Russia Ukraine News Highlights | Speaking on the eve of the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the alliance to provide “effective and unrestricted” support to Ukraine, including any weapons the country needs to fend off the Russian invasion.
“We ask that the alliance declare that it will fully assist Ukraine to win this war, clear our territory of the invaders and restore peace in Ukraine,” he said late Wednesday during his nightly video address to the nation.
Zelenskyy will speak to the NATO summit by video, the president’s office said.
He appealed to Western countries to stay united in the face what he says are Russia’s efforts to “lobby its interests” with “some partners” to bring them over to its side.
“We will see who is a friend, who is a partner and who has sold out and betrayed us,” he said in an emotional speech. “Together we should not allow Russia to break anyone in NATO, the EU or G-7, to break them and drag them to the side of war.”
Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainian skies are still not closed to Russian aircraft and missiles and that Ukraine hasn't received the fighter jets or modern air-defense systems it requested. He said Ukraine also needs tanks and anti-ship systems.
“It has been a month of defending ourselves from attempts to destroy us, wipe us off the face of the earth,” he said. “We have lasted six times longer than the enemy had planned … but the Russian troops are destroying our cities, killing civilians indiscriminately, raping women, kidnapping children, shooting refugees, capturing aid columns and looting.”
Switching to Russian, Zelenskyy appealed to Russians “to leave Russia so as not to give your tax money to the war.” Tens of thousands of Russians already have fled Russia since the war began, fearing the intensifying crackdown at home.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates |
Canada to boost oil exports to displace Russian energy: Minister
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | US wants more direct channel to Russian defence ministry about Ukraine: Ambassador
Washington would like to have a more direct communication channel with Russia's defence ministry in order to deal with unforeseen events in the conflict in Ukraine, the U.S. ambassador to Moscow has said.
John Sullivan told the independent news outlet Novaya Gazeta that an emergency hotline between Washington and Moscow, set up in the Cold War to pre-empt an accidental nuclear conflict, was still in existence.
"But we hope that we will have a direct line for more direct interaction on issues related to Ukraine, especially with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense," he added, according to Novaya Gazeta's Russian transcript of his remarks, published on Thursday.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Half of Ukraine’
s children now displaced by Russia’s warRussia’s invasion has displaced half of Ukraine’s children. On a hospital bed in a town close to the border with Poland, a little girl with a long blonde braid and dressed in pink is one of them.
The United Nations children’s agency says half of the country’s children, or 4.3 million of an estimated 7.5 million, have now fled their homes, including about 1.8 million refugees who have left the country.
The children are everywhere, curled up amid suitcases in train stations, humanitarian aid tents, evacuation convoys. It is one of the largest such displacements since World War II.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Many Russian troops lack resources to be on offensive, Ukraine presidential adviser
Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said on Thursday that in many areas Russian troops did not have enough resources to push ahead with their offensive in Ukraine, leading to a slowdown in hostilities. "The front line is practically frozen," he said in a televised address. "The enemy in very many areas does not have the resources to continue the offensive."
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Russia says it hasn't withdrawn from all swimming events
Russia contradicted the governing body of swimming on Thursday by asserting that it has not withdrawn from all events on this year's calendar in response to being banned from the world championships because of the war in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Russian and Belarusian swimmers were banned from competing at the world championships in Hungary. FINA, as the sports governing body is known, had also said that Russia responded to the ban by withdrawing from all events on this year's calendar.
But the Russian swimming federation said Thursday that FINA published an incorrect press release and that it has only decided to skip the worlds in Budapest.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday there is a "real" threat that Moscow will use chemical weapons in Ukraine, accusing Russia of having already used phosphorus bombs against civilians in the country
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | UN General Assembly adopts Ukraine aid resolution, criticizes Russia
The 193-member United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly demanded aid access and civilian protection in Ukraine on Thursday and criticized Russia for creating a "dire" humanitarian situation after Moscow invaded its neighbor one month ago.
The resolution, drafted by Ukraine and allies, received 140 votes in favor and 5 votes against - Russia, Syria, North Korean, Eritrea and Belarus - while 38 countries abstained.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Ukraine says it has destroyed a large Russian landing ship
Ukraine said on Thursday it had destroyed a large Russian landing support ship, the Orsk, at the Russian-occupied port of Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov.
