The most recent on the Russia-Ukraine disaster:
BRUSSELS — Latvia’s overseas minister says the European Union has agreed to freeze the belongings of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov together with different sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
The transfer signifies that Western powers are shifting towards unprecedented measures to pressure Putin to cease the brutal invasion of Russia’s neighbor and from unleashing a significant warfare in Europe.
Overseas Minister Edgard Rinkevics introduced the EU resolution Friday in a tweet.
He mentioned one other bundle of sanctions is to be ready by the EU.
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PARIS — The chief of the Belarus opposition in exile says the European Union ought to slap more durable sanctions on Belarus for its function in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sviatlana Tiskhanouskaya says Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a detailed ally of Russia, has turned her nation into “an aggressor” in Ukraine.
She instructed The Related Press on Friday that Belarus has change into “an plane provider” for the Russian navy, carrying troops to Ukraine, re-fueling its warfare machine and housing troopers of the invading pressure.
America, the EU, Britain and Canada final yr imposed sanctions on Belarusian officers, companies and a number of other sectors of the economic system and the monetary system following a brutal crackdown on Lukashenko’s opponents. They have been protesting his fraudulent re-election for a sixth time period.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday referred to as the Belarus authorities “an confederate” in Russia’s navy invasion of Ukraine and mentioned it’ll even be focused with sanctions.
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WASHINGTON — Russian state broadcaster RT says it was subjected to “large” denial-of-service assaults after the net collective Nameless pledged to hold out cyberattacks in help of Ukraine, which is being invaded by Russian forces.
RT mentioned in a press release that the assaults on its web sites got here from about 100 million units, principally primarily based within the U.S. However the broadcaster mentioned it was resolving the problems and its web site gave the impression to be functioning usually Friday.
Nameless introduced a day earlier on Twitter that it’s “formally in cyber warfare in opposition to the Russian authorities” and famous later that the Russian Ministry of Protection web site was down.
However it’s tough to attribute a cyberattack to Nameless and even affirm that somebody is a member of a collective that’s open to anybody who claims to make use of hacking for a selected trigger.
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GIBRALTAR — Punitive measures in opposition to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine have unfold to a tiny speck of territory on Spain’s southern tip, with Gibraltar’s authorities taking steps in opposition to Russia Immediately tv.
Gibraltar on Friday introduced it was suspending the Russian state broadcaster for spreading “disinformation.” It additionally revoked a visa waiver program for Russian residents.
The workplace for Chief Minister Fabian Picardo described Russia Immediately as a “mouthpiece for the Kremlin” that “will change into a harmful supply of disinformation that Gibraltar can not settle for on its networks.”
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LONDON — Britain’s Ministry of Protection says the majority of Russian forces advancing on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv are greater than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the middle of town.
The ministry mentioned it continues to watch “sporadic clashes’’ between Russian and Ukrainian forces within the northern suburbs of the capital.
The intelligence replace, delivered by way of Twitter, additionally mentioned that armored items have been compelled to open a brand new route towards Kyiv after failing to seize Chernihiv, a metropolis northeast of the capital close to the Belarusian border.
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BRUSSELS — Europe’s foremost human rights group has suspended Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, although it stays a member.
The 47-nation Council of Europe introduced Friday that Russia was suspended with “speedy impact” from the Committee of Ministers and the parliamentary meeting “because of the Russian Federation’s armed assault on Ukraine.”
The Strasbourg-based group mentioned Russia remained a member and continued to be certain to the related human rights conventions.
“Suspension isn’t a last measure however a short lived one, leaving channels of communication open,” a press release mentioned.
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VIENNA — The Worldwide Atomic Power Company says the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant reported higher-than-usual radiation ranges after being taken over by Russian forces invading Ukraine.
But it surely mentioned Friday that present radiation ranges don’t pose a menace to the general public.
Ukraine’s regulatory authority beforehand mentioned that elevated radiation ranges could also be as a result of navy automobiles stirring up soil that continues to be contaminated from the accident in 1986, nonetheless generally known as the worst nuclear catastrophe in historical past.
