Page 85 - Ukraine

No Ukraine cease-fire without deal that includes Russia withdrawal: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that there can be no cease-fire in the war in Ukraine unless it is part of a just and lasting peace deal that includes Russia's military withdrawal. Blinken said that a cease-fire that simply freezes current lines in place - and enables Putin to consolidate control over the territory he has seized, and rest, rearm, and reattack - that is not a just and lasting peace. Russia must also pay a share of Ukraine's reconstruction and be held accountable for launching its full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022, Blinken said in a speech during a visit to Finland, which recently joined NATO and shares a long border with Russia. Allowing Moscow to keep the one-fifth of Ukraine territory it has occupied would send the wrong message to Russia and to other would-be aggressors around the world, according to Blinken. Washington is ready to support peace efforts by other countries, including recent overtures from China and Brazil, h

India's position on Ukraine war a calculated strategic interest: Experts

India's position on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine reflects a calculation of its strategic interests, a Singapore-based think-tank said on Friday, and has pointed out that excessive reliance on Russian arms would curtail New Delhi's strategic autonomy with respect to China. The Ukraine war, which began with Russia's military invasion of the eastern European nation on February 25 last year, has had a far-reaching impact on the global energy system. Sensing the opportunity, India has been snapping up crude from Moscow at discounted rates, refining and re-selling it. "India and Russia share some geopolitical assumptions, including support for a future multi-polar global order featuring a less dominant US," Singapore-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which is a leading authority on global security, political risk and military conflict, said in a dossier titled "Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment." The report stated that an excessive reliance on Russian

Zelenskyy pushes for Ukraine support at European leaders' summit in Moldova

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took his quest for more arms and support to a sprawling summit of some 50 European leaders in Moldova on Thursday, ending up the focal point of an event that seeks to quell regional conflicts and shore up unity in the face of Russia's war. The meeting of the pan-continental European Political Community, which embraces all European nations other than Russia and Belarus, gathered the heads of state and government from 47 countries but its attention was on the continent's south and east a region pushed to a turning point in its relationship with Moscow because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. After a day of talks in the Moldovan countryside, Zelenskyy said the best security guarantee for Ukraine was membership in NATO and the European Union, and that any proposed peace plans to bring the war to an end could not take into account Russian concerns. There is an aggressor in this war and there is a victim," Zelenskyy told reporters. A peac

Russian bombardment of Ukraine's capital kills at least 3, wounds others

Russia launched yet another aerial bombardment of Kyiv on Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding others, authorities said. Following a reported 17 drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital in May, Russian forces hit the capital in the early morning with ground-launched missiles. The Kyiv City Administration reported one child was among the dead, and 10 people were wounded. The casualty toll was the most from one attack on Kyiv in the past month. The attack also damaged apartment buildings, a medical clinic, a water pipeline and cars. Earlier, the city government had said that two children were killed before revising the number to one. Ukraine's General Staff reported that the Air Forces intercepted all 10 missiles, which it identified as short-range Iskander cruise and ballistic missiles. One explosion sent missile fragments ripping into an apartment building in a leafy neighbourhood. In the morning light, paramedics escorted an elderly woman gingerly away f

Russian Olympic medalists barred from races for lack of neutrality in war

Two Russian track cyclists who won medals at the Tokyo Olympics were ruled ineligible to race Wednesday for breaching rules monitoring their neutrality during the war on Ukraine. Anastasiia Voinova and Mariya Novolodskaya cannot race in International Cycling Union (UCI) events from Thursday, the governing body said in a document posted on its website. The world championships are held in August in Glasgow, Scotland. This ineligibility will apply for as long as the ad hoc rules' regarding Russia and Belarus remain in force, the UCI said in the document without detailing the breaches. A rules update published May 3 takes effect Thursday and specifies the strictest neutrality towards the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus at any time since the beginning of the war in Ukraine is required to race in UCI events. The UCI can deny neutral status to riders or officials who are or have been contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or who have shown support for the war in .