Video footage, which Reuters was able to confirm was filmed from inside Berdiansk, showed a column of smoke rising from a blaze at a dock, and the flash of an explosion.
Two vessels, one of which appeared to have been damaged, were seen in the footage sailing out of the dock as a third ship burned.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates |
NATO is stepping up chemical and nuclear defences for its forces in eastern Europe in the face of fears over Russia's war on Ukraine, alliance head Jens Stoltenberg says
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates |
Dozens of people fled a surge in fighting on Thursday in a flashpoint area where Ukraine said it had pushed back Russian forces around Kyiv, AFP journalists reported.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Russian media accuse YouTube of 'censorship'
Russia's Union of Journalists on Thursday accused YouTube of "censorship" and called for punitive measures, as fears mount that the US company maybe next in line for a ban in Russia."Biased moderation and open censorship by digital platforms must have consequences in accordance with the norms of the Russian law," the Interfax news agency quoted the head of Russia's Union of Journalists Vladimir Solovyev as saying."We urge Russian authorities to react to the situation and to take appropriate measures against Google and the video hosting service YouTube," he said.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | NATO says concerned Russia may be preparing pretext for chemical attack
Russia may be trying to create a pretext for the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine by accusing the United States and its allies of preparing such an attack, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday. "We are concerned partly because we see the rhetoric and we see that Russia is trying to create some kind of pretext accusing Ukraine, the United States and NATO allies of preparing to use chemical and biological weapons," he told reporters after a NATO summit in Brussels, adding any use of chemical weapons would have widespread consequences. "There is also a risk that it (a chemical weapons attack) will have a direct effect on people living in NATO countries because we can see contamination, we can see the spread of chemical agents or biological weapons into our countries," Stoltenberg said.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | G7 restricting Russian bank's use of gold
Group of Seven leaders have announced they are restricting the Russian Central Bank's use of gold in transactions, while the US announced a new round of sanctions targeting more than 400 elites and members of the Russian State Duma. Russia holds roughly $130 billion in gold reserves, and the Bank of Russia announced Feb 28 that it would resume the purchase of gold on the domestic precious metals market. Previously, sanctions against Russian elites, the country's Central Bank and President Vladimir Putin did not impact Russia's gold stockpile, which Putin has been accumulating for several years.White House officials said Thursday the move will further blunt Russia's ability to use its international reserves to prop up Russia's economy and fund its war against Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Biden administration announced more sanctions targeting 48 state-owned defense companies, 328 members of the Duma, Russia's lower parliament, and dozens of Russian elites. The Duma as an entity was also named in the new sanctions. Meanwhile, the Biden administration announced more sanctions targeting 48 state-owned defense companies, 328 members of the Duma, Russia's lower parliament, and dozens of Russian elites.The G-7 and the European Union also announced a new effort to share information and coordinate responses to prevent Russia from evading the impact of sanctions that western nations have levied since the Feb 24 invasion.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Confirmed civilian death toll in Ukraine now exceeds 1,000: UN
The United Nations human rights office said on Thursday that at least 1,035 people have been killed and 1,650 wounded in one month of war in Ukraine. Ninety children were among the dead, it said in a statement, adding that the true figures were believed to be considerably higher due to delays in reporting from areas with intense hostilities, including the southern besieged city of Mariupol. The U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a separate statement that 4.3 million children more than half of the country's estimated 7.5 million residents under 18 - have been uprooted, including more than 1.8 million who have fled abroad.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Just in: Washington sanctions 328 Russia lawmakers and 48 defence contractors: US official
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg to stay in office extra year amid Ukraine war
NATO leaders on Thursday extended the mandate of alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg for an extra year as the West grapples with Russia's war on Ukraine."Honoured by the decision of NATO heads of state and government to extend my term as secretary general until 30 September 2023. As we face the biggest security crisis in a generation, we stand united to keep our alliance strong and our people safe," Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Russia accuses Poland of 'dangerous escalation' in the region