However the measures are “inside the operational vary measured within the Exclusion Zone because it was established,” in line with the IAEA.
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is a 2,600-square-kilometer (1,000-square-mile) space of forest mendacity between the Belarus-Ukraine border and the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Russian forces took management over the positioning Thursday after a fierce battle with Ukrainian nationwide guards defending the plant.
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MOSCOW — The Kremlin says prospects for potential peace talks between Russia and Ukraine look unsure as a result of obvious variations over a venue.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to ship a delegation for talks with Ukrainian officers in Minsk, Belarus, the place President Alexander Lukashenko runs a pro-Russian authorities.
That settlement got here in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s supply earlier within the day to debate non-aligned standing for Ukraine.
Peskov instructed reporters that after the events mentioned Minsk as a potential venue, Ukrainian officers modified course and mentioned they have been unwilling to journey to Minsk and would favor to satisfy in NATO member Poland. They then halted additional communication, Peskov mentioned.
Putin has claimed that the western refusal to heed Russia’s demand to maintain Ukraine out of NATO prompted him to order an invasion of the neighboring nation.
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PRAGUE — The Czech Republic’s transport minister says his nation has banned all Russian airways from Czech airports, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Martin Kupka mentioned Friday the ban covers all common flights between Prague and Moscow and Prague and St. Petersburg, in addition to constitution flights.
Russian planes can even be banned from touchdown on the western Czech spa city of Karlovy Range, a well-liked vacation spot for Russian vacationers. The measure turns into affective at midnight.
Moreover, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala mentioned his nation will cease issuing visas for Russian residents and can urge different European Union international locations to do the identical.
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VILNIUS, Lithuania — Main retail chains in Lithuania began to take away Russian and Belarusian merchandise from cabinets, a transfer joined by on-line outlets and extensively applauded by the general public as a protest in opposition to Moscow’s resolution to invade Ukraine.
Maxima LT, the biggest chain within the Baltic nations, mentioned Friday the Russian items it sells are primarily alcohol, dried merchandise and sweet, amounting to tens of millions of euros ({dollars}) in gross sales.
Different retailers like drug shops and residential suppliers made comparable bulletins. The Lithuanian postal service mentioned it is not going to be distributing any extra Russian periodicals.
Worldwide corporations akin to IKEA are dealing with stress to take away Russian-made items from sale within the small Baltic nation, which fears Russian aggression.
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MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed his troops for his or her braveness as they press their offensive throughout Ukraine and bear down on Kyiv.
Talking throughout Friday’s assembly of his Safety Council, Putin claimed that almost all Ukrainian navy items are reluctant to interact Russian forces.
He mentioned the items providing resistance are principally volunteer battalions made up of right-wing Ukrainian nationalists.
He supplied no proof for his claims, which couldn’t be independently verified.
Echoing an earlier Russian navy assertion, Putin accused Ukrainian forces of deploying heavy weapons in city areas in a number of massive cities, together with Kyiv and Kharkiv, to make use of civilians as shields.
The Russian president urged the Ukrainian navy to finish their resistance and activate their leaders.
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WARSAW, Poland – European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen is in Warsaw for pressing talks with NATO’s 9 japanese flank members on find out how to improve the area’s safety, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The contributors have been additionally as a result of remotely be a part of a NATO summit in Brussels.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, internet hosting the talks between the so-called NATO Bucharest 9, in his opening speech mentioned that “demons of an incredible warfare, unseen since 1945” have returned to Europe.
NATO’s japanese flank members concern Moscow might additionally goal them.
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FORT STEWART, Ga. — The U.S. Army says 3,800 troopers from Fort Stewart, Georgia, are amongst extra forces deploying to Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Troops from the Army submit southwest of Savannah, Georgia, “will deploy to reassure NATO allies, deter additional aggression in opposition to NATO member states and practice with host-nation forces,” Fort Stewart commanders mentioned in a press release late Thursday.
Fort Stewart is house to the Army’s third Infantry Division, which noticed a number of fight deployments throughout the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A lot of the third Infantry troopers heading to Europe are assigned to the division’s 1st Armored Brigade Fight Staff.
