A grasp at diplomacy as fighting grinds on in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the path to ending the war with Russia would require diplomacy and an international agreement with security guarantees from other countries after any military win.
“Victory will be bloody,” he said in a Ukrainian television interview broadcast Saturday, and “the end will certainly be in diplomacy.”
But he and other leaders stressed that Russia shouldn’t keep control of territory it has seized during hostilities. Although Russian forces failed to take the capital, Kyiv, and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, they have captured the cities of Kherson and Mariupol in southern and southeastern Ukraine.
Bloody fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, which the United States believes is part of Moscow’s strategy to annex broad swaths of the country and install leaders loyal to Russia in a move echoing the 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the path to ending the war with Russia would require diplomacy and an international agreement with security guarantees from other countries after any military win.
“Victory will be bloody,” he said in a Ukrainian television interview broadcast Saturday, and “the end will certainly be in diplomacy.”
But he and other leaders stressed that Russia shouldn’t keep control of territory it has seized during hostilities. Although Russian forces failed to take the capital, Kyiv, and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, they have captured the cities of Kherson and Mariupol in southern and southeastern Ukraine.
Bloody fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, which the United States believes is part of Moscow’s strategy to annex broad swaths of the country and install leaders loyal to Russia in a move echoing the 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
Read the full story here.
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Authorities investigating over 13,000 reports of war crimes, official says
Ukraine’s prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said Monday that her country has opened more than 13,000 investigations into suspected war crimes committed by the Russian government and military.
In a live conversation with The Washington Post, Venediktova said the reports include allegations of rape, killings and torture all across Ukraine, in areas under attack or under occupation of Russian troops. Every day, authorities receive up to 300 additional reports of war crimes, she said.
Venediktova said the verdict Monday of Ukraine’s first war crimes trial that found Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin guilty of killing an unarmed civilian, should serve as an example for Russians that Ukrainian authorities will prosecute all those responsible for committing atrocities in Ukraine.
“If they decide to do such atrocities, to kill, to rape, to loot, to torture, we will find everyone …,” she said.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine’s prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said Monday that her country has opened more than 13,000 investigations into suspected war crimes committed by the Russian government and military.
In a live conversation with The Washington Post, Venediktova said the reports include allegations of rape, killings and torture all across Ukraine, in areas under attack or under occupation of Russian troops. Every day, authorities receive up to 300 additional reports of war crimes, she said.
Venediktova said the verdict Monday of Ukraine’s first war crimes trial that found Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin guilty of killing an unarmed civilian, should serve as an example for Russians that Ukrainian authorities will prosecute all those responsible for committing atrocities in Ukraine.
“If they decide to do such atrocities, to kill, to rape, to loot, to torture, we will find everyone …,” she said.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- A Kyiv court found a Russian soldier who killed an unarmed civilian guilty in the first war crimes trial since the invasion.
- President Biden, visiting Japan for economic and security talks with regional leaders, said in a joint statement with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represents the “greatest immediate challenge” to the established world order.
- The United Nations said 6.5 million Ukrainians have now fled Ukraine, pushing the number of people forcibly displaced by conflicts around the world over 100 million for the first time.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host a second meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group, made up of international defense chiefs.
More live updates here.
- A Kyiv court found a Russian soldier who killed an unarmed civilian guilty in the first war crimes trial since the invasion.
- President Biden, visiting Japan for economic and security talks with regional leaders, said in a joint statement with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represents the “greatest immediate challenge” to the established world order.
- The United Nations said 6.5 million Ukrainians have now fled Ukraine, pushing the number of people forcibly displaced by conflicts around the world over 100 million for the first time.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host a second meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group, made up of international defense chiefs.
More live updates here.
Ukraine issues stamp commemorating sinking of Russian warship
Ukrainians lined up by the hundreds at post offices across the country on Monday after the postal service released stamps commemorating the sinking of a Russian warship in the Black Sea and a group of Ukrainian border guards who insulted Russian forces and were subsequently captured.
