ukraine's Defense Minister, announced on Sunday in the wake of corruption scandals, will ultimately not take place this week, MPs have said.

"Pending the appointment of the heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Security Services of Ukraine, personnel changes in the defense sector will not take place this week," MP David said on Telegram. Arakhamia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary group of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

  • 11:50 a.m .: Norway plans to pay 6.8 billion euros in aid to Ukraine

The Norwegian government has offered to pay Ukraine 75 billion crowns (6.8 billion euros) in aid over five years and to provide additional assistance to other countries affected by the fallout from the conflict.

"We are proposing that Norway commits to give a long-term contribution to Ukraine," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said at a press conference.

"We are proposing that 15 billion crowns be spent annually on Ukraine over five years, or 75 billion crowns."

  • 11:44 a.m .: Ukraine offers to send “a large number of rescuers” to Turkey

"Ukraine stands ready to send a large number of relief workers to Turkey to help deal with the crisis. We are working closely with the Turkish side to coordinate their deployment," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro said on Twitter. Kuleba.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and damage caused by today's tragic earthquake in Türkiye.

Our heart goes out to the families of the victims and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

Ukraine stands ready to provide any necessary support 🇺🇦🇹🇷 @MevlutCavusoglu

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 6, 2023

  • 11:05 am: Putin offers his condolences and offers help to Turkey and Syria, devastated by an earthquake

According to a statement released by the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin presented Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan with his "sincere condolences" and assured that Russia stood ready to "provide the necessary assistance".

In another statement, addressed to Bashar al-Assad, he expressed his "sadness" and offered "all necessary assistance" from Moscow after a deadly earthquake.

  • 10:27 a.m.: AEIA chief in Moscow this week, Kremlin says 

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Rafael Grossi will visit Moscow this week, Russian state media reports.

The meeting will focus on the creation of a safety zone around Ukraine's Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, he said, adding that Moscow expects a thorough and professional discussion.

  • 6:54 am: Patriarch Kirill worked for the KGB in the 1970s

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a close supporter of President Vladimir Putin, worked for the Russian intelligence services during a stay in Switzerland in the 1970s, according to two Swiss newspapers, citing declassified archives.

According to the daily newspapers Le Matin Dimanche and the Sonntagszeitung, the file drawn up by the federal police on the man who is today the spiritual head of the Russian Orthodox Church "confirms that 'Monsignor Kirill', as he is called in this document, belongs to the KGB", the foreign intelligence service of the time of the Soviet Union.

The two media were able to consult the file with the Swiss federal archives.  

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