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President Zelensky meets US officials
Ukraine’s lead negotiator has ruled out any ceasefire deal in which Kyiv would cede territory to Russia or allow Russian troops to remain on its land.
Such concessions would backfire as Russia would hit back harder after any break in fighting, said Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky who is leading talks with Moscow.
“The war will not stop. It will just be put on pause for some time,” Mr Podolyak said in an interview with Reuters in the presidential office in Kyiv.
“They’ll start a new offensive, even more bloody and large-scale.”
A Kremlin minister today said that sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine have caused serious logistical problems in the country.
Vitaly Savelyev, the Russian transport minister, said Moscow had been forced to look for new trade corridors as sanctions have hit its operation on the standard shipping route to Asian partners.
Earlier, the Russian foreign ministry warned western sanctions would prove destabilising for the world economy.
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Key Points Granting Russia land would backfire, says Ukrainian negotiator International sanctions ‘almost broken all logistics’ in Russia Russia’s war can only be resolved through ‘diplomacy’ – Zelensky Ukraine vows to ‘fight for return’ of Azovstal defenders Russia bans almost 1,000 Americans, including Biden
Show latest update 1653282442 Russia clears mines from Ukraine’s Azovstal plant, 100 explosives destroyed
Days after taking control of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, Russian soldiers are clearing mines and debris from the mill’s grounds as they scan the area for unexploded ordnance.
A Russian soldier going by the nom de guerre Babai told Reuters that the troops will be busy with the task for the next couple of weeks.
“The task is huge, the enemy planted their own landmines, we had also planted anti-personnel mines while blocking the enemy. So we’ve got some two weeks of work ahead of us,” he said.
The troops walked through the compound laden with debris and checked for explosives with mine detectors, a video showed.
An operation carried out on Sunday saw the detonation of mines in controlled explosions and the clearing of debris using military bulldozers.
“Over the last two days, over 100 explosives have been destroyed. The work continues,” the Russian soldier said.
Russia says the last of the Ukrainian fighters holding out at the steel plant surrendered on Friday, though Ukrainian officials have not officially confirmed this. The battle for the plant lasted for weeks, and its fall means Russia now controls the whole of the strategic port city of Mariupol.
Arpan Rai 23 May 2022 06:07
1653279270 Air sirens sounded across Ukraine amid increased air strikes
Authorities sounded air raid sirens across Ukraine in the early hours of Monday with more attacks from Russian troops expected in the besieged country’s east and southern parts.
Russian fighters have intensified the attacks in the Donbas and Mykolaiv areas using air strikes and artillery fire in the last week, in its preparedness to capture more territories.
Ukraine has called the increased bombardment from Moscow’s troops a “scorched-earth” strategy to wrest control from the country on the eastern front.
Arpan Rai 23 May 2022 05:14
1653278658 Ukraine rejects ceasefire, territorial concessions to Russia
Ukraine will not make any territorial or ceasefire concessions to Russia, officials announced on Sunday.
The country’s presidential chief of staff said: “The war must end with the complete restoration of Ukraine‘s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” in a Twitter post on Sunday.
The commitment has been backed by ally Poland, whose president Andrzej Duda said any permanent loss of Ukrainian territory would be a “huge blow” to the entire western bloc.
He warned against trying to appease Vladimir Putin, and called on other nations to push Russia to completely withdraw from Ukraine.
“Worrying voices have appeared, saying that Ukraine should give in to Putin’s demands,” Mr Duda said.
“Only Ukraine has the right to decide about its future,” he said.
The Polish leader is the first foreign leader to address the Ukrainian parliament in person since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February.
Arpan Rai 23 May 2022 05:04
1653277575 Ukraine bans Russian symbols ‘Z’ and ‘V’
The Ukrainian parliament has banned symbols used by the Russian military to promote its war in Ukraine.
These symbols — “Z” and “V” — have been widely spotted on Moscow’s military vehicles and areas occupied by Russian troops in Ukraine during the course of the invasion.
The move passed by parliament on Sunday includes an exception for the use of Z and V for educational or historic purposes, after an intervention by Volodymyr Zelensky.
The wartime president had previously vetoed a preliminary version of the bill and said the two symbols should be allowed in displays in museums, libraries, scientific works, re-enactments, textbooks and similar instances.
Of the 423-member Verkhovna Rada assembly, 313 deputies voted in favour of the move, opposition member Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.
Arpan Rai 23 May 2022 04:46
1653276321 Zelensky to join Davos meet today
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he will be joining the discussions at the Davos Forum on Monday.
