Russian Move on Ukraine Aid Fails at UN Security Council
A Russian-drafted call for aid access and civilian protection in Ukraine that does not mention Moscow’s role in the crisis failed at the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, with only Russia and China voting yes and the remaining 13 members abstaining.Britain Giving Ukraine Thousands More Missiles
Britain will send thousands more missiles to Ukraine’s government as Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Western allies to boost the supply of military aid to Ukraine.Johnson is traveling to Brussels on Thursday for talks with NATO and leaders of the Group of Seven. He is expected to provide further details of the new British aid during the visit, including the donation of 6,000 more missiles comprising anti-tank and high-explosive weaponry.
“The United Kingdom will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defenses as they turn the tide in this fight,” Johnson said.
Britain has already sent more than 4,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.
WHO Says There Were 64 Instances of Attacks on Health Care Since Ukraine War Started
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it had verified 64 instances of attacks on health care in Ukraine between Feb. 24 and March 21, resulting in 15 deaths and 37 injuries.Close to 7 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced in the one month of war, with one in three of them suffering from a chronic health condition, according to the global health agency.
Pressure has been mounting on medical professionals and volunteers from Ukraine and abroad to keep the country’s health care system going, since the start of the Russian invasion.
Limited access to medicines, health care facilities, and staff in Ukraine is further pressuring ongoing treatments of chronic conditions, the WHO said, adding that half of the country’s pharmacies were thought to be closed.
Poland Orders Expulsion of 45 Russian Diplomats
Poland ordered the expulsion of 45 Russians whom the government identified as intelligence officers using their diplomatic status as cover to operate in the country, officials said Wednesday.Poland’s Internal Security Agency said it has asked the Foreign Ministry to urgently remove the Russians, who were described as a danger to Poland’s security, from the country.
“These are people who ... operate using their diplomatic status, but in reality conduct intelligence activities against Poland,” said Stanislaw Zaryn, the state security spokesman.
Russian Ambassador Sergei Andreev was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and given a note informing him of the expulsion of 45 employees of the embassy and Russia’s trade mission to Poland.
Andreev, who is not among those being expelled, lashed out at the decision, telling reporters after the meeting that those being kicked out of Poland “were carrying out normal diplomatic and trade activity.” He said Russia has the right to respond on a reciprocal basis.
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina said the Russians were being given five days to leave the country, with the exception of one particularly dangerous man who must leave in 48 hours.
US Warns China Against Helping Russia Dodge Sanctions
The Biden administration, seeking to deter the Chinese regime from aiding sanctions-hit Russia, on Wednesday warned Beijing not to take advantage of business opportunities created by sanctions, help Moscow evade export controls, or process its banned financial transactions.White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that G7 countries would soon announce a unified response to make sure Russia cannot evade Western sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine with the help of China or any other country.
Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Brussels where President Joe Biden will attend an emergency NATO summit, Sullivan said, “That’s not specifically about China, but it will apply to every significant economy and the decisions that any of those economies take to try, in an intentional and active way, to undermine or weaken the sanctions that we put in place.”
He said the U.S. government has conveyed this message to the Chinese regime and that, “We expect similar communication by European Union and individual European countries.”
Beijing Tells Chinese Business People to Fill Void in Russian Market
China’s ambassador to Russia has called on Chinese businesspeople in Moscow to grow their enterprises by leveraging the Ukraine crisis, as severe international sanctions have crippled Russia’s economy in the wake of the invasion.“The current international situation is complex. Big enterprises are facing great challenges or even disruptions in payment and supply chains,” he said at the meeting, according to the post.
The conference summary made no mention of the Western sanctions, yet Zhang said it was the right time for the private and small- and medium-sized enterprises to make a difference.
US Formally Accuses Russian Troops of Committing War Crimes in Ukraine
The Biden administration on Wednesday made a formal announcement that Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine and said it would work with others to prosecute offenders, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.“Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the U.S. government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine,” Blinken said in a statement released as he was traveling to Brussels with President Joe Biden for an emergency summit of NATO leaders.
The assessment was based on a “careful review” of public and intelligence sources since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last month, he said.