“The Raider Brigade is skilled and geared up to discourage aggression and to reassure and defend our allies,” Col. Pete Moon, the first Brigade’s commander, mentioned in ready assertion.
The Georgia-based troopers look like amongst 7,000 extra U.S. forces deploying to Germany to bolster NATO following the invasion of Ukraine. President Joe Biden ordered the deployments Thursday.
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MOSCOW — The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed Chinese language President Xi Jinping he’s able to ship a delegation for talks with Ukrainian officers.
The Kremlin mentioned in its readout of Friday’s name that Xi underlined that he “views the Russian management’s motion within the disaster state of affairs with respect.”
In a reference to new Western sanctions in opposition to Russia over its invasion in Ukraine, the Kremlin famous that Putin and Xi agreed “it’s inadmissible to make use of illegitimate sanctions for reaching egocentric targets of sure international locations.”
Chinese language state TV reported that Xi emphasised that China “helps Russia and Ukraine resolving the issue by means of negotiations.”
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NEW DELHI — Dozens of oldsters, relations and pals of Indian college students stranded in Ukraine held an illustration close to the Russian Embassy in New Delhi to demand the scholars’ speedy evacuation.
Police barricaded the roads resulting in the embassy on Friday and requested the protesters to satisfy Indian Overseas Ministry officers to debate the repatriation of almost 16,000 Indians, together with college students.
A number of the demonstrators held video conferencing calls with a few of these caught in metro trains and bomb shelters in Kyiv.
“We’re operating low on meals and water in a crowded bunker,” one of many callers in Ukraine mentioned.
Indian Embassy officers at the moment are touring to frame areas of Ukraine touching Poland, Romania Slovakia and Hungary to facilitate the exit of Indian nationals in order that they are often evacuated to India, mentioned overseas ministy official Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
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BRUSSELS — Germany’s overseas minister mentioned Friday that the European Union will absorb all folks fleeing Ukraine as a result of present battle.
“We have to do all the things to right away take within the people who find themselves now fleeing bombs, fleeing tanks, that’s additionally what we’ve been getting ready for in current weeks,” Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock instructed reporters in Brussels.
“We tried all the things so this present day wouldn’t come,” she mentioned. “And it got here as a result of the Russian president selected it, opted for warfare and in opposition to human lives.”
“That’s why we’ll absorb all the people who find themselves fleeing now,” Baerbock mentioned. “We are going to carry the folks from Ukraine to security.”
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BUCHAREST, Romania — Moldova’s nationwide naval company says a ship in “impartial waters” of the Black Sea has been hit by a missile, leaving two crew members severely injured.
The Naval Company mentioned in a press release that the supply of the missile that hit the Moldova-flagged Millennial Spirit on Friday is unknown.
“A hearth broke out onboard the ship; the gear and lifeboats have been destroyed,” the company mentioned in a press release. “The ship’s crew left the ship geared up solely with life jackets.”
The company mentioned that the corporate that operates the tanker is a Ukrainian authorized entity and the crew members are Russian residents.
Rescue operations have been carried out by Ukrainian authorities, the Moldovan company mentioned.
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LONDON — An professional in worldwide commerce says he thinks world leaders are reluctant to exclude Russia from the SWIFT system of monetary transactions as a result of it’s the “nuclear possibility” of sanctions.
Disconnecting Russia from SWIFT to attempt to pressure President Vladimir Putin to finish his invasion of Ukraine would have main financial prices for western international locations, mentioned Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director of the European Centre for Worldwide Political Financial system.
Lee-Makiyama instructed the BBC that if Russia have been lower off for overseas funds for its fuel and oi,l it will rapidly begin expropriating the 300 billion euros EU traders have plowed into the nation.
“It’s a nuclear possibility that it’s going to principally exterminate your self and your enemy,” he mentioned.
World leaders, who’ve thus far dominated out navy intervention in Ukraine, have few good choices for deterring Putin as a result of he is aware of they concern a direct confrontation with Russia, Lee-Makiyama mentioned.