Russia's foreign ministry on Thursday accused NATO member Poland, which neighbours Ukraine, of escalating the situation in eastern Europe after it expelled 45 Russian diplomats over alleged espionage."Warsaw has embarked on a dangerous escalation in the region, proceeding not from national interests, but within the framework of NATO guidelines, which are based on outright Russophobia elevated to the rank of official policy," the ministry said in a statement. "We see this and will take it into account in our practical steps towards Poland," it added.It said the expulsion of Russian diplomats announced a day earlier was a "conscious step" by Poland "towards the final destruction of bilateral ties"."All responsibility for what is happening and for the possible consequences lies entirely with the current authorities in Warsaw," the ministry said.It warned that Moscow "will not leave this hostile attack without a response". Poland said Wednesday it had expelled 45 "Russian spies pretending to be diplomats", an allegation immediately dismissed as baseless by Russia's ambassador to Warsaw.Also on Wednesday, Poland's counter-espionage service ABW announced it had detained a Polish national suspected of espionage for Russia's secret services.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Moscow stock market partially reopens after month-long closure
The Moscow Stock Exchange resumed trading of some shares Thursday, the second stage in a phased re-opening after being suspended for a month due to Russia's military operation in Ukraine.Trading renewed for only 33 of the largest companies that make up the ruble-denominated MOEX Russia Index, which saw gains of 10 percent at opening but closed at 4.4 percent.The RTS Index, which is calculated in US dollars, was down 9.0 percent as markets closed.The companies trading on Thursday include Russian energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft, and the country's largest banks Sberbank and VTB, which are under US sanctions.Other companies trading on the market included metals giants Nornickel and Rusal, several private companies and Russia's flag-carrier airline Aeroflot.The Moscow exchange suspended trading hours after President Vladimir Putin sent thousands of troops into pro-Western Ukraine on February 24.It started a phased re-opening on Monday with trading in federal government bonds, after the longest hiatus since the fall of the Soviet Union. Russia's central bank said Wednesday that trading would be limited to just over four hours and short selling would be banned in an effort to prevent speculative deals.Foreigners are not allowed to sell their shares, as part of measures taken by Russia to stem the flight of foreign currency and capital. Timothy Ash, an emerging markets strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, said Russian authorities have made a "concerted effort" to stabilise the domestic market and "ease the feeling of panic which came with the market collapse" after the initial sanctions.But he said this "deeply managed" reopening is "really only window dressing" as the sanctions are "proving really painful".While the "Russian financial markets might stabilise in the short term," few foreigners will want to invest there, he said, since "Putin has made Russia like toxic waste".
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Joe Biden seeks more military aid to Ukraine as West showcases unity against Russian war
Western leaders on Thursday showcased their unity against the Kremlin's war in Ukraine with Washington seeking more military aid to Ukraine, London imposing fresh sanctions against Moscow and NATO assigning more troops for its eastern flank. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on NATO, EU and G7 countries meeting in Brussels to help Kyiv fight Russia's invasion, which has killed thousands and driven a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million people from their homes. "We are determined to continue to impose costs on Russia to bring about the end of this brutal war," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the leaders gathered at the Western military alliance's headquarters. "We will discuss allied support to Ukraine. We will also address NATO's efforts to strengthen our defences now and for the years to come." U.S. President Joe Biden told the closed-door session he was in favour of sending more troops to NATO's eastern flank, said a senior U.S. administration official, adding Washington was working to support Ukraine with anti-ship missiles. NATO has, however, rejected repeated pleas by Kyiv to defend Ukraine's skies from Russian air strikes, and Zelenskiy - who joined the NATO summit through a video call - has complained the West had not provided tanks or modern anti-missile systems.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | India's position on Ukraine conflict steadfast and consistent: S Jaishankar
India's position on the Ukraine conflict has been "steadfast and consistent" as it has been seeking immediate cessation of violence and calling for ending the crisis through talks, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday. In the context of the unfolding developments in Ukraine, India has been emphasising that the global order is anchored on international law, the UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, he said.Jaishankar was replying to a question in Rajya Sabha. "India's position on the Ukraine conflict has been steadfast and consistent. We have expressed deep concern at the worsening situation and called for an immediate cessation of violence and end to all hostilities," he said. Jaishankar's comments came in the backdrop of increasing disquiet in the West over India not criticising Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and abstaining from the votes at the UN Security Council to condemn the Russian aggression. "In our conversations with global leaders at the highest levels, we have emphasised to all member States of the UN that the global order is anchored on international law, UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states," he said.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | NATO wants China to meet 'responsibilities' over Ukraine war
