In other news, the Ukrainian military said Wednesday one soldier had been killed and six wounded in shelling by pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine in the past 24 hours as ceasefire violations remain at a high level. This comes hours after Russian lawmakers authorised President Vladimir Putin to use military force outside his country and US President Joe Biden and European leaders responded by slapping sanctions on Russian oligarchs and banks.
Reacting to the unfolding crisis, China said it does not think sanctions are the best way to solve problems. Meanwhile, Russia welcomed India's "independent position" on the Ukraine crisis and said its views on the issue at the UN Security Council was reflective of the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries.
On Sunday, India asked the family members of Embassy officials in Ukraine — as well as students and citizens whose stay is not vital — to leave the eastern European nation amid its rising tensions with Russia. The directions to students and other nationals came from the Indian Embassy in Kyiy on Sunday. This is its second advisory in a week and has a stronger tone than the previous one — citing “high levels” of tensions and uncertainties.
Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine's northern border, a move that US leaders said put Russia another step closer to launching what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine.
Also Read | Once, he kept Russia at a distance. Now, he is a docile Putin Satrap
Russia's action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraine's neighbour to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraine's borders, along with tanks, warplanes, artillery and other war materiel. The continued deployment of the Russian forces in Belarus raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration refused to unleash sanctions on Russia ahead of a widely anticipated Russian invasion of Ukraine despite mounting criticism from Kyiv and domestic rivals.
In Pics: Satellite photos give a bird’s-eye view of Ukraine crisis
Sanctioning Vladimir Putin's government before he invades would just guarantee such a crisis happens immediately, US officials argue. "The purpose of the sanctions in the first instance is to try to deter Russia from going to war. As soon as you trigger them that deterrence is gone," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN's "State of the Union" show.
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Lawmakers in Ukraine have approved a nationwide state of emergency amid fears of an allout Russian invasion. The parliament approved Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys decree that imposes the measure for 30 days starting Thursday. The state of emergency allows authorities to impose restrictions on movement block rallies and ban political parties and organizations in the interests of national security and public order.
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The move follows Russian President Vladimir Putins move Monday to recognize the independence of rebel regions in eastern Ukraine where the nearly eightyear conflict has killed over 14000 Putin has sanctioned the deployment of Russian troops there to maintain peace and received a parliamentary approval to use military force outside the country. Read full story
Britain promised to hit Russia with powerful sanctions over its military confrontation with Ukraine. But the slim sheaf of measures announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson has disappointed allies and critics alike. The UK has slapped asset freezes and travel bans on three wealthy Russians and sanctioned five Russian banks in response to President Vladimir Putin's decision to recognize two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine and to authorize sending in what he called peacekeeping troops. Johnson says there will be more to come if there is a fullscale Russian invasion. But many say the current measures are too little and further sanctions will come too late. --AP
European leaders plan an inperson emergency summit on Thursday evening in Brussels to discuss the tensions between Russia and Ukraine. European Union Council president Charles Michel said in his invitation letter to the 27 leaders that the use of force and coercion to change borders has no place in the 21st century. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had already planned to hold a 90-minute virtual meeting of Group of Seven leaders on Thursday afternoon. That meeting was announced last week Michel praised the heads of states and government for the unity shown by the bloc in recent days to ensure the adoption of sanctions against Russia and deter its suspected plans to invade Ukraine. --AP
Russian state-run news agency Tass on Wednesday reported Russia has started evacuating diplomatic personnel from Ukraine.
Pope Francis on Wednesday said the threat of war in Ukraine had caused "great pain in my heart", and urged politicians to make a serious examination of conscience before God about their actions.Speaking in a sombre tone at the end of his weekly general audience, Francis urged leaders to abstain from any moves that would cause further suffering for people and proclaimed Ash Wednesday, March 2, as an international day of fasting and prayer for peace. --Reuters
In this handout photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy inspects weapons during a visit to Ukrainian coast guards in Mariupol, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. In late January, Zelenskyy said that $12.5 billion had been withdrawn from accounts in the country. Last week, he called on members of parliament and businessmen who had fled to return. More than 20 charters and private jets left Kyiv last week, carrying some of the country's most prominent executives. (AP)
The Ukraine Parliament on Wednesday voted to approve in the first reading a draft law which gives permission to Ukrainians to carry firearms and act in self-defence, news agency Reuters reported. “The adoption of this law is fully in the interests of the state and society,” the authors of the law said in a note and added that the law was needed due to “existing threats and dangers for the citizens of Ukraine”.
