Page 109 - Ukraine

For what reason, Japan, India, Ukraine not UNSC permanent member: Zelenskyy

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has questioned why countries like India, Japan, Brazil and his own nation are not permanent members of the UN Security Council and said the day will come when this will be resolved. There was a lot of talking about reforming the UN. How did it all end? No result, Zelenskyy said in his pre-recorded message to the world leaders at the UN General Assembly's General Debate on Wednesday. If you look carefully at our peace formula, you will see that its implementation is already becoming a de facto reform of the United Nations. Our formula is universal, and unites the North and the South of the world. It calls for the world's majority, and encourages to expand the representation of those who remained unheard. This is an imbalance when Africa, Latin America, most of Asia, Central and Eastern Europe comply with the right of veto, that they themselves never had, he said. And this is what Ukraine is talking about. And have you ever heard such words from .

Russia-Ukraine war dominates discussions with 150 mentions at UNGA meet

After two years of discourse dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, this year's UN General Assembly has a new occupant of centre stage: the war in Ukraine. The pleas made by leaders from around the world for peace were both an altruistic amplification of besieged Ukrainians' plight as well as born from self-interest. As several speeches made clear, the repercussions of the Russian invasion have been felt even thousands of miles away. It is not just the dismay that we feel at seeing such deliberate devastation of cities and towns in Europe in the year 2022. We are feeling this war directly in our lives in Africa, Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said on Wednesday. "Every bullet, every bomb, every shell that hits a target in Ukraine, hits our pockets and our economies in Africa. The speeches that elided any direct reference to the conflict were few, but the war resonated even in the absence of its direct invocation. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of Kazakhstan, n

Zelenskyy demands punishment for Russia's war on Ukraine in UN address

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded punishment for Russia for the war in Ukraine, which has left thousands of people killed, displaced millions and reduced towns to rubble

President Zelensky vows Ukraine's win as Russian forces redouble efforts

Ukraine's president has implored the world to punish Russia for its invasion, even as the leader vowed his forces would win back every inch of territory despite Moscow's decision to redouble its war effort. In a much-anticipated video address to the UN General Assembly hours after Russia on Wednesday announced it would mobilise some reservists, Volodymyr Zelenskyy portrayed the declaration as evidence the Kremlin wasn't ready to negotiate an end to the war but insisted his country would prevail anyway. We can return the Ukrainian flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms, the president said. But we need time. Putin's decree on Wednesday about the mobilisation was sparse on details. Officials said as many as 300,000 reservists could be tapped. It was apparently an effort to seize momentum after a Ukrainian counteroffensive this month retook swaths of territory that Russians had held. But the first such call-up in Russia since World War II also brought the ..

Ukraine-Russia war: Steel plant defenders, Putin ally in prisoner swap

Ukraine announced a high-profile prisoner swap early Thursday that culminated months of efforts to free many of the Ukrainian fighters who defended a steel plant in Mariupol during a long Russian siege. In exchange, Ukraine gave up an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Volodymr Zelenskky said his government had won freedom from Russian custody for 215 Ukrainian and foreign citizens. He said many were soldiers and officers who had faced the death penalty in Russian-occupied territory. Russia officials didn't immediately confirm or otherwise comment on the swap. Of the total, 200 Ukrainians were exchanged for just one man pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk, who is Ukrainian. The 68-year-old oligarch escaped from house arrest in Ukraine several days before Russia's invasion on February 24 but was recaptured in April. He faced up to life in prison on charges of treason and aiding and abetting a terrorist organization for mediating coal purchases for the .

With Ukraine nuclear power plant in peril, UN tries to broker safety

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency said Wednesday he met with Ukraine's and Russia's foreign ministers in a bid to establish a safety and security zone around a nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine that is Europe's largest. The Zaporizhzhia power plant has faced almost daily shelling and bombardment, raising fears of a nuclear accident. Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that as a result of the separate meetings with Ukraine's Dmytro Kuleba and Russia's Sergey Lavrov, work has already begun on establishing and shaping the zone. He said he hopes to visit Kyiv soon, and "perhaps later on" go to Russia. "Given the urgency of the situation and the gravity of what's going on in the field we have to move fast," Grossi said. Both nations, he said, share "a conviction that the establishment of the zone is indispensable. "The mere fact that the two foreign ministers are sitting down with me and are listening to our ideas, I think it's a

Ukraine PM asks India to join forces in stopping Russia, thanks for aid

While thanking India for its humanitarian assistance, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal asked India to "join forces" to stop Russia's invasion when he met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar

Russia not serious about ending war, says Ukrainian President Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested Wednesday that Russia's decision to mobilize some reservists showed that Moscow isn't serious about negotiating an end to its nearly seven-month-long war. Speaking by video to the UN General Assembly meeting of world leaders hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement, Zelenskyy insisted his country would prevail in repelling Russia's attack and forcing its troops out. "We can return the Ukrainian flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms," the president said. "But we need time." Putin's decree Wednesday about the mobilization was sparse on details. Officials said as many as 3,00,000 reservists could be tapped. It was apparently an effort to seize momentum after a Ukrainian counteroffensive this month retook swaths of territory that Russians had held. But the first such call-up in Russia since World War II also brings the fighting home in a new way for Russians and risks fanning domestic anxi

Why Vladimir Putin's desperate military call-up won't win the Ukraine war

Vladimir Putin announced that a series of referendums on joining Russia would be held in the conquered territories of eastern Ukraine this week

Russia 'shamelessly violated' UN Charter in Ukraine, says Joe Biden

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets" of the United Nations charter with its brutal, needless war in Ukraine. Delivering a forceful condemnation of Russia's invasion to the international body, Biden said reports of Russian abuses against civilians in Ukraine should make your blood run cold. He also said Russian President Vladimir Putin's new nuclear threats against Europe showed reckless disregard for his nation's responsibilities as a signatory of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We will stand in solidarity against Russia's aggression. Period, Biden said.