The stamps were first issued last month to honor the soldiers of Snake Island, who were hailed as heroes in Ukraine after they insulted Russian forces who were about to attack them in an exchange that went viral. Proceeds from sales of the stamp went to the Ukrainian war effort.
Now, the stamps have been reissued — with a twist. The previous set of six stamps featured a Ukrainian service member making a rude hand gesture at a Russian warship from the shore; the latest set of stamps includes three of those same stamps — and three modified stamps showing the service member still standing, but not the ship.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainians lined up by the hundreds at post offices across the country on Monday after the postal service released stamps commemorating the sinking of a Russian warship in the Black Sea and a group of Ukrainian border guards who insulted Russian forces and were subsequently captured.
The stamps were first issued last month to honor the soldiers of Snake Island, who were hailed as heroes in Ukraine after they insulted Russian forces who were about to attack them in an exchange that went viral. Proceeds from sales of the stamp went to the Ukrainian war effort.
Now, the stamps have been reissued — with a twist. The previous set of six stamps featured a Ukrainian service member making a rude hand gesture at a Russian warship from the shore; the latest set of stamps includes three of those same stamps — and three modified stamps showing the service member still standing, but not the ship.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine:
Severodonetsk: Russian forces attempting to surround the city made minor gains in the past 24 hours, driving north through the town of Zolote, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said in its latest assessment.
Kharkiv: A Ukrainian counteroffensive northeast of Ukraine’s second-largest city continues to threaten Russian positions, the ISW’s military analysts said. The counterattack is forcing Russia to pull units from offensive operations in eastern Ukraine.
Chernihiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday night that 87 people were killed after Russian troops on May 17 fired four missiles at Desna, a village on the banks of the Dnieper River north of Kyiv, in what appears to be one of the deadliest attacks of the war. There is a Ukrainian military training center in the area, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether the dead were civilians or service members.
More live updates here.
Severodonetsk: Russian forces attempting to surround the city made minor gains in the past 24 hours, driving north through the town of Zolote, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said in its latest assessment.
Kharkiv: A Ukrainian counteroffensive northeast of Ukraine’s second-largest city continues to threaten Russian positions, the ISW’s military analysts said. The counterattack is forcing Russia to pull units from offensive operations in eastern Ukraine.
Chernihiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday night that 87 people were killed after Russian troops on May 17 fired four missiles at Desna, a village on the banks of the Dnieper River north of Kyiv, in what appears to be one of the deadliest attacks of the war. There is a Ukrainian military training center in the area, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether the dead were civilians or service members.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- A semblance of normality is returning to some parts of Ukraine. Even as fighting concentrates in the east, more than 2 million Ukrainians have crossed back into the country since Feb. 28, border authorities said.
- However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the coming weeks will be difficult. Key cities in the contested Donbas region, such as Severodonetsk, are now the focus of Russian firepower, he said Monday evening.
- Eighty-seven people were killed after four missiles struck the village of Desna in northern Ukraine, Zelensky said, in what appears to be among the single deadliest attacks of the war.
- German Economic Minister Robert Habeck told reporters Monday that a European Union oil embargo on Russia was within reach. The bloc has not been able to formalize a ban because of internal disagreements.
More live updates here.
- A semblance of normality is returning to some parts of Ukraine. Even as fighting concentrates in the east, more than 2 million Ukrainians have crossed back into the country since Feb. 28, border authorities said.
- However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the coming weeks will be difficult. Key cities in the contested Donbas region, such as Severodonetsk, are now the focus of Russian firepower, he said Monday evening.
- Eighty-seven people were killed after four missiles struck the village of Desna in northern Ukraine, Zelensky said, in what appears to be among the single deadliest attacks of the war.
- German Economic Minister Robert Habeck told reporters Monday that a European Union oil embargo on Russia was within reach. The bloc has not been able to formalize a ban because of internal disagreements.
More live updates here.
Denmark offers Ukraine Harpoon missiles to fight Russia’s Black Sea blockade
Denmark’s plan to send Harpoon anti-ship missiles and a launcher to Ukraine would provide Kyiv with an advanced weapon that can poke a hole in Russia’s naval blockade, potentially allowing for the resumption of grain exports via the Black Sea.
