Tuesday morning news - February 15, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kristen Flavin. 

Russia signals willingness to continue talks » Russia signaled a willingness on Monday to continue diplomatic efforts to end the crisis in Ukraine.

PUTIN: [Speaking Russia]

During a meeting orchestrated for the media, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, if he had any hope of reaching an agreement with the West on key issues.

Lavrov responded, “Our possibilities are far from being exhausted.” He added that while negotiations should not drag on indefinitely, he would suggest “continuing and ramping them up.”

Western leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, continue to warn of dire consequences should Russia invade Ukraine.

JOHNSON: We’ve got to realize that this is a very, very dangerous, pivotal situation. We are on the edge of a precipice. But there is still time for President Putin to step back and what we are urging is for everybody to engage in dialog, for a conversation to take place.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Kyiv on Monday before traveling to Moscow for talks with Putin. He said no one should doubt the determination and preparedness of the EU and NATO in the event of a military offensive.

After urging Americans to leave the country over the weekend, U.S. officials closed the embassy in Kyiv and moved the remaining staff to the western city of Lviv. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he ordered the move due to a dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces on the country’s border.

Durham report on Clinton campaign spying » The special counsel investigating the origins of the Russia probe has revealed new information about a tip made against the Trump campaign. WORLD’s Leigh Jones has more.

LEIGH JONES, REPORTER: In 2016, attorney Michael Sussman told the FBI he had evidence Donald Trump’s campaign was communicating with a Russian bank that had ties to the Kremlin.

But Sussman did not disclose that he was working for the Clinton campaign.

In court documents filed Friday, special counsel John Durham said an unidentified tech executive provided Sussman data about web traffic to and from servers for Trump Tower, Trump’s New York City apartment building, and eventually the White House.

According to the filing, the data Sussman passed on to the FBI showed a minimal amount of Russia-related internet traffic compared to the rest of the country as a whole.

Sussman was indicted in September for lying to the FBI—charges he denies.

The former president said Durham’s latest revelations constitute a “scandal far greater in scope and magnitude than Watergate.”

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leigh Jones.

Trudeau invokes emergency powers » Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invoked emergency powers in an effort to quell protests in the nation’s capital.

During a news conference Monday afternoon, Trudeau said the scope of the measures would be targeted, reasonable, and proportate to the threats they are meant to address.

TRUDEAU: We’ll always defend the rights of Canadians to peaceful assembly and to freedom of expression, but these blockades are illegal. And if you’re still participating, the time to go home is now.

The protest in Ottawa over vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions is entering its third week. Officials have repeatedly called it an “illegal occupation” but have made limited efforts to force protesters to leave.

Now, the government says it is prepared to tow vehicles, suspend insurance coverage, and even freeze truckers’ personal and corporate bank accounts.

Meanwhile, the province that includes Ottawa is lifting most of its pandemic restrictions.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford made that announcement earlier on Monday.

FORD: Effective March 1st, we intend to eliminate capacity limits in all indoor public settings. At the same time, we will lift proof of vaccination requirements for all settings.

Ford said the change in pandemic policy had nothing to do with the protest in Ottawa. He said he was acting on the advice of health officials.

The province’s mask requirement will remain in place, at least for now.

U.S. halts avocado imports from Mexico » Mexico’s president is blaming political and economic conspiracies for a recent export disruption. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has that story.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: U.S. regulators halted imports of Mexican avocados over the weekend. That after a U.S. plant safety inspector received a threat on his government-issued cell phone.

U.S officials had warned they would block imports if Mexico could not get a handle on drug-related violence in Michoacan. Drug cartels target the avocado industry for extortion, while growers are often caught in turf battles.

But Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador dismissed safety concerns on Monday. He blamed the dispute on an effort by U.S. growers to keep out competition from Mexico.

Nearly half the avocados consumed in the United States come from Michoacan. It is the only state in Mexico authorized to export avocados to the United States.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

I’m Kristen Flavin. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org. 

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