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Ukraine war highlights : EU ready to release 500 mn euros for arms to Ukraine
Russia-Ukraine war: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will vote Thursday on suspending Russia from Human Rights Council, according to a report.
The war between Russia and Ukraine entered 43rd day on Thursday with the United States announcing new sanctions that target Russia's biggest banks and President Vladimir Putin's daughters. US President Joe Biden again on Wednesday accused Putin of committing "major war crimes" and called for an investigation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, accused Russia of trying to hide the evidence of war crimes to interfere with the international investigation....Read More
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The Ukraine government reiterated that the Russian forces are preparing for a new assault on Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions and urged residents to immediately leave the areas. "It’s necessary now because people will be under fire and the threat of death,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement. "It’s necessary to evacuate while it’s still possible," he added.
Without condemning Putin, China’s envoy to the United Nations expressed dismay at the killing of unarmed civilians in Bucha, that Russia has repeatedly denied killing civilians, dismissing the documentation of the deaths.
Italy said it would support a European Union ban on Russian gas if the bloc was united behind the idea -- which it currently isn’t. Meanwhile, Russia’s ruble has recovered to its pre-invasion level.
EU ready to release 500 million euros for arms to Ukraine
The European Union said late Thursday that it is ready to release 500 million euros for arms to Ukraine.
26 bodies found under 2 buildings in Borodianka town
The Ukrainian government said on Thursday that 26 bodies were found under two ruined buildings in the Kyiv region town of Borodianka.
G7 countries agree new economic sanctions against Russia
The Group of Seven industrialised nations slapped fresh sanctions on Russia Thursday following the "appalling atrocities by Russian armed forces" against civilians in Ukraine, reported AFP.
G7 leaders agreed to ban "new investments in key sectors of the Russian economy, including the energy sector", they said in a statement, alongside widening export bans on certain goods and tightening the screws on Russian banks and state-owned companies.
UN General Assembly suspends Russia from human rights council, reports AFP
UN General Assembly has suspended Russia from human rights council, reports AFP. Read more
Ukraine tells NATO members to send arms before it's 'too late'
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Thursday he expected NATO members to send Kyiv the weapons it needs but insisted they had to act quickly before Russia launches another major offensive.
"Either you help us now and I'm speaking about days, not weeks, or your help will come too late. And many people will die, many civilians will lose their homes, many villages will be destroyed. Exactly because this help came too late," AFP quoted Kuleba as saying after his meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
France summons Russian envoy over Bucha tweet
France has summoned Russia’s ambassador over his tweet suggesting that images of civilians killed in Ukraine's town of Bucha were staged. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called the tweet “indecent", AP reported.
Thursday's tweet, which was later removed but had already been reprinted by numerous French media, showed a street in Bucha with a knocked-out tank and numerous journalists, under the caption “film set.”
Ukraine warns of 'last chance' to flee Russian attacks in east
A Ukrainian official in the east of the county has warned residents remaining that time is running out to flee mounting Russian attacks. "These few days may be the last chance to leave," Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday wrote to residents on Facebook. "All cities of the Lugansk region are under enemy fire. One person was killed as a result of shelling this morning in Kreminna," he added, referring to a town in the region with a population of around 20,000 people.
Kremlin says it will decide on Putin's G20 participation based on how events unfold
The Kremlin has said it would make a decision on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a G20 summit later this year in Indonesia based on how events evolve. "We will clarify this, after all Indonesia is the organiser," said Peskov.
Hungary receives nuclear fuel from Russia by air: Foreign minister
Hungary received the first shipment of nuclear fuel for its Paks nuclear plant from Russia by air on Wednesday, after the war in Ukraine made shipping by rail impossible, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday.
Szijjarto reiterated that Hungary rejected any sanctions on Russian oil and gas, adding that imposing any sanctions on activities related to nuclear energy was also a "red line" for Hungary.