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MOSCOW — The Kremlin says Russia is able to ship a delegation to Belarus for talks with Ukrainian officers.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is able to ship the delegation in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s supply to debate a non-aligned standing for Ukraine.
That signifies Zelenskyy can be keen to barter dropping his nation’s bid to affix NATO, as Russia has demanded.
Earlier than the invasion, the West had rejected the demand. Putin claimed the refusal to debate preserving Ukraine out of NATO prompted him to order a navy motion in Ukraine to “demilitarize” it.
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BANGKOK — Myanmar’s ruling navy council supplied its help Friday for Russia’s assault on Ukraine, whereas the shadow authorities main opposition to military rule condemned Moscow’s motion.
An announcement by the spokesman for Myanmar’s navy authorities mentioned Russia acted accurately to perpetuate its “sovereignty.”
A textual content message to Myanmar journalists from Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun additionally mentioned the invasion demonstrated Russia’s place as a “world energy” serving to to maintain world relations in steadiness.
Myanmar’s navy rulers face armed home opposition, and like Russia’s leaders now, are the goal of sturdy sanctions from Western governments searching for a return to democratic rule.
Myanmar’s Nationwide Unity Authorities, established by lawmakers prevented from taking their seats when the military seized energy in February final yr, deplored Moscow’s motion.
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VILNIUS, Lithuania — Lithuania’s Radio and Tv Fee has quickly suspended the operation of six Russian-language TV channels for his or her alleged incitement to warfare and propaganda.
The six TV channels have been taken off the air Friday
Planeta RTR, Rossijya 24, Belarus 24, NTV Mir, RTR Planeta and Rossiya 24 have been suspended for 5 years, and PBK and TVCI for 3 years, fee Vice Chairman Ricardas Slapsys instructed the Baltic News Service.
Lithuania, probably the most southern of the three Baltic nations, borders Russia’s Kaliningrad area to the southwest, Belarus to the east, Latvia to the north and Poland to the south.
Latvia banned a number of Russian tv channels had their proper to broadcast in Latvia suspended Thursday for a number of years.
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MOSCOW — The Russian navy claims it has taken management of an airport simply outdoors Kyiv, as Kremlin forces bear down on the Ukrainian capital.
The declare couldn’t be independently verified.
Taking possession of the airport in Hostomel, which has an extended runway permitting the touchdown of heavy-lift transport planes, would imply Russia can airlift troops on to Kyiv’s outskirts.
Hostomel is simply 7 kilometers (4 miles) northwest of town.
Russian Protection Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov mentioned Friday that the Russian airborne forces used 200 helicopters to land in Hostomel and killed over 200 troops belonging to Ukraine’s particular forces.
Konashenkov claimed that Russian troops suffered no casualties. That contradicts Ukrainian claims that Russian troops sustained heavy casualties within the preventing there.
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BERLIN — Germany’s Protection Ministry has confirmed media reviews that it’s deploying extra navy belongings to NATO’s japanese flank.
German weekly Der Spiegel reported that the deployments included 150 troopers and a few dozen Boxer armored preventing automobiles, two ships and anti-missile techniques.
Ministry spokesman Christian Thiels declined to say Friday precisely what number of troopers have been being deployed. However he confirmed {that a} navy corvette would go away Saturday for patrols within the Baltic whereas a frigate might be deployed within the Mediterranean, each beneath NATO command.
Germany can also be assessing whether or not to deploy Patriot anti-missile techniques to an japanese European NATO nation, Thiels mentioned.
Choices on deploying additional troops could possibly be anticipated quickly, he added.
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BEIJING — Chinese language state TV says Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his Chinese language counterpart, Xi Jinping, that Moscow is keen to barter with Ukraine, whilst Moscow’s forces invade its neighbor.
The report Friday adopted a Kremlin announcement that Putin’s authorities was contemplating a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to barter non-aligned standing for his nation.
Putin mentioned Moscow “is keen to conduct high-level negotiations with the Ukrainian aspect,” China Central Tv reported on its web site.
It gave no indication whether or not Putin mentioned he was responding to Zelenskyy’s supply or gave any particulars of what the 2 sides may negotiate.