But it may take months for the Ukrainian military to be trained to use the weapons and to integrate them into the country’s coastal defense systems, military experts said, indicating that the missiles will not be an instant game changer.
The United States developed Harpoon missiles during the Cold War. They are highly versatile and can be fired from surface ships, submarines, aircraft and land-based launch vehicles. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not specify what variant Copenhagen had offered to send, but a 2013 guide to the missile system by manufacturer Boeing states that coastal defense systems use the land-based option.
Read the full story here.
Denmark’s plan to send Harpoon anti-ship missiles and a launcher to Ukraine would provide Kyiv with an advanced weapon that can poke a hole in Russia’s naval blockade, potentially allowing for the resumption of grain exports via the Black Sea.
But it may take months for the Ukrainian military to be trained to use the weapons and to integrate them into the country’s coastal defense systems, military experts said, indicating that the missiles will not be an instant game changer.
The United States developed Harpoon missiles during the Cold War. They are highly versatile and can be fired from surface ships, submarines, aircraft and land-based launch vehicles. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not specify what variant Copenhagen had offered to send, but a 2013 guide to the missile system by manufacturer Boeing states that coastal defense systems use the land-based option.
Read the full story here.
International military aid for Ukraine accelerates, Pentagon says
The Pentagon announced Monday that about 20 countries have pledged new security assistance packages for Ukraine, including new anti-ship missiles, additional attack helicopters and tanks.
Forty-seven nations now have joined the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was organized by the Pentagon to help address Kyiv’s immediate and long-term needs as it seeks to beat back the Russian military’s protracted invasion.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday singled out Denmark for providing Ukraine with a Harpoon launcher and missiles to help defend its coast, and the Czech Republican for agreeing to send helicopters, tanks and rocket systems. Other participating nations, he said, have donated artillery rounds and armored vehicles, or agreed to provide the Ukrainians with training and assistance to maintain its military systems.
The group is scheduled to meet again June 15, on the sidelines of a NATO meeting.
Read the full story here.
The Pentagon announced Monday that about 20 countries have pledged new security assistance packages for Ukraine, including new anti-ship missiles, additional attack helicopters and tanks.
Forty-seven nations now have joined the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was organized by the Pentagon to help address Kyiv’s immediate and long-term needs as it seeks to beat back the Russian military’s protracted invasion.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday singled out Denmark for providing Ukraine with a Harpoon launcher and missiles to help defend its coast, and the Czech Republican for agreeing to send helicopters, tanks and rocket systems. Other participating nations, he said, have donated artillery rounds and armored vehicles, or agreed to provide the Ukrainians with training and assistance to maintain its military systems.
The group is scheduled to meet again June 15, on the sidelines of a NATO meeting.
Read the full story here.
Putin made ‘big strategic mistake’ in Ukraine, NATO chief says in Davos
The shadow of war in Europe continued to cast a pall over the high-impact networking of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, as leaders criticized Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Addressing a crowd of politicians and chief executives, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called out Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he had “made a big strategic mistake” by invading his neighbor.
The NATO chief termed the invasion a “game changer” both for European security and the wider international order and said it has “shattered peace in Europe.”
Paradoxically, as a result of the war, Putin is now getting “more NATO on his border, and more members” of the alliance, Stoltenberg said, referring to the increasing likelihood that Sweden and Finland will be admitted to the alliance, which currently has 30 members.
Read the full story here.
The shadow of war in Europe continued to cast a pall over the high-impact networking of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, as leaders criticized Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Addressing a crowd of politicians and chief executives, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called out Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he had “made a big strategic mistake” by invading his neighbor.
The NATO chief termed the invasion a “game changer” both for European security and the wider international order and said it has “shattered peace in Europe.”