Ukraine behind ‘crude and cynical provocations' in Bucha: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin accuses Ukrainian authorities of being behind "crude and cynical provocations" in Bucha, with Moscow denying any responsibility.
‘Seeking long-term solutions' in ongoing conflict: Ukraine
Seeking long-term solutions which will Ukraine to prevail in future, says Ukraine's foreign minister, reports news agency Reuters.
Ukraine FM tells NATO allies to give Kyiv all weapons 'it needs'
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday called on NATO members to provide Kyiv with all the weaponry it needs to fight Russia.
"My agenda is very simple. It has only three items on it. Its weapons, weapons, and weapons," Kuleba told journalists at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
"I call on all allies to put aside their hesitations, their reluctance, to provide Ukraine with everything it needs," he said at a meeting with alliance foreign ministers.
‘Working hard to prevent escalation': NATO's Stoletenberg
NATO's Stoletenberg on Thursday said that it is working hard to prevent escalation of Ukraine conflict.
Zelenskyy accuse Russia fo trying to hide evidence of war crimes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of trying to hide the evidence of war crimes to interfere with the international investigation.
“It seems that the Russian leadership was really afraid that the global anger over what was seen in Bucha would be repeated after what was seen in other cities,” Zelenskyy said in his daily nighttime video address to the nation late Wednesday.
US Senate to take up legislation seeking end of trade relations with Russia
The US Senate will take up legislation Thursday to end normal trade relations with Russia and to ban the importation of its oil. Both bills have been bogged down in the Senate, frustrating lawmakers who want to ratchet up the US response to Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Ukraine criticises countries prioritising money over punishment for civilian killings
Ukraine wants sanctions that are economically destructive enough for Russia to end its war after Ukraine accused some countries of still prioritising money over punishment for civilian killings that the West condemns as war crimes.
‘US to boycott G20 meetings if… ': Yellen
The United States will boycott "a number of G20 meetings" if Russian officials show up, says US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
Fighting intensifies at eastern regions
The eastern regions of Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk are seeing the worst of the fighting after Russian forces withdrew from around Kyiv.
Russia says US sanctions on its banks are a blow to ordinary people: Report
US sanctions against two of Russia's largest banks are "a direct blow to the Russian population (and) ordinary citizens", Tass news agency cited Russia's US ambassador as saying on Wednesday.
Anatoly Antonov made his remarks after Washington - seeking to punish Moscow for the Ukraine invasion - hit Sberbank , which holds a third of Russia's total banking assets, and Alfabank, the fourth largest financial institution.
US Senator welcomes India’s condemnation of Bucha killings
A powerful Republican Senator on Wednesday welcomed India’s condemnation of the killings of Ukrainian people in Bucha by the Russian army, terming it as the country’s “hardening of stance”. Amid India’s intensifying its outreach to the US Capitol, the Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, Senator John Cornyn, who has so far been critical of India abstaining itself from the UN Security Council votes on the issue of Russia, welcomed India’s remarks on the issue.
Ukrainian president orders formal halt of trade with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed the government to formalize the cessation of Ukraine's trade with Russia, the presidential press service said in a statement Wednesday.
Import and export operations between Ukraine and Russia have been completely terminated since the start of the conflict, the statement said.
UN to vote on suspending Russia from human rights council: Report
The United Nations General Assembly will vote Thursday on suspending Russia from Human Rights Council, news agency AFP reported citing an official it didn’t identify.
Ruble erases invasion loss, bucking default risks, sanctions
The Russian ruble has wiped out the steep losses it incurred in the weeks after Putin invaded Ukraine. The currency advanced past 81.16 per US dollar in Moscow trading, the level it closed at on Feb. 23 -- the day before Putin launched his attack.
The ruble’s gains on Wednesday came even as the European Union and the US coordinated a new raft of sanctions against Russia, while the Finance Ministry said its attempt to service debt in dollars had been blocked, potentially moving the country closer to default.