America’s top diplomat said the United States would share that information with allies, partners, and international institutions tasked with investigating allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
He cited attacks on the civilian population in the besieged city of Mariupol and elsewhere.
British Military Wants Prank Call Censored
London has asked YouTube on Wednesday to censor any videos of the call between pranksters Vovan and Lexus—pretending to be the Ukrainian PM—and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, claiming they are propaganda by the Russian state that was manipulated to show falsehoods and undermine British reputation and Kyiv’s morale.Russian Economist Chubais Resigns as Putin’s Aide
The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin’s envoy for liaison with international organizations has resigned.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that Anatoly Chubais had submitted his resignation.
Peskov wouldn’t say if Chubais has left the country, saying it’s his private business.
Chubais, the architect of Russia’s post-Soviet privatization campaign, has served at a variety of top official jobs during the past three decades.
After Russia began its invasion last month, Chubais posted a photo of Boris Nemtsov, a leading Russian opposition figure who was shot dead near the Kremlin in 2015. Even without a caption, it was seen as a powerful statement from a Moscow insider.
UN Meets to Consider Humanitarian Resolutions
Ukraine’s U.N. ambassador is urging all nations that stand against Russia’s invasion to vote for a U.N. resolution on the humanitarian consequences of its aggression, saying this will send a powerful message aimed at helping people caught in the conflict and ending Moscow’s military action.Russia’s U.N. envoy countered that the U.N. General Assembly, which is considering the resolution, is just “another political anti-Russian show, set this time in an allegedly humanitarian context” and urged its 193 member nations to vote against it and support a rival South African draft resolution that focuses solely on humanitarian issues with no “political assessment.”
Ukraine’s Sergiy Kyslytsya and Russia’s Vassily Nebenzia spoke at the start of Wednesday’s emergency special session of the General Assembly to consider the rival resolutions on the humanitarian impact of the war, which will mark its one-month anniversary on Thursday. Russia has also called for a vote later Wednesday in the U.N. Security Council on its own humanitarian resolution, which has been widely criticized for not referring to its invasion of Ukraine.
Kyslytsya said the Ukraine-backed assembly resolution, drafted by two dozen diplomats from all parts of the world and co-sponsored by nearly 100 countries, focuses on “the urgent need to elevate the humanitarian suffering on the ground and immediate cessation of hostilities by the Russian Federation.”
Nebenzia warned that adoption of that resolution “will make a resolution to the situation in Ukraine more difficult.” That’s because it will likely embolden Ukrainian negotiators and “nudge them to maintaining the current unrealistic position, which is not related to the situation on the ground, nor to the need to tackle the root causes” of Russia’s military action, he said.
NATO to Approve ‘Major Increases’ of Troops as Zelenskyy Says 100,000 People Trapped
NATO is likely to send more troops to the alliance’s eastern flank, sending battle groups to Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Wednesday, as Ukrainian officials warned that 100,000 people are trapped in Mariupol amid the conflict with Russia.“I expect leaders will agree to strengthen NATO’s posture in all domains, with major increases in the eastern part of the alliance on land, in the air, and at sea,” Stoltenberg said ahead of Thursday’s NATO summit in Brussels.
Since the start of the Ukraine–Russia conflict, NATO has readied more than 140,000 troops across the continent, Stoltenberg added.
The alliance, meanwhile, is considering permanently stationing troops along the eastern flank, according to another NATO official.
“NATO is in the process now of stepping back and thinking more about a medium and longer-term force presence in NATO territory on that eastern flank,” U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith told an Atlantic Council audience on Wednesday, saying the move will send “a pretty clear message to Moscow.”
EU Aims to Discuss With Biden Possibility of Securing Extra Deliveries of Natural Gas From US to Bloc
The head of the European Union’s executive arm says she will discuss with President Joe Biden the possibility to secure extra deliveries of liquefied natural gas from the United States for the 27-nation bloc.Speaking at the European Parliament ahead of Biden’s visit to Europe, Ursula von der Leyen said she will discuss with him “how to prioritize LNG deliveries from the United States to the European Union in the coming months.”
The EU imports 90 percent of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes, and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40 percent of EU gas and a quarter of its oil.
The bloc is looking at ways to end its dependence on Russian gas by diversifying suppliers. Von der Leyen said the EU is aiming at having a commitment for additional supplies from the United States “for the next two winters.”