Australia has announced additional sanctions on Russia and is warning businesses to prepare for retaliation through Russian cyberattacks. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Wednesday that targeted financial sanctions and travel bans will be the first batch of measures in response to Russian aggression toward Ukraine. Australia and Russia have imposed sanctions on each other since 2014. The sanctions were initiated by Australia in protest of Russian involvement in the Ukraine conflict. The National Security Committee in Morrison's Cabinet approved sanctions and travel bans that target eight members of the Russian Security Council. They also agreed to expand previous sanctions and to align with the United States and Britain by targeting two Russian banks. --AP
People across the world are tuning in to news channels for updates amid the escalating tension between Russia and Ukraine. As several news channels and outlets are bringing in the news about the Russia-Ukraine crisis, a multi-lingual reporter Philip Crowther has stunned netizens with his eloquent coverage of the situation in six languages.
Without stumbling, he is heard reporting from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in English, Luxembourgish, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German. Crowther took to Twitter to share a montage of his reporting on Monday and it has amassed more than 3 million views so far. (Read more)
Technically, war has been going on in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas between Ukraine forces and Russian-backed separatists since 2014. Around 14,000 people have been killed so far in the conflict. An additional 1.4 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced.
The White House had earlier been reluctant to use the term “invasion” but has now shifted its position. “We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion, Russia’s latest invasion into Ukraine,” Jon Finer, principal deputy national security adviser, told CNN. “An invasion is an invasion and that is what is underway.”
The EU and the UK, meanwhile, weighed in on what Putin’s decision means. (Read more)
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls up reservists aged 18 to 60 for a maximum service of one year. (Reuters)
Russia Wednesday welcomed India's "independent position" on the Ukraine crisis and said its views on the issue at the UN Security Council was reflective of the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries.
Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin said India has been playing a vital role as a responsible global power and it takes an "independent and balanced" approach to global affairs.
We welcome the independent position of India which it took twice at the UN Security Council," he said at an online media briefing. "The Indian activities at the UN Security Council are fully reflecting the merit of our special and privileged strategic partnership," he added. (PTI)
While the US and Europe second-guess Vladimir Putin's next move on Ukraine, the Russian President gave a glimpse into the country's decision-making process during a security meeting on recognising two breakaway regions in Ukraine.
During the televised meeting Monday, Putin pressed Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin to "speak plainly". The tense exchange saw the spy chief being interrupted repeatedly as he struggled to find the right words. (Read more)
China's foreign ministry said Wednesday that it opposes any sanctions on Russia. We never think that sanctions is the best way to solve problems, the ministry said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow is ready to look for 'diplomatic solutions', reports news agency AFP.
The Ukrainian military said Wednesday one soldier had been killed and six wounded in shelling by pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine in the past 24 hours as ceasefire violations remain at a high level.
The military said on its Facebook page it had recorded 96 incidents of shelling by separatists over the past 24 hours compared with 84 a day earlier. It said separatist forces used heavy artillery, mortars and Grad rocket systems.
Ukraine has accused Russia of provoking violence, saying it used it as a pretext to formally recognise eastern Ukraine as independent and move its troops into the region, precipitating a crisis that the West fears could unleash a major war. (Reuters)
Deputy Chief of Mission of the Russian Embassy in New Delhi said that Donetsk and Luhansk, two rebel-held regions in Ukraine, applied officially to Russia for recognition of their independence.
The situation in Ukraine has its roots in post-Soviet politics, the expansion of NATO and the dynamics between Russia and Europe, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
In an interactive session at a think-tank in Paris, he said Tuesday that the world today is in the midst of "multiple crises" and these developments have generated new challenges to the international order.
"The situation in Ukraine is the result of a complex chain of circumstances over the last 30 years. Most countries, such as India and France, which are very active, are seeking a diplomatic solution," he said.
