On social media sites, people post heartfelt goodbye notes, videos, and photos for their loved ones. People are strongly opposed to the war and have shared anti-war posts. Some criticised Putin in the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict, while others questioned humanity for giving attention to Ukraine while shedding light on the ongoing bloodshed in Palestine, Syria, … Read more
KIEV – As Russian troops approach the Ukrainian capital in an all-out offensive, here are five facts about the country that has long been disputed by great empires. – Disputed history – Ukraine literally means “on the edge”. Modern-day Russia and Ukraine both trace their roots to the medieval state of Kievan Rus, which at its height … Read more
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the EU to impose stiffer penalties on Russia in response to its invasion, after the body refrained from using its entire arsenal of sanctions against Moscow. “Not all possibilities for sanctions have been exhausted yet. The pressure on Russia must increase,” Zelensky tweeted after talking to EU chief Ursula von … Read more
As Russian invading forces approached Kyiv on the second day of the Kremlin’s onslaught, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed Moscow wanted to “free Ukraine from despotism.” “President Putin decided to execute an unique military operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine so that, liberated from oppression, Ukrainians themselves may freely chose their destiny,” Russian Foreign … Read more
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Ukraine Dr Noel Israel Khokhar said that the government was working on the safe evacuation of all Pakistan nationals stranded in Ukraine. In a statement, the ambassador confirmed that overall 1,500 Pakistanis, including 500 students, were present in Ukraine who had been asked to move to safe locations. Read more: US has … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Vice-President Senator Sherry Rehman on Friday said she was told that 37 per cent of Pakistan’s wheat came from Ukraine. In a tweet, pointing towards Ukraine’s prosperity and importance amid Russia’s attack on it, Sherry Rehman said Ukraine used to be the Soviet Union’s granary and quite literally, the region’s … Read more
Sean Penn is now in Ukraine filming events for a future documentary. The 61-year-old actor was pictured attending a press conference as the Office of Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told Newsweek in a statement Thursday that he had arrived in Kyiv to work on a film. “The director travelled to Kyiv specifically to record all … Read more
Prince William, the Queen’s grandson, is said to have visited the UK’s top secret department just hours before Russia launched an attack on Ukraine. The Duke of Cambridge paid a clandestine visit to the top secret department dealing with foreign intelligence in London on Wednesday morning, according to PA. The visit of Prince William to … Read more
GENEVA – The raging Ukraine conflict will certainly dominate the UN Human Rights Council session beginning next week, with Russia’s top diplomat among those set to address the increasingly polarised assembly in person. Hours into a full-fledged Russian invasion of its neighbour early Thursday, Moscow confirmed that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was still planning to … Read more
JERUSALEM – Israel condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine Thursday as a “violation of the international order” but underlined its close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv. “The Russian attack on Ukraine is a serious violation of the international order,” Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said, adding that Israel “condemns” the assault. But Lapid also noted that “Israel has deep, long-lasting … Read more
PARIS – Sandwiched between Russia and the European Union, Ukraine has been torn between its former Soviet master and the West of which it wants to be a part since its independence in 1991. Here is an overview: – Dominated by Russia – Ukraine votes overwhelmingly for independence from the crumbling Soviet Union in … Read more
KARACHI: The rupee fell 23 paisas against the dollar on Thursday, amid fears of further rise in the international oil prices after Russia attacked Ukraine, dealers said. The exchange rate ended at Rs176.39 against the greenback from the previous day’s closing of Rs176.16 in the interbank foreign exchange market. The dealers said the forex market … Read more
UNITED NATIONS – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Wednesday night asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring troops back to Russia shortly after Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine. “I must say, President Putin: In the name of humanity bring your troops back to Russia. In the name of humanity do not allow to … Read more
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday with explosions heard soon after across the country and its foreign minister warning a “full-scale invasion” was underway. Weeks of intense diplomacy and the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia failed to deter Putin, who had massed between 150,000 and 200,000 troops … Read more
SYDNEY – Australia hit Russia with a “second phase” of sanctions on Thursday over its assault on Ukraine, the first salvo in an expected battery of new international measures to punish Moscow. Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned Russia’s “illegal invasion” as he announced sanctions against 25 individuals, four entities involved in developing and selling military … Read more
The United States said it had communicated its position to Pakistan regarding Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine, said State Department spokesperson Ned Price, Reuters reported. Read more: Russia’s Putin launches ‘military operation’ in Ukraine The US statement came on the day Prime Minister Imran Khan was heading to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir … Read more
UNITED NATIONS, United States, Feb 23, 2022 (AFP) – A United Nations meeting on Ukraine Wednesday heard that a full-scale Russian invasion of the country would have a devastating global impact that would likely spark a new “refugee crisis.” The United States said a war could displace up to five million people while Ukraine’s foreign minister … Read more
LONDON – Russian President Vladimir Putin is highly likely to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and attack Kyiv, UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss said Wednesday. The UK and US have repeatedly over the last weeks cited intelligence as indicating that Russia is planning an invasion of Ukraine. “We think it’s highly likely that he (Putin) will … Read more
PRAGUE – As the regional crisis develops, unproven allegations and anti-Western misinformation are making remarkable advances in eastern Europe, a region previously dominated by Moscow and still resentful of it. Disinformation about the situation has been actively disseminated in Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, even by certain members of parliament. “I’m confident [Putin] wants peace,” Lubos … Read more
KYIV – In reaction to the mounting possibility of a Russian invasion, Ukraine’s security cabinet authorised measures to establish a state of national emergency on Wednesday. According to the council’s secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, the proposal, which must be formally approved by parliament, calls for increased document and vehicle inspections, among other things. Danilov stated that … Read more
KYIV – Ukraine mobilised its military reserve Wednesday and urged its citizens to leave Russian territory as Moscow sharpened its demands, increasing fears of all-out war. Kremlin chief President Vladimir Putin has defied an avalanche of international sanctions to put his forces on stand-by to occupy two rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine. In response, Kyiv’s President … Read more
MOSCOW, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) — Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, ratified the treaties on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with “the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR)” and “the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR)” during a plenary session on Tuesday. Under the two treaties, Russia will foster closer cooperation with the “republics” when it comes … Read more
MOSCOW – Moscow said Tuesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was still ready for talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine’s two separatist regions. “Even during the most difficult moments… we say: we are ready for negotiations,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in remarks aired … Read more
BEIJING – China and Russia set off alarms in the West this month with the most robust declaration of their friendship in decades but Beijing has signalled it would not back Vladimir Putin if he sent troops in to invade Ukraine. The February 4 joint statement by the neighbours included unprecedented support from Beijing for … Read more
DOHA – Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Qatar on his first visit to a Gulf Arab state Monday for a major gas summit that will be dominated by tensions over Ukraine. Raisi and Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, a close US ally, are also expected to discuss growing efforts to revive a … Read more
KARACHI: The rupee recovered 11 paisas against the dollar on Monday owing to an ease in the global oil prices. The exchange rate ended at Rs175.75 to the dollar from last Friday’s closing of Rs175.86 in the interbank foreign exchange market. The dealers said that the reports of possible diplomatic talks on Russia-Ukraine tensions had … Read more
KYIV- The Russian TV reporter stands in a flak jacket and helmet near some army barracks on a crisp and sunny afternoon. “Are you ready,” an off-camera voice asks him. The journalist nods and a burst of gunfire erupts as he starts running and shouting a breathless report into his microphone about “a group of … Read more
The White House said Sunday that US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have scheduled a meeting if Moscow does not attack Ukraine, as Western countries continue their diplomatic attempts to avoid a war from breaking out in Europe. According to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Biden has agreed to meet … Read more