Reuters Removes TASS Russian News Agency From Its Content Marketplace
Reuters has removed TASS from its business-to-business marketplace for customers, according to a Reuters message to staff on Wednesday, amid criticism of how Russia’s state-owned news agency is portraying the war in Ukraine.“We believe making TASS content available on Reuters Connect is not aligned with the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles,” Matthew Keen, interim CEO of Reuters, wrote in an internal memo to staff on Wednesday.
TASS declined to make immediate comment.
The Russian news agency has been accused by some Western media and press freedom groups of spreading false claims and propaganda about the war in Ukraine. Since the invasion, tech giants Google, Facebook, and Twitter and pay TV services have restricted access to Russia state-owned media RT and Sputnik, accusing Moscow of spreading misinformation. RT and Sputnik have called restrictions placed on them by distributors, which include app stores and other social media services, unjustified censorship.
Reuters Connect allowed users, mostly news organizations, to access and share TASS content for a fee. Reuters Connect also offers the content of Reuters News and about 90 third-party providers, including Variety, USA Today, and CNBC.
The TASS partnership with the Reuters Connect platform was struck in 2020. In a June 1 press release that year, Michael Friedenberg, then president of Reuters, said having TASS join Reuters Connect was “building upon our valued partnership.” Sergei Mikhailov, TASS CEO, called the agreement “truly a significant event.”
According to the press release, the TASS partnership with Reuters Connect offered customers “access to breaking news and exclusive video; videos on the Kremlin and Russian President, Vladimir Putin, as well as feature videos and general news.”
Zelenskyy Thanks French Macron for His “True Leadership”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for his “true leadership” over the war during a virtual address from Kyiv to the French parliament Wednesday.Zelenskyy used the address to French MPs via video link to rally further European support for his war-torn country’s efforts to stave off Russian aggression. He called on France for assistance with arms, equipment, and more planes “so that liberty does not slip away,” according to a French translation of the 20-minute speech.
The speech comes one day after French President Emmanuel Macron talked with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin about the terms of a potential cease-fire.
NATO Chief: Chemical Weapons in Ukraine Would ‘Totally Change’ Conflict
The use of chemical weapons by Russia would “totally change the nature of the conflict” in Ukraine, said NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday.Without elaborating, Stoltenberg told reporters that using such weapons would be a “blatant violation of international law and of far-reaching consequences.” He didn’t elaborate.
Since the start of the Feb. 24 conflict, there have been no reports or evidence suggesting Moscow has used chemical weapons in Ukraine. However, in recent days, top Western officials have continually claimed that Russia is aiming to do so in the near future, although no evidence has been produced.
Ahead of a NATO summit in Brussels, President Joe Biden told reporters that he believes “it’s a real threat” that Russia would use the weapons. Meanwhile, Russian officials have made accusations that Kyiv is seeking to use or develop chemical or biological weapons against Russia.
Putin Wants ‘Unfriendly’ States to Pay Rubles for Russian Gas
Russia will now accept payment for gas exports to “unfriendly countries” in rubles only, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the government on Wednesday.Putin explained that Russia plans to abandon all “compromised” currencies in payment settlements. He added that illegitimate decisions by a number of Western countries to freeze Russia’s assets destroyed all confidence in their currencies.
Biden: Russia’s Hypersonic Missiles ‘Consequential’ and ‘Almost Impossible to Stop’
President Joe Biden deemed Russia’s alleged firing of hypersonic missiles in the Ukraine conflict earlier this week as a “consequential” move.Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed its military used hypersonic missiles against an ammunition warehouse and a fuel depot in Ukraine, making it possibly the first time such a weapon has been used in combat to date.
However, other White House officials downplayed the development as a diversionary tactic.
State Department Says an Embassy Official Visited With WNBA Star Brittney Griner
The U.S. State Department says a U.S. Embassy official has visited with WNBA star Brittney Griner, who remains detained near Moscow, to check on her condition.State Department spokesperson Ned Price told CNN on Wednesday that the official found Griner “to be in good condition.” Price did not identify the official who had been granted consular access to Griner, something the United States had been demanding.
