Russia Ukraine News Highlights | Russia claims bombed Ukraine mall was used to store rocket systems: AFP

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Russia claims bombed Ukraine mall was used to store rocket systems: AFP

#BREAKING Russia claims bombed Ukraine mall was used to store rocket systems pic.twitter.com/KBPDE3OUeg

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 21, 2022

Ukraine 'cannot fulfil Russian ultimatums': Zelensky

#BREAKING Ukraine 'cannot fulfil Russian ultimatums': Zelensky pic.twitter.com/SuVIwQuDNI

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 21, 2022

R Joe Biden has put US-Russia ties 'on the verge of rupture', says Moscow

Russia on Monday summoned the US ambassador in protest after President Joe Biden branded Russian leader Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" for Moscow's actions in Ukraine, saying he had endangered ties.

"Such statements by the American president, which are not worthy of a high-ranking statesman, have put Russian-American relations on the verge of rupture," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement said ambassador John Sullivan had been handed a formal letter of protest over "recent unacceptable statements" made by Biden.

He was warned that "hostile actions taken against Russia would receive a firm and decisive response," the ministry said.

Biden described Putin as a "war criminal" in remarks to reporters last week, amid heavy fighting in Ukraine after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into the pro-Western country.

Source: AFP

Oil prices up more than $4 as EU considers Russian oil ban

Oil prices jumped by more than $4 on Monday, with Brent crude climbing above $111 a barrel, as European Union nations considered joining the United States in a Russian oil embargo and after a weekend attack on Saudi oil facilities.

Brent crude futures were up $4.44, or 4.1%, at $112.37 a barrel by 1321 GMT, adding to a 1.2% rise on Friday.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $4.05, or 3.9%, to $108.75, extending Friday's 1.7% jump.

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Kremlin says Russian oil embargo would hurt Europe, not US

The Kremlin said on Monday Europe would be hit hard in the event of an embargo on Russian oil, striking the continent's energy balance, but would not affect the United States.

Some European Union foreign ministers are pushing for an oil embargo as part of a possible fifth round of sanctions against Russi, in an effort to punish Moscow over events in Ukraine.

"Such an embargo would very seriously impact the global oil market, very badly impact energy balance on the European continent," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a daily conference call.

Diplomats have said a Russian chemical weapons attack in Ukraine, or a heavy bombardment of its capital Kyiv, could be a trigger for an energy embargo. Russia says it targets military, not civilian infrastructure.

Moscow itself has warned that EU sanctions on Russian oil could prompt it to close a gas pipeline to Europe. For now, the 27-nation EU, which relies on Russia for 40% of its gas, with Germany among the most dependent of the bloc's large economies, is divided on how to tackle the energy issue.

"Americans would remain as they are and would feel much better than Europeans (in the event of oil embargo). This would be hard for Europeans - such a decision would hit everyone," Peskov said.

Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a "special operation" to degrade its southern neighbour's military capabilities and root out people it called dangerous nationalists.

Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force it to withdraw its forces.

Courtesy: Reuters

David Beckham hands over Instagram account to Kharkiv doctor

Former England soccer captain David Beckham handed over his Instagram account on Sunday to a doctor helping women give birth in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

Beckham, the 46-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder and current co-owner of American Major League Soccer team Inter Miami, told his 71.6 million Instagram followers to look at his profile to see the work of Irina, a child anaesthesiologist, and her team amid the conflict.

Beckham, a goodwill ambassador for United Nations children's agency UNICEF, posted a video message and called on his followers to support the organisation's work in Ukraine.

Kharkiv has been hit by a barrage of Russian strikes that have destroyed many buildings since Moscow launched what it calls a "special operation" in Ukraine last month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the operation is aimed at disarming Ukraine and rooting out dangerous nationalists. Western nations call it an aggressive war of choice and have imposed punishing sanctions aimed at crippling Russia's economy.

Irina, head of the Regional Perinatal Centre, posted videos of a basement where she said pregnant women and mothers were evacuated on the first day of Russia's invasion. She also shared images of newborn babies dependent on oxygen generators, which were donated by UNICEF.

"The first days were the most difficult. We had to learn how to work with bombings and strikes," she said.

"We are probably risking our lives, but we don't think about it at all. We love our work."

One of Irina's videos showed a woman called Yana cradling her baby son Mykhailo, who was born on the second day of the war with breathing problems. Irina said Mykhailo was now better but the family's home had been destroyed.

"Doctors and nurses here, we worry, we cry, but none of us will give up," Irina said.

Courtesy: Reuters

Zelensky calls on European leaders to cease all trade with Russia: AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on European leaders to cease all trade with Russia in an effort to pressure Moscow to halt its nearly month-long military assault on his country.

#UPDATE Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on European leaders to cease all trade with Russia in an effort to pressure Moscow to halt its nearly month-long military assault on his country pic.twitter.com/lxNsZkxK0h

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 21, 2022

The Kremlin said on Monday that peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv had yet to yield any major breakthroughs and called on countries that can exert influence over Ukraine to use their clout to make Kyiv more constructive at the negotiations. Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said significant progress in the talks still had to be made for there to be a basis for a possible meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a special operation to degrade its southern neighbour's military capabilities and root out people it called dangerous nationalists. Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force it to withdraw its forces.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who has been trying to mediate an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, said on Monday that despite some progress big gaps remained between the sides. "There's still a long way to go, because ... there are several issues in dispute, some of them fundamental," he said in a speech, according to a transcript provided by his office. Bennett added that Israel, "together with other friends in the world, will continue trying to to bridge the gap and bring an end to the war".

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday decried Russia's attack on the Ukrainian port city Mariupol as "a massive war crime", as the bloc discussed imposing more sanctions on Moscow. "What's happening now in Mariupol is a massive war crime, destroying everything, bombarding and killing everybody," Borrell said at the start of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

EU foreign and defence ministers meet on Monday to discuss imposing further sanctions on Moscow, especially whether to introduce an oil embargo. Trying to force a Russian military withdrawal from Ukraine, the European Union and its Western allies has already imposed a panoply of sanctions including freezing the Russian central bank's assets.

The humanitarian crisis in the port city of Mariupol, where residents are besieged with little food, water and power, is increasing pressure on European leaders to toughen sanctions on Moscow. "It's unavoidable we start talking about the energy sector, and we can definitely talk about oil because it is the biggest revenue to Russia's budget," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said as he arrived at the Brussels meeting.

The credibility of the West was on the line, he said. "We cannot get tired of imposing sanctions, we cannot get tired of bringing assistance and help to Ukraine," he said U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in Brussels on Thursday for summits with NATO's 30 allies, the EU, and in a Group of Seven (G7) format including Japan, designed to harden the West's response to Moscow. The Kremlin has so far not been moved to change course in Ukraine by four rounds of EU sanctions imposed over the past three weeks, including on 685 Russians and Belarusians and on Russian finance and trade.