Russia complains that the USA and its allies ignored Moscow’s “official safety issues” by increasing the NATO navy alliance eastward, nearer to Russia’s borders.
Xi mentioned China “helps Russia and Ukraine resolving the issue by means of negotiations,” CCTV mentioned.
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ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s overseas minister says officers are nonetheless assessing a request by Ukraine for Turkey to shut to Russian delivery the straits on the entrance of the Black Sea.
Mevlut Cavusoglu warned, nonetheless, that beneath a 1936 conference Ankara could not have the ability to deny complete entry to the Russian vessels.
Ukraine on Thursday formally requested Turkey to shut the Turkish Straits to Russian warships consistent with the Montreux Conference which permits Turkey to limit the passage of belligerent international locations’ warships throughout occasions of warfare. The conference stipulates nonetheless, that warships belonging to Black Sea coastal international locations can return to their bases.
“If there’s a demand for the ships of the warring international locations to return to their bases, then (passage) have to be allowed,” Cavusoglu was quoted as telling Hurriyet newspaper in an interview.
The minister mentioned Turkish specialists have been assessing if the present state of affairs amounted to “a state of warfare.”
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BERLIN — Germany’s president is interesting to Russian President Vladimir Putin to “cease the insanity of this warfare now.”
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier mentioned in Berlin on Friday mentioned that “we don’t need enmity with the Russian folks, fairly the opposite, however this wrongdoing can not go with no clear reply.”
Steinmeier, whose submit is essentially ceremonial however holds ethical authority, mentioned that Germany will do its half in deterring Putin from utilizing pressure in opposition to its NATO allies.
The president, who served twice as Germany’s overseas minister, mentioned that Putin “shouldn’t underestimate the energy of democracies” and Germans shouldn’t both.
He mentioned it’s good that individuals are going out to show, including: “The Russian president shouldn’t consider for a second that individuals in Germany and Europe merely settle for this brutal violence.”
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VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis went to the Russian embassy in Rome on Friday to personally specific his concern in regards to the warfare in Ukraine, in a unprecedented papal gesture that has no current precedent.
Popes often obtain ambassadors and heads of state within the Vatican. For Francis to journey a brief distance to the Russian embassy outdoors the Vatican partitions was an indication of his energy of feeling about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Vatican officers mentioned they knew of no such earlier papal initiative.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed the pontiff needed “clearly to precise his concern in regards to the warfare.” Pope Francis was there for simply over a half-hour, Bruni mentioned.
Francis has referred to as for dialogue to finish the battle and has urged the devoted to set subsequent Wednesday as a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Ukraine.
However he has avoided publicly calling out Russia, presumably for concern of antagonizing the Russian Orthodox Church, with which he’s attempting to construct stronger ties.
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GENEVA — The U.N. human rights workplace says it’s receiving rising reviews of civilian casualties in Ukraine within the wake of Russia’s navy invasion.
Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani of the workplace of the U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights says its staffers have thus far verified at the least 127 civilian casualties. They embrace 25 folks killed and 102 injured, principally from shelling and airstrikes.
She cautioned Friday that the numbers are “very more likely to be an underestimate.”
Shamdasani additionally mentioned the rights workplace was “disturbed by the a number of arbitrary arrests” of demonstrators in Russia who on Thursday protested in opposition to the battle.
“We perceive greater than 1,800 protesters have been arrested,” she mentioned, earlier than including that it was unclear what number of may need been launched already.
In the meantime, spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo of the U.N. refugee company, UNHCR, mentioned its newest replace had that greater than 100,000 folks have been believed to have left their properties in Ukraine. She mentioned the company’s planning figures anticipated that “as much as 4 million folks could flee to different international locations if the state of affairs escalates.”
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LONDON — Latvia’s protection minister is criticizing European nations for failing to chop Russia off from the worldwide financial institution funds community and refusing to supply weapons to assist Ukraine defend itself.
Artis Pabriks’ feedback got here after the U.S. and European Union stopped in need of blocking Russia’s entry to the SWIFT funds system after they introduced a brand new spherical of sanctions late Thursday.