NATO leaders meeting in Brussels want China to oppose Russia's invasion of Ukraine and work for a peaceful end to the conflict, a senior US official said Thursday.Briefing reporters at NATO headquarters during the talks, the official said several leaders had said "China needs to live up to its responsibilities within the international community as a UN Security Council member"."We need to continue to call on China not to support Russia in its aggression against Ukraine," the official said.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | ICRC chief, Russia discuss need to protect Ukraine civilians
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Thursday said he and Russian Foreign Minister SergeiLavrovhad discussed the need to protect civilians during Moscow's operations in Ukraine."We certainly also discussed the international humanitarian law and provisions of the Geneva Convention in regard to conduct of hostilities… that civilians must be protected," Peter Maurer said at a joint press conference withLavrov.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | US to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing war: Sources
The United States plans to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, two sources familiar with the forthcoming announcement told Reuters. The expected announcement comes as U.S. President Joe Biden meets with European leaders on Thursday to coordinate Western nations' response to Moscow's assault on its neighboring country.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia using phosphorus bombs in Ukraine
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia on Thursday of deploying phosphorus weapons in his country and urged NATO to provide military support."This morning, by the way, phosphorus bombs were used. Russian phosphorus bombs. Adults were killed again and children were killed again," Zelensky said during a video address to the US-led military alliance.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Volodymyr Zelensky calls for unrestricted NATO military aid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged NATO on Thursday to provide Kyiv with unrestricted military aid, one month into Russia's invasion of Ukraine."To save people and our cities, Ukraine needs military assistance without restrictions. In the same way that Russia is using its full arsenal without restrictions against us," the Ukrainian leader told NATO representatives via video-link.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Mariupol says 15,000 deported from besieged city to Russia
Ukrainian authorities in besieged Mariupol said on Thursday about 15,000 civilians had been illegally deported to Russia since Russian forces seized parts of the southern port city. Ukrainian officials say civilians trapped in Mariupol, which is normally home to about 400,000 people, face a desperate plight without access to food, water, power or heat. Local authorities said on Sunday that thousands of residents had been taken by force across the border but did not provide a more precise figure. Russian news agencies said at the time that buses had carried several hundred people Moscow calls refugees from Mariupol to Russia in recent days. "Residents of the Left Bank district are beginning to be deported en masse to Russia. In total, about 15,000 Mariupol residents have been subjected to illegal deportation," Mariupol city council said in a statement issued on Thursday. Russia denies targeting civilians in what President Vladimir Putin calls a "special military operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine. Ukraine and the West say Putin launched an unprovoked war of aggression. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told a video briefing that Ukrainian authorities were continuing efforts to secure agreement from Russia to open a safe corridor to and from Mariupol.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukraine deserves to be full member of EU
Ukraine is fighting for the security of the whole of Europe and should be a full member of the European Union, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Swedish lawmakers on Thursday via video link. "We are not fighting just for the people of Ukraine, but for Europe's security and we have shown that we deserve to be a fully-fledged member of the EU," Zelenskiy said in an address to Sweden's parliament.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | UK slaps more sanctions on Russian, Belarus entities
Britain on Thursday slapped sanctions on 59 more Russians and entities and six Belarus entities in retaliation to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.Targets of the latest asset freeze includes Russian diamond giant Alrosa and shadowy mercenary group Wagner, as well as Polina Kovaleva -- the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov -- and Sberbank chief executive Guerman Gref."Sixty-five entries have been added to the Russiaand Belarusfinancial sanction regimes andare now subject to an asset freeze," read a statement from the Treasury.The news comes ahead of an emergency NATO summit in Brussels, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson will commit to a new package to help Ukraine's fight against Russian forces.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Western leaders discuss tougher action on Russia as Ukraine war enters second month