"The real question is: are you mobilised to find a good solution or are you content with posturing? India can talk with Russia, with other countries, within the UN security council and support initiatives like those of France," Jaishankar said when asked why India has not condemned the concentration of Russian troops on the Ukrainian borders. (PTI)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the crisis could be resolved if:
1?? Kyiv recognises Russia's sovereignty over Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Moscow annexed after seizing it from Ukraine in 2014,
2?? renounces its bid to join NATO and partially demilitarises
The West has decried the annexation of Crimea as a violation of international law and has previously flatly rejected permanently barring Ukraine from NATO.
If Russia further invades Ukraine, the Biden administration could deprive it of a vast swath of low- and high-tech US and foreign-made goods, from commercial electronics and computers to semiconductors and aircraft parts, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
President Joe Biden would achieve that by expanding the list of goods that require US licenses before suppliers can ship them to Russia, and his administration would then deny those licenses, the people said. The measures, whose details have not previously been reported, are part of a suite of export control penalties that the United States has prepared to damage Russia’s economy, targeting everything from lasers to telecoms equipment and maritime items. (Read more)
Former US President Donald Trump termed Russian President Vladimir Putin's move declaring a portion of Ukraine as independent as "genius" and said Putin will have the "strongest peace force".
Speaking to the conservative talk show 'The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show', Trump claimed that the Russian invasion would not have happened had he been in office. His full remarks are as follows:
"I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine. Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful. So, Putin is now saying, 'It’s independent,' a large section of Ukraine. I said, 'How smart is that?' And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s strongest peace force… We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re gonna keep peace all right. No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy… I know him very well. Very, very well. By the way, this never would have happened with us. Had I been in office, not even thinkable. This would never have happened. But here’s a guy that says, you know, 'I’m gonna declare a big portion of Ukraine independent,' he used the word 'independent,' 'and we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace.' You gotta say that’s pretty savvy."
"I think he sees this opportunity. I knew that he always wanted Ukraine. I used to talk to him about it. I said, 'You can’t do it. You’re not gonna do it.' But I could see that he wanted it. I used to ask him. We used to talk about it at length. I think nobody probably knows him better in terms of the discussions that we have or that we’re having this morning. So, I knew him very well. I got to know him."
Taiwan's security and armed forces must increase their surveillance and alertness on military activities in the region, President Tsai Ing-wen said Wednesday during a meeting to discuss the Ukraine crisis.
Taiwan and Ukraine are fundamentally different in terms of geostrategic, geographical environment and importance of international supply chains, but government units must tackle possible "cognitive warfare" and misinformation by foreign forces, Tsai's office cited her as saying. (Reuters)
Sounds of shelling were heard near Ukraine frontline, said news agency AFP in a video report Wednesday.
? Banks and financial firms: Britain announced sanctions on five banks — Bank Rossiya, Black Sea Bank, Genbank, IS Bank and Promsvyazbank. All are smaller lenders, with only Promsvyazbank on the central bank's list of systematically important lenders. Biden announced sanctions on VEB bank and Russia's military bank, referring to Promsvyazbank, which does defence deals.
? Sovereign debt and capital markets: EU investors will be banned from trading in Russian state bonds. The US too has increased restrictions on dealings in Russia's sovereign debt. Americans, who had already been barred from investing in Russian sovereign debt directly, will now also be banned from purchasing it in the secondary market after March 1.
? Energy corporates: The US and the EU already have sanctions in place on Russia's energy and defence sectors, with state-owned gas company Gazprom, its oil arm Gazpromneft and oil producers Lukoil, Rosneft and Surgutneftegaz facing various types of curbs on exports/imports and debt-raising. Sanctions could be widened and deepened, with one possible option being to prevent companies from settling in US dollars.
? Nord Stream 2: Nord Stream 2, a recently completed pipeline from Russia to Germany, was awaiting regulatory approval by EU and German authorities before Berlin put its certification on ice. Europe's dependence on Russian energy supplies weakens the West's hand when considering sanctions in this sector.
? Curbing chips: The White House has told the US chip industry to be ready for new restrictions on exports to Russia if Moscow attacks Ukraine, including potentially blocking Russia's access to global electronics supplies. Similar measures were deployed during the Cold War.
