BLOGONITY

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA — Nearly 3 1/2 decades after leaving the Soviet Union, the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this weekend will flip a switch to end electricity-grid connections to neighboring Russia and Belarus — and turn to their European Union allies. The severing of electricity ties to oil- and gas-rich Russia is steeped in geopolitical and symbolic significance. Work toward it sped up after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine three years ago, battering Moscow’s EU relations. “This is physical disconnection from the last remaining element of our reliance on the Russian and Belarusian energy system,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda told The Associated Press in a recent interview. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and other dignitaries are expected at a ceremony on Sunday as a specially-made 9-meter-tall clock in downtown Vilnius counts down the final seconds of the Baltic states’ electricity ties to Russia. Chilly ties since the fall of the Soviet Union The Baltic countries, which are all NATO members, have often had chilly ties with Russia since declaring independence from the USSR in 1990 — and relations soured further over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sixteen power lines that used to connect the three Baltic states with Russia and Belarus were dismantled over the years as a new grid linking them with the rest of the EU was created, including underwater cables in the Baltic Sea. On Saturday, all remaining transmission lines between them and Russia, Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad — a Russian exclave wedged between EU members Poland and Lithuania and the sea — will be switched off one by one. Then, for 24 hours, the Baltic Power System will operate solo in an “island operation mode.” The next day, the power system is set to merge with the Continental European and Nordic grids through several links with Finland, Sweden and Poland. The Kaliningrad region, which has no land ties to mainland Russia, already relies on its own power generation, according to Litgrid, Lithuania’s electricity transmission system operator. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the disconnection plan was announced in advance by the Baltic countries and the Russian energy sector had taken preparatory steps to ensure smooth operation on its side. “Those plans were announced a long time ago, and they required certain actions by our and their electric companies,” Peskov told reporters. “We have taken all necessary measures … “Baltic nations count final hours to ending electricity ties to Russia” →

Ukrainian officials reported damage Thursday at a market in the northeastern city of Kharkiv after the latest round of overnight Russian drone attacks targeting multiple parts of the country. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram that debris from a downed drone damaged power lines in the city. Ukraine’s military said its air defenses shot down 56 of the 77 total drones deployed by Russian forces. The intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia and Zhytomyr regions, according to the military. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysask said on Telegram that Russian drone attacks and shelling damaged more than 10 houses in his region. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it destroyed 28 Ukrainian drones overnight. About half of the drones were shot down over the Sea of Azov, the ministry said, while Russian forces destroyed the others of the Rostov, Krasnodar and Astrakhan regions.  …

LONDON — London’s Grenfell Tower, which was engulfed in flames more than seven years ago in a disaster that killed 72 people, will be demolished, bereaved families and survivors said on Thursday. The fire ripped through the 23-story social housing block in one of London’s richest areas during the early hours of June 14, 2017. It was Britain’s deadliest blaze in a residential building since World War II. Grenfell Next of Kin (GNK), which represents relatives of nearly half of those who died, said Britain’s deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, announced her decision to a room of families and survivors in a meeting on Wednesday evening. According to the group, the demolition of the tower, which remains standing but covered in protective wrap, will start after the eighth anniversary of the tragedy in June this year. Engineers advising the government said the structure of the tower would worsen over time, and that the building, or part of it that was significantly damaged, should be carefully taken down. “Do we wish the whole tower could stand forever? Yes. Is that an option? Not from a structural point of view,” GNK said. Grenfell United said the voices of bereaved families and survivors were not heard or considered by Rayner, during what they described as a short four-week consultation. “Ignoring the voices of bereaved on the future of our loved ones’ gravesite is disgraceful and unforgivable,” it said. The department of housing, communities and local government did not immediately reply to a request for comment, but the decision was confirmed by Joe Powell, the member of parliament for Kensington, the area where the tower is located. He said on X that the decision had not been taken lightly: “Grenfell Tower will always be in our hearts as a community.” A public inquiry into the fire, which published its final report last year, blamed the disaster on failings by the government, by the construction industry and, most of all, by the firms involved in fitting the exterior with flammable cladding. Several survivors and families have said the inquiry has delayed any criminal proceedings. A commission looking at a future memorial on the site of the disaster said in its 2023 report that if the tower came down it should be “dismantled with care and respect.” A final design for the memorial is expected by spring 2026, and construction could begin that year. The decision on … “UK’s Grenfell Tower to be demolished more than seven years after blaze” →