Biden pledges $2.9 bn in food security aid amid Ukraine war, climate change

President Joe Biden on Wednesday is announcing $2.9 billion in global food security aid to address shortages caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the effects of climate change. The White House says Biden will use his speech at the UN General Assembly to announce the funding, which includes $2 billion in direct humanitarian assistance through the United States Agency for International Development. The balance of the money will go to global development projects meant to boost the efficiency and resilience of the global food supply. This new announcement of $2.9 billion will save lives through emergency interventions and invest in medium to long term food security assistance in order to protect the world's most vulnerable populations from the escalating global food security crisis, the White House said.

Putin mobilises 300,000 more troops, wields Ukraine nuclear threat

"Those who are trying to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the wind patterns can also turn in their direction," the president said, accusing the US and allies of seeking to "destroy"

Ukraine conflict: Putin announces partial mobilisation for Russian citizens

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced a partial mobilisation in Russia as the war in Ukraine reaches nearly seven months. Putin's address to the nation comes a day after Russian-controlled regions in eastern and southern Ukraine announced plans to hold votes on becoming integral parts of Russia. The Kremlin-backed efforts to swallow up four regions could set the stage for Moscow to escalate the war following Ukrainian successes on the battlefield. The referendums, which have been expected to take since the first months of the war, will start Friday in the Luhansk, Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. Putin said he has signed a decree on the partial mobilisation, which is due to start on Wednesday. We are talking about partial mobilisation, that is, only citizens who are currently in the reserve will be subject to conscription, and above all, those who served in the armed forces have a certain military specialty and relevant ...

African leader warns of rising pressure to choose sides over war in Ukraine

African Union chairperson Macky Sall said Tuesday that Africa does not want to be the breeding ground of a new Cold War, alluding to the pressure mounting on the continent's leaders to choose sides over the war in Ukraine. Many African countries depend heavily on grain imports from Russia and Ukraine. Amid market shortages, Russia's foreign minister has sought to portray the West as the villain, blaming it for rising food prices. Western leaders, meanwhile, have accused the Kremlin of cynically using food as a weapon and waging an imperial-style war of conquest. So far Africa has stayed somewhat neutral on Ukraine: Some 25 countries either voted to abstain or did not vote at all on the UN resolution that condemned the war in Ukraine earlier this year. I have come to say that Africa has suffered enough of the burden of history; that it does not want to be the breeding ground of a new Cold War, but rather a pole of stability and opportunity open to all its partners, on a mutually ...

Russia triggers plan to formally annex occupied Ukrainian regions

Four Russia-occupied regions announce referendum plans; votes will be held on whether to become part of Russia; Ukraine and the West regard votes as sham and illegal

Russia may step up Ukraine civilian target attacks, says Britain

Russian shelling hit cities and towns across a wide stretch of Ukraine during the night, officials said Sunday, and the British Defence Ministry warned that Russia is likely to increase its attacks on civilian targets as it suffers battlefield defeats. In the last seven days, Russia has increased its targeting of civilian infrastructure even where it probably perceives no immediate military effect, the ministry said in an online briefing. As it faces setbacks on the front lines, Russia has likely extended the locations it is prepared to strike in an attempt to directly undermine the morale of the Ukrainian people and government." Overnight shelling hit a hospital in the city of Mykolaiv, a significant Black Sea port, regional governor Vitaliy Kim said. He also said shelling hit other parts of the region, wounding two people. Three people were wounded in nighttime shelling of the city of Nikopol, which is across the river from Europe's largest nuclear power station, regional governor

Ukraine carries out mass exhumations from 440 forest graves in Izyum

Ukrainian authorities have carried out mass exhumations of more than 440 bodies buried in a forest located at the edge of Izyum city, recently liberated from Russian occupation

Ukrainian president Zelenskyy says burial site contains torture victims

Investigators searching through a mass burial site in Ukraine have found evidence that some of the dead were tortured, including bodies with broken limbs and ropes around their necks, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy said Friday. The site near Izium, which was recently recaptured from Russian forces, appears to be one of the largest of its kind discovered in Ukraine. Zelenskyy spoke in a video he rushed out just hours after the exhumations began, apparently to underscore the gravity of the discovery. He said more than 400 graves have been found at the site but that the number of victims isn't yet known. Digging in the rain, workers hauled body after body out of the sandy soil in a misty pine forest near Izium. Protected by head-to-toe suits and rubber gloves, they gently felt through the decomposing remains of the victims' clothing, seemingly looking for identifying items. Associated Press journalists who visited the site saw graves marked with simple wooden crosses.Flowers h

SCO meet: 'Colour revolutions' must stop, says Chinese President Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday asked SCO member states to guard against "colour revolutions" instigated by "external forces" and asked them to maintain strategic independence and safeguard regional stability, in a veiled attack on the US as it expands its influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Addressing the 22nd SCO summit here in the historic Uzbek city, Xi also announced plans to establish a centre in China to train counter-terrorism personnel by the grouping and mooted a development bank to speed up regional economic integration. Xi congratulated India for taking over the rotating Presidency of the Beijing-based eight-member regional grouping. Here I wish to express China's congratulations to India on assuming the next SCO presidency. We will, together with other member states, support India during its presidency, he said at the summit, also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The once-in-a-century pandemic has continued unabated. Regional conflicts keep flaring up

After the mess in Ukraine, is Vladimir Putin of any use to Russia?

Putin's claim to power has evolved over his nearly 22 years atop the Kremlin