? Switching off SWIFT: One of the harshest measures would be to disconnect the Russian financial system from SWIFT, which handles international financial transfers and is used by more than 11,000 financial institutions in over 200 countries. A senior US official said they are not taking SWIFT sanctions off the table.
After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the US quickly imposed a series of sanctions the sanctions that mainly targeted Russia’s access to financial markets. And also Moscow’s ability to export certain items, especially military equipment. The big question is whether those sanctions did indeed hurt Russia’s economy and if they played a part in tempering Russian foreign policy belligerence as a consequence?
While the threat of fresh sanctions herald a new episode in what could soon turn into a new, and more dangerous East-West confrontation since the collapse of the Soviet Union, it is clearly a divided house on whether the imposition of the previous round of economic sanctions have kept Russia under check.
What is clear is that Russia’s situation is markedly different from what it was when it went into Crimea over seven years ago. (Read more)
Convoys of armoured vehicles were seen rolling across Ukraine's separatist-controlled territories late Monday. It wasn't immediately clear if they were Russian, but NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that "we saw last night that further Russian troops moved into the Donbas into parts of Donetsk and Lugansk."
A vaguely worded decree signed by Putin late Monday cast his order for troops in the separatist territories as an effort to "maintain peace." On Tuesday, Russian lawmakers gave Putin permission to use military force outside the country — a move that could presage a broader attack on Ukraine after the US said an invasion was already underway.
Russian officials haven't yet acknowledged any troop deployments, but Vladislav Brig, a member of the separatist local council in Donetsk, told reporters that Russian troops already had moved in, taking up positions in the region's north and west.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told UK lawmakers that Russian tanks were already in eastern Ukraine. (AP)
Indian-American economic advisor Daleep Singh is leading the efforts of the Biden administration to impose punitive sanctions on Russia over its actions against Ukraine.
Singh, who is Deputy National Security Advisor for international economics and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, made his second appearance in the White House Press Room in a matter of days.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that he is "back by popular demand" given the key role Singh is playing in this Russia policy of the administration.
Australia will impose sanctions against Russia, said PM Scott Morrison.
The sanctions will be in the form of travel bans, sanctions on some Russian individuals and targeted financial sanctions. (Reuters)
?? Russian President Vladimir Putin asked the defense ministry to deploy what he called peacekeeping forces into two breakaway regions of Ukraine after recognising them as independent
?? The US and the West reacted by imposing a first tranche of sanctions against Russia for launching an invasion of Ukraine. This includes sanctions against two large Russian financial institutions and Russian sovereign debt, and sanctions against Russian elites and their family members
?? India said the escalation of tensions is a matter of deep concern. China, a close ally of Russia, called for restraint while maintaining diplomatic silence on Moscow's latest actions
?? Satellite images show new deployment of more than 100 military vehicles and dozens of troop tents in southern Belarus near the Ukraine border
?? Oil prices settles near 2014 high on Russia-Ukraine escalation at nearly $100 a barrel
The White House said Tuesday the development of Nord Stream 2 is "not moving forward at this point in time" after steps by Germany to halt the Baltic Sea gas pipeline project.
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki declined to say whether Germany's decision was reversible.
Germany Tuesday halted the undersea pipeline project, designed to double the flow of Russian gas direct to Germany, after Russia formally recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. Europe's most divisive energy project, worth $11 billion, was finished in September, but has not begun operations pending certification by Germany and the European Union. (Reuters)
Satellite images show a new deployment of more than 100 military vehicles and dozens of troop tents in southern Belarus near the Ukraine border, a private US company Maxar Technologies said Tuesday.
US President Joe Biden's move to impose a first tranche of sanctions against Russia was a strong "first move," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, adding he also got a promise of more weapons from US officials.
"The sanctions that President Biden announced today — they look strong if we consider them as a first move," the Ukraine foreign minister said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday. He added Ukraine was not seeking US troops on the ground to resolve the crisis.
Western nations Tuesday punished Russia with new sanctions for ordering troops into separatist regions of eastern Ukraine. (Reuters)
On Monday, Russian President Valdimir Putin formally recognised the Luhansk “People’s Republic” and Donetsk “People’s Republic”, two breakaway areas of the Donbass region of Ukraine. Putin has ordered Russian troops into these areas for “peacekeeping”. The deployment is viewed as bringing Russia and the US-European alliance closer to war, even though the international community has not yet pronounced it an invasion of Ukraine. Efforts continue to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.