British Foreign Minister David Lammy met Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and announced a new $68.7 million financial package for Ukraine as its war with Russia continues. “Our support for Ukraine remains unbreakable,” Lammy said. “We are determined to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, both in its fight against Russia and beyond.” Later Wednesday, Zelenskyy told reporters that an international force of troops would be needed if forces were deployed to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire deal with Russia. It would be a “major mistake” if U.S. troops were not included, the president said. “This isn’t just a matter of numbers. It’s about sharing responsibility and ensuring security guarantees.” Ukraine and Russia exchanged captured soldiers on Wednesday. Each country returned 150 prisoners of war. Zelenskyy shared on Telegram photographs of some of the Ukrainian soldiers, saying, “They are all from different sectors of the front, but they have one thing in common — they fought for Ukraine.” A Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region, the area’s governor said Wednesday. The fire, which was later put out, happened in the village of Novominskaya. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said that debris from a destroyed drone caused the fire, and that there were no injuries. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday it shot down two Ukrainian drones over the Kursk region and two more drones over Belgorod, both of which border Ukraine. Officials in Kursk reported damage to a building but no casualties. Ukraine’s military said Wednesday it shot down 57 of the 104 drones that Russian forces launched in overnight attacks. The intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy and Zhytomyr regions. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said the attacks damaged several buildings and injured one person. Officials also reported damage to buildings in Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad and Sumy. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.  …

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WASHINGTON — Greenland’s representative in the United States met recently with at least one ambassador from the Pacific Islands to learn more about a political arrangement that some think could create an opportunity for the Arctic island and Washington, VOA has learned. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his interest in either buying or taking control of Greenland, a resource-rich semiautonomous territory of Denmark, noting its strategic importance and position in the Arctic Ocean where Russia and China are rapidly advancing. But there has been pushback from the island’s residents, political leaders, Denmark and Europe. Greenland representatives have declined to comment to VOA on their meeting that focused on a framework that Pacific Island nations have with Washington — known as the Compacts of Free Association, or COFA.  The compacts give the United States military access to three strategic Pacific Islands — the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau — in exchange for economic aid. Jackson Soram, ambassador to the United States from the Federated States of Micronesia, told VOA that the discussions took place at the end of January and focused on “basic questions” on the “provisions of economic assistance, and also the security and defense provisions of the compacts.” Soram said he met with representatives from Greenland and the Faroe Islands, another self-ruled Danish territory. Alexander Gray, a former National Security Council chief of staff during the first Trump administration who worked on Pacific Island issues, told VOA he encouraged the Pacific Islands’ ambassadors to conduct these meetings. “[The Greenlanders] want independence from Denmark,” Gray, who is now a managing partner of American Global Strategies, said in an emailed response. “An independent Greenland, with a tiny population and the second-least densely populated geography on the planet, will quickly become dominated and its sovereignty undermined by Beijing and Moscow.” Russia has been reopening bases in the region even as Beijing has invested more than $90 billion in infrastructure projects in the Arctic Circle. Both the United States and Denmark have military bases in Greenland. Gray said arctic dominance by Moscow and Beijing poses “a unique strategic threat” to the United States. He said a COFA “would allow Greenland to maintain its sovereignty, while allowing the U.S. to ensure that sovereignty is truly protected.” Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has repeatedly told Trump that Greenland is “not for sale.” But Monday, she … “Greenlanders explore Pacific Islands’ relationship with Washington” →

France’s prime minister survived a no-confidence vote by parliament on Wednesday after he invoked special constitutional powers to force through the country’s 2025 budget.  Only 128 lawmakers voted in favor of the no-confidence motion against Francois Bayrou, falling short of the 289 votes required to pass.  Far-left lawmakers called for the measure after Bayrou invoked Article 49.3, which grants the minority government special constitutional powers to pass legislation without a parliamentary vote.  The no-confidence motion appeared to have no chance of succeeding after the Socialists and the far-right National Rally lawmakers announced they would not support it.  Under France’s Constitution, the no-confidence motion’s failure meant that the 2025 budget automatically became law.  The French political scene has been challenging since President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections last year, a move that resulted in no party having a majority in parliament.  Some information for this story came from Reuters and The Associated Press.  …

