Page 37 - Russia Ukraine Conflict

Is geopolitics a bigger worry for markets than rate hikes?

After the Russia-Ukraine war, fresh geo-political tensions are brewing in other regions too. Will these global worries affect markets globally? Are they a bigger worry than central bank policy action?

NATO Chief Stoltenberg urges Turkey to endorse Finland, Sweden accession

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged Turkey on Thursday to set aside its reservations over Finland and Sweden's efforts to join the military alliance, insisting the Nordic neighbours have done enough to satisfy Ankara's concerns about their membership. Finland and Sweden applied for membership of the world's biggest security alliance in the months after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February. In doing so, they abandoned longstanding policies of military nonalignment out of concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin might target them next. But Turkey, which joined NATO in 1952, is still not ready to endorse them after months of trilateral talks. The Turkish government wants them to crack down on individuals it considers terrorists, such as supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and people suspected of orchestrating a failed 2016 coup in Turkey. Finland and Sweden have delivered on their commitment to Turkey. They have become strong partners in our joint .

Bulgaria's parliament approves country's first military aid for Ukraine

A majority of Bulgaria's lawmakers on Thursday approved sending the country's first military aid to Ukraine. The National Assembly voted 175-49 with one abstention in favour of a proposal submitted by four pro-European Union parties. The government has now one month to decide what kind of weapons Bulgaria can provide without affecting its own defence capabilities. Bulgaria previously agreed to repair Ukrainian military equipment at its factories but refused to send weapons directly due to opposition from President Rumen Radev and the country's Moscow-friendly political parties. Along with Hungary, Bulgaria was the only EU member country that had declined to give Ukraine weapons as it fights Russia's invasion and war. More weapons mean more war, Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Kornelia Ninova said, explaining why her party's lawmakers voted against the proposal. The heated debate that preceded the vote reflected the divisions in Bulgaria since Russia invaded its neighbour. Even t

G7 ministers seek to expand unity on Ukraine war, China's economic clout

Top diplomats from the world's major industrialized democracies sought on Thursday to expand unified positions on Russia's war in Ukraine, China's growing global economic clout and Iran's crackdown on anti-government protestors. Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations began two days of talks in the historic western German city of Muenster to take stock of the war in Ukraine and keep up economic, military and other support for the country more than eight months after Russia's invasion and as winter approaches. The significance of the venue the same room in which the Treaty of Westphalia ending Europe's bloody 30 Years War was signed in 1648 was not lost on the participants, some of whom commented on the relevance of the principles it enshrined in international diplomacy. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made reference to the 374-year-old document at an event with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, saying Russia's actions in Ukraine are a direct attack on the .

Backup diesel generators used at Ukraine nuclear site to fend off crisis

Europe's largest nuclear power plant was relying on emergency diesel generators to run its safety systems on Thursday after external power from the Ukrainian electric grid was again cut off, Ukrainian and UN officials reported. Fighting in Ukraine has repeatedly damaged power lines and electrical substations that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant requires to operate in-house safety systems, forcing operators to turn to backup generators to cool its six reactors until regular power is restored. All six reactors have been shut down. The generators have enough fuel to maintain the plant in southeastern Ukraine for just 15 days, state nuclear power company Energoatom said. The countdown has begun, Energoatom said, noting it had limited possibilities to maintain the ZNPP in a safe mode, raising fears of a potential nuclear disaster. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the switch to backup diesel generators and said that underlines the extremely precarious nuclear ..

G7 ministers meet with Russia-Ukraine conflict, China ties on agenda

Top diplomats from the world's major industrialised democracies grappled with the implications of Russia's war in Ukraine, China's growing economic clout and aims on Taiwan, and Iran's crackdown on anti-government protesters as they opened two days of talks on Thursday. Meeting in the western German city of Muenster, foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations were taking stock of the situation in Ukraine more than eight months since Russia invaded the country, exacerbating food and energy shortages and creating ripple effects far from Europe. While we are steadfast in our support for Ukraine, we must not forget that the impacts of Russia's aggression, interference and hostility extend across the world," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said ahead of the meeting. Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions are plunging the world's poorest further into despair, putting global food security on the brink and pushing up energy prices", he said. "These actions only serve to

Russian shelling damaged nuclear plant power lines, says Ukraine

Ukraine's nuclear state operator said on Thursday that Russia has shelled and damaged power lines connecting Europe's largest nuclear power plant to the Ukrainian grid, leaving the plant reliant on diesel generators again. The generators have enough fuel to maintain the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine for just 15 days, Energoatom said in a post on its Telegram channel. The countdown has begun, Energoatom said, noting it had limited possibilities to maintain the ZNPP in a safe mode, raising fears of a potential nuclear disaster. With its six reactors inoperative, the plant relies on outside electricity to cool its spent fuel. Russia and Ukraine have traded blame for months amid the war for shelling at and around the plant that the UN's nuclear watchdog has warned could cause a radiation emergency. The nuclear power plant lies within part of the Zaporizhzhia region that has been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of the war, which began when Rus

G20 host Indonesia waiting to see if Russia's Putin will attend summit

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told Reuters in an interview that Putin's attendance at the meeting might only become clear at the last minute

Russian troops try to subdue Ukrainian towns by seizing several mayors

Not long after Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, soldiers broke down the office door of Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov. They put a bag over his head, bundled him into a car and drove him around the southern city for hours, threatening to kill him. Fedorov, 34, is one of over 50 local leaders who have been held in Russian captivity since the war began on Feb. 24 in an attempt to subdue cities and towns coming under Moscow's control. Like many others, he said he was pressured to collaborate with the invaders. The bullying and threats did not stop for a minute. They tried to force me to continue leading the city under the Russian flag, but I refused, Fedorov told The Associated Press by phone last month in Kyiv. They didn't beat me, but day and night, wild screams from the next cell would tell me what was waiting for me. As Russians seized parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, civilian administrators and others, including nuclear power plant workers, say they have been abducted, ...

