WARSAW: Belarus will certainly face further European sanctions due to a Russian plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in the country, Poland’s prime minister said on Tuesday, as tensions between Warsaw and Minsk hit new highs.
President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday Russia would station the nuclear arms in Belarus, his latest gambit in a worsening stand-off with the West over the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.
“This step taken by Russia... the announcement of the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus, will certainly lead to the announcement of additional sanctions, the level of sanctions will be much more severe for the Lukashenko regime,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference in Bucharest, referring to the Belarusian president.
The United States, the world’s other leading nuclear superpower, has reacted cautiously to Putin’s statement, with a senior Biden administration official saying there were no signs Moscow planned to use its nuclear weapons.
However, Lithuania has said that it will call for new sanctions against Moscow and Minsk in response to Russia’s plan.
Morawiecki said he was in daily talks with other European Union leaders about an 11th package of sanctions against Russia and that it would include more measures targeting Belarus, a close ally of Moscow.
Relations between Warsaw and Minsk were strained even before the war in Ukraine made them allies of opposing sides in the conflict.
Poland accuses Belarus of orchestrating a migrant crisis along its borders which reached a peak in 2021, though migrants continue to arrive at the frontier today. Minsk denies pushing migrants toward the border.
The two neighbors are also in dispute over the jailing of a journalist of Polish origin in Belarus and the vandalism of Polish graves in the country.
Amid the deteriorating ties, Poland closed one of its key border crossings with Belarus in February, a move Minsk has condemned.
On Tuesday, Morawiecki said Poland was considering further limitations on cross-border traffic.
“We border Belarus and, as part of our bilateral relations, we are considering tightening the parameters of passenger and freight traffic in order to send a signal that we do not accept actions that serve Russia in its aggressive actions in Ukraine.”
Belarus to face more sanctions over nuclear arms plan, Poland says
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Belarus to face more sanctions over nuclear arms plan, Poland says
- "This step taken by Russia... will certainly lead to the announcement of additional sanctions," said Polish Prime Minister
- Lithuania has said that it will call for new sanctions against Moscow and Minsk in response to Russia's plan
Indonesia threatens to ban Musk’s Grok AI over degrading images of children and women
- Grok has been complying with user requests to alter images of real people
- Other countries, including Malaysia and France, have also threatened action against X
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Communications Ministry threatened on Wednesday to ban Elon Musk’s X and its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok after degrading pictures of women and children generated without consent surged on the social media platform.
Grok has been complying with requests from X users to modify images of real women and children stripped to their underwear, creating a viral trend that has sparked concerns across the globe.
A preliminary investigation found that Grok “does not yet have explicit and adequate regulations to prevent the production and distribution of pornographic content based on real photos” of Indonesian citizens,” Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs said in a statement.
Indonesia has strict laws against the production and distribution of pornography, with the government regularly instructing internet service providers to block access to websites containing such content.
“The obligation to comply with Indonesian laws and regulations applies to all digital platforms operating in Indonesia,” the ministry said.
“Should there be non-compliance or lack of cooperation, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs may impose administrative sanctions, including termination of access to Grok’s AI services and the X platform.”
Indonesia has joined a growing list of countries, which includes Malaysia, India and France, that are calling for investigations and threatening action against Grok.
Concerns grew after a December update to the chatbot made it easier for users to post photographs of people and ask for their clothing to be removed.
In a report published on Tuesday, European non-profit organization AI Forensics said Grok is “systematically ‘undressing’ women.”
Its analysis of 20,000 images generated by Grok between Dec. 25 and Jan.1 found that 53 percent of them contained individuals in minimal attire, with 81 percent of them being women, while two percent of the images depicted persons appearing to be 18 years old or younger.
Indonesia’s Communications Ministry said AI service providers and users are also subject to administrative or criminal sanctions under Indonesian law if they are proven to have produced or distributed pornographic content or modified personal images without permission.
“Every digital platform must ensure that the technology they provide does not become a medium for privacy violation, sexual exploitation or the degradation of a person’s dignity,” said Alexander Sabar, director-general of digital space at the ministry.
“We urge all parties to use artificial intelligence technology responsibly. The digital space is not a lawless space; every citizen’s privacy and right to their image must be respected and protected.”