Paradoxically, as a result of the war, Putin is now getting “more NATO on his border, and more members” of the alliance, Stoltenberg said, referring to the increasing likelihood that Sweden and Finland will be admitted to the alliance, which currently has 30 members.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine issues stamp commemorating sinking of Russian warship
Ukrainians lined up by the hundreds at post offices across the country on Monday after the postal service released stamps commemorating the sinking of a Russian warship in the Black Sea and a group of Ukrainian border guards who insulted Russian forces and were subsequently captured.
The stamps were first issued last month to honor the soldiers of Snake Island, who were hailed as heroes in Ukraine after they insulted Russian forces who were about to attack them, an exchange that went viral. Proceeds from sales of the stamp went to the Ukrainian war effort.
Now, the stamps have been reissued — with a twist. The previous set of six stamps featured a Ukrainian service member making a rude hand gesture at a Russian warship from the shore. The latest set includes three of those same stamps as well as three modified stamps showing the service member still standing, but not the ship.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainians lined up by the hundreds at post offices across the country on Monday after the postal service released stamps commemorating the sinking of a Russian warship in the Black Sea and a group of Ukrainian border guards who insulted Russian forces and were subsequently captured.
The stamps were first issued last month to honor the soldiers of Snake Island, who were hailed as heroes in Ukraine after they insulted Russian forces who were about to attack them, an exchange that went viral. Proceeds from sales of the stamp went to the Ukrainian war effort.
Now, the stamps have been reissued — with a twist. The previous set of six stamps featured a Ukrainian service member making a rude hand gesture at a Russian warship from the shore. The latest set includes three of those same stamps as well as three modified stamps showing the service member still standing, but not the ship.
Read the full story here.
Kissinger says Ukraine should concede territory to Russia to end war
Former U.S. secretary of state Henry A. Kissinger said Monday that Ukraine should concede territory to Russia to help end the invasion, suggesting a position that a vast majority of Ukrainians are against as the war enters its fourth month.
Speaking at a conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Kissinger urged the United States and the West to not seek an embarrassing defeat for Russia in Ukraine, warning it could worsen Europe’s long-term stability.
After saying that Western countries should remember Russia’s importance to Europe and not get swept up “in the mood of the moment,” Kissinger also pushed for the West to force Ukraine into accepting negotiations with a “status quo ante,” which means the previous state of affairs.
Read the full story here.
Former U.S. secretary of state Henry A. Kissinger said Monday that Ukraine should concede territory to Russia to help end the invasion, suggesting a position that a vast majority of Ukrainians are against as the war enters its fourth month.
Speaking at a conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Kissinger urged the United States and the West to not seek an embarrassing defeat for Russia in Ukraine, warning it could worsen Europe’s long-term stability.
After saying that Western countries should remember Russia’s importance to Europe and not get swept up “in the mood of the moment,” Kissinger also pushed for the West to force Ukraine into accepting negotiations with a “status quo ante,” which means the previous state of affairs.
Read the full story here.
Europe accepts Putin’s demands on gas payments to avoid more shut-offs
ROME — European energy companies appear to have bent to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that they purchase natural gas using an elaborate new payment system, a concession that avoids more gas shut-offs and also gives Putin a public relations victory while continuing to fund his war effort in Ukraine.
The system, which involves the creation of two accounts at Gazprombank, enables Europe to say it is technically paying for natural gas in euros, while Russia can say it is receiving payment in rubles — a requirement Putin imposed on “unfriendly” nations.
Putin’s insistence on rubles may be more about forcing European countries to scramble at his behest than about shoring up his country’s currency, some economists and energy experts suspect.
Read the full story here.
ROME — European energy companies appear to have bent to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that they purchase natural gas using an elaborate new payment system, a concession that avoids more gas shut-offs and also gives Putin a public relations victory while continuing to fund his war effort in Ukraine.
The system, which involves the creation of two accounts at Gazprombank, enables Europe to say it is technically paying for natural gas in euros, while Russia can say it is receiving payment in rubles — a requirement Putin imposed on “unfriendly” nations.
Putin’s insistence on rubles may be more about forcing European countries to scramble at his behest than about shoring up his country’s currency, some economists and energy experts suspect.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 23 that 87 people were killed after strikes in Desna on May 17.