Griner was detained after arriving at a Moscow airport, reportedly in mid-February, after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges that allegedly contained oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Russian state news agency Tass reported last week that a court had extended Griner’s pretrial detention to May 19.
Price says the United States “will do everything we can to see that she is treated fairly throughout this ordeal.”
A member of a Russian state-backed prison monitoring group visited with Griner last week at the pretrial detention facility outside Moscow where she’s being held and said the Phoenix Mercury star was faring well behind bars.
Zelenskyy to Speak to French Lawmakers
In his latest address to a foreign parliament, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to speak to French lawmakers on Wednesday.The address, via video link from his office in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, comes one day after French President Emmanuel Macron talked with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin about the terms of a potential cease-fire.
Though they reached no agreement, according to the French presidency, Macron “remains convinced of the need to continue his efforts” and he “stands alongside Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy recently addressed the U.S. Congress and the German and Japanese parliaments, among others, to harness international help.
Serbia’s President Accuses the West of Double Standards
Serbia’s president is accusing the West of double standards, comparing Moscow’s attacks against Ukraine with the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999.The Western military alliance launched a 78-day air war against Serbia in March 1999 to stop a crackdown by Serbia’s armed forces on majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo who were seeking independence.
The Serbian troops were forced to leave the former province which declared independence in 2008, something both Belgrade and Moscow do not recognize.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that if the West is so brave and moral, “why don’t you carry out an aggression against Russia … why don’t you (militarily) protect Ukraine?” he said on state-controlled Pink TV.
“Morality is an important category in politics, but you can’t stick to it one day and forget about it the next.”
Serbia voted in favor of a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine but is the only European nation that has refused to join international sanctions against the Kremlin.
Biden: Russia Chemical Attack Is ‘Real Threat’
President Joe Biden has left the White House for a four-day trip to Europe, where he will meet with key allies to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.As he departed Wednesday, Biden told reporters the possibility that Russia could use chemical weapons in the Ukraine war is a “real threat.”
He said he would say more on the subject directly to the leaders he was meeting with Thursday.
Moscow however denied the accusations of using chemical attacks.
Moscow Warns Europe of Energy Market Collapse
The exchange price for gas in Europe at the level of $4,000 per 1,000 cubic meters is not the limit, as the volume at storage facilities is significantly lower than last year, the Russian deputy prime minister and former energy minister, Alexander Novak, said on Wednesday.Belarus Expelling Ukrainian Diplomats
Russian ally Belarus says it is expelling Ukrainian diplomats and closing a consulate.Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz didn’t specify Wednesday how many diplomats would have to leave but said a maximum of five could remain.
Glaz said, “This step is aimed at ending the undiplomatic activities of several staff of the Ukrainian foreign missions.”
Belarus has allowed Russia to use its territory as a staging area for its forces invading Ukraine.
The announcement comes on the same day as Poland expelled Russian diplomats.
Limited Russian Stock Market Trading to Resume on March 24, Central Bank Says
The Russian Central Bank says it is reopening trading on the Moscow stock exchange for the first time since it was closed nearly a month ago.Trading will resume Thursday but only for 33 stocks of large companies listed on the IMOEX index. There will be a ban on short-selling.
The exchange resumed trading in government debt earlier this week.
Kremlin: Russia Would Only Use Nuclear Weapons If Its Existence Were Threatened
Russia’s security policy dictates that the country would only use nuclear weapons if its very existence were threatened, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN in an interview on Tuesday.The comment, nearly four weeks after Russia sent its forces into Ukraine, came amid Western concern that the conflict there could escalate into a nuclear war.
Peskov made the comment in an English-language interview when asked whether he was confident President Vladimir Putin would not use nuclear weapons.
“We have a concept of domestic security and it’s public, you can read all the reasons for nuclear arms to be used. So if it is an existential threat for our country, then it (the nuclear arsenal) can be used in accordance with our concept,” he said.
“There are no other reasons that were mentioned in that text,” he said in a further reference to the country’s security concept.
Putin last month ordered Russia’s nuclear forces to be put on high alert. In line with the order, Russia’s defense ministry said on Feb. 28 that its nuclear missile forces and Northern and Pacific fleets had been placed on enhanced combat duty, the Interfax news agency reported.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on March 14: “The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility.”
