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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken predicted on Wednesday that Russia will suffer a “long, bloody, drawn-out mess” as it proceeds with its invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Blinken added that the war would become a strategic failure for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If his goal is to impose some kind of puppet regime by displacing the existing government and putting in place one to his liking, I think it’s pretty evident by the response of the Ukrainian people that they will never accept that if he tries to enforce such a puppet regime by keeping Russian forces in Ukraine,” Mr Blinken said at a press conference in Washington alongside UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
“It will be a long, bloody, drawn-out mess through which Russia will continue to suffer grievously.”
He added that the US and its Nato allies would continue to support the Ukrainian military while exerting economic pressure on Russia to persuade Mr Putin to “change course”.
“The measures that we’ve taken have erased 30 years of progress integrating Russia into the world,” said Mr Blinken.
“This dramatic exodus of virtually every international company from Russia as we speak is having a profound impact — not just today — but over the long term.”
For her part, Ms Truss called for a full ban on Russian banks from the Swift financial system and a halt to Russian energy imports among all members of the G7, the group consisting of the world’s largest advanced economies.
Several Russian banks have already been banned from Swift, restricting their access to much of the global economy. French Finance Minister Brun Le Maire has described a Swift ban as a last resort, likening it to a “financial nuclear weapon".
Ms Truss added that the UK has vowed to halt Russian energy imports by the end of the year and touted the London’s announcement on Wednesday that it would supply Ukraine with its Starstreak air defence system.
However, both Mr Blinken and Ms Truss firmly highlighted their countries’ limits over support to Ukraine for fear of sparking a broader conflict between Russia and Nato's nuclear-armed powers.
They both firmly rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for a no-fly zone over the embattled country.
“The reality is that setting up a no-fly zone would lead to a direct confrontation between Nato and Russia,” said Ms Truss. “And that is not what we are looking at.”
Mr Blinken also said that the US and its allies would have to “work through” an arrangement to ensure that Ukraine receives the fighter jets that Mr Zelenskyy had requested after Poland blindsided Washington with a proposal to do so this week.
The Pentagon has called that proposal “not tenable”.
Without consulting Washington, Poland announced on Tuesday that it would had over 28 Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets into US custody at Nato bases in Germany for their eventual transfer to Ukraine — a proposal that Mr Blinken said raises “serious concerns".
“It’s not clear to us as to the rationale for doing it in the way that was put forward yesterday,” said Mr Blinken.
“What we’re doing right now is consulting mostly with Poland, with other Nato allies on this and the logistical challenges.”
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