UN urges Russia, Ukraine to ban attacks at Zaporizhzhia power nuclear plant

The UN nuclear chief stressed Tuesday that the world is fortunate a nuclear accident hasn't happened in Ukraine and asked Moscow and Kyiv to commit to preventing any attack on Europe's largest nuclear power plant and make other pledges "to avoid the danger of a catastrophic incident." Rafael Grossi reiterated to the UN Security Council what he told the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors in March: "We are rolling a dice and if this continues then one day our luck will run out." The IAEA director general said avoiding a nuclear accident is possible if five principles are observed at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where fighting on seven occasions, most recently last week, disrupted critical power supplies, "the last line of defense against a nuclear accident." Grossi "respectfully and solemnly" asked Ukraine and Russia to observe the principles, saying IAEA experts at Zaporizhzhia will start monitoring and he will publicly report on any violations: Ban ...

Ukraine's economy shows 'resilience' from Russian attacks, says IMF

Ukraine's economy is showing remarkable resilience following Russian attacks on its electricity infrastructure, officials from the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday as they signed off on an initial loan of USD 900 million and raised their estimate for the country's economic growth. The outlook improved to 1% to 3% growth this year from minus 3% to plus 1% in an earlier assessment in March, said Gavin Gray, the IMF's mission chief to Ukraine. Inflation is coming down and the hryvna currency is stable despite the massive disruption of the war, Gray said. But he warned that the economic outlook faces exceptionally high risks. Through the winter, Ukraine faced devastating attacks on its critical infrastructure, and missile strikes continue countrywide, Gray said in an online news conference. Despite this, the Ukrainian economy has shown remarkable resilience economic activity in the first quarter rebounded strongly, as the energy system rapidly recovered from attacks on critical

War in Ukraine reaches Moscow; Russian capital hit by biggest drone attack

Russian air defences stopped eight drones converging on Moscow, officials said Tuesday, in an attack that authorities blamed on Ukraine, while Russia pursued its relentless bombardment of Kyiv with a third assault on the city in 24 hours. The Russian defence ministry said five drones were shot down and the systems of three others were jammed, causing them to veer off course. It called the incident a terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime. The attack caused insignificant damage to several buildings, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Two people received medical attention for unspecified injuries but did not need hospitalisation, he said in a Telegram post. Residents of two high-rise buildings damaged in the attack were evacuated, Sobyanin said. Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the wider Moscow region, said some of the drones were shot down on the approach to Moscow. Ukraine made no immediate comment on the attack, which would be one of its deepest and most daring strikes into Russia since

Ukrainian Parliament backs 50-year sanctions on Iran, including trade bans

The sanctions also include the suspension of transit of resources, flights and transportation in Ukraine by Iranian residents

Russia launches largest drone attack on Ukrainian capital before Kyiv Day

Ukraine's capital was subjected to the largest drone attack since the start of Russia's war, local officials said, as Kyiv prepared to mark the anniversary of its founding on Sunday. At least one person was killed. Russia launched the most massive attack on the city overnight Saturday with Iranian-made Shahed drones, said Serhii Popko, a senior Kyiv military official. The attack lasted more than five hours, with air defense reportedly shooting down more than 40 drones. A 41-year-old man was killed and a 35-year-old woman was hospitalized when debris fell on a seven-story nonresidential building and started a fire, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Ukraine's air force said that Saturday night was also record-breaking in terms of Shahed drone attacks across the country. Of the 54 drones launched, 52 were shot down by air defense systems. In the northeastern Kharkiv province, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said a 61-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were killed in two separate she

Allies to train Ukrainians on F-16s; Jets no magic weapons, warns Pentagon

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that European allies are developing a coordinated program to train Ukrainian forces on the F-16 fighter jet, but Pentagon leaders warned that it will be a costly and complex task and won't be a magic solution to the war. Austin said the allies recognize that in addition to training, Ukraine will also need to be able to sustain and maintain the aircraft and have enough munitions. And he said air defense systems are still the weapons that Ukraine needs most in the broader effort to control the airspace. There are no magic weapons, said Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who spoke alongside Austin at a Pentagon press conference. He said providing 10 F-16s could cost USD 2 billion, including maintenance. "The Russians have a thousand fourth and fifth-generation fighters, so if you're going to contest Russia in the air, you're going to need a substantial amount of fourth and fifth-generation fighters." As a result,

UK inflation falls to lowest in over a year but food prices remain elevated

Official figures show that inflation in the UK has fallen to its lowest level since the immediate aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which caused energy and food costs to surge. The Office for National Statistics said Wednesday that the consumer price index dropped to 8.7 per cent in the year to April from 10.1 per cent in March, largely because last year's energy spike in the wake of the invasion dropped out of the annual comparison. The fall took inflation to its lowest level since March 2022, a month after the war began. Though welcome, the fall wasn't as big as anticipated. The consensus in financial markets was that it would ease back further to 8.3 per cent. The main reason why inflation is consistently running higher than anticipated is that food prices remain elevated. The rate of inflation fell notably as the large energy price rises seen last year were not repeated this April, but was offset partially by increases in the cost of second-hand cars and cigarettes," t