Biden Heads to Europe for Emergency NATO Summit on Ukraine
President Joe Biden flies to Europe on Wednesday for an emergency NATO summit on Ukraine, where the besieged port of Mariupol is in flames.Moscow says its aim is to disarm its neighbour, and its “special military operation” is going to plan.
Worst hit has been Mariupol, a southern port completely surrounded by Russian forces, where hundreds of thousands of people have been sheltering since the war’s early days.
New satellite photographs from commercial firm Maxar released overnight showed massive destruction of what was once a city of 400,000 people, with columns of smoke rising from residential apartment buildings in flames.
Biden, due to arrive in Brussels on Wednesday evening, will meet NATO and European leaders in an emergency summit at the Western military alliance’s headquarters. The leaders are expected to roll out additional sanctions against Russia on Thursday.
White House Preparing to Unveil More Sanctions on Russia: National Security Adviser
President Joe Biden’s administration is preparing to unveil another round of sanctions against Russia, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan announced on March 22.The sanctions will be announced in coordination with the European Union.
“He will join our partners in imposing further sanctions on Russia and tightening the existing sanctions to crack down on evasion and to ensure robust enforcement,” Sullivan said at a White House press briefing on Tuesday.
Sullivan did not provide further details regarding the specifics of the latest sanctions but told reporters that they will focus on enforcing current sanctions and ensure that “there is joint effort to crack down on evasion, on sanctions-busting, on any attempt by any country to help Russia basically undermine, weaken, or get around the sanctions.”
Russia Says Sending International Peacekeepers to Ukraine Would Be ‘Very Reckless’
Russia on Wednesday condemned what it called a “reckless” Polish proposal to send international peacekeepers into Ukraine and warned that it could lead to a direct clash between Russian and NATO forces.Poland said last Friday it would formally submit a proposal for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine at the next NATO summit.
Asked about the initiative, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “It would be a very reckless and extremely dangerous decision.”
He told reporters on a conference call that any possible contact between Russian and NATO forces “could have clear consequences that would be hard to repair.”
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.
Speaking in Kyiv last week, Poland’s ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said: “I think that it is necessary to have a peace mission—NATO, possibly some wider international structure—but a mission that will be able to defend itself, which will operate on Ukrainian territory.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also attacked the proposal in remarks to staff and students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations on Wednesday.
“This will be the direct clash between the Russian and NATO armed forces that everyone has not only tried to avoid but said should not take place in principle,” he said.
Poland Seeks Expulsion of 45 Russians Suspected of Spying
Poland has identified 45 Russian intelligence officers using diplomatic status as cover to stay in the country and authorities are seeking to expel them, officials said Wednesday.Poland’s Internal Security Agency says it’s asking the Foreign Ministry to urgently remove the Russians, who were described as a danger to Poland’s security, from the country.
“These are people who have and operate using their diplomatic status, but in reality conduct intelligence activities against Poland,” claimed Stanislaw Zaryn, the state security spokesman.
He said the decision to expel them now was made “taking into account Russian aggression against Ukraine.”
Zaryn claimed in a separate statement that the security agency found that the activities of the 45 Russians have served “the objectives of the Russian undertakings designed to undermine the stability of Poland and its allies in the international arena and poses a threat to the interests and security of our country.”
The Polish government spokesman said Russia’s ambassador to Poland was summoned to the Foreign Ministry.
US National Security Adviser Issues Warning on Russia’s Membership in G20
Asked whether President Joe Biden would move to push Russia out of the G20 when he meets with allies in Brussels, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House Tuesday: “We believe that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in international institutions and in the international community.”However, the United States plans to consult with its allies before any other pronouncements are made, he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Poland said it had suggested to U.S. commerce officials that it replace Russia within the G20 group and that the suggestion had received a “positive response.”
A U.S. Commerce Department spokesperson said that a “good meeting” had been held last week between Polish Economic Development and Technology Minister Piotr Nowak and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo but added:
“She (Raimondo) welcomed hearing Poland’s views on a number of topics, including the operation of the G20, but did not express a position on behalf of the U.S. Government with respect to the Polish G20 proposal.”
