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
SEPT 30: He was speaking ahead of a speech on Friday from Vladimir Putin, who is expected to declare that four Ukrainian regions are joining Russia.
The Kremlin says Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson voted to join Russia in recent referendums.
But Ukraine and the West have dismissed the votes as a sham.
The US will impose new sanctions on Russia as a result of the annexation.
"The United States, I want to be very clear about this, will never, never, never recognise Russia's claims on Ukraine sovereign territory," Mr Biden said.
On Thursday, the Russian president signed two decrees recognising Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as independent territories - paving the way for them to be annexed.
The documents, shared on Russian state media, say the independence of the two regions is being recognised in accordance with international law and "enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations".
However, UN Secretary General António Guterres has said any annexation of a country's territory based on the use of force violates the UN Charter and international law.
It is a "dangerous escalation" that "has no place in the modern world", he said.
In a phone call with Mr Putin, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also expressed his opposition to the plan.
He called on the Russian leader to reduce tension and give peace negotiations with Ukraine another chance, according to a spokesperson.
Turkey, along with the UN, has mediated in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in the past - with success in reaching a deal to resume exports of grain through the Black Sea.
In Moscow on Thursday, preparations for Mr Putin's announcement were well under way. A stage was set up for a concert in Red Square, adorned with billboards proclaiming the four regions as part of Russia.
It is a repeat of Russia's annexation of the southern Crimea Peninsular in 2014, which also followed a discredited referendum.
That annexation has never been recognised by the vast majority of the international community, and nor will this one.
But regardless of what the West says, Russia's two houses of parliament will formally ratify the move next week.
Mr Putin will be hoping that by annexing occupied areas of Ukraine, he will be able to argue that Russian territory is coming under attack from Western weapons, in the hope that some governments may halt their military aid to Kyiv.
But Kyiv has said it will not change anything on the battlefield.
The annexation has come after five days of self-styled referendums across the four regions last week, with little notice.
Russia says the voting was fair and resulted in a complete landslide in favour of joining Russia. But there was no independent monitoring and reports of people being intimidated into voting by armed Russian soldiers were widespread.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the "pseudo referendums" were worthless, and his advisor Mykhailo Podolyak called them "mass violence".
"Imagine... there are tanks of the occupying army and in the houses and apartments of people who have not yet left... military men with automatic weapons are putting them to their faces and saying 'vote!'"
AUG 2: Turkish and Ukrainian officials say the ship left the southern port of Odesa early on Monday morning local time.
Russia has been blockading Ukrainian ports since February, but the two sides made a deal to resume shipments.
It is hoped the agreement will ease the global food crisis and lower the price of grain.
Turkey said the Sierra Leone-flagged vessel, the Razoni, would dock at the port of Tripoli in Lebanon, adding that further shipments were planned over the coming weeks.
The Joint Co-ordination Centre, set up in Istanbul under the deal, said the ship was carrying some 26,000 tonnes of corn and was expected to arrive in Turkish waters for inspection on Tuesday.
Ukraine's Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov told the BBC the Razoni was an important test to show the deal would work, with Turkey aiding its safe navigation through dangerous waters.
"There's the question of mines," he told BBC Newshour. "There are a lot of mines - starting from World War Two, in addition to mines which appeared in the Black Sea starting from February - it provides a lot of risks," he said.
There are concerns that while ships may be able to leave Ukraine with tonnes of grain, they might not be able to get affordable insurance to return for another load.
But Mr Kubrakov said he expected to see between one and three vessels going in both directions in the next few weeks, with empty ships coming to the port of Odessa from Turkey's Bosporus Strait.
While the sight of the Razoni, with her stowed white cranes and long blue hull, inching out into the mine-infested Black Sea represents a significant development, the operation will have to last for a sustained period for either Ukraine's damaged economy or tens of millions of people around the world to benefit.
Last month's deal - brokered by the UN and Turkey - took two months to reach and was set to last 120 days. It can be renewed if both parties agree. UN Secretary General António Guterres welcomed the departure of the ship and hailed Turkey for its role in working to implement the agreement.
