Russia's Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launched during exercises held by the country's strategic nuclear forces at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia. Reuters
Russia's Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launched during exercises held by the country's strategic nuclear forces at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia. Reuters
Russia's Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launched during exercises held by the country's strategic nuclear forces at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia. Reuters
Russia's Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launched during exercises held by the country's strategic nuclear forces at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia. Reuters

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Russia warns of nuclear war if it is defeated in Ukraine

Threat comes a day before Nato allies meet to discuss sending more military aid to Ukraine

Soraya Ebrahimi
Soraya Ebrahimi

January 20, 2023

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Russia's defeat in Ukraine could start a nuclear war, an ally of President Vladimir Putin has said in a warning to Nato.

The remarks came as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said the world would end if the West tried to destroy Russia.

As Ukraine's allies meet to discuss supplying Kyiv with more weapons, the threat is intended to deter Nato from becoming even more involved in the war.

But the admission that Russia might lose on the battlefield marked a rare moment of public doubt from a prominent member of Mr Putin's inner circle.

READ MORE

Nato countries agree to send military aid to Ukraine ahead of arms meeting

“The defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war may trigger a nuclear war,” Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Mr Putin's powerful security council, said on Telegram on Thursday.

“Nuclear powers have never lost major conflicts on which their fate depends,” said Mr Medvedev, who was Russian president from 2008 to 2012.

Striking a similar tone at what he described as an anxious time for the country, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said in a sermon that trying to destroy Russia would mean the end of the world.

Drones and weapons supplied to Ukraine — in pictures

Turkeysold its Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to Ukraine. They can fly at an altitude of 7,500 metres and swoop down to attack targets. AFP
Turkeysold its Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to Ukraine. They can fly at an altitude of 7,500 metres and swoop down to attack targets. AFP
The US also gave 700 of its Switchblade kamikaze drones. AP
The US also gave 700 of its Switchblade kamikaze drones. AP
Cheap commercial drones like the DJI Mavic series have been modified in Ukraine. AFP
Cheap commercial drones like the DJI Mavic series have been modified in Ukraine. AFP
Germany will follow the US in providing a Patriot missile defence system, pictured above, to Ukraine. Reuters
Germany will follow the US in providing a Patriot missile defence system, pictured above, to Ukraine. Reuters
FIM-92 Stinger rockets have been donated to help Ukrainian infantry engage aircraft and drones. The shoulder-launched missiles can shoot down aircraft. Photo: US Army
FIM-92 Stinger rockets have been donated to help Ukrainian infantry engage aircraft and drones. The shoulder-launched missiles can shoot down aircraft. Photo: US Army
Germany donated 25 Flakpanzer Gepard all-weather-capable self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. AFP
Germany donated 25 Flakpanzer Gepard all-weather-capable self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. AFP
The High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, can simultaneously launch several precision-guided missiles. The US has given Ukraine projectiles with a range of about 130 kilometres. EPA
The High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, can simultaneously launch several precision-guided missiles. The US has given Ukraine projectiles with a range of about 130 kilometres. EPA
M777 howitzers and about 300,000 shells have been donated to give Ukraine an accurate artillery platform with a range of 50 kilometres. EPA
M777 howitzers and about 300,000 shells have been donated to give Ukraine an accurate artillery platform with a range of 50 kilometres. EPA
Ukraine has been sent at least 5,000 of the anti-tank weapons known as NLAWs. These shoulder-launched rockets have proved deadly in the field. PA
Ukraine has been sent at least 5,000 of the anti-tank weapons known as NLAWs. These shoulder-launched rockets have proved deadly in the field. PA
Ukrainian troops have also received thousands of Javelin anti-tank missiles. Bloomberg
Ukrainian troops have also received thousands of Javelin anti-tank missiles. Bloomberg
Poland and the Czech Republic sent Russian-made T72 tanks, which Ukraine has used for decades, to ease integration and cut down training time. EPA
Poland and the Czech Republic sent Russian-made T72 tanks, which Ukraine has used for decades, to ease integration and cut down training time. EPA
France as announced its plan to give AMX-10 RC “scout tanks” to Ukraine. "This is the first time that western-made armoured vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army," a French official said. AFP
France as announced its plan to give AMX-10 RC “scout tanks” to Ukraine. "This is the first time that western-made armoured vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army," a French official said. AFP
Shortly after the French, the US said it would send Bradley fighting vehicles to provide "a level of firepower and armour that would bring advantages on the battlefield”. Reuters
Shortly after the French, the US said it would send Bradley fighting vehicles to provide "a level of firepower and armour that would bring advantages on the battlefield”. Reuters
The UK sent their phased-out Saxon armoured vehicles. They found new life protecting infantry units in transit and dealing with tough off-road conditions. Getty Images
The UK sent their phased-out Saxon armoured vehicles. They found new life protecting infantry units in transit and dealing with tough off-road conditions. Getty Images
Denmark has supplied Harpoon anti-ship launchers to help Ukraine defend its coasts. AFP
Denmark has supplied Harpoon anti-ship launchers to help Ukraine defend its coasts. AFP
The US sent 20 Soviet and Russian made Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine that had initially been bought for the Afghan government in 2010. AP
The US sent 20 Soviet and Russian made Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine that had initially been bought for the Afghan government in 2010. AP
Germany has also supplied its latest version of the IRIS-T air defence system designed to shoot down missiles at altitudes up to 20 kilometres. Getty Images
Germany has also supplied its latest version of the IRIS-T air defence system designed to shoot down missiles at altitudes up to 20 kilometres. Getty Images
Ukraine has also been given thousands of small arms, bullet proof vests, medical kits, litres of fuel, granades and other weapons systems. Reuters
Ukraine has also been given thousands of small arms, bullet proof vests, medical kits, litres of fuel, granades and other weapons systems. Reuters