ATHENS, GREECE — Earthquakes rattled Greece’s volcanic island of Santorini every few minutes through the night and into Wednesday as authorities bolstered their emergency plans in case the hundreds of temblors over the past few days are a harbinger of a larger quake to come.   A coast guard vessel and a military landing craft were in the wider area as a contingency should an evacuation be required, Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said Wednesday during an emergency meeting with security officials, scientists and the prime minister in Athens.   “We are obliged to draw up scenarios for better and for worse regarding the prolonged seismic activity,” Kikilias said during the meeting, which was televised live.   Predicting earthquakes is not scientifically possible, and experts cannot yet determine definitively whether the seismic activity between the islands of Santorini and Amorgos could be a precursor to a significantly larger earthquake, or is part of an earthquake swarm that could continue shaking the area with small or moderate intensity quakes for weeks or months.   “I understand the fear of what it means at the moment to be on a Santorini that is constantly moving,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, as he called on residents to remain calm and follow authorities’ instructions.   Rescue crews with a sniffer dog and drones have been deployed on Santorini as a precaution since Sunday, while authorities have banned access to several coastal areas and ordered schools on several islands to shut for the week. Public events on Santorini have been banned, and local authorities were restricting access to clifftop areas that are among the biggest tourist draws to the island.   Thousands of residents and visitors have already left Santorini, frightened by the hundreds of earthquakes measuring between magnitude 3 and magnitude 5 that have struck the area since the weekend.   Ferry lines and commercial airlines have added ships and flights to their schedules this week to accommodate the increased demand. However, ferry services were disrupted on Wednesday due to rough weather.   The quakes, which all have epicenters beneath the seabed between Santorini and the Amorgos, have so far caused no injuries or major damage, although limited rockslides and cracks in some older buildings have been reported on Santorini. Greece lies in a highly seismically active part of the world and earthquakes are frequent. But it is extremely rare for any part of the country to experience such an intense barrage of … “Earthquakes keep rattling Greece’s volcanic island of Santorini every few minutes” →

BEIJING — China is willing to work with the European Union on boosting cooperation and responding to “global challenges,” its foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as the bloc faces potential U.S. tariffs on its shipments to the world’s largest economy. China attaches great importance to EU ties and hopes the bloc will become a reliable cooperation partner, said Lin Jian, spokesperson at the Chinese ministry. The EU’s trade chief said on Tuesday that the bloc wanted to engage swiftly with the United States over President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen forecast negotiations with Washington would be tough. As transatlantic ties come under strain with Trump’s tariff threats, China hawks within the EU such as von der Leyen are showing signs of willingness to rethink the relationship between Beijing and Brussels, a bond that had been tested by trade tensions and China’s ties with Russia. Speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, von der Leyen said the EU would keep “de-risking” its relationship with China but added that there was room to “find solutions” in their mutual interest and “find agreements” that could even expand trade and investment ties. She did not give details on what those agreements could be. In Davos, Switzerland, last month, von der Leyen also said both sides should find solutions of mutual interest. In October, the EU imposed double-digit tariffs on China-made electric vehicles after an anti-subsidy investigation, in addition to its standard car import duty of 10%. The move drew loud protests from Beijing, which in return, raised market entry barriers for certain EU products such as brandy. …

OREBRO, Sweden — Swedish police said on Wednesday there was no evidence of “ideological motives” behind a mass shooting at an adult education center on Tuesday, and warned of misinformation spread on social media about the Nordic country’s deadliest gun attack. At least 11 people died and many others were wounded in the shooting at the Risbergska school in Orebro, a town of over 100,000 people, where large numbers of police continued to cordon off the center and several schools located on its campus complex. A vigil with candles and flowers had been set up nearby. “We want to be clear that based on investigative and intelligence information at present, there is no information pointing to the culprit acting on ideological motives,” police said in a brief statement on its website. Police have said the motive for the crime was not immediately known, and that they believed the suspected perpetrator, who was among the dead and was not known previously to the police, acted alone. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Tuesday said the attack was the worst mass shooting in Swedish history, calling it a “painful day,” while King Carl XVI Gustav conveyed his condolences. Flags at official buildings in Orebro, some 200 km west of Stockholm, as well as at the Swedish parliament and the royal palace in the capital, were flying at half-mast as a sign of respect and mourning. “Our task is to take care of those attending the affected school, those who work there as well as inhabitants of Orebro, who are worried and sad,” Orebro Municipal Director Peter Larsson said in a statement. Many students in Sweden’s adult school system are immigrants seeking to improve their basic education and gain degrees to help them find jobs in the Nordic country while also learning Swedish. Police said in a statement it did not see any general threat against schools or pre-schools in the country, nor against adult education schools, including Swedish classes for immigrants. “We also at present don’t see any danger to the public, even if we understand that the incident raises concerns and many questions,” it said. Sweden has been struggling with a wave of shootings and bombings caused by an endemic gang crime problem that has seen the country of 10 million people record by far the highest per capita rate of gun violence in the EU in recent years. However, fatal attacks at … “Swedish police warn of online misinformation after mass school shooting” →

KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia launched a barrage of drones on Ukraine in an overnight attack on Friday, injuring four people and damaging a hospital and a grain warehouse in the southern Odesa region, officials said. Ukraine’s air defenses shot down 59 of 102 Russian drones, the air force said. It said that 37 drones were “lost,” referring to the use of electronic warfare to redirect them. Russian drones caused damage in the northeastern Sumy region, the Odesa region in the south and the central Cherkasy Region. Oleh Kiper, the Odesa regional governor, said that four civilians, including a doctor, were injured in drone attacks targeting the city of Chornomorsk. The strikes also partially disrupted electricity supplies in the city and damaged the city’s hospital, an administrative building, a grain warehouse, a residential house, and several trucks, he said on the Telegram app. Regional officials in the central Cherkasy region said that drone debris damaged an apartment building in the region. Meanwhile, an oil refinery in Russia’s southern Volgograd region caught fire after an overnight Ukrainian drone attack, but the blaze has now been put out, the regional governor said on Friday. Andrei Bocharov, the governor, said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app that Russian air defenses had repelled an attack on his region by eight drones. “As a result of falling debris from one of the drones, a fire broke out on the territory of an oil refinery, which was promptly extinguished. One injured refinery worker was hospitalized,” he said. Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, said on Telegram that the Volgograd oil refinery, which he described as one of Russia’s largest, had been struck. SHOT, a Russian news outlet with contacts in the security services, said four Ukrainian drones had been destroyed over a second refinery in Yaroslavl, northeast of Moscow. Ukraine has carried out frequent air attacks on Russian refineries, oil depots and industrial sites to cripple key infrastructure underpinning Russia’s war effort. This week it claimed to have struck and set on fire a Lukoil refinery, Russia’s fourth largest, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, east of Moscow. Sources at Lukoil denied that the NORSI refinery was hit, and said production was not affected. Petrochemical company Sibur said there had been a drone strike and fire at its nearby plant. Russia is currently feeding more crude oil through its refineries in the hope … “Russian drones injure 4 in Ukraine’s south, Ukrainian officials say” →

white house — Arms control advocates are hoping U.S. President Donald Trump’s fresh words of support for denuclearization will lead to talks with Russia and China on arms reduction. U.S. negotiations with the Russians and Chinese on denuclearization and eventual agreements are “very possible,” according to Trump, who addressed the World Economic Forum a week ago in Davos, Switzerland. “Tremendous amounts of money are being spent on nuclear [weapons], and the destructive capability is something that we don’t even want to talk about because you don’t want to hear,” he said. “It’s too depressing.” Trump noted that in his first term, he discussed the topic with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We were talking about denuclearization of our two countries, and China would have come along,” according to Trump. “President Putin really liked the idea of cutting back on nuclear [armaments], and I think the rest of the world — we would have gotten them to follow.” Just months before leaving office, former U.S. President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Peru where both agreed that decisions regarding the use of nuclear weapons should remain under human control. That consensus was seen as a positive step after the Chinese, four months previously, suspended nuclear arms control talks with Washington to protest American arms sales to Taiwan. The horror of nuclear attacks first became evident to many in the world through magazines in the West, which printed photographs of the radiation-burned survivors of the U.S. atomic attack on two Japanese cities in 1945 to end World War II. In subsequent years during the Cold War, U.S. government films captured the destructive force of test detonations in the Nevada desert, eventually prompting public demonstrations to “ban the bomb” and diplomacy to reduce or eliminate all nuclear weapons. A major breakthrough occurred in 1987 with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) between the United States and the Soviet Union. It entered into full force the following year. By 1991, nearly 2,700 missiles had been dismantled. That was the first time the two nuclear superpowers achieved a reduction of such weapons rather than just limiting their growth. Over the years, the Americans and the Russians lost their monopoly on nuclear weapons. Nine countries presently have nuclear arsenals, although Israel has never acknowledged possession of such weaponry. The United States and Russia each have more than 5,000 nuclear warheads — … “Trump support for denuclearization talks with Russia, China raises hopes ” →

Arms control advocates are hoping U.S. President Donald Trump’s fresh words of support for denuclearization will lead to talks with Russia and China about nuclear arms reduction. VOA’s chief national correspondent, Steve Herman, reports from the White House in Washington. …

Visiting Spain this week, NATO’s secretary-general called for members to boost military spending in the face of the threat from Russia. Spain spends the least on defense relative to the size of its economy. And as Henry Ridgwell reports, US President Donald Trump has singled out Madrid for failing to meet the NATO target. Camera: Alfonso Beato …