Western leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday will agree to strengthen their forces in Eastern Europe and increase military aid to Ukraine as the Russian assault on its neighbour entered its second month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged people around the world to take to the streets in solidarity with his country, where thousands of people have been killed, millions become refugees, and cities have been pulverised since Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed his invasion on Feb. 24. In Mariupol, the southern port city that has come to symbolise Ukraine's plight, people were burying their dead and queuing for rations in pauses in the bombing. One woman there, Viktoria, buried her 73-year-old stepfather Leonid, killed when the car ferrying him to a hospital was blown up 12 days ago. "This guy had taken a seat instead of me and then they all got blown up in that car," she told Reuters, pointing to the mangled remains of the vehicle. "It could have been me," she sobbed. Hundreds of thousands of people have been hiding in basements in Mariupol with no running water, food, medicine or power. Reuters reached a part of the city captured by Russian forces. No independent journalists have reported from the Ukrainian-held part of the besieged city in more than a week. Ukrainian officials say they have pushed back the invaders in other areas, including around the capital Kyiv, thwarting Russian hopes of a swift victory. RUINOUS In Brussels, Western leaders will warn Putin his country will pay "ruinous" costs for invading Ukraine during a series of NATO, G7 and EU summits over Thursday and Friday. U.S. President Joe Biden is among those attending.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | NATO aims to up 'costs' for Russia to halt Ukraine war
NATO leaders pushed Thursday to raise the cost for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine by bolstering weapons supplies to Kyiv and strengthening the alliance's eastern flank.US President Joe Biden is looking to boost unity and ramp up sanctions on Moscow at a day-long string of summits in Brussels as the West responds to the Kremlin's bid to upend the post-Cold War balance."Vladimir Putin has already crossed the red line into barbarism," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as NATO leaders arrived for a meeting and the war marked one month."The harder our sanctions, the tougher our economic vice around the Putin regime, the more we can do to help the Ukrainians, I think the faster that this thing can be over," he said.Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called on the 30-nation alliance to "double our efforts" to check the Kremlin's aggression against its pro-Western neighbour."Putin cannot win this war," she said. "We have to stop the war criminal."
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | UK sanctions 59 more Russian firms, individuals
Britain on Thursday slapped sanctions on 59 more Russian individuals and entities, including the shadowy mercenary group Wagner, in a further retaliation to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.The government said its latest asset freeze targets 33 individuals and 26 entities as well as six other entities linked to the Belarus regime.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Eurozone growth slows in March as Ukraine war threatens recovery
Business activity in the eurozone slowed in March, a closely watched survey said on Thursday, as high prices and a gloomy outlook raised fears that the Ukraine war could snuff out economic recovery in Europe.The purchase managers' index (PMI) from S&P (formerly IHS Markit), slipped 1.0 points to 54.5, a statement said. A figure above 50 indicates growth.The survey underscores the "immediate and material impact" of the war on the economy and "highlights the risk of the eurozone falling into decline in the second quarter", said S&P's chief business economist, Chris Williamson.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Over half of Ukrainian children displaced by war: UN
More than half of all children in Ukraine have been displaced from their homes since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, the United Nations said Thursday."One month of war in Ukraine has led to the displacement of 4.3 million children -- more than half of the country's estimated 7.5 million child population," the UN children's agency Unicef said.Displaced children make up nearly half of the over 10 million people who have been forced to flee their homes since the invasion began.More than 1.8 million children have fled Ukraine as refugees, while another 2.5 million are now displaced inside their war-ravaged country, the UN said."The war has caused one of the fastest large-scale displacements of children since World War II," Unicef chief Catherine Russell said."This is a grim milestone that could have lasting consequences for generations to come," she warned."Children's safety, wellbeing and access to essential services are all under threat from non-stop horrific violence." Her comments came a month after Russian tanks rolled over the border, bringing a conflict that has already killed thousands of Ukrainian civilians.The UN human rights office has confirmed that 81 children have been killed in the conflict and 108 injured but acknowledges that the true toll is likely far higher.The UN has also decried that the conflict is taking a devastating toll on civilian infrastructure and access to basic services.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Ukraine says destroyed Russian naval vessel in Azov Sea
Ukraine on Wednesday said it had struck a Russian naval transport vessel docked in the Azov Sea near the besieged port city of Mariupol, a month into the Russian invasion."The Orsklarge landing ship of the Black Sea Fleet of the occupiers has been destroyed in the port of Berdyanskcaptured by Russia," the Ukrainian navy wrote on social media.Plumes of black smoke billowed from a large gray vessel docked next to big cranes in amateur footage of what the Ukraine navy said was the strike on the ship.There was no immediate response to the claim from Russia's defence ministry and AFP could not independently confirm the strikes.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | China calls NATO claims of backing Russia 'disinformation'