Deputy central bank governor Dody Budi Waluyo on Monday said at a seminar Indonesia’s position was always one of neutrality, but noting the risk of divisions over the issue said it would use its G20 leadership to try to resolve any problems.
Russia had a “strong commitment” to attend G20 meetings and other members could not forbid them from attending, he added.
Putin Gets Chinese Backing to Stay in G20
Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the next G20 summit in Indonesia later this year and received valuable backing from Beijing on Wednesday in a pushback to suggestions by some members that Russia could be barred from the group.Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia, which currently holds the rotating G20 chair, said Putin intended to travel to the Indonesian resort island of Bali for the G20 summit in November.
“It will depend on many, many things, including the COVID situation, which is getting better. So far, his intention is ... he wants to,” Ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva told a news conference.
Asked about suggestions Russia could be kicked out of the G20, she said it was a forum to discuss economic issues and not a crisis like Ukraine.
“Of course expulsion of Russia from this kind of forum will not help these economic problems to be resolved. On the contrary, without Russia, it would be difficult to do so.”
China, which has not condemned Russia’s invasion and criticized Western sanctions, defended Moscow on Wednesday, calling Russia an “important member” of the G20.
Indonesia’s foreign ministry declined to comment on calls for Russia to be excluded from the G20.
EU Must Support Western Balkans Membership to Secure Peace: Scholz
The European Union must support the Western Balkan countries in their bid to join the bloc as soon as possible as part of its strategy to secure regional peace, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday.“In the European Council, determined as never before, we will agree tomorrow and the day after a new European security strategy,” Scholz told the Bundestag lower house of parliament.
Scholz said Europe needed to strengthen its crisis resilience regarding economic policy but also new technologies and cyberspace, as well as support Western Balkan countries in their EU membership bids.
Many in the Balkans doubt the EU’s pledge, first made 18 years ago, to eventually admit Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania to the bloc.
Red Cross Chief to Hold Moscow Talks About Aid
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has arrived in Moscow for talks at the Russian foreign and defense ministries on humanitarian issues caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Peter Maurer, the ICRC president, was expected Wednesday to take up issues such as prisoners of war, the conduct of hostilities, and the delivery of aid.
Maurer traveled to Ukraine last week. While in Moscow, he was also expected to meet with the head of the Russian Red Cross, which has been helping people who have fled eastern Ukraine into Russia.
Russia Expands Military Veteran Status to Troops Taking Part in Ukraine War
The Russian parliament has passed a law expanding military veteran status to troops taking part in the invasion of Ukraine.Veteran status brings various benefits, such as monthly payments, tax breaks, discounts on utilities, and preferential access to medical treatment, among other things.
Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, passed the law on Wednesday, four weeks since the start of the war in Ukraine, with the three required readings taking place at once.
Uk Says War in Northern Ukraine ‘Static,’ Russian Troops Reorganizing
Britain’s defense ministry says the war in northern Ukraine is largely “static,” with Russian forces trying to reorganize before resuming a large-scale assault.Elsewhere in Ukraine, UK defense officials say “Russian forces are attempting to envelop Ukrainian forces in the east of the country as they advance from the direction of Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the south.”
In an update posted Wednesday on social media, Britain’s defense ministry said Russian troops in the south are trying to circumvent the city of Mykolaiv as they push west towards Odesa, a key Black Sea port that has so far been spared major attack.
German Chancellor Reiterates That His Country Will Not Support a No-fly Zone Over Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reiterated that his country will not support a no-fly zone over Ukraine or send troops to intervene in the war launched by Russia.Scholz told German lawmakers on Wednesday that “NATO will not become a party to the war. We are in agreement on this with our European allies and the United States.”
Still, the German leader said Ukraine could rely on Germany’s help, citing the financial and military aid already provided, the harsh sanctions on Russia, and the reception of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
Scholz said Germany would not support a boycott of Russian oil, coal, and gas, but is seeking to wean itself off those imports by seeking out other suppliers and ramping up the use of renewable energy.
Kremlin Spokesman Denies That Russia’s Invasion Has Stalled
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied that Russia’s invasion has stalled.Asked on CNN what Russian President Vladimir Putin has achieved in Ukraine, he said: “Well, first of all not yet. He hasn’t achieved yet.” But he insisted the military operation was going “strictly in accordance with the plans and purposes that were established beforehand.”