“We pray to the Lord that he bring the madmen to reason and help them understand that any desire to destroy Russia will mean the end of the world,” state news agency RIA quoted him as saying.

“Today is an alarming time. But we believe that the Lord will not leave Russian land.”

Mr Medvedev said Nato and other defence leaders, due to meet at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday to talk about strategy and support for Ukraine, should think about the risks of their policy.

Mr Putin has described Russia's “special military operation” in Ukraine as an existential battle with an "aggressive and arrogant West", and has said Moscow will use all available means to protect itself.

The Kremlin chief has sought in recent months to gird Russians for a much tougher battle while promising eventual victory in a war that the leaders of the West say they will never let him win.

Russia and Ukraine conflict latest — in pictures

A tank, seen left, fires a round in Soledar, a town in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Reuters
A tank, seen left, fires a round in Soledar, a town in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Reuters
Tank fire in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters
Tank fire in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters
Firefighters work to put out a blaze at a Kharkiv fireworks storage site after it was struck by a Russian missile. Getty
Firefighters work to put out a blaze at a Kharkiv fireworks storage site after it was struck by a Russian missile. Getty
Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, visits his troops on the frontline in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters
Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, visits his troops on the frontline in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters
A Ukrainian flag attached to a tank flutters in the wind in Bakhmut. Reuters
A Ukrainian flag attached to a tank flutters in the wind in Bakhmut. Reuters
A specialist from an emergency crew works on a residential building in Donetsk that was damaged in recent shelling. Reuters
A specialist from an emergency crew works on a residential building in Donetsk that was damaged in recent shelling. Reuters
A missile fragment left by shelling in Russian-controlled Donetsk. AP
A missile fragment left by shelling in Russian-controlled Donetsk. AP
Residents remove debris and carry their belongings out of a building destroyed by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters
Residents remove debris and carry their belongings out of a building destroyed by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters
Ukrainian forces fire an anti-aircraft weapon as Russia's attack on the frontline city of Bakhmut continues. Reuters
Ukrainian forces fire an anti-aircraft weapon as Russia's attack on the frontline city of Bakhmut continues. Reuters
A car drives past a destroyed building purported to have been used as temporary accommodation for Russian soldiers, dozens of whom were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in Makiivka, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters
A car drives past a destroyed building purported to have been used as temporary accommodation for Russian soldiers, dozens of whom were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in Makiivka, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters
The site of a temporary barracks for Russian soldiers in Makiivka, which was destroyed in a Ukrainian missile attack. Reuters
The site of a temporary barracks for Russian soldiers in Makiivka, which was destroyed in a Ukrainian missile attack. Reuters
A Ukrainian serviceman carries his injured comrade from the battlefield to a hospital in the Donetsk region. AP
A Ukrainian serviceman carries his injured comrade from the battlefield to a hospital in the Donetsk region. AP
Smoke rises after shelling in Soledar, the site of heavy battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk region. AP
Smoke rises after shelling in Soledar, the site of heavy battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk region. AP

The US has denied Russian claims that it wants to destroy Russia, while President Joe Biden has cautioned that a conflict between Russia and Nato could spark a Third World War.

But top Putin allies say the tens of billions of dollars' worth of US and European military assistance to Ukraine shows that Russia is now in a confrontation with Nato.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in Minsk that Moscow would do everything to ensure Nato and EU leaders “sobered up” as soon as possible.

Putin says world facing most dangerous decade since Second World War — video

Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine has led to one of the deadliest European conflicts since the Second World War, and the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

The US and its allies have condemned the invasion as an imperial land grab while Ukraine has vowed to fight until the last Russian soldier is ejected from its territory.

Biden warns of nuclear 'Armageddon' — video

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Mr Medvedev has repeatedly raised the threat of a nuclear war.

However, his admission now of the possibility of Russia's defeat indicates the level of Moscow's concern over increased western weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

Russia and the US, by far the largest nuclear powers, hold about 90 per cent of the world's nuclear warheads.

Asked if Mr Medvedev's remarks signified that Russia was escalating the crisis to a new level, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “No, it absolutely does not mean that.”

He said Mr Medvedev's remarks were in full accordance with Russia's nuclear doctrine, which allows for a nuclear strike after “aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened”.

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China

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UAE

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Japan

5

Norway

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Canada

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Singapore

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Australia

9.

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Prize money:  $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.

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How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers

Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.

It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.

The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.

Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.

Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.

He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.

AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”

A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.

Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.

Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.

Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.

By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.

Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.

In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”

Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.

She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.

Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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