Beijing on Thursday accused the NATO chief of "spreading disinformation" with claims that China has backed Russia's war against Ukraine, amid growing international pressure to distance itself from Moscow.China has refused to condemn close ally Russia over the bloody invasion of Ukraine and lagged behind many other countries in providing humanitarian aid to the war-stricken country.NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday accused China of giving political backing to Russia as it invades Ukraine by "spreading blatant lies", and warned Beijing against providing material support to Moscow's war effort.China must "live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council, refrain from supporting Russia's war effort, and join the rest of the world in calling for an immediate, peaceful end to thiswar," he said.But Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that "accusing China of spreading false information about Ukraine is itself spreading disinformation"."China's position is consistent with the wishes of most countries... any unwarranted accusations and suspicions against China will be defeated," he said at a routine briefing Thursday. "We have always maintained that Ukraine should become a bridge between the East and West, rather than be in the frontline in a game between great powers."
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Jens Stoltenberg to extend NATO term by one year amid Ukraine war, say reports
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is set to extend his term as head of the alliance by another year due to the war in Ukraine, Norwegian broadcaster TV2 and daily Dagens Naeringsliv reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources. Stoltenberg's current term expires on Oct. 1 and he had been due to take up a post as central bank governor of his native Norway by the end of 2022. When asked on Wednesday whether he would stay on at NATO, Stoltenberg said any such decision was up to member-countries to make. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation", has triggered Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War Two and led Western nations to fundamentally rethink their defence policies. Stoltenberg, an economist by training and former leader of Norway's Labour Party, was Norwegian prime minister from 2000-01 and 2005-13 before becoming NATO chief the following year. He has also been finance minister and energy minister.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | EU mulls further sanctions against Russia, Lithuania says
The European Union is talking about further sanctions on Russia but it will take time for the existing measures to show results, Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda said on Thursday, adding that there was scope for further sanctions. "If you want to achieve a result, sanctions take time and the consequences come after a certain time lag," he told reporters as he arrived for a NATO summit.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | UK PM Boris Johnson calls for action against Russian gold reserves
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Thursday for the world to prevent Russia using its gold reserves, ahead of a NATO summit on Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "We need to do more and so we need to do more economically," Johnson told LBC radio a month after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his devastating invasion of Ukraine.
"Can we do more to stop him using his gold reserves, for instance, in addition to his cash reserves? What can we do more to sanction SWIFT?" he said, referring to the international bank transfer system. Johnson said that as well as increasing military support to Ukraine, "we've got to go further" economically. T, with the Russian economy already suffering under a welter of international sanctions.
"My message today in NATO will be that there are ways in which the world can continue to intensify the pressure on Putin," he said. "The more we do that now, the more pressure we apply now, particularly on things like gold, ... I believe the more we can shorten the war, shorten the slaughter in Ukraine," he said.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Russian war in Ukraine marks 1 month with no end in sight
Russia's war in Ukraine has killed thousands of people, reduced entire cities to rubble and forced millions to flee their homes. The largest military conflict in Europe since World War II has also upset the international security order and sent dangerous ripples through the global economy.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Strikes kill 4 near Lugansk: Ukrainian official
At least four people were killed, including two children, and six wounded from overnight strikes in eastern Ukraine, the governor of the Lugansk region said Thursday. Sergiy Gayday said "unfortunately, the number of victims could be considerably higher," accusing Russian forces of using phosphorus bombs. Other officials in the region have made similar claims in recent days, which AFP has been unable to immediately verify.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Ukraine urges global protests as leaders meet to discuss tougher action
Ukraine's leader called for global solidarity on Thursday to mark a month since Russia's invasion began, urging people around the world to take to the streets and calling on leaders meeting in summits in Europe to bolster action against Moscow. U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived in Brussels for meetings of the NATO alliance, G7 and European Union over the invasion that began on Feb. 24 and has led to more than 3.6 million people fleeing from the country.
