Ukraine War: Western leaders to impose further sanctions on Russia

APRIL 6: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the measures will target Russian financial and state-owned bodies, as well as some officials and oligarchs. Ms Psaki said the move will "hold accountable the Russian kleptocracy that funds and supports Putin's war". Calls for further sanctions have grown in recent days amid allegations of Russian atrocities in Bucha. The town's mayor told the BBC on Tuesday night that Russian forces had killed around 320 civilians during their occupation of the town, while the discovery of mass graves has caused outage in western capitals. Ms Psaki told reporters during a news conference in Washington DC on Tuesday that the sanctions, which are expected to include a ban on all new investment in Russia, will "degrade key instruments of Russian state power, impose acute and immediate economic harm on Russia". The Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday that the Sberbank, Russia's largest lender, may be among those targeted. US media has suggested that sanctions could also target the two daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin, though Ms Psaki refused to comment on the reports. She added that the sanctions will be announced will be taken in coordination with the EU and other G7 nations. "In coordination with the G7 and the EU, an additional sweeping package of sanctions measures that will impose costs on Russia to send it further down the road of economic, financial, and technological isolation," Ms Psaki said. On Tuesday, the European Commission proposed broad new sanctions on Russia, including a potential ban on imports of Russian coal and additional measures targeting state-owned businesses and officials and oligarchs in Moscow. The proposed ban on Russian coal, which must be agreed by all 27 member states, would mark the first time the EU has blocked imports of Russian energy. The bloc buys around €4bn (£3.3bn) worth of coal from Moscow every year. Some member states, including Germany, are heavily reliant on Russian energy and had been reluctant to directly target the sector. But sentiment appeared to change after evidence of Russian war crimes emerged, with French President Emmanuel Macron joining calls for a ban earlier this week. Member states are also expected to impose a "full transaction ban" on four Russian banks and ban a range of other Russian and Belarus imports, including wood, cement, seafood and liquor, worth €5.5 billion (£4.59bn). And Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said she intends to close EU ports to Russian vessels and ban Russian and Belarusian road transport operators from the region. Ms Von der Leyen accused Russia of "waging a cruel and ruthless war" against Ukrainian civilians and said the EU must "sustain utmost pressure on Putin and the Russian government at this critical point". But Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Tuesday evening criticized the EU's proposed sanctions package, calling it a "feeble response" which is "an invitation for more atrocities." "Coal, four banks…a ban on ports and borders (with exceptions) is not really an adequate sanctions package to the massacres that are being uncovered," Vilnius' chief diplomat wrote on Twitter. Addressing the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian leaders of committing war crimes in his country and called for them to be brought to justice. "The Russian military searched for and purposefully killed anyone who served our country," he said. "They killed entire families, adults and children, and they tried to burn the bodies."

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Fallouts Of Russia-Ukraine War

Against the prediction of many strategic experts, the Russia and Ukraine war entered its third year on 24 February, 2024 without any sign of de-escalation. The news about the leaked conversation among the G

Sonu Sunar of Pyuthan dies in the Russia-Ukraine War

A resident of Pyuthan Municipality, ward number 4 Khathewar, Sonu Sunar, has died in the Russia-Ukraine war. The post Sonu Sunar of Pyuthan dies in the Russia-Ukraine War appeared first on OnlineKhabar English News.

Live Updates: Russia-Ukraine-War

Britain says that it will provide missiles for advanced NASAM anti-aircraft systems that the Pentagon plans to send to Ukraine.

Live Updates: Russia-Ukraine War

Planned speech later this week by Russian President Vladimir Putin may see him declare four occupied territories.

BMUN 2022 to kick off from Aug 19 with ‘Russia-Ukraine War’ as its central theme

KATHMANDU, Aug 15:  Spark Circle is scheduled to organize Budhanilkantha MUN 2022 4th edition, in association with Budhanilkantha Yuba Samaj and support of Budhanilkantha Municipality from August 19 to 21 at Kasthamandap Vidhyalaya Mandikatar, Budhanilkantha.  According to the organizer, BMUN 2022, will provide international exposure i.e. international participation and promote leadership skills, critical thinking and analytic skills in students through debating.  The event is being organized with the central theme  ‘Russia-Ukraine War’.  “BMUN 2022 helps you to increase diplomatic skills and facilitate an environment that advances knowledge on various topics especially focusing on current affairs – Russia-Ukraine War. ” The committees included in the BMUN 2022 are UNSC, NATO, UNHCR, UNGA, DISEC, IP. Check the link below to participate: https://forms.gle/faGrpNbtuVA6zzdn7

