Page 21 - Ukraine

Putin to proclaim formal annexation of Ukrainian territory in days

European Union likely to place trade sanctions on Moscow over 'sham' votes

FinMin opposed extension of PMGKAY a day ahead of Cabinet approval

Office memorandum flagged fiscal concerns due to impact of Ukraine war on fuel prices. With Covid-19 having largely subsided, reasons for which earlier extensions were given no more seem to hold

Russia claims win in 4 'referendums' held in occupied regions of Ukraine

Russia has claimed to win four 'referendums' in occupied Ukrainian regions, a victory which Moscow may use as grounds to annex more territory, the media reported on Wednesday

President Zelensky meets French FM to seek support for war-torn Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met with visiting French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss support for Ukraine, the presidential press service reported

Ukrainians scared that Russia's referendums indicate imminent annexation

After seven weary months of war, many Ukrainians fear more suffering and political repression awaits them as referendums orchestrated by the Kremlin with help from gun-toting police portend Russia's imminent annexation of four occupied regions. Many residents fled the regions before the referendums got underway, scared about being forced to vote or potentially being conscripted into the Russian army. Petro Kobernik, who left the Russian-held southern city of Kherson just before the preordained voting began on Friday, said the prospect of living under Russian law and the escalating war made him and others extremely jittery about the future. The situation is changing rapidly, and people fear that they will be hurt either by the Russian military, or Ukrainian guerrillas and the advancing Ukrainian troops, Kobernik, 31, said in a telephone interview. As some Russian officials brought ballots to neighbourhoods accompanied by armed police, Kobernik said his 70-year-old father shut the do

Iran regrets Ukraine's decision to downgrade diplomatic ties, vows reaction

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani has expressed regret for the decision of the Ukrainian government to downgrade diplomatic relations with the Islamic republic

Warnings in the Ukraine story for countries captured by oligarchs

While the oligarchs have played fast and loose, Ukraine remains by far the poorest of the ex-Soviet economies of Europe, writes T N Ninan

Govt working on court's suggestion to assist Ukraine returned students

The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that they are working on the suggestions given by the court to assist medical students who have returned to India from Ukraine in view of the war with Russia. The apex court had on September 16 suggested that the Centre assist these medical students by creating a web portal giving details of the foreign universities, where they could complete their courses as per the government's academic mobility programme. The counsel appearing for the Centre told the top court on Friday that they have written to the secretaries of the ministries of external affairs as well as health on the issue. "In terms of the last order, we have written to the secretaries of MEA (ministry of external affairs) as well as Health. Our instruction is that they are on it," the counsel told a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia. The counsel further said that in the last hearing, the apex court had indicated that a website can be made where information can

Vladimir Putin's conscripts won't win his war but may drag it out

Not only has Russia lost about 80,000 soldiers dead or wounded in Ukraine, according to estimates, but with insufficient manpower for rotation many troops are now spending their eighth month in field

For what reason, Japan, India, Ukraine not UNSC permanent member: Zelenskyy

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has questioned why countries like India, Japan, Brazil and his own nation are not permanent members of the UN Security Council and said the day will come when this will be resolved. There was a lot of talking about reforming the UN. How did it all end? No result, Zelenskyy said in his pre-recorded message to the world leaders at the UN General Assembly's General Debate on Wednesday. If you look carefully at our peace formula, you will see that its implementation is already becoming a de facto reform of the United Nations. Our formula is universal, and unites the North and the South of the world. It calls for the world's majority, and encourages to expand the representation of those who remained unheard. This is an imbalance when Africa, Latin America, most of Asia, Central and Eastern Europe comply with the right of veto, that they themselves never had, he said. And this is what Ukraine is talking about. And have you ever heard such words from .

Russia-Ukraine war dominates discussions with 150 mentions at UNGA meet

After two years of discourse dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, this year's UN General Assembly has a new occupant of centre stage: the war in Ukraine. The pleas made by leaders from around the world for peace were both an altruistic amplification of besieged Ukrainians' plight as well as born from self-interest. As several speeches made clear, the repercussions of the Russian invasion have been felt even thousands of miles away. It is not just the dismay that we feel at seeing such deliberate devastation of cities and towns in Europe in the year 2022. We are feeling this war directly in our lives in Africa, Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said on Wednesday. "Every bullet, every bomb, every shell that hits a target in Ukraine, hits our pockets and our economies in Africa. The speeches that elided any direct reference to the conflict were few, but the war resonated even in the absence of its direct invocation. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of Kazakhstan, n

Zelenskyy demands punishment for Russia's war on Ukraine in UN address

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded punishment for Russia for the war in Ukraine, which has left thousands of people killed, displaced millions and reduced towns to rubble