- Von der Leyen accused Russia of “hoarding its own food exports as a form of blackmail,” and said the best response is “global cooperation” to get grain out of Ukraine and diversify global supply.
- More than 2 million Ukrainians have crossed back into the country since Feb. 28, border authorities said.
- European energy companies appear to have bent to Putin’s demand on purchasing natural gas using an elaborate new payment system, a move that gives Putin a public relations victory while continuing to fund his war effort in Ukraine.
- Ukraine’s prosecutor general has opened more than 13,000 investigations into cases of suspected Russian war crimes. The first war crimes trial in Ukraine concluded with the sentencing of a Russian soldier to life in prison.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 23 that 87 people were killed after strikes in Desna on May 17.
- Von der Leyen accused Russia of “hoarding its own food exports as a form of blackmail,” and said the best response is “global cooperation” to get grain out of Ukraine and diversify global supply.
- More than 2 million Ukrainians have crossed back into the country since Feb. 28, border authorities said.
- European energy companies appear to have bent to Putin’s demand on purchasing natural gas using an elaborate new payment system, a move that gives Putin a public relations victory while continuing to fund his war effort in Ukraine.
- Ukraine’s prosecutor general has opened more than 13,000 investigations into cases of suspected Russian war crimes. The first war crimes trial in Ukraine concluded with the sentencing of a Russian soldier to life in prison.
More live updates here.
U.S. intelligence document shows Russian naval blockade of Ukraine
Newly declassified U.S. intelligence shows that a Russian naval blockade has halted maritime trade at Ukrainian ports, in what world leaders call a deliberate attack on the global food supply chain that has raised fears of political instability and shortages unless grain and other essential agricultural products are allowed to flow freely from Ukraine.
Russia’s navy now effectively controls all traffic in the northern third of the Black Sea, making it unsafe for commercial shipping, according to a U.S. government document obtained by The Washington Post.
The document, based on recently declassified intelligence, analyzed heat signatures emitted by Russian ships to reveal dense areas of naval activity along portions of Ukraine’s southern coast and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia occupied and annexed in 2014.
Read the full story here.
Newly declassified U.S. intelligence shows that a Russian naval blockade has halted maritime trade at Ukrainian ports, in what world leaders call a deliberate attack on the global food supply chain that has raised fears of political instability and shortages unless grain and other essential agricultural products are allowed to flow freely from Ukraine.
Russia’s navy now effectively controls all traffic in the northern third of the Black Sea, making it unsafe for commercial shipping, according to a U.S. government document obtained by The Washington Post.
The document, based on recently declassified intelligence, analyzed heat signatures emitted by Russian ships to reveal dense areas of naval activity along portions of Ukraine’s southern coast and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia occupied and annexed in 2014.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine:
Severodonetsk: The battle for one of the last big cities under Ukrainian control in the eastern Luhansk region could become drawn-out urban combat if Russian forces succeed in surrounding it. The regional governor, Serhiy Haidai, has signaled that Ukrainian forces in the city may hold out, following the example of their counterparts in Mariupol.
Elsewhere in Donbas: Russia is committing a “significant number of their troops, artillery, and aircraft” to defeat Ukrainian forces in Luhansk, the ISW said, likely by pulling resources from the cities of Kharkiv and Donetsk — where they are bracing for Ukrainian counteroffensives — and the Zaporizhzhia area.
Kyiv: Despite almost daily air raid sirens and the presence of soldiers in the streets, the Ukrainian capital is springing back to life, with restaurants, bars and stores full of people.
Read the full story here.
Severodonetsk: The battle for one of the last big cities under Ukrainian control in the eastern Luhansk region could become drawn-out urban combat if Russian forces succeed in surrounding it. The regional governor, Serhiy Haidai, has signaled that Ukrainian forces in the city may hold out, following the example of their counterparts in Mariupol.
Elsewhere in Donbas: Russia is committing a “significant number of their troops, artillery, and aircraft” to defeat Ukrainian forces in Luhansk, the ISW said, likely by pulling resources from the cities of Kharkiv and Donetsk — where they are bracing for Ukrainian counteroffensives — and the Zaporizhzhia area.