Ukraine War: Veterans prepare for battle in occupied Luhansk

APRIL 7: This may be a conflict in the 21st century but, at times, with its maze of trenches, it feels more like something from the First World War. Russia's military offensive in eastern Ukraine is already intensifying. You can see it in the long queues of traffic driving west towards relative safety; you can feel it in the deserted streets as you drive through the towns and cities of the Donbas; and you can hear it with the increasing sound of Russian artillery. Russia is redeploying more of its forces from northern to eastern Ukraine. The objective is to step up the battle in the Luhansk and Donetsk - parts of which were already controlled by Russian backed separatists. Russia will take advantage of its shorter supply lines - something which proved a problem in its failed offensive on the capital Kiev. Russia and its proxies now control around 90% of Luhansk and more than half of Donetsk - the old industrial heartlands of Ukraine. There is smoke rising across a landscape already scarred by mining and factories. Ukrainian forces have been fighting a war here for the past eight years. Their units include some of the country's most battle hardened troops. Western officials say Ukrainian forces stationed in the Donbas are the best trained and equipped units. As the Russian offensive pushes from the north, east and south there is a real danger they may soon be encircled and cut off. Ukraine has already lost ground to Russia. But they are digging in for the fight. As we travelled east towards the frontline we saw new defensive positions and trenches being dug. Anatoly, a 52-year-old soldier, peered through a periscope from his trench to view the Russian positions. He told me "I see the Russians, they look like me". But he was ready to hold the line. He said "if they try to take our position, I will kill them. If I don't kill them, they will kill me. It's the rules of war." Most of the men we talked to believed that their well-prepared trenches and defences will give them the upper hand against the invaders. Andrej, a 27-year-old soldier, was kept company in his gloomy dug out by his pet dog Lucifer. He told me "we have good weapons and good fortifications and if Russia attacks us here they will lose". The troops say they've been supplied with western weapons such as javelin anti-tank missiles. They were grateful, but were hoping for more. Andrej said that President Putin is a "psycho" but he added that his dead Russian soldiers would be good fertiliser for the soil. The troops looked weary from the fighting, but all said morale was high. Roman, a deputy commander, had spent four years studying psychology at Lviv University. As well as fighting he was able to offer his men mental health support. But he said "usually people don't need my help. They have a good motivation for fighting for their family, friends and home, unlike the Russians", who he dismissively described as "zombies". The Ukrainian troops are all well aware that Russia is redeploying more forces to the east. They know that worse is to come. But Roman believes that Ukraine's forces are more tactically astute. He said that Russia's military doctrine had not progressed since World War Two, relying on artillery. That Russian artillery though is already forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes.

Ukraine War: Putin demands Mariupol surrender to end shelling

MARCH 30: Mr Putin made the comments during an hour long phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday night, the Kremlin said in a statement. But French officials said the Russian leader had agreed to consider plans to evacuate civilians from the city. It comes as new satellite photos showed the destruction caused by the shelling. The images, released by the Earth observation company Maxar, showed that residential areas have been reduced to rubble and highlighted Russian artillery cannons in firing positions on the outskirts of the city. Officials from France's Elyseé palace called the situation in the city "catastrophic" and added that "civilian populations must be protected and must leave the city if they wish to. They must have access to food aid, water and the medicines they need". "This very degraded humanitarian situation is linked to the siege of the city by the Russian armed forces," the statement said. France, along with Turkey, Greece and several humanitarian groups, have presented Mr Putin with a plan to evacuate the city. Officials said that Mr Putin told Mr Macron that he will "think about" the proposal. But in its readout of the call, the Kremlin appeared to suggest that Mr Putin has provided no such assurances. Russian officials said Mr Putin told the French leader that "in order to resolve the difficult humanitarian situation in this city, Ukrainian nationalist militants must stop resisting and lay down their arms". The statement added that Mr Putin had given Mr Macron "detailed information about measures taken by the Russian military to provide emergency humanitarian assistance and ensure the safe evacuation" of civilians from the besieged south-eastern city. Ukraine has accused Russia of forcibly relocating thousands of people from Mariupol to Russian-held territory. The call followed claims by the mayor of Mariupol that thousands of people have been killed during the Russian bombardment of the port city. Vadym Boychenko, who has been evacuated from the city, told the Reuters news agency that almost 5,000 people, including around 210 children, have been killed since Russian shelling began. Matilda Bogner, the head of the UN human rights mission in Ukraine, told Reuters that she believes "there could be thousands of deaths, civilian casualties, in Mariupol".

