KYIV – Russian forces struck cities in eastern Ukraine and massed armoured vehicles and artillery near the capital Kyiv on Tuesday, as Western powers promised further sanctions to bring down Russia’s economy. On the sixth day of Russia’s invasion, officials in Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, said the Russian army had shelled the local administration building. An AFP reporter … Read more
Louis Tomlinson is extending his suppoTomlinson was scheduled to perform at Kyiv’s Stereo Plaza venue on July 4, following his performance at Russia’s Circus City Hall on July 6.rt to those affected by the ‘needless war,’ cancelling upcoming shows in Moscow and Kyiv due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Taking to Twitter, the One Direction … Read more
PRETORIA – Ukraine is finding it hard to get its message across in southern Africa, where there remains affection for Moscow dating from the apartheid era, the Ukrainian ambassador in Pretoria said. Like Ukrainian envoys around the world, Ambassador Liubov Abravitova is striving to rally support for her invaded country. But local recognition of Ukraine’s plight is … Read more
MOSCOW: The rouble collapsed against the dollar and the euro on the Moscow Stock Exchange on Monday, as the West punished Moscow with new sanctions over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. The rouble fell sharply at the start of trading, reaching 100.96 to the dollar, compared to 83.5 on Wednesday, the day before the invasion … Read more
KYIV – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that his nuclear forces were on alert sparked outcry in the West as the invading troops faced stiff resistance on Monday. The UN General Assembly will hold a rare emergency session Monday to discuss the conflict, which has claimed dozens of lives and raised fears that it will … Read more
As Prime Minister Boris Johnson moves to confront Moscow over its Ukraine invasion, he stands accused of leaving the financial back door wide open by ignoring a “sewer” of Russian money coursing through Britain. Johnson on Wednesday confirmed another delay to an “economic crime” bill, which he says will eventually dismantle the “Matryoshka doll” hiding … Read more
KYIV – Weeks of intense diplomacy to avert war failed to deter Vladimir Putin as Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, forcing residents to flee for their lives as situation deteriorates. Russian air strikes hit military facilities across the country and ground forces moved in from the north, south and east, triggering condemnation … Read more
PARIS – The European Union wants to cut all links between Russia and the global financial system, France’s finance minister said on Friday, adding that removing Moscow from the SWIFT interbank system remained a “last resort”. Speaking hours after European national leaders agreed further sanctions on Russia over its attack on Ukraine, Bruno Le Maire … 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 – 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 – 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
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
WASHINGTON – The US government normally keeps battlefield intelligence close to its chest, but by revealing the secret details of Russian military plans, it hopes to prevent an invasion of Ukraine. Since Russia moved tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine’s border in recent months, Washington’s unconventional strategy has been to let Moscow and the … Read more
Moscow – Russia said on Friday that it has begun removing additional tanks and other armoured equipment from locations near Ukraine’s border after conducting war exercises that sparked concern in the West. “After completing scheduled exercises, another military train carrying people and military equipment belonging to tank army units of the western military district returned … Read more
WASHINGTON: Credit rating agency Fitch downgraded Ukraine’s long-term debt outlook from positive to stable on Friday due to tensions with Russia, while maintaining its rating at B. “Expectations of a more protracted period of heightened tensions with Russia, an increased downside risk of conflict, constrained financing conditions, moderate capital outflows and weakening international reserves, have … Read more
On the eve of the Chinese New Year, President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in Beijing as Moscow’s deteriorating relations with the West take centre stage ahead of the official opening of the Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital. During his visit, Putin hailed his country’s “unprecedented” ties with China at … Read more
BERLIN: Rising tensions with Moscow over Ukraine have exposed Germany’s problematic dependence on Russian gas, inflaming an already heated debate over soaring energy prices. As Germany pursues its target to transition to cleaner energy sources over the next decade, Europe’s biggest economy has counted on gas temporarily filling the gap while it builds up its … Read more
Economics and politics are inter-twined, the quicker any nation recognised this reality, the better placed it is for growth and development. For any nation state to be successful, the basic human needs and necessities of its populace have to be satisfied, first and foremost. The People’s Republic of China has achieved this enormous task. Having … Read more
Moscow – Russia has a stake in crises around the world from Ukraine to Syria, Sudan and Mali and that is reflected in the active role it takes at the UN Security Council on issues both big and small, contrasting with the relative detachment of the United States. The paradox is that, by at least … Read more
MOSCOW: Russia has no plans to introduce large-scale restrictions to reel in surging coronavirus cases, a senior health official said on Wednesday, despite reporting new infection records for 13 days running. Moscow has been hesitant throughout the pandemic to introduce any restrictions that could hurt the embattled economy. “The healthcare system is coping,” Anna Popova, the head of … Read more
BERLIN – With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border, fears are mounting that a major conflict could break out in Europe. Russia, however, condemned US President Joe Biden’s vow of a “severe” response to any invasion of Ukraine as “destabilising” after Biden in Washington assessed that Vladimir Putin will “move … Read more
Brussels – Nato and Russia confronted their stark divide over security in Europe after a new round of security talks between Russia and the United States concluded in Geneva, with the two sides showing no sign of narrowing differences on Ukraine and other security issues. Russia’s massive troop build-up on Ukraine’s borders has forced Washington … Read more
VILNIUS – Six Lithuanians who lost relatives during Moscow’s crackdown on the Baltic state’s independence drive filed a lawsuit against former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Thursday. The group initiated legal action 31 years to the day since the January 1991 assault, which killed 14 civilians and wounded over 700. In 2019, a Lithuanian court … Read more
YEREVAN: Armenia said on Thursday it was lifting an embargo on Turkish goods from January 1, while Turkey announced the two countries’ envoys could meet in January to discuss mending ties. Arch-enemies Armenia and Turkey have recently made tentative moves to improve relations. In Yerevan, the Armenian economy ministry said it was lifting an embargo originally … Read more
MOSCOW: Walking through a freezing market in Moscow earlier this month, 60-year-old Sergei Borisovich recalled that he rang in the last New Year at a table laden with festive delicacies. This year, the factory worker, who declined to give his last name, said a spike in prices meant he would have to forego caviar and other … Read more
LONDON: European and the UK gas prices rocketed on Tuesday to an all-time high on strong winter demand and simmering geopolitical tensions between key supplier Russia and consumer nations. Europe’s reference Dutch TTF gas price hit 162.775 euros/megawatt hour in late morning deals, up more than 10 per cent from Monday, while UK prices leapt to … Read more
