KYIV: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia is consolidating and preparing “powerful strikes” in the country’s east and south, including besieged Mariupol, where a new attempt will be made Friday to evacuate civilians from the devastated city. Russia meanwhile threatened to turn off its gas taps to Europe if payments are not made in rubles, … Read more
Following a Russian ceasefire announcement, Kiev said Thursday it was sending dozens of buses to evacuate residents from the besieged city of Mariupol, while the worldwide Red Cross said it was ready to lead the “desperately vital” operation. Over a month into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s army have repeatedly shelled places like Mariupol, … Read more
PARIS: Russia invaded Ukraine in the early hours of February 24, setting off the worst conflict in Europe in decades. We look back on five weeks of fighting that has killed thousands of civilians, sent four million people fleeing abroad and forced Russia to review its ambitions in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance. … Read more
President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the phone on Wednesday, their first contact since Biden stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in office.” According to the White House, the two men spoke for about an hour on a day when Zelensky repeated his plea for formidable defensive weaponry. According … Read more
Russia’s “bragging” about its nuclear weapons is fueling a dangerous arms race, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday at the Doha Forum. Zelensky also urged Qatar, which hosts the annual gathering of international political and business leaders, to increase natural gas production in order to counter Russian efforts to use energy as a weapon. … Read more
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Doha Forum on Saturday that Russia’s “bragging” about its nuclear weapons is fueling a hazardous arms race. To oppose Russian efforts to use energy as a weapon, Zelensky also urged Qatar, which hosts the annual meeting of international political and economic leaders, to enhance natural gas output. “They are … Read more
Officials in Mariupol, Ukraine’s vital port city, said on Friday that they suspected 300 people died in a Russian hit on a theatre where hundreds were sheltering last week. “From eyewitnesses, information is emerging that about 300 people died in the Drama Theatre of Mariupol following strikes by a Russian aircraft,” Mariupol city hall wrote on … Read more
A month after Russia’s surprise incursion, Ukraine’s president called for global street protests and a gathering of US-led allies in Brussels on Thursday to drastically increase weaponry supply. While Kyiv and Western intelligence agencies report combat victories over the Russians, the UN said that more than half of all children in Ukraine had been displaced … Read more
MOSCOW: Russia’s largest lender Sberbank said on Wednesday it was leaving the European market after coming under pressure from Western sanctions levelled against the state bank in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “In the current environment, Sberbank has decided to withdraw from the European market,” the lender said in a statement carried by Russian news … Read more
BRUSSELS, Dec 16, 2021 (AFP) – The lightning spread of Omicron in Europe and elsewhere added a sense of urgency to an EU summit on Thursday, with leaders struggling to present a united, bloc-wide approach. Projections that the highly infectious Covid strain could be dominant in the EU as early as next month have pushed the … Read more