Russia-Ukraine War: A look at the latest developments

MARCH 15: Nearly all of the Russian military offensives remain stalled after making little progress over the weekend, says a senior US defence official. An evacuation convoy of about 160 cars has managed to leave the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, authorities there say. There were at least two large explosions in Kyiv's western Borshchagovka district early on Tuesday morning, journalists in the city say. A news staffer with a sign reading "no war " has appeared behind a newsreader on Russian state-controlled TV. Negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian representatives will resume on Tuesday after a fourth round of talks ends without breakthrough. Russia continues its bombardment of many Ukrainian cities, with one person killed in a strike on a block of flats in the capital Kyiv. Russia's defence ministry claims a Ukrainian missile has killed 20 people in the city of Donetsk. Ukraine has blamed Russia for the attack. An anti-war protester has disrupted the evening news on one of Russia's main TV channels. She is reported to have been arrested. The US warned China there would be consequences if Beijing helped Russia. The UK is set to announce new sanctions on more than 100 individuals with links to Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime on Tuesday.

Russia-Ukraine War: Day 10

MARCH 6: Russian forces continued to shell the city of Mariupol on Saturday, despite agreeing to a ceasefire just hours earlier - throwing an attempted mass evacuation of civilians into chaos. "I'm right now in Mariupol, I'm on the street, I can hear shelling every three to five minutes," said Alexander, a 44-year-old engineer and resident of the city. The green corridor set up to get people out was not working, he said. "I can see cars of people who tried to flee, and they are coming back. It is chaos." Three hours after the ceasefire was supposed to begin, at 09:00 (07:00 GMT), Mariupol authorities announced they had postponed a planned mass evacuation because of the continued bombardment. Putin likens sanctions to declaration of war Russian President Vladimir Putin has described sanctions imposed by Western nations over his invasion of Ukraine as "akin to a declaration of war". "But thank God it has not come to that," he added. Mr Putin also warned that any attempt to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be seen as participation in the armed conflict. And he rejected suggestions that he would introduce a state of emergency or martial law in Russia. Mr Putin made the remarks while speaking to a group of flight attendants at an Aeroflot training centre near Moscow. Russia's tactic: Meet resistance with more firepower For one seasoned BBC correspondent, Russian tactics in Ukraine bring to mind other wars not so long ago. The BBC's Jeremy Bowen, who covered the first Chechen war in 1994-95, says it could get much worse - that "Russia answers resistance with firepower". Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv, has already felt the effects. So has Mariupol and other cities in the east. "Russia's invasion has once again been slowed by logistical bottlenecks, tactical mistakes and terrified teenagers who had not been told they were going to war - as well as resistance as fierce as anything the Chechens offered in 1995," he writes. Kevin Connolly, who was a correspondent for the BBC in Moscow in the 1990s, is also reflecting on history. He says there are moments when the tectonic plates of history shift beneath our feet and Europe is violently remade. It is time to recognise that we are at such a moment, he adds. But drawing the right lessons from those big moments when everything changes is not easy. Thousands march in Kherson against occupiers In the Black Sea port of Kherson, the first Ukrainian city to fall to the Russians, protests against the occupiers have broken out. About 2,000 people marched through the city centre, waving flags and singing the Ukrainian national anthem. They shouted patriotic slogans including "Russians go home" and "Kherson is Ukraine". Kherson, a key port on the Black Sea and the Dnieper River, fell to Russian troops earlier this week. Videos of the protest on social media show Russian troops firing into the air to deter the approaching crowd. One local resident, Yevhen, told the BBC the protest was a march for freedom and Ukrainian independence. More global firms suspend business in Russia Zara, Paypal and Samsung are the latest international firms to suspend trading in Russia after it invaded Ukraine. Zara's owner, Inditex, will shut all 502 stores of its eight brands, which also include Bershka, Stradivarius and Oysho, from Sunday. Payment giant Paypal cited "violent military aggression in Ukraine" as the reason to shut down its services. Samsung - Russia's top supplier of smartphones - is suspending shipments over "geopolitical developments". Other global brands, including Apple, H&M and Ikea, have already stopped selling in Russia. The clothes store closures are expected to hit more than 9,000 of Inditex's employees who work in Russia. The Spanish-owned business told the BBC it was drawing up a plan to support them. With inputs from BBC