"Come from your offices, your homes, your schools and universities, come in the name of peace, come with Ukrainian symbols to support Ukraine, to support freedom, to support life," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address. After four weeks of conflict, Russia has failed to seize any major city and with its ground advances seemingly stalled, it has engaged in aerial bombardment, shelling and rocketing of cities, bringing devastation in many places and forcing a quarter of Ukraine's population of 44 million from their homes.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Russian President Vladimir Putin should appear before the International Criminal Court. Biden has called Putin a war criminal. The United States has said it has assessed that members of Russia's forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Worst hit in the war has been the southeastern port city of Mariupol, where hundreds of thousands of people have been sheltering under constant bombardment and with food, water and heating supplies cut.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Turkey urges more Ukraine ceasefire efforts, to continue mediation
Turkey called for ramped up efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine and vowed to continue its "mediation and facilitation" work between Moscow and Kyiv, ahead of a NATO summit where leaders will discuss Russia's invasion. NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia and has good ties with both. While supporting Ukraine and criticising Russia, Ankara has also opposed sanctions on Moscow and launched mediation efforts.
Although Moscow says its operation is going to plan, Russian forces have not captured a major Ukrainian city after a month of fighting. After a nearly 4-hour meeting in Ankara chaired by President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) said Turkey would continue to fulfil its responsibilities for regional peace. "It was noted that the efforts to halt attacks and achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible, and to solve problems between the two countries by taking into consideration Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in a lasting manner need to be ramped up," the MGK said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Turkey hosted the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers for the first high-level talks since the war, and wants to bring together Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy. While forging close ties with Russia in defence, energy and trade, and relying heavily on Russian tourists, Ankara has also sold drones to Ukraine, angering Moscow. It also opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya, as well as its annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Moscow stock exchange partially reopens after one-month closure
The Moscow Stock Exchange resumed trading of some shares Thursday, as it continued re-opening after a month-long suspension over Russia's military operation in Ukraine. Trading resumed for only around 30 of the largest companies that make up the ruble-denominated MOEX Russia Index, which saw early gains of up to 10 percent.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates
| 87 residential buildings damaged in Kyiv since February 24. As per Kyiv City State Admin, Russian attacks have also damaged 10 pvt houses, 12 schools, & 6 kindergartens in the Ukrainian capital since the beginning of the full-scale invasion: The Kyiv Independent
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Ukraine farm minister has resigned
Ukraine's agriculture minister Roman Leshchenko has submitted his resignation, APK-Inform consultancy said on Thursday. The ministry and government representatives were unavailable for comment.Leshechenko was appointed agriculture minister in December 2020.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Vladimir Putin made 'big mistake' invading Ukraine: NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of making a "big mistake" by invading Ukraine, as leaders gathered to discuss overhauling the alliance's eastern defences. "President Putin has made a big mistake and that is to launch a war against an independent sovereign nation. He has underestimated the strength of the Ukrainian people, the bravery of the Ukrainian people and their armed forces," Stoltenberg said ahead of the start of a summit in Brussels. Stoltenberg said the leaders of the US-led military alliance would "address the need for a reset of our deterrence and defence in the longer term", starting with agreeing new deployments to eastern members Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Ukraine says Russian landing ship destroyed
Ukraine’s navy on Thursday reported destroying Russia’s large landing ship, Orsk, near the port city of Berdyansk. A short Facebook statement about the ship was accompanied with photos and videos of fire and thick plumes of smoke in the port. The Russian military has not commented on what happened to the ship. Berdyansk has been under Russian control since February 27.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | Ukraine president Volodymr Zelenskyy pleads for worldwide show of support
Ukraine President Volodymr Zelenskyy called on people worldwide to gather in public Thursday to show support for his embattled country on the one-month anniversary of the Russian invasion that he said breaks the heart of “every free person on the planet.” Zelenskyy — whose video messages have repeatedly riveted the world’s attention — also said he would speak to NATO members by video to ask the alliance to provide “effective and unrestricted” support to Ukraine, including any weapons the country needs to fend off the Russian onslaught.