European defense ministers meet in Poland to discuss Ukraine's defenses

Defense ministers and senior defense officials from 12 northern European countries are meeting in Poland on Monday to discuss stepping up deterrence and security on NATO's eastern flank and strengthening Ukraine's defenses, ahead of NATO's summer summit. They are meeting at military facilities in Legionowo, near Warsaw, as part of the so-called Northern Group - a platform for developing security initiatives for NATO and European Union members. Officials will also discuss preparation for the July NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, according to Denmark's Acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. That summit is expected to gauge prospects for Ukraine's membership. Recently, the US agreed to allow training on American-made F-16 fighter jets, laying the groundwork for their eventual transfer to Ukraine. Initiated by Britain in 2010, The Northern Group includes The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Poland and the three Baltic states. Germany and Norway

Ukrainian nuclear plant loses power supply again, is 'extremely vulnerable'

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest atomic power station, switched to emergency diesel generators Monday after losing its external power supply for the seventh time since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said. The nuclear safety situation at the plant (is) extremely vulnerable, Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a tweet. We must agree to protect (the) plant now; this situation cannot continue, Grossi said, in his latest appeal for the area to be spared from the fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces. IAEA staff are deployed at the plant, which is occupied by Russian troops. The plant's six nuclear reactors are protected by a reinforced shelter able to withstand an errant shell or rocket. But a disruption in the electrical supply could disable cooling systems essential for the reactors' safety. Emergency diesel generators can be unreliable. Fighting, especially ...

Time to reform both Security Council and Bretton Woods system: UN chief

G7 calls for constructive and stable relations with Beijing

Zelenskyy denies Ukrainian city of Bakhmut occupied by Russian forces

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russian forces weren't occupying Bakhmut, casting doubt on Moscow's claims that the eastern Ukrainian city has fallen. Responding to a reporter's question about the status of the city at the Group of Seven meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, Zelenskyy said, Bakhmut is not occupied by the Russian Federation as of today. The fog of war made it impossible to confirm the situation on the ground in the invasion's longest battle, and a series of comments from Ukrainian and Russian officials added confusion to the matter. Zelenskyy's response in English to a question earlier at the summit about the status of Bakhmut was interpreted by many as saying the city had fallen to Russian forces. For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts. There is nothing in this place, Zelenskyy said in those earlier comments, adding that the fight had left nothing in Bakhmut but a lot of dead Russians.

Zelenskyy seeks support from leaders of G7 countries on Ukraine conflict

All the allies and partners have achieved a level of cooperation which ensures that democracy, international law, and freedom are respected, Zelenskyy said adding that "Democracy needs more"

Ukraine at centre of last day of diplomacy, G7 looks to punish Russia

World leaders ratcheted up pressure on Sunday on Russia for its war against Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the centre of a swirl of diplomacy on the final day of the Group of Seven summit of rich-world democracies. Zelenskyy's in-person attendance at one of the world's premier diplomatic gatherings is meant to galvanise attention on his nation's 15-month fight against Russia. Even before he landed on Saturday on a French plane, the G7 nations had unveiled a slew of new sanctions and other measures meant to punish Moscow and hamper its war-fighting abilities. Ukraine is the overwhelming focus of the summit, but the leaders of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy, as well as the European Union, are also working to address global worries over climate change, AI, poverty, economic instability and nuclear proliferation. Two US allies South Korea and Japan continued efforts Sunday to improve ties that have often been

G7 urges China to press Russia to end Ukraine war, respect Taiwan's status

The Group of Seven wealthy democracies united in urging China to pressure its strategic partner Russia to end its war on Ukraine and resolve territorial disputes peacefully, and China lashed back. In a joint statement, the G7 leaders emphasized they did not want to harm China and were seeking "constructive and stable relations" with Beijing, "recognizing the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China". "We call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine," said the statement Saturday. "We encourage China to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter", including in direct talks with Ukraine. Cooperation with China is needed given its global role and economic size, the group said, in appealing for working together on challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, .

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