RBI Meeting: All you need to know about additional monetary policy meet

Under Section 45ZN of the RBI Act, 1934, the central bank is required to write a letter to the Centre if it fails to maintain the inflation target

Ukraine to get new military, humanitarian aid from Spain, says report

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that his war-torn country will soon get new military and humanitarian assistance from Spain

RBI's letter may cite Ukraine war as main reason for high inflation: Report

For the past few months the MPC's and the governor's conduct has pointed at the war in Ukraine as the main reason for inflation staying above 6 per cent for three consecutive quarters

Russian invasion has uprooted 14 million Ukrainians: UN refugee chief

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has driven some 14 million Ukrainians from their homes in the fastest, largest displacement witnessed in decades, sparking an increase in the number of refugees and displaced people worldwide to more than 103 million, the UN refugee chief said Wednesday. Filippo Grandi, who heads the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told the UN Security Council that Ukrainians are about to face one of the world's harshest winters in extremely difficult circumstances, including the continuing destruction of civilian infrastructure that is quickly making the humanitarian response look like a drop in the ocean of needs. Humanitarian organisations have dramatically scaled up their response," he said, but much more must be done, starting with an end to this senseless war. But given the likely protracted nature of the military situation," Grandi said his agency is preparing for further population movements both inside and outside Ukraine. In his wide-ranging briefing, Grand

G7 foreign ministers set to grapple with Russia-Ukraine war, Chinese clout

Top diplomats from the world's major industrialised democracies will grapple with the implications of Russia's war in Ukraine, China's growing economic clout, and aims on Taiwan and Iran's treatment of anti-government protesters when they open two days of talks in Germany this week. Meeting in the western German city of Munster, foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States will take stock of the situation in Ukraine nearly a year after they first banded together to warn Russia of massive consequences if it went ahead with plans to invade the former Soviet republic that some believed were exaggerated at the time. Since that warning was delivered two months before the invasion was actually launched the G-7 nations have largely followed through with their vow to punish Russia, although the sanctions have done little to deter Moscow, which has instead escalated its attacks targeting civilian infrastructure, sen

Russia blinks, says will resume participation in Ukraine grain deal

Moscow calls vote on unfounded Ukraine bio weapons claims

Soluble and relevant: The focus of India's G20 agenda

The government may be tempted to showcase its own achievements. But it must resist this temptation

Elon Musk to keep funding key satellite links, confirms Ukrainian official

Elon Musk has given assurances to Ukraine that he will keep funding its access to a crucial satellite network providing Kyiv with battlefield and humanitarian communications in its war with Russia, a senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday. Elon Musk told me personally that he will continue to support Ukraine and continue to provide Starlink to Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, told The Associated Press. There are no problems for now with Starlink, Fedorov said through an interpreter. Doubts arose last month about whether Musk would continue to offer the SpaceX Starlink system to Ukraine. Its more than 2,200 low-orbiting satellites provide a broadband internet service to more than 150,000 Ukrainian ground stations. But Musk tweeted in mid-October that it was costing SpaceX USD 20 million a month to support Ukraine's communications needs. He also noted his company has to create, launch, maintain and replenish satelli

White House accuses North Korea of covertly shipping artillery to Russia

The White House on Wednesday accused North Korea of covertly shipping a significant number of artillery shells to Russia in support of its invasion of Ukraine. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US believes North Korea is trying to make it appear as though they're being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa. He declined to provide a specific estimate on the quantity of ammunition being sent to bolster the Russian effort. Kirby said North Korea is covertly supplying the ammunition to Russia, but that, we're still monitoring this to determine whether the shipments are actually received." Kirby insisted that the North Korean shipments are not going to change the course of the war," citing Western efforts to resupply the Ukrainian military. The White House would not specify the mode of transportation or whether the U.S. or other nations would attempt to interdict the shipments to Russia.

Oil prices increase on demand hopes after US crude stocks drawdown

The potential disruption from the European Union embargo on Russian oil that is set to start on December 5 may also be pushing prices higher.

Russia calls vote on unfounded Ukraine biological weapons claims at UNSC

The UN Security Council scheduled a vote on Wednesday on a resolution that would establish a commission to investigate unfounded Russian claims that Ukraine and the United States are carrying out military biologcal" activities that violate the convention prohibiting the use of biological weapons. Russia circulated a 310-page document to council members last week alleging that this biological activity is taking place in Ukraine with support from the US Defense Department. The document included an official complaint to the Security Council, allowed under Article VI of the 1972 biological weapons convention, and a draft resolution that would authorize the Security Council to set up a commission comprising the 15 council members to investigate Russia's claims. Russia's initial allegation of secret American biological warfare labs in Ukraine, made soon after its February 24 invasion of its smaller neighbour, has been disputed by independent scientists, Ukrainian leaders and officials at