Peskov reiterated that Putin’s main goals were to “get rid of the military potential of Ukraine” and “ensure that Ukraine changes from an anti-Russian center to a neutral country.”
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to Address Swedish Parliament
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the Swedish Parliament via video link on Thursday, the Swedish Parliament said in a statement.Ukraine Says Russia Talks Moving Forward as West Plans More Sanctions
Talks between Ukraine and Russia are moving forward, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday, as the West plans to announce more sanctions against the Kremlin amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.But in an early morning address, Zelenskyy held out hope for negotiations, which have yielded little since the Feb. 24 invasion began.
“It’s very difficult, sometimes confrontational,” he said. “But step by step we are moving forward.”
Western nations plan to heap more pressure on the Kremlin.
Alongside European leaders, U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to announce new sanctions against Russia and new measures to tighten existing ones when he visits Brussels this week.
The United States is preparing sanctions on more than 300 members of Russia’s lower house of parliament as soon as Thursday, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed officials and internal documents. The White House did not immediately comment.
Biden’s Europe trip is also set to include an announcement on joint action to enhance energy security on the continent, which is highly reliant on Russian gas, and a visit to Poland to show solidarity with Ukraine’s neighbor.
Ukraine Accuses Hungry of Having Design on Its Land
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk has questioned in a Facebook post, what she has described as, Hungary’s “pro-Russian” rhetoric, accusing Hungary of the desire for “cheap Russian gas” or even a thirst for territory could be behind Budapest’s policy over the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.Though the Hungarian government has condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and supported some sanctions, it has consistently defended its wish to “stay out” of the conflict and has refused to join other countries in sending weapons to Ukraine.
Ukraine Says Russia Seized Relief Workers in Mariupol Convoy
Ukrainian leaders accused Russia of seizing 15 rescue workers and drivers from a humanitarian convoy trying to get desperately needed food and other supplies into the bloodied port city of Mariupol, which also came under naval attack after weeks of air and land strikes.Zelenskyy, speaking late Tuesday in his nightly video address to his nation, accused Russian forces of blocking the aid convoy despite agreeing to the route ahead of time.
“We are trying to organize stable humanitarian corridors for Mariupol residents, but almost all of our attempts, unfortunately, are foiled by the Russian occupiers, by shelling or deliberate terror,” Zelenskyy said.
The Red Cross confirmed a humanitarian aid convoy trying to reach the city had not been able to enter.
The convoy’s attempt to deliver assistance came as Russian navy vessels joined in what have been weeks of Russian air and land strikes into Mariupol, U.S. officials said.
Russians Destroy Chernobyl Laboratory: Ukrainian State Agency
Russian military forces have destroyed a new laboratory at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant that among other things works to improve management of radioactive waste, the Ukrainian state agency responsible for the Chernobyl exclusion zone said Tuesday.The Russian military seized the decommissioned plant at the beginning of the war. The exclusion zone is the contaminated area around the plant, site of the world’s worst nuclear meltdown in 1986.
The state agency said the laboratory, built at a cost of 6 million euros with support from the European Commission, opened in 2015.
The laboratory contained “highly active samples and samples of radionuclides that are now in the hands of the enemy, which we hope will harm itself and not the civilized world,” the agency said in its statement.
Radionuclides are unstable atoms of chemical elements that release radiation.
In another worrying development, Ukraine’s nuclear regulatory agency said Monday that radiation monitors around the plant had stopped working.
Zelenskyy Says Humanitarian Convoy Attacked
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces not only blocked a humanitarian convoy trying to reach besieged Mariupol with desperately needed supplies on Tuesday but took captive some of the rescue workers and bus drivers.He said the Russians had agreed to the route ahead of time.
“We are trying to organize stable humanitarian corridors for Mariupol residents, but almost all of our attempts, unfortunately, are foiled by the Russian occupiers, by shelling, or deliberate terror,” Zelenskyy said in his nighttime video address to the nation.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the Russians seized 11 bus drivers and four rescue workers along with their vehicles. She said their fate was unknown. The figures couldn’t immediately be confirmed.
