Page 6 - Ukraine

Ukraine to boycott OSCE meeting in Vienna next week if Russia attends

Ukraine has informed the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe that it won't attend the next meeting of its parliamentary assembly if sanctioned Russian lawmakers are allowed to participate. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Vienna on Feb. 23-24, during the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mykyta Poturaiev, wrote, We do not find ourselves in a position to attend the winter meeting in case of Russia's participation. The letter, which was dated Feb. 10 and addressed to Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt, noted that Russia's decision to invade Ukraine was widely supported by Russian politicians, including members of the Russian delegation to the OSCE. We have no doubts that the Russian delegation will use the OSCE ... for justification of the aggression against my country as well as for ...

Ukrainian President Zelensky meets Canadian FM on defence cooperation

Zelensky thanked Canada for its support and assistance to Ukraine amid the conflict with Russia, stressing the importance of the decision to provide Leopard battle tanks

US officials point to Russia using Iranian drones in war with Ukraine

American defence officials on Tuesday sought to dispel any doubt that Iran is supplying drones for Russia's war in Ukraine, releasing photos and analysis of unmanned aircraft deployed in the conflict to demonstrate Tehran's involvement. During a briefing in London, analysts from the Defence Intelligence Agency displayed photos of drones that attacked Ukraine alongside images of those previously traced to Iran. A comparison of design details such as tail fins, nose cones and landing gear shows that the weapons used in Ukraine are indistinguishable from Shahed-131 and -136 attack drones and Mohajer 6 unmanned aerial vehicles used in the Middle East. The effort to show the homework'' is intended to help persuade governments or international agencies of Tehran's involvement. Iran has said it supplied a small number of drones to Russia before the invasion of Ukraine but has denied providing any more since troops crossed the border last February. The evidence proves otherwise, an offici

Lessons from the Ukraine war

The war represents a failure of diplomacy, but the forthcoming G20 summit is an opportunity for diplomacy to redeem itself

Germany signs deal to produce ammo for air defence guns sent to Ukraine

Germany has signed a deal for new ammunition for self-propelled anti-aircraft guns it provided to Ukraine to be produced at home after it ran into difficulties securing supplies from elsewhere, the defence minister said Tuesday. Germany has supplied 32 of the Gepard anti-aircraft guns since it first agreed to send them to Ukraine in late April, and has pledged 37 in total. The German military hasn't used them since 2012, so they came from stocks held in reserve by the defence industry. Securing more ammunition for the guns has been a challenge, a matter of mounting concern as defence against repeated barrages of Russian missile and drone strikes has become a top priority for Kyiv. Germany so far has been unsuccessful in months of efforts to persuade neutral Switzerland to approve exports to Ukraine of stockpiles in the Alpine country of Gepard ammunition, which was manufactured there by a subsidiary of German defence company Rheinmetall. There are also stocks of the ammunition in .

Ukraine seeks warplanes at NATO talks, allies fret over ammunition needs

Ukraine maintained its appeal for Western countries to provide it with fighter jets Tuesday, but the United States and its NATO allies and partners voiced more concern about Kyiv's needs for large amounts of ammunition as the war with Russia approached its one-year anniversary. Ahead of the meeting of the Ukraine contact group at NATO headquarters, Ukraine made its requirements clear. Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, when asked what military aid his country is seeking now, showed reporters an image of a fighter jet. Questioned about where he hoped they might come from, Reznikov said only: From the sky. What NATO allies have on their mind, though, is how to keep up a steady supply of ammunition to Ukraine without depleting their own stockpiles. According to some estimates, Ukraine is firing up to 6,000-7,000 artillery shells each day, around a third of the daily amount that Russia is using. Moscow's forces have been pressing in the east of Ukraine while bolstering their defensive

'Russian casualties highest since first week of Ukraine war': Data

Russian soldiers are dying in greater numbers in Ukraine this month than at any time since the first week of the invasion, according to Ukrainian data

European Union assures Ukraine of support as Zelensky visits Brussels

Ukraine and the EU are "one family," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added, and that the country can depend on Europe's continued support in its fight against Russia

Macron weighs kicking Vladimir Putin out of French Legion of Honour

Ukraine's wartime leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has now been bestowed with France's highest medal of honour. But there's a problem: Russian President Vladimir Putin has the same medal. French President Emmanuel Macron pinned the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour medal on Zelenskyy's chest after the two met in the French presidential palace Thursday, a move Macron said was meant to show France's immense" recognition for Ukraine's valor since Russia invaded it a year ago. Some French legislators and activists have called on Macron to rescind Putin's award because of the war. Macron didn't rule out stripping Putin of the honour bestowed by then-President Jacques Chirac in 2006. Macron told reporters Friday that such a decision has serious meaning, and it should be taken at the right moment.'' He noted that he has rescinded the honour in the past. Macron stripped Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of his Legion of Honor award in the wake of widespread sexual misconduct allegations aga

