Ukraine war live updates: NATO allies to make a decision on battle tanks for Kyiv; Wagner Group could have up to 50,000 troops in Ukraine - CNBC

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects "strong decisions" from defence chiefs of NATO subordinate countries, who are gathering astatine Germany's Ramstein aerial basal to scope a determination connected whether to nonstop almighty German Leopard tanks to Ukraine's army.

Speaking to the leaders via video link, Zelenskyy stressed that "we indispensable enactment fast," saying that the Ukraine-Russia struggle is astir "what benignant of satellite we volition unrecorded in" and that "the Kremlin indispensable lose."

"You are beardown radical of almighty countries," helium said to the audience. "I promote you to marque specified decisions that tin deprive Russian evil of immoderate power. It is successful your powerfulness to warrant artillery and craft that volition crush terror. It is successful your powerfulness to marque victory."

— Natasha Turak

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged allies to "dig deeper" successful their enactment for Ukraine, aft Washington unveiled different $2.5 cardinal subject assistance bundle for the embattled country.

"This is simply a important moment. Russia is regrouping, recruiting and trying to re-equip," Austin said from the U.S. military's Ramstein aerial basal successful Germany. "This is not a infinitesimal to dilatory down. It's a clip to excavation deeper."

"But Ukrainian radical are watching us," helium added. "The Kremlin is watching us, and past is watching us. So we won't fto up. And we won't waver successful our determination to assistance Ukraine support itself from Russia's imperial aggression."

Austin said that immoderate 50 countries person helped Ukraine to support itself, adding that the caller U.S. bundle gives "even much aerial defence capabilities to assistance Ukraine support its cities and its skies."

— Natasha Turak

Poland is acceptable to instrumentality "non-standard action" and nonstop Ukraine 2 of its Leopard tanks if Germany opposes the move, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski said.

"I bash not regularisation retired that we are acceptable to instrumentality specified a step," Jablonski was quoted by Reuters arsenic telling a backstage vigor station.

"At the infinitesimal we are trying to marque Germany not lone hold these tanks being sent by Poland oregon different countries, but besides to bash truthful themselves."

NATO allies are gathering astatine Germany's Ramstein aerial basal for a important determination connected whether to nonstop German Leopard 2 tanks from assorted European armies to Ukraine, a determination that requires Berlin's support adjacent for different countries due to the fact that it is simply a German re-export.

Ukraine has agelong been pleading for the dense weaponry it says is indispensable for pushing backmost against Russian forces, and its adjacent state Poland has echoed its calls. Germany has been dilatory to o.k. sending dense weaponry to Ukraine for fearfulness of provoking Russia.

"I deliberation that if determination is beardown resistance, we volition beryllium acceptable to instrumentality adjacent specified non-standard action... but let's not expect the facts," Jablonski said.

— Natasha Turak

Russian mercenary steadfast Wagner Group present has tens of thousands of fighters deployed successful Ukraine, Britain's Ministry of Defense said successful its latest quality update.

The backstage subject institution formally registered arsenic a ineligible entity successful Russia conscionable successful December 2022, describing its halfway enactment arsenic "management consultancy," contempt years of documented combat activities successful parts of Africa, the Middle East and present Ukraine.

"Wagner astir surely present commands up to 50,000 fighters successful Ukraine and has go a cardinal constituent of the Ukraine campaign," Britain's Defense Ministry wrote successful its update connected Twitter.

"The registration apt aims to maximise Prigozhin's commercialized summation and to further legitimise the progressively high-profile organisation."

Defense chiefs of NATO countries are gathering astatine Germany's Ramstein aerial basal to sermon providing Ukraine with main conflict tanks.

The determination is simply a agelong clip coming, arsenic Kyiv has been requesting tanks for months but Western allies person shown reluctance to oblige arsenic they fearfulness provoking Russia.

Germany has veto powerfulness to halt immoderate effort by the 30-country confederation to nonstop Kyiv its Leopard 2 tanks, which would beryllium exported by armies successful a fig of NATO countries. German Chancellor Olaf Sholz has truthful acold been reserved successful his willingness to nonstop definite almighty weaponry to Ukraine, drafting disapproval from different supporters of the country.

— Natasha Turak

Ukraine's archetypal woman called connected businesses and politicians astatine Davos to support backing humanitarian enactment for her war-weary country.

"First human, past capital. Humanity comes first. Values travel first. And erstwhile we archer the satellite astir protecting our state and rebuilding aft hostilities, we mean, archetypal of all, protecting radical and restoring mean beingness for them arsenic overmuch arsenic possible," Olena Zelenska said during a sheet treatment astatine the World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland.

Zelenska was joined by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

— Amanda Macias

The State Department said it was alert of unconfirmed reports of an espionage probe regarding a U.S. national successful Russia.

"Generally, the Russian Federation does not abide by its obligations to supply timely notification, often detention of U.S. citizens successful Russia," lawman spokesperson Vedant Patel said during a regular property briefing erstwhile asked astir the matter.

"Russian authorities besides don't regularly pass the Embassy of the trials, sentencing oregon question of U.S. citizens. We're looking into this substance and we'll proceed to monitor," Patel said, adding that the U.S. embassy successful Moscow was engaging with Russian authorities.

— Amanda Macias