“Come to your squares, your streets. Make yourselves visible and heard,” Zelenskyy said in English during an emotional video address late Wednesday that was recorded in the dark near the presidential offices in Kyiv. “Say that people matter. Freedom matters. Peace matters. Ukraine matters.” When Russia unleashed its invasion Feb. 24 in Europe’s biggest offensive since World War II, a swift toppling of Ukraine’s government seemed likely. But with Wednesday marking four full weeks of fighting, Moscow is bogged down in a grinding military campaign.
NATO estimated that 7,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in four weeks of war in Ukraine, where fierce resistance has denied Moscow the lightning victory it sought. By way of comparison, Russia lost about 15,000 troops over 10 years in Afghanistan. A senior NATO military official said the alliance’s estimate was based on information from Ukrainian authorities, what Russia has released — intentionally or not — and intelligence gathered from open sources. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by NATO.
In its last update, Russia said March 2 that nearly 500 soldiers had been killed and almost 1,600 wounded. Ukraine has released little information about its own military losses, and the West has not given an estimate, but Zelenskyy said nearly two weeks ago that about 1,300 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed. Ukraine also claims to have killed six Russian generals. Russia acknowledges just one dead general. With its ground forces slowed or stopped by hit-and-run Ukrainian units armed with Western-supplied weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops are bombarding targets from afar, falling back on the tactics they used in reducing cities to rubble in Syria and Chechnya.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | India's Russian arms explain "shaky" Ukraine stance
When 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a recent border clash with China, the military hardware New Delhi sent to bolster its Himalayan frontier was mostly Russian-origin, showing not for the first time its closeness to "longstanding and time-tested friend" Moscow. Facing an increasingly assertive China closer to home, these ties help explain Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reluctance to criticise Vladimir Putin -- a regular visitor -- over the Ukraine invasion. India has abstained on UN resolutions censuring Russia and continues to buy Russian oil and other goods, despite pressure from Western countries.
Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates | UN council defeats Russia humanitarian resolution on Ukraine
The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday overwhelmingly defeated a Russian resolution that acknowledged Ukraine’s growing humanitarian needs -- but didn’t mention the Russian invasion that caused the escalating crisis which has left millions of Ukrainians in desperate need of food, water and shelter. To be adopted, Russia needed a minimum of nine “yes” votes in the 15-member Security Council and no veto by one of the four other permanent members — the U.S., Britain, France and China. But Russia got support only from its ally China, with the 13 other council members abstaining, reflecting Moscow’s failure to get widespread backing for its war in Ukraine, which marks its one-month anniversary Thursday.
The Russian defeat came on the same day the General Assembly started considering a resolution drafted by Ukraine and two dozen other countries and co-sponsored by nearly 100 nations which clearly states that Russia’s aggression is responsible for the growing humanitarian emergency. The assembly was also to consider a rival South African resolution that doesn’t mention Russia and is similar to Moscow’s defeated council resolution. Action on those resolutions was delayed until Thursday because of the huge number of speakers.
Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told the council before the vote that its resolution “is not politicized,” just like other Security Council humanitarian resolutions, and he categorically rejected a U.S. claim that his country had no right to submit such a resolution. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield countered that Russia was “attempting to use this council to provide cover for its brutal actions.”
“It really is unconscionable that Russia would have the audacity to put forward a resolution asking the international community to solve a humanitarian crisis that Russia alone created,” she said. “Russia does not care about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions. ... If they cared, they would stop fighting. Russia is the aggressor, the attacker, the invader, the sole party in Ukraine engaged in a campaign of brutality against the people of Ukraine, and they want us to pass a resolution that does not acknowledge their culpability.”
Nebenzia took the floor again after the vote saying it exposed all countries “for whom politicization of the humanitarian dossier” is more important than helping to get aid to Ukrainians. If diplomats go on to lament the lack of a ceasefire and provisions for evacuations, “we will remind you that they were before you, but you refused to vote in favor of them for political reasons,” he said. Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun, explaining his country’s vote in favor of the Russian resolution, said council members should focus on humanitarian issues, “transcend the political differences’’ and try to reach consensus and “respond to the humanitarian crisis in a positive, pragmatic and constructive manner.”