Kyiv: Despite almost daily air raid sirens and the presence of soldiers in the streets, the Ukrainian capital is springing back to life, with restaurants, bars and stores full of people.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian forces are inching closer to the strategic city of Severodonetsk — but its overall military performance “remains poor,” according to the Institute for the Study of War, a think tank.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu defended the slow pace of military operations, saying it was done deliberately to allow civilians to evacuate. (In fact, Ukrainian prosecutors have launched 13,000 investigations into possible Russian war crimes against civilians.)
- Swedish and Finnish delegations are in Turkey to discuss their bids to join NATO, hoping to assuage Ankara’s concerns after the influential member of the defense alliance released a list Monday of assurances it wants Sweden to make for the NATO accession process to move forward.
More live updates here.
- Russian forces are inching closer to the strategic city of Severodonetsk — but its overall military performance “remains poor,” according to the Institute for the Study of War, a think tank.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu defended the slow pace of military operations, saying it was done deliberately to allow civilians to evacuate. (In fact, Ukrainian prosecutors have launched 13,000 investigations into possible Russian war crimes against civilians.)
- Swedish and Finnish delegations are in Turkey to discuss their bids to join NATO, hoping to assuage Ankara’s concerns after the influential member of the defense alliance released a list Monday of assurances it wants Sweden to make for the NATO accession process to move forward.
More live updates here.
Europe accepts Putin’s demands on gas payments to avoid more shut-offs
European energy companies appear to have bent to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that they purchase natural gas using an elaborate new payment system, a concession that avoids more gas shut-offs and also gives Putin a public relations victory while continuing to fund his war effort in Ukraine.
The system, which involves the creation of two accounts at Gazprombank, enables Europe to say it is technically paying for natural gas in euros, while Russia can say it is receiving payment in rubles — a requirement Putin imposed on “unfriendly” nations.
Putin’s insistence on rubles may be more about forcing European countries to scramble at his behest than about shoring up his country’s currency, some economists and energy experts suspect.
Read the full story here.
European energy companies appear to have bent to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that they purchase natural gas using an elaborate new payment system, a concession that avoids more gas shut-offs and also gives Putin a public relations victory while continuing to fund his war effort in Ukraine.
The system, which involves the creation of two accounts at Gazprombank, enables Europe to say it is technically paying for natural gas in euros, while Russia can say it is receiving payment in rubles — a requirement Putin imposed on “unfriendly” nations.
Putin’s insistence on rubles may be more about forcing European countries to scramble at his behest than about shoring up his country’s currency, some economists and energy experts suspect.
Read the full story here.
Russia, China conduct first joint military drill since Ukraine invasion
Russia and China flew strategic bombers over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea while President Biden was in Tokyo on Tuesday, their first joint military exercise since the invasion of Ukraine and a pointed signal to the administration as it seeks to solidify regional alliances amid the growing strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing.
The White House promptly condemned the air exercise. “This … shows that China continues to be willing to closely align itself with Russia, despite the brutality that Russia is committing in Ukraine,” said a senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.
The two countries have conducted joint exercises before, but “this is the most significant form of cooperation by their militaries” since Feb. 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the official said.
Read the full story here.
Russia and China flew strategic bombers over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea while President Biden was in Tokyo on Tuesday, their first joint military exercise since the invasion of Ukraine and a pointed signal to the administration as it seeks to solidify regional alliances amid the growing strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing.
The White House promptly condemned the air exercise. “This … shows that China continues to be willing to closely align itself with Russia, despite the brutality that Russia is committing in Ukraine,” said a senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.
The two countries have conducted joint exercises before, but “this is the most significant form of cooperation by their militaries” since Feb. 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the official said.
Read the full story here.
U.K. approves sale of Russian oligarch Abramovich’s Chelsea soccer club
The British government has approved the sale of Chelsea Football Club months after it placed sanctions on Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, the longtime owner of the London-based team.