Pabriks additionally chided fellow EU nations which have refused to supply “deadly support” to Ukraine, saying solely the U.Ok., Greece, Poland and the Baltic states had accomplished so.
In an interview with the BBC on Friday, Pabriks advised that many European leaders don’t need to take these steps as a result of they might trigger financial hardship for their very own international locations.
“In case you are actually not prepared your self to spill blood, at the least spill cash now,’’ he mentioned. “Do it now, as a result of for those who lose Ukraine all European geopolitics will change. … There might be rather more stress on Poland, rather more stress on the Baltics.’’
The Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia concern they could possibly be the Kremlin’s subsequent goal.
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DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian President Bashar Assad is praising Russia’s navy incursion into Ukraine and denouncing what he calls western “hysteria” surrounding it.
Assad spoke by cellphone Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“What is occurring as we speak is a correction of historical past and a restoration of steadiness which was misplaced on this planet after the breakup of the Soviet Union,” Assad mentioned, in line with state-run information company SANA.
He mentioned confronting NATO expansionism is Russia’s proper.
Russia is a foremost backer of Assad’s authorities and its navy intervention in 2015 within the nation’s civil warfare helped tip the steadiness of energy in his favor.
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MOSCOW — The Kremlin says it’ll analyze the Ukrainian president’s supply to debate a non-aligned standing for his nation, as a Russian navy invasion pushes nearer to Kyiv.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned he was prepared to carry talks on the difficulty.
Requested about Zelenskyy’s supply, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday described it as “a transfer in a optimistic course.”
He mentioned in a convention name with reporters that “we paid consideration to that, and now we have to analyze it.”
However Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov mentioned Zelenskyy “is solely mendacity” when he affords to debate non-aligned standing for Ukraine.
Lavrov mentioned at a briefing that Zelenskyy “missed the chance” to debate a impartial standing for Ukraine when Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed it.
Putin says the West left him no possibility however to invade when it rejected Moscow’s demand to maintain Ukraine out of NATO.
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BRUSSELS — A senior European Union official says the 27-nation bloc intends to slap additional sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
EU Council president Charles Michel tweeted Friday: “Second wave of sanctions with large and extreme penalties politically agreed final night time. Additional bundle beneath pressing preparation.”
Michel introduced the transfer after a name with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Michel mentioned Kyiv “is beneath continued assault by Russian forces” and referred to as on Russia to right away cease the violence.
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BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary has prolonged momentary authorized safety to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, as international locations in japanese Europe put together for the arrival of refugees at their borders.
Hungary, which borders Ukraine to the west, has previously taken a agency stance in opposition to all types of immigration. It has controversially refused to just accept refugees and asylum seekers from the Center East, Africa and Asia.
However in a decree revealed late Thursday, Hungary’s authorities introduced that each one Ukrainian residents arriving from Ukraine, and all third-country nationals legally residing there, can be entitled to safety.
The part making use of to third-country nationals makes it potential for non-Ukrainians — for instance, Belarussian refugees residing in Ukraine — to obtain safety within the European Union.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban has mentioned that Hungary will play no half within the battle between Russia and Ukraine, however that it will settle for refugees arriving at its borders.
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LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed his solidarity with Ukraine in phone name with the nation’s chief.
Johnson’s Downing Road workplace mentioned Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supplied an replace on Russian navy advances, together with missile and artillery strikes.
“The prime minister assured President Zelenskyy that the world is united in its horror at what Putin his doing,’’ Johnson’s workplace mentioned in a press release. “He paid tribute to the bravery and heroism of the Ukrainian folks in standing as much as Russia’s marketing campaign of violence and expressed his deep condolences for individuals who have been killed.’’
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BERLIN — The German authorities says it has suspended the granting of export credit score and funding ensures for enterprise with Russia.
The Financial system Ministry mentioned Friday that the granting of recent export credit score ensures and funding ensures for Russia was suspended on Thursday.
The so-called Hermes credit score export ensures defend German corporations from losses when exports aren’t paid for. Funding ensures are granted by the German authorities to guard direct investments by German corporations from political threat within the international locations the place they’re made.
