Page 93 - Ukraine

Ukraine's year of pain, death, and nation-building after Russian invasion

In the final hours before the Russian onslaught, a last grasp at peace. Russian troops would soon pour across Ukraine's borders and Russian missiles would fill Ukrainian skies, taking Ukrainian lives in the biggest air, sea and ground assault in Europe since World War II. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy still appealed, on war's brink, for reason to prevail. Staring intently into the camera in a last-ditch, dead-of-night, video-recorded plea against the invasion, Zelenskyy warned Russia that the consequences would be an abundance of pain, filth, blood and death. War is a huge calamity," Zelenskyy said, in what proved to be one of his last outings in a suit before his switch to military-style casual wear. This calamity carries a huge cost in every meaning of this word. The date was February 24, 2022 cataclysmic for Ukraine, course-changing for Russia, history-shaping for the wider world. Every hour of every day since has proven those words to be right. As milestones go,

Wish to bring Russia, Ukraine together on table: Brazilian envoy to India

His remarks came after United States President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine, just days before the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

One year on: Joe Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine in show of support

Zelenskyy said he and Biden spoke about "long-range weapons and the arms that may still be supplied to Ukraine even though it wasn't supplied before

Japan to give $5.5 bn aid to Ukraine, host online G-7 plus Zelenskyy

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday announced a new $5.5 billion financial aid for Ukraine and will mark the first anniversary of the war by hosting an online Group of Seven summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kishida, speaking at a global forum in Tokyo organised by a Japanese think tank, said Ukraine still suffers under the Russian invasion and its people need help to rebuild their daily lives and infrastructure that's been badly damaged by Russian attacks. As this year's president of G-7, Kishida said he will host an online summit to be joined by Zelenskyy on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the Russian invasion. It will be the first time for Kishida to host a G-7 summit. Japan has joined the United States and European nations in sanctioning Russia over its invasion and providing humanitarian and economic support for Ukraine. Japan was quick to react because it fears a possible impact of the war in East Asia, where China's military has grown .

US President Joe Biden visits Kyiv ahead of Russia-Ukraine war anniversary

Biden departed from Washington DC covertly due to security reasons and he is already scheduled to arrive in Warsaw on Tuesday on a two-day trip

Year later, medical students back from Ukraine plan move to other countries

Small groups of students have also gone back to Ukraine to colleges on the country's western side

Supporting Ukrainian attacks on Crimea shows US intent, says Kremlin

He went on describe Nuland as part of "a very large group of the most aggressive hawks in American politics"

US to push debt relief, Ukraine aid at G20 finance meeting in India

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will join fellow G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Bengaluru on Feb 23-25, spanning the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Putin's war to lop $190 billion off Russia's economy in delayed reckoning

An economy Putin once wanted to make one of the world's five biggest is on a path to lose $190 billion in gross domestic product by 2026 relative to its prewar trajectory

UN draft resolution calls for peace to ensure Ukraine's sovereignty

The European Union on Wednesday circulated the resolution to be voted on by the UN General Assembly on the eve of next week's first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calling for a cessation of hostilities and a peace that ensures Ukraine's "sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity." There are no vetoes in the 193-member world body, so the resolution is certain to be adopted at the end of a high-level emergency special session of the assembly February 23. But the big question is how many "yes" votes it will get. To mark the anniversary, Ukraine asked the EU to draft the resolution in consultation with UN member states, with the aim of gathering strong support from the international community for peace in Ukraine in line with the UN Charter, said an EU diplomat who was not authorized to speak publicly. The charter calls for peaceful settlement of disputes and declares that all countries shall refrain "from the threat or use of force against the territorial

Ukraine to boycott OSCE meeting in Vienna next week if Russia attends

Ukraine has informed the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe that it won't attend the next meeting of its parliamentary assembly if sanctioned Russian lawmakers are allowed to participate. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Vienna on Feb. 23-24, during the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mykyta Poturaiev, wrote, We do not find ourselves in a position to attend the winter meeting in case of Russia's participation. The letter, which was dated Feb. 10 and addressed to Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt, noted that Russia's decision to invade Ukraine was widely supported by Russian politicians, including members of the Russian delegation to the OSCE. We have no doubts that the Russian delegation will use the OSCE ... for justification of the aggression against my country as well as for ...