Luhansk and Donetsk are areas in south-eastern Ukraine, both major industrial centres in an area collectively known as the Donbass that borders Russia. They had declared themselves independent of Ukraine in 2014, encouraged by Russia’s annexation of Crimea, but had remained unrecognised by Moscow and the international community. Western intelligence reports have spoken about the presence of Russian troops in these two areas since then, but this was denied by Russia.
Read Nirupama Subramanian's full explainer here
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday he had canceled a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov planned for Thursday after Moscow's recognition of two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent entities.Blinken said he had agreed to meet with Lavrov, his counterpart, only if Russia did not invade Ukraine.
'Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time,' Blinken told reporters after a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Washington.Blinken said he was still committed to diplomacy 'if Moscow's approach changes' and would do anything he could 'to avert an even worse-case scenario, an all-out assault on all of Ukraine, including its capital.
Satellite images showed a new deployment of more than 100 military vehicles and dozens of troop tents in Southern Belarus near the Ukraine border, Maxar Technologies said, Reuters reported. The images also showed a new field hospital and heavy equipment transporters in western Russia closed to the Ukrainian border.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the world is facing ``the biggest global peace and security crisis in recent years'' and is calling Russia's declaration of the ``so-called `independence''' of separatist areas in eastern Ukraine a violation of its territorial integrity and accusing Moscow of ``the perversion of the concept of peacekeeping.''
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday he was "concerned about the perversion of the concept of peacekeeping" after Moscow ordered Russian troops into eastern Ukraine to "keep the peace." "When troops of one country enter the territory of another country without its consent, they are not impartial peacekeepers. They are not peacekeepers at all," Guterres told reporters.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is sending hundreds more troops to eastern Europe and imposing new sanctions on Russia in response to the deployment of forces into Ukraine. The prime minister says up to 460 additional Canadian Armed Forces members are being sent to Latvia and the surrounding region to bolster NATO in the face of Russian aggression. He also says Canada is taking a number of steps alongside its allies to isolate Russia financially.
The East-West faceoff over Ukraine escalated dramatically Tuesday, with Russian lawmakers authorizing President Vladimir Putin to use military force outside his country and U.S. President Joe Biden and European leaders responding by slapping sanctions on Russian oligarchs and banks. Both leaders signaled that an even bigger confrontation could lie ahead.
Putin has yet to unleash the force of the 150,000 troops massed on three sides of Ukraine, while Biden held back on the toughest sanctions that could cause economic turmoil for Russia but said they would go ahead if there is further aggression.
A possible meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is "certainly" not an option at the moment, the White House said."At this point it certainly is not in the plans," said White House spokesperson Jen Psaki, who added that a de-escalation of conflict with Ukraine would be needed for such a summit.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday announced a first round of economic sanctions on Russia a day after Moscow recognised the Ukraine separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent.The United States, the European Union, Germany and Britain also announced ways they will punish Russia financially as they fear a further incursion is to come, a move Moscow has consistently denied for months.
An Air India special flight, AI1946, from Kyiv in Ukraine landed in Delhi around 11.30 pm on Tuesday.Those on board were mostly students who were returning after the Indian embassy in Ukraine issued advisories asking them to leave Ukraine temporarily.
On Tuesday night, families crowded around the arrival gates well in advance, waiting for returning students. (With Abhinya Harigovind)
'I have authorised additional movements of US forces and equipment already stationed in Europe to strengthen our Baltic Allies – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,” US President Joe Biden has said.
“Let me be clear these are totally defensive moves on our part. We have no intention of fighting Russia. We want to send an unmistakable message that the United States together with our allies will defend every inch of NATO territory and abide by the commitments we made it to NATO,” he told reporters
US President Joe Biden, in his address on the Ukraine crisis, announced further sanctions on Russia.
“We’ve cut off Russian government from Western finance, can no longer raise money from the West and cannot trade in its new debt on our markets or European markets Starting tomorrow,” Biden said.
In the days ahead, the US will also “post sanctions on Russian elites and their family members. They share the corrupt games of the Kremlin policies, and should share in the pain as well,” he added.