“Last night the Government issued a licence that permits the sale of @ChelseaFC,” Nadine Dorries, the British cabinet minister responsible for sports, tweeted Wednesday morning. “Given the sanctions we placed on those linked to Putin and the bloody invasion of Ukraine, the long-term future of the club can only be secured under a new owner.”
Dorries said the British government was “satisfied the proceeds of the sale will not benefit Roman Abramovich or other sanctioned individuals.” Abramovich, who British officials note has ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was placed under sanctions in March after London came under pressure to punish Kremlin-linked oligarchs.
Read the full story here.
The British government has approved the sale of Chelsea Football Club months after it placed sanctions on Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, the longtime owner of the London-based team.
“Last night the Government issued a licence that permits the sale of @ChelseaFC,” Nadine Dorries, the British cabinet minister responsible for sports, tweeted Wednesday morning. “Given the sanctions we placed on those linked to Putin and the bloody invasion of Ukraine, the long-term future of the club can only be secured under a new owner.”
Dorries said the British government was “satisfied the proceeds of the sale will not benefit Roman Abramovich or other sanctioned individuals.” Abramovich, who British officials note has ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was placed under sanctions in March after London came under pressure to punish Kremlin-linked oligarchs.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- After talks on Wednesday regarding Turkey’s continued objections to Sweden and Finland’s NATO bids, a senior Turkish official said the meeting yielded “positive” signs but no immediate breakthrough.
- After European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Russia of using food “as a form of blackmail,” a Russian official suggested Moscow could allow ships carrying Ukrainian grain to leave if the West were to lift sanctions.
- U.S. financial institutions will no longer be permitted to accept bond payments from Russia, after the Treasury said it would let a sanctions waiver expire Wednesday.
- The British government approved the sale of Chelsea Football Club after sanctions were placed on the London-based club’s longtime owner, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
More live updates here.
- After talks on Wednesday regarding Turkey’s continued objections to Sweden and Finland’s NATO bids, a senior Turkish official said the meeting yielded “positive” signs but no immediate breakthrough.
- After European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Russia of using food “as a form of blackmail,” a Russian official suggested Moscow could allow ships carrying Ukrainian grain to leave if the West were to lift sanctions.
- U.S. financial institutions will no longer be permitted to accept bond payments from Russia, after the Treasury said it would let a sanctions waiver expire Wednesday.
- The British government approved the sale of Chelsea Football Club after sanctions were placed on the London-based club’s longtime owner, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine:
Severodonetsk: Russia is probably still days away from cutting off supplies to Severodonetsk, one of the last big cities under Ukrainian control in the eastern Luhansk region. But the recent intensity of Russian artillery and air attacks, coupled with the massing of Russian forces drawn from other battlegrounds, suggests that an assault could be launched on the city even before Ukrainian supply lines are disrupted, the ISW analysts said.
Elsewhere in Donbas: Russian commanders are likely to have abandoned plans for a large-scale encirclement of Ukrainian forces in the region and are instead prioritizing three advances east and west of Popasna, aiming to cut Ukrainian supply lines southwest of Severodonetsk and complete their seizure of Luhansk, the institute said.
Mariupol: Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Wednesday that pro-Russian forces have demined the seaport of Mariupol and that it has started to function normally again.
More live updates here.
Severodonetsk: Russia is probably still days away from cutting off supplies to Severodonetsk, one of the last big cities under Ukrainian control in the eastern Luhansk region. But the recent intensity of Russian artillery and air attacks, coupled with the massing of Russian forces drawn from other battlegrounds, suggests that an assault could be launched on the city even before Ukrainian supply lines are disrupted, the ISW analysts said.
Elsewhere in Donbas: Russian commanders are likely to have abandoned plans for a large-scale encirclement of Ukrainian forces in the region and are instead prioritizing three advances east and west of Popasna, aiming to cut Ukrainian supply lines southwest of Severodonetsk and complete their seizure of Luhansk, the institute said.
Mariupol: Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Wednesday that pro-Russian forces have demined the seaport of Mariupol and that it has started to function normally again.
More live updates here.