Ukrainian President Zelensky meets Canadian FM on defence cooperation

Zelensky thanked Canada for its support and assistance to Ukraine amid the conflict with Russia, stressing the importance of the decision to provide Leopard battle tanks

US officials point to Russia using Iranian drones in war with Ukraine

American defence officials on Tuesday sought to dispel any doubt that Iran is supplying drones for Russia's war in Ukraine, releasing photos and analysis of unmanned aircraft deployed in the conflict to demonstrate Tehran's involvement. During a briefing in London, analysts from the Defence Intelligence Agency displayed photos of drones that attacked Ukraine alongside images of those previously traced to Iran. A comparison of design details such as tail fins, nose cones and landing gear shows that the weapons used in Ukraine are indistinguishable from Shahed-131 and -136 attack drones and Mohajer 6 unmanned aerial vehicles used in the Middle East. The effort to show the homework'' is intended to help persuade governments or international agencies of Tehran's involvement. Iran has said it supplied a small number of drones to Russia before the invasion of Ukraine but has denied providing any more since troops crossed the border last February. The evidence proves otherwise, an offici

Lessons from the Ukraine war

The war represents a failure of diplomacy, but the forthcoming G20 summit is an opportunity for diplomacy to redeem itself

Germany signs deal to produce ammo for air defence guns sent to Ukraine

Germany has signed a deal for new ammunition for self-propelled anti-aircraft guns it provided to Ukraine to be produced at home after it ran into difficulties securing supplies from elsewhere, the defence minister said Tuesday. Germany has supplied 32 of the Gepard anti-aircraft guns since it first agreed to send them to Ukraine in late April, and has pledged 37 in total. The German military hasn't used them since 2012, so they came from stocks held in reserve by the defence industry. Securing more ammunition for the guns has been a challenge, a matter of mounting concern as defence against repeated barrages of Russian missile and drone strikes has become a top priority for Kyiv. Germany so far has been unsuccessful in months of efforts to persuade neutral Switzerland to approve exports to Ukraine of stockpiles in the Alpine country of Gepard ammunition, which was manufactured there by a subsidiary of German defence company Rheinmetall. There are also stocks of the ammunition in .

Ukraine seeks warplanes at NATO talks, allies fret over ammunition needs

Ukraine maintained its appeal for Western countries to provide it with fighter jets Tuesday, but the United States and its NATO allies and partners voiced more concern about Kyiv's needs for large amounts of ammunition as the war with Russia approached its one-year anniversary. Ahead of the meeting of the Ukraine contact group at NATO headquarters, Ukraine made its requirements clear. Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, when asked what military aid his country is seeking now, showed reporters an image of a fighter jet. Questioned about where he hoped they might come from, Reznikov said only: From the sky. What NATO allies have on their mind, though, is how to keep up a steady supply of ammunition to Ukraine without depleting their own stockpiles. According to some estimates, Ukraine is firing up to 6,000-7,000 artillery shells each day, around a third of the daily amount that Russia is using. Moscow's forces have been pressing in the east of Ukraine while bolstering their defensive

'Russian casualties highest since first week of Ukraine war': Data

Russian soldiers are dying in greater numbers in Ukraine this month than at any time since the first week of the invasion, according to Ukrainian data

European Union assures Ukraine of support as Zelensky visits Brussels

Ukraine and the EU are "one family," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added, and that the country can depend on Europe's continued support in its fight against Russia

Macron weighs kicking Vladimir Putin out of French Legion of Honour

Ukraine's wartime leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has now been bestowed with France's highest medal of honour. But there's a problem: Russian President Vladimir Putin has the same medal. French President Emmanuel Macron pinned the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour medal on Zelenskyy's chest after the two met in the French presidential palace Thursday, a move Macron said was meant to show France's immense" recognition for Ukraine's valor since Russia invaded it a year ago. Some French legislators and activists have called on Macron to rescind Putin's award because of the war. Macron didn't rule out stripping Putin of the honour bestowed by then-President Jacques Chirac in 2006. Macron told reporters Friday that such a decision has serious meaning, and it should be taken at the right moment.'' He noted that he has rescinded the honour in the past. Macron stripped Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of his Legion of Honor award in the wake of widespread sexual misconduct allegations aga

Ukraine's Zelenskyy makes emotional appeal for European Union membership

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that a Ukraine that is winning its war with Russia should be a member of the European Union, arguing the bloc wouldn't be complete without it. Zelenskyy made his appeal during an emotional day at EU headquarters in Brussels as he wrapped up a rare, two-day trip outside Ukraine to seek new weaponry from the West to repel the full-scale invasion that Moscow has been waging for nearly a year. As he spoke, a new offensive by Russia in eastern Ukraine was under way. Zelenskyy, who also visited the UK and France, received rapturous applause and cheers from the European Parliament and a summit of the 27 EU leaders, insisting in his speech that the fight with Russia was one for the freedom of all of Europe. A Ukraine that is winning is going to be member of the European Union, Zelenskyy said, building his appeal around the common destiny that Ukraine and the bloc face in confronting Russia. Europe will always be, and remain Europe as long as