During his address on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, US President Joe Biden said that there is still time for diplomacy and to avert the worst case scenario in Ukraine.
President Joe Biden announced that the United States will continue to supply defensive weapons to Ukraine as he delivered his address on the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
President Biden says the first tranche of Russia sanctions begins now due to a flagrant violation of international law.
U.S. President Biden says Russia just announced that it is carving out a big piece of Ukraine, adding this is the beginning of a Russian invasion.
Students in the eastern city of Kharkiv are learning about bulletproof vests and explosives as well as practising evacuation drills and first aid as Ukraine prepares for a possible big assault by the Russian military.
The city, which is under Ukrainian government control, is home to tank, aircraft and tractor factories and lies 40 km (25 miles) from the Russian border.
It has been identified by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as a possible Russian target, though his spokesman said he was speaking hypothetically. (Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin can still avoid a full-blown war of choice, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday at the start of talks at the Pentagon with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
"Mr. Putin can still avoid a full-blown, tragic war of choice," Austin told Kuleba, adding: "We will continue to work closely with you."
Before reporters were escorted from the room, Kuleba said: "My message is simple: (a) strong Ukraine is the best deterrence of Russia." (Reuters)
French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says the European Union’s 27 members unanimously agree on an initial set of sanctions targeting Russian officials involved in Ukraine.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday this first package of sanctions “will hurt Russia and it will hurt a lot.”
He said the package would affect members of Russia’s duma who voted against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine as well as another 27 people and “entities” which are often companies, banks or agencies.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the alliance believed that Russia was still planning a big assault on Ukraine following Moscow's recognition of two separatist regions in the former Soviet republic's east.
"Every indication is that Russia is continuing to plan for a full-scale attack of Ukraine," Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels. "We continue to call on Russia to step back ... it's never too late not to attack." (Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for international recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, an end to Ukraine’s NATO membership bid and a halt to weapons shipments there.
Putin claimed Tuesday that Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula should be internationally recognized as a legitimate reflection of the local population’s choice, likening it to a vote for Kosovo independence.
The annexation has been widely condemned by Western powers as a breach of international law. (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Tuesday for international recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, an end to Ukraine's NATO membership bid and a halt to weapons shipments there.
Putin claimed that Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula should be internationally recognised as a legitimate reflection of the local population's choice, likening it to a vote for Kosovo independence. The annexation has been widely condemned by Western powers as a breach of international law.
To end the current crisis, he also called for the renunciation of Ukraine's NATO bid, saying it should assume a “neutral status”, and said that the West should stop sending weapons there. (AP)
Russian lawmakers have given President Vladimir Putin permission to use military force outside the country. The unanimous vote in Russia's upper house on Tuesday could presage a broader attack on Ukraine after the U.S. said an invasion was already underway there. The vote formalizes a Russian military deployment to the rebel regions, where an eight-year conflict has killed nearly 14,000 people. (AP)
By giving formal recognition to two separatist regions of Ukraine, Russia has stoked a massive geopolitical crisis. How will India's economy be impacted by the ensuing uncertainty as well as the US sanctions on Russia?
Russian President Vladimir Putin asked the country's parliament on Tuesday for a permission to use military force outside the country. Putin's letter to the upper house of parliament would formalize a Russian military deployment to rebel regions in eastern Ukraine, a day after the Russian leader recognized their independence.
It may also herald Putin's intention to launch a broader attack on Ukraine. Western leaders earlier said Russian troops had moved into the country's east, and the U.S. called it an invasion. Lawmakers are expected to quickly rubber-stamp Putin's request during a session Tuesday. (AP)
The White House on Tuesday began referring to Russian troop deployments in eastern Ukraine as an “invasion” after initially hesitating to use the term — a red line that President Joe Biden has said would result in the U.S. levying severe sanctions against Moscow.
Several European leaders said earlier in the day that Russian troops have moved into rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recognized their independence — but some indicated it was not yet the long-feared, full-fledged invasion. Later, the White House signaled a shift in its own position.
“We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion, Russia’s latest invasion into Ukraine,” said Jon Finer, principal deputy national security adviser. “An invasion is an invasion and that is what is underway.”
The White House decided to begin referring to Russia’s actions as an “invasion” because of the situation on the ground, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. (AP)