Ukraine's Zelenskyy makes emotional appeal for European Union membership

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that a Ukraine that is winning its war with Russia should be a member of the European Union, arguing the bloc wouldn't be complete without it. Zelenskyy made his appeal during an emotional day at EU headquarters in Brussels as he wrapped up a rare, two-day trip outside Ukraine to seek new weaponry from the West to repel the full-scale invasion that Moscow has been waging for nearly a year. As he spoke, a new offensive by Russia in eastern Ukraine was under way. Zelenskyy, who also visited the UK and France, received rapturous applause and cheers from the European Parliament and a summit of the 27 EU leaders, insisting in his speech that the fight with Russia was one for the freedom of all of Europe. A Ukraine that is winning is going to be member of the European Union, Zelenskyy said, building his appeal around the common destiny that Ukraine and the bloc face in confronting Russia. Europe will always be, and remain Europe as long as

MH17 inquiry: 'Strong indications' Vladimir Putin approved missile supply

An international team of investigators said Wednesday it found strong indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the supply of heavy anti-aircraft weapons to Ukrainian separatists who shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014 with a Russian missile. However, members of the Joint Investigation Team said they had insufficient evidence to prosecute Putin or any other suspects and they suspended their 8-year inquiry into the shooting down that killed all 298 people on board the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Russia has always denied any involvement in the downing of the flight over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, and refused to cooperate with the international investigation. Dutch prosecutors said that there are strong indications that the Russian president decided on supplying a Buk missile system the weapon that downed MH17 to Ukrainian separatists. Although we speak of strong indications, the high bar of complete and conclusive evidence i

Sunak extends military training support as Ukraine President visits UK

In his first UK visit since the Russian conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will arrive at 10 Downing Street here on Wednesday for a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and go on to address Parliament. The visit comes as Sunak extended the UK's ongoing support to train Ukrainian fighter jet pilots and marines to help upskill their defensive capabilities. According to UK government officials, the leaders will discuss a two-pronged approach to Britain's support for Ukraine, starting with an immediate surge of military equipment to the country to help counter Russia's "offensive" and reinforced by long-term support. "President Zelenskyy's visit to the UK is a testament to his country's courage, determination and fight, and a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries, said Sunak. Since 2014, the UK has provided vital training to Ukrainian forces, allowing them to defend their country, protect their sovereignty and fight for their ...

Putin's invasion of Ukraine has been a test for the ages, says Biden

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has been a test for the ages, and a test for the world, US President Joe Biden has said as he slammed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for his military aggression. "I spoke from this chamber one year ago, just days after Vladimir Putin unleashed his brutal war against Ukraine. A murderous assault, evoking images of the death and destruction Europe suffered in World War II," Biden said in his address to a Joint Session of the US Congress on Tuesday night. President Putin launched a 'special military operation' in eastern Ukraine on February 24, 2022. "Putin's invasion has been a test for the ages. A test for America. A test for the world. Would we stand for the most basic of principles? Would we stand for sovereignty? Would we stand for the right of people to live free from tyranny? Would we stand for the defence of democracy? Biden posed a series of questions in his second State of the Union Address. "For such a defence matters to us because

Ukraine minister expects help from Western warplanes to fight off forces

Ukraine's defense minister expressed confidence Sunday that Western allies would agree to the country's latest weapons request warplanes to fight off Russian forces that invaded nearly a year ago. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told a news conference in Kyiv that Ukraine has already received everything from its wish list to Santa, except planes. There will be planes, too," Reznikov predicted. The question is just what kind exactly.... Consider that this mission is already completed. So far, Ukraine has won support from Baltic nations and Poland in its quest to obtain Western fighter jets. But several Western leaders have expressed concern that providing warplanes could provoke the Kremlin and draw their countries deeper into the conflict, which has cost tens of thousands of lives and wreaked massive destruction. Kyiv says such jets are essential to challenging Russia's air superiority and ensuring success in a Russian offensive that Reznikov predicted could begin around the war

Five injured in rocket attacks on 2nd-largest city in Ukraine: Officials

Five people were injured in Russian rocket attacks Sunday in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, officials said. Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said four people were injured when a Russian S-300 missile fell near an apartment block and another was hurt when a missile hit a higher-education building. Local media reports said the building hit was the National Academy for Urban Economy, about 700 metres from the city's central square. Meanwhile, heavy fighting continued in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, one of four regions that Russia illegally annexed last year even though its forces do not fully control the region. Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said five civilians were wounded in rocket attacks during the night in the city of Druzhkivka and that the town of Avdiivka and its outskirts were also fired on. In the Black Sea port of Odesa, workers laboured to connect temporary generators shipped in to try to restore electricity. The city and ...

Nearly 200 soldiers freed in latest Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap: Officials

Yermak also said that Russia returned to Ukraine the bodies of two British voluntary aid workers, and a volunteer soldier from Ukraine's International Legion

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World food prices decline for tenth month running in January, says FAO

World food prices fell in January for a 10th consecutive month, and are now down some 18% from a record high hit last March following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations food agency said

Ukraine signs deal to join European Union's Single Market Programme

The deal was inked in Kiev during the joint consultations between the Ukrainian government and the College of the European Commissioners

Ukraine seeks to extend duty-free trade with EU until end of 2024

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that his country is seeking to extend the duty-free trade with the European Union until the end of 2024, the government press service reported