The Financial system Ministry mentioned that new export credit score ensures to the tune of 1.49 billion euros ($1.67 billion) have been granted final yr for enterprise with Russia. New funding ensures got here in at a fraction of that quantity, at 3.75 million euros ($4.2 million).
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WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s Border Guard says that some 29,000 folks have been cleared to enter by means of the nation’s land border with neighboring Ukraine on Thursday, the day Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started.
Earlier than that, there have been some 12,000 common each day entries from Ukraine into European Union and NATO member Poland, by means of land, sea and airport checkpoints, in line with Border Guard statistics.
Poland has lifted the requirement of COVID-19 quarantine or vaccination certificates for refugees from Ukraine. A lot of reception facilities with camp beds, soup kitchens and medical care have been organized in places near the border with Ukraine.
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BEIJING — China is holding again from labeling Russia’s assault on Ukraine an invasion.
On the similar time, it’s upholding the sanctity of territorial sovereignty, in a nod to its personal insistence that Taiwan is a part of China.
“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all international locations needs to be revered and maintained,” China’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin mentioned Friday.
“On the similar time, we additionally see that the difficulty of Ukraine has its personal advanced and particular historic deserves, and we perceive Russia’s official issues on safety points,” he added.
Wang didn’t reply questions on whether or not China would acknowledge the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk Folks’s Republics, in Ukrainian territory claimed by Russia, as impartial states.
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MOSCOW — Russia’s civil aviation authority has banned U.Ok. flights to and over Russia in retaliation in opposition to the British authorities’s ban on Aeroflot flights.
Rosaviatsiya mentioned that each one flights by the U.Ok. carriers to Russia in addition to transit flights are banned beginning Friday.
It mentioned the measure was taken in response to the “unfriendly choices” by the British authorities who banned flights to the U.Ok. by the Russian flag provider Aeroflot as a part of sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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MOSCOW — The Russian navy claims it has destroyed 118 Ukrainian navy belongings for the reason that starting of its assault on its neighbor and because it pushes into the outskirts of Kyiv.
The declare couldn’t be independently verified and was not confirmed by Ukraine amid a flurry of claims and counterclaims by either side.
Russian Protection Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov mentioned Friday that among the many targets have been 11 Ukrainian air bases, 13 command services, 36 air protection radars, 14 air protection missile techniques, 5 warplanes, 18 tanks and warships.
Nevertheless, U.Ok. Protection Secretary Ben Wallace rejected Russian claims of success on the primary day of its invasion of Ukraine, saying it had “did not ship” on its day one targets.
Wallace instructed Sky News that the Western evaluation is that Russia had did not take its main targets and is behind on its timetable for advance.
“They’ve misplaced over 450 personnel,’’ he mentioned.
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BERLIN — Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned Russia’s assault on Ukraine, calling it “a deep lower in European historical past after the tip of the Chilly Struggle.”
Germany’s dpa information company quoted Merkel saying Friday that there was “no justification for this blatant assault of worldwide legislation. I condemn it within the sharpest potential method.”
Merkel, who grew up in East Germany and speaks Russian, was closely engaged in negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin all through her 16 years in workplace, which led to December.
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KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s nuclear power regulatory company says that increased than traditional gamma radiation ranges have been detected within the space close to the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant, after it was seized by the Russian navy.
The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate mentioned Friday that increased gamma radiation ranges have been detected within the Chernobyl zone, however didn’t present particulars of the rise.
It attributed the rise to a “disturbance of the topsoil as a result of motion of a considerable amount of heavy navy gear by means of the exclusion zone and the discharge of contaminated radioactive mud into the air.”
Ukrainian authorities mentioned that Russia took the plant and its surrounding exclusion zone after a fierce battle Thursday.
Russian Protection Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov mentioned Russian airborne troops have been defending the plant to forestall any potential “provocations.” He insisted that radiation ranges within the space have remained regular.
The Vienna-based Worldwide Atomic Power Company mentioned it was instructed by Ukraine of the takeover, including that there had been “no casualties or destruction on the industrial website.”
