Russia says Ukraine gave 'unacceptable' draft peace proposal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Kyiv had presented Moscow with a draft peace deal that contained “unacceptable” elements, but that Russia would nonetheless continue talks and press to secure its own requirements.

Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over reports of “gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” by invading Russian troops in Ukraine.

On Thursday, Ukraine renewed a call for financial sanctions impactful enough to force Moscow to end the war. In Brussels, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Nato to provide more weapons. “My agenda is very simple… it’s weapons, weapons and weapons,” Kuleba said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the democratic world must stop buying Russian oil and completely block Russian banks from the international finance system.

Russia coal, oil paid for in yuan head to China
 

Russian coal and oil paid for in yuan is about to start flowing into China. Several Chinese firms used local currency to buy Russian coal in March, and the first cargoes will arrive this month, Chinese consultancy Fenwei Energy Information Service said. These will be the first commodity shipments paid for in yuan since the US and Europe penalised Russia and cut several of its banks off from the international financial system, according to traders. Russian crude sellers have also offered buyers in China the flexibility to pay in yuan. BLOOMBERG