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Reuters: Countries whose sovereign bonds were purchased by Russia would not be considered in default if Western governments decide to confiscate frozen Russian reserves worth $300 billion, credit rating agencies Moody's and S&P Global said.

POLITICO: German lawmakers on Wednesday voted against a proposal from the center-right opposition Christian Democrats that included language on delivering Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine.

Reuters: Ukrainian artillery forces fighting near the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut say Russian troops are constantly making offensive assaults as fighting intensifies and Kyiv waits for more military aid from the West.

Bloomberg: If the US were to withdraw its forces from Europe, it would be a “nightmare scenario” at a time of Russian aggression, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (archive).

Reuters: Ukraine's domestic security service said on Wednesday it was investigating whether several employees of an investigative journalism outlet had been put under illegal surveillance, after a video online claimed to show them taking recreational drugs.

AFP: Switzerland said Wednesday that a cyber-attack claimed by a pro-Russian group temporarily disrupted access to a number of government websites, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Davos.

Bloomberg: Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Ukraine still has a path to victory and allies can help it defeat Russian forces by contributing a chunk of their economic output to the war effort (archive).

Meduza: Russia’s federal censorship agency, Roskomnadzor, plans to create a database of the geolocations of Russian users’ IP addresses, according to a draft order published on the government’s portal of draft regulations.

POLITICO: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU’s executive arm is preparing a blueprint on reform within the bloc as it plans to take in more member countries such as Ukraine.

Reuters: Western companies supplied Russia with $2.9 billion worth of components that can be used for military production in the first 10 months of 2023 despite sanctions on Moscow, the Ukrainian president's office said on Wednesday.

Bloomberg: Polish President Andrzej Duda says he and Volodymyr Zelenskiy have moved past their differences and that he’s assured the Ukrainian leader that Kyiv can rely on Polish support (archive).

Yahoo News: Protesters and riot police clashed in a small town in Russia's central Bashkortostan, leaving injured on both sides, after an activist was sentenced to four years in prison.

Reuters: Hundreds of Romanian farmers and truck drivers ramped up a week-long protest against high business costs on Wednesday, blocking access to a border crossing with Ukraine and protesting on the outskirts of capital Bucharest.

AP News: Ukraine is locked in an existential battle for its survival almost two years into its war with Russia and Western armies and political leaders must drastically change the way they help it fend off invading forces, a top NATO military officer said on Wednesday.

The Kyiv Independent: Railway tracks in Russia's Saratov, Yaroslavl, and Nizhny Novgorod oblasts have been targeted in sabotage attacks, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported on Jan. 17.

Reuters: The European Union's chief executive voiced confidence on Wednesday that all 27 member states will agree to extend more financial aid to Ukraine, overcoming Hungary's opposition and fulfilling a promise to Kyiv.

POLITICO: The former secretary general of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is urging Democrats to cut a border enforcement deal with Republicans to secure new aid for the war in Ukraine and other U.S. allies. And, he argued in an interview, that deal would help Democrats in the 2024 election, too.

Reuters: A Ukraine reconstruction bank being set up by Kyiv with help from BlackRock and JPMorgan Chase has at least $500 million in committed capital and could be ready to launch in 5-6 months with close to $1 billion, a senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday.

Meduza: Turkish banks have begun refusing to work with Russian banks, reports Kommersant, citing sources working in the financial market and foreign trade.

The Kyiv Independent: Russian companies have been increasingly leaving Cyprus as Western sanctions impact their ability to operate, the Russian state-controlled media outlet Kommersant wrote on Jan. 16.

worth mentioning

How one officer class offers a glimpse into Russia’s military amid Ukraine war

Another year of lies: 10 of the Kremlin’s favorite fakes in 2023

Toilet wars: Kremlin steps up claims of defending 'traditional values' amid rising social tensions

EU chief under fire for releasing Hungary funds

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