The 1986 catastrophe occurred when a nuclear reactor on the plant 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Kyiv exploded, sending a radioactive cloud throughout Europe. The broken reactor was later coated by a protecting shell to forestall leaks.
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The prosecutor of the Worldwide Felony Court docket says he’s “carefully following current developments in and round Ukraine with rising concern.”
Karim Khan warned “all sides conducting hostilities on the territory of Ukraine” that Ukraine has accepted the court docket’s jurisdiction.
Which means “my workplace could train its jurisdiction over and examine any act of genocide, crime in opposition to humanity or warfare crime dedicated inside the territory of Ukraine since 20 February 2014 onwards, Khan mentioned in a press release Friday.
Khan provides that as a result of neither Russia nor Ukraine are member states of the court docket, his workplace doesn’t have jurisdiction over the crime of aggression within the battle.
The Worldwide Felony Court docket is the world’s everlasting warfare crimes court docket. It was arrange in 2002 to prosecute atrocities in international locations the place native authorities are unable or unwilling to conduct trials.
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KYIV, Ukraine — Kyiv mayor Vitaly Klitschko mentioned at the least three folks have been injured when a rocket hit a multi-story residence constructing in Ukraine’s capital on Friday, beginning a fireplace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that the Russian navy’s declare it isn’t focusing on civilian areas is “a lie.” He mentioned that navy and civilian areas in Ukraine are each being hit by Russian assaults.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started early Thursday with a sequence of missile strikes, many on key authorities and navy installations, rapidly adopted by a three-pronged floor assault. Ukrainian and U.S. officers mentioned Russian forces have been attacking from the east towards Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis; from the southern area of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014; and from Belarus to the north.
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PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned Friday that France and its European allies have determined to “inflict very extreme blows on Moscow,” additional sanctioning people and focusing on finance, power and different sectors. The authorized texts for the sanctions might be finalized and submitted for approval to EU overseas ministers later Friday.
Macron additionally mentioned the EU has selected financial support for Ukraine within the quantity of 1.5 billion euros ($1.68 billion).
The French president additionally referred to as the Belorussian authorities “an confederate” in Russia’s navy invasion of Ukraine, and mentioned it’ll even be focused.
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KYIV, Ukraine — As Russian troops continued urgent their offensive Friday, intense preventing additionally raged within the nation’s east.
Russian troops entered town of Sumy close to the border with Russia that sits on a freeway resulting in Kyiv from the east. The regional governor, Dmytro Zhivitsky, mentioned Ukrainian forces fought Russian troops within the metropolis in a single day, however different Russian convoys saved rolling west towards the Ukrainian capital.
“Navy automobiles from Sumy are shifting towards Kyiv,” Zhivitsky mentioned. “A lot gear has handed by means of and is heading on to the west.”
Zhivitsky added that one other northeastern metropolis, Konotop, was additionally sieged. He urged residents of the area to struggle the Russian forces.
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The prosecutor of the Worldwide Felony Court docket says he’s “carefully following current developments in and round Ukraine with rising concern.”
Karim Khan issued a press release Friday on Twitter whereas on a go to to Bangladesh, the place he’s investigating crimes in opposition to Myanmar’s Rohingya minority.
Khan mentioned he alerted “all sides conducting hostilities on the territory of Ukraine” that Ukraine has accepted the court docket’s jurisdiction.
Which means “my workplace could train its jurisdiction over and examine any act of genocide, crime in opposition to humanity or warfare crime dedicated inside the territory of Ukraine since 20 February 2014 onwards,” Khan added.
He mentioned that “any one that commits such crimes, together with by ordering, inciting or contributing in one other method to the fee of those crimes could also be liable to prosecution earlier than the Court docket.”
Khan added that as a result of neither Russia nor Ukraine are member states of the court docket, his workplace doesn’t have jurisdiction over the crime of aggression within the battle.
The Worldwide Felony Court docket is the world’s everlasting warfare crimes court docket. It was arrange in 2002 to prosecute atrocities in international locations the place native authorities are unable or unwilling to conduct trials.
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Observe AP’s protection at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