“This is the world’s most influential economic platform where Ukraine has something to say,” Mr Zelensky said.
He added that there will be other public speeches during the week, including an address to the Stanford University community.
The Ukrainian leader will also participate in multiple bilateral level talks with representatives of various states and international organisations this week, he announced in his nightly address.
“Our state expands its international ties every week to get everything it needs to end the war as soon as possible,” Mr Zelensky said.
He added: “There will be a new meeting of representatives of the partner countries - "Ramstein-2", if we call this group after the place of the first meeting in Germany. We look forward to new useful decisions for our defence.”
Arpan Rai 23 May 2022 04:25
1653271233 WHO assembly- what to expect for Ukraine
More than 100 world health ministers will meet in Geneva next week for the World Health Organization’s first in-person assembly in three years as the U.N. agency seeks to define its future role in global health policy.
The WHO’s Europe region passed a resolution against Russia this month and asked Tedros to prepare a report on Ukraine‘s health emergency.
Members are also preparing a resolution to be submitted to the assembly, although diplomats say it will stop short of suspending Russia‘s voting rights, as some initially sought.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain 23 May 2022 03:00
1653269433 ICYMI - To circumvent Ukraine and bottlenecks, a controversial new trade route emerges: Iran
Newly emerging trade routes are slashing transport times between Europe, western Asia and the Middle East from upwards of six weeks to as little as six days, saving consumers and exporters shipping expenses, insurance fees, and refrigeration costs.
There is just one catch.
The truck routes, which were first launched last year with lorries travelling from the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan to Turkey, pass through Iran, further integrating Tehran into the global economy, adding to its coffers and increasing its clout despite years of efforts by the United States to isolate it.
International correspondent Borzou Daragahi reports:
To circumvent Ukraine and bottlenecks, a controversial new trade route emerges: Iran Exclusive: Despite US sanctions, transportation industry insiders see the Islamic Republic as key land route for moving goods across Eurasia
Maryam Zakir-Hussain 23 May 2022 02:30
1653267602 Ukraine rules out any ceasefire deal that would see land given to Russia
Ukraine’s lead negotiator has ruled out any ceasefire deal in which Kyiv would cede territory to Russia or allow Russian troops to remain on its land.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to president Volodymyr Zelensky, who is leading talks with Moscow said such concessions would backfire as Russia would hit back harder after any break in fighting.
“The war will not stop. It will just be put on pause for some time,” Mr Podolyak said in an interview with Reuters in the presidential office in Kyiv.
“They’ll start a new offensive, even more bloody and large-scale.”
Read more here:
Ukraine rules out any ceasefire deal that would see land given to Russia Ukraine says such a move would backfire as Russia would hit back harder after any break in fighting
Maryam Zakir-Hussain 23 May 2022 02:00
1653265833 ICYMI - Kyiv rules out a ceasefire as Russia says its forces pummel Ukraine command centres
Ukraine ruled out a ceasefire or any territorial concessions to Moscow as Russia stepped up its attack in the country’s east and south, pounding the Donbas and Mykolaiv regions with air strikes and artillery fire.
Russia‘s defence ministry said its forces pummeled Ukrainian command centres, troops and ammunition depots in Donbas and the Mykolaiv region in the south with air strikes and artillery.
The heaviest fighting focused around the twin cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko said.
The cities form the eastern part of a Ukrainian-held pocket that Russia has been trying to overrun since mid-April. *Reuters could not independently verify those battlefield reports.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain 23 May 2022 01:30
1653264000 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says his country is interested in a major gas exploitation project in Senegal
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country is interested in a major gas exploitation project in Senegal as he began a three-nation visit to Africa on Sunday that also is focused on the geopolitical consequences of the war in Ukraine.
Senegal is believed to have significant deposits of natural gas along its border with Mauritania at a time when Germany and other European countries are trying to reduce their dependence on importing Russian gas.
“We have begun exchanges and we will continue our efforts at the level of experts because it is our wish to achieve progress,” Scholz said at a joint news briefing with Senegalese President Macky Sall.
The gas project off the coast of Senegal is being led by BP, and the first barrels are not expected until next year.
This week’s trip marks Scholz’s first to Africa since becoming chancellor nearly six months ago.
Two of the countries he is visiting — Senegal and South Africa — have been invited to attend the Group of 7 summit in Germany at the end of June.
Participants there will try to find a common position toward Russia, which was kicked out of the then-Group of Eight following its 2014 seizure of Crimea from Ukraine.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain 23 May 2022 01:00
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