The blockade of Ukraine's grain has contributed to a global food crisis with wheat-based products like bread and pasta becoming more expensive, and cooking oils and fertiliser also increasing in price.
Russia and Ukraine jointly produce nearly a third of global wheat supplies. In 2019 Ukraine accounted for 16% of the world's corn supplies and 42% of sunflower oil, according to UN data.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the shipment a "relief for the world" and urged Moscow to "respect its part of the deal". Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow that the ship's departure was a "very positive" development.
International leaders gave the shipment a cautious welcome, with UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss calling it "an important first step". But EU spokesperson Peter Stano said Russia must ensure the "whole deal" is met to resume Ukrainian exports around the world.
Under the terms of the deal, Russia has agreed not to target ports while shipments are in transit and Ukraine has agreed that its naval vessels will guide cargo ships through waters that have been mined.
One engineer working on the Razoni told Reuters news agency that he was worried about the danger of sea mines.
"We hope that nothing will happen and that we will not commit any mistake. This is the only thing that I fear during this trip, as for the other things, we are used to them as sailors," Abdullah Jendi said.
Turkey - supported by the United Nations - will inspect ships, to allay Russian fears of weapons smuggling.
Trust remains low between officials in Kyiv and Moscow, and last month the deal was thrown into chaos less than 24 hours after it was announced when Russia launched two missiles at Odesa port.
Odesa MP Oleksiy Goncharenko told the BBC he expected shipments to continue from the other ports on Tuesday but warned Russia might attempt to disrupt them with further military action.
"We see these awful missile attacks against Odesa in the last days - that is just their attempts to increase the risks for ship owners, for crew, not to come to Odesa," he said.
KATHMANDU, March 28: China has maintained that it stands for peace and opposes war adding that the situation in Ukraine is not what the country wanted to witness.
President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, has also called for a proper settlement of the Ukraine crisis and supports Russia and Ukraine in having dialogues and negotiations, according to the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.
Besides, China has also put forward a six-point initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
Likewise, President Xi also stressed a need to have dialogue between the US, NATO and Russia and ease the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.
Similarly, China also believes that sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions would only make the people suffer and further escalation would trigger serious crises in the global economy, trade, finance, energy and food. “The loss will be irrevocable.”
According to President Xi, dialogue and negotiation avoiding human crises is the topmost priority at this hour of the crisis. “Besides, both the countries must create a room for a political settlement of the dispute.”
Also, China maintains that the major countries should respect each other, reject the Cold War mentality and refrain from bloc confrontation.
Similarly, President Xi Jinping had a video call with US President Joe Biden at the request of the latter recently. The two Presidents had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations, the situation in Ukraine, and other issues of mutual interest, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.
Six-point initiative proposed by China to prevent a massive humanitarian crisis
1) make sure that humanitarian operations abide by the principles of neutrality and impartiality, and avoid politicizing humanitarian issues
2) give full attention to the displaced persons in and from Ukraine, and provide them with proper shelter
3) ensure the protection of civilians, and prevent secondary humanitarian disasters in Ukraine
4) Fourth, provide for safe and smooth humanitarian aid activities, including providing rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access
5) provide for the safety of foreign nationals in Ukraine, allow them safe departure and help them return to their home countries
6) support the UN’s coordinating role in channeling humanitarian aid and the work of the UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine.
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 as Russia and Ukraine war enters day 10.
Despite West's senctions Russia is continously operating its military operations in Ukraine in the bid to take control over Kyiv, the capital city. Destructions are massive and millions have already fled the country.
Here are some recent pictures taken from BBC:
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has worried everyone around the globe, and Nepalis are no exception.
At the same time, discussions have started in Biratnagar and Birgunj, the two business centres of the southern plains, about the problems the Russia-Ukraine war could create in Nepal.
The industrialists of Biratnagar have feared the possibility of raw materials shortage for the local ghee and oil industries.