President Zelensky vows Ukraine's win as Russian forces redouble efforts

Ukraine's president has implored the world to punish Russia for its invasion, even as the leader vowed his forces would win back every inch of territory despite Moscow's decision to redouble its war effort. In a much-anticipated video address to the UN General Assembly hours after Russia on Wednesday announced it would mobilise some reservists, Volodymyr Zelenskyy portrayed the declaration as evidence the Kremlin wasn't ready to negotiate an end to the war but insisted his country would prevail anyway. We can return the Ukrainian flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms, the president said. But we need time. Putin's decree on Wednesday about the mobilisation was sparse on details. Officials said as many as 300,000 reservists could be tapped. It was apparently an effort to seize momentum after a Ukrainian counteroffensive this month retook swaths of territory that Russians had held. But the first such call-up in Russia since World War II also brought the ..

Ukraine-Russia war: Steel plant defenders, Putin ally in prisoner swap

Ukraine announced a high-profile prisoner swap early Thursday that culminated months of efforts to free many of the Ukrainian fighters who defended a steel plant in Mariupol during a long Russian siege. In exchange, Ukraine gave up an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Volodymr Zelenskky said his government had won freedom from Russian custody for 215 Ukrainian and foreign citizens. He said many were soldiers and officers who had faced the death penalty in Russian-occupied territory. Russia officials didn't immediately confirm or otherwise comment on the swap. Of the total, 200 Ukrainians were exchanged for just one man pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk, who is Ukrainian. The 68-year-old oligarch escaped from house arrest in Ukraine several days before Russia's invasion on February 24 but was recaptured in April. He faced up to life in prison on charges of treason and aiding and abetting a terrorist organization for mediating coal purchases for the .

With Ukraine nuclear power plant in peril, UN tries to broker safety

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency said Wednesday he met with Ukraine's and Russia's foreign ministers in a bid to establish a safety and security zone around a nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine that is Europe's largest. The Zaporizhzhia power plant has faced almost daily shelling and bombardment, raising fears of a nuclear accident. Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that as a result of the separate meetings with Ukraine's Dmytro Kuleba and Russia's Sergey Lavrov, work has already begun on establishing and shaping the zone. He said he hopes to visit Kyiv soon, and "perhaps later on" go to Russia. "Given the urgency of the situation and the gravity of what's going on in the field we have to move fast," Grossi said. Both nations, he said, share "a conviction that the establishment of the zone is indispensable. "The mere fact that the two foreign ministers are sitting down with me and are listening to our ideas, I think it's a

Ukraine PM asks India to join forces in stopping Russia, thanks for aid

While thanking India for its humanitarian assistance, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal asked India to "join forces" to stop Russia's invasion when he met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar

Russia not serious about ending war, says Ukrainian President Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested Wednesday that Russia's decision to mobilize some reservists showed that Moscow isn't serious about negotiating an end to its nearly seven-month-long war. Speaking by video to the UN General Assembly meeting of world leaders hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement, Zelenskyy insisted his country would prevail in repelling Russia's attack and forcing its troops out. "We can return the Ukrainian flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms," the president said. "But we need time." Putin's decree Wednesday about the mobilization was sparse on details. Officials said as many as 3,00,000 reservists could be tapped. It was apparently an effort to seize momentum after a Ukrainian counteroffensive this month retook swaths of territory that Russians had held. But the first such call-up in Russia since World War II also brings the fighting home in a new way for Russians and risks fanning domestic anxi

Why Vladimir Putin's desperate military call-up won't win the Ukraine war

Vladimir Putin announced that a series of referendums on joining Russia would be held in the conquered territories of eastern Ukraine this week

Russia 'shamelessly violated' UN Charter in Ukraine, says Joe Biden

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets" of the United Nations charter with its brutal, needless war in Ukraine. Delivering a forceful condemnation of Russia's invasion to the international body, Biden said reports of Russian abuses against civilians in Ukraine should make your blood run cold. He also said Russian President Vladimir Putin's new nuclear threats against Europe showed reckless disregard for his nation's responsibilities as a signatory of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We will stand in solidarity against Russia's aggression. Period, Biden said.

Biden pledges $2.9 bn in food security aid amid Ukraine war, climate change

President Joe Biden on Wednesday is announcing $2.9 billion in global food security aid to address shortages caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the effects of climate change. The White House says Biden will use his speech at the UN General Assembly to announce the funding, which includes $2 billion in direct humanitarian assistance through the United States Agency for International Development. The balance of the money will go to global development projects meant to boost the efficiency and resilience of the global food supply. This new announcement of $2.9 billion will save lives through emergency interventions and invest in medium to long term food security assistance in order to protect the world's most vulnerable populations from the escalating global food security crisis, the White House said.