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"We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. "Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for."

This week, the world watched in anticipation for Russia’s Victory Day parade after President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that he could not guarantee the safety of those attending. Meanwhile, the European Union moves one step forward to banning Russian gas from the European continent. It is also revealed this week that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fallen out of step with the White House.

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Reuters: UK to commit 20,000 military personnel for NATO exercises

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The United Kingdom will deploy 20,000 military personnel across Europe to participate in major NATO exercises in the first half of this year, Reuters reported on Jan. 15, citing the U.K. Defense Ministry. The British military will also provide a number of warships and fighter jets.

According to reports, 16,000 British troops will be sent to Eastern Europe in February and will remain there until June. The U.K. will also reportedly commit a carrier strike group, F35B Lightning attack aircraft and surveillance aircraft.

"I can announce today that the U.K. will be sending some 20,000 personnel to take part in one of NATO’s largest deployments since the end of the Cold War," Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in a speech published by the Defense Ministry. "Exercise Steadfast Defender. It will see our military joining forces with counterparts from 30 NATO countries plus Sweden, providing vital reassurance against the Putin menace."

Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a 2.5-billion-pound ($3.2 billion) military aid package during a visit to Kyiv.

Just two days earlier, NATO members reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering Ukraine's defenses and promised continued military, economic, and humanitarian assistance in 2024.

Ukraine war latest: Defense Minister proposes international working group to withdraw Russian troops
Key developments on Jan. 13-14: * Russia targets regions across Ukraine in mass missile attack * Umerov proposes international working group to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine * French foreign minister visits Kyiv * Swiss diplomat says China needs to help end Russia’s war * Russian drone…
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Rachel Amran

News Editor

Rachel Amran is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked on the Europe and Central Asia team of Human Rights Watch investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Rachel holds a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies from Columbia University.

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