Europe

Odessa, pearl of the Black Sea, in Russia’s sights

PARIS, France (AFP) – Odessa, which Ukraine fears could be the next target of Russia’s offensive in the south, is the country’s main port and is vital for its economy. But the city of one million people close to the Romanian and Moldovan borders also holds a special place in the Russian imagination. A cosmopolitan port with stunning 19th-century architecture, sandy beaches and a Mediterranean climate, it has a Russian-speaking majority from its days as […]

Zelensky says Russian forces scuppering civilian evacuations

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday accused the Russian army of scuppering the evacuation of civilians through humanitarian corridors agreed after talks with Moscow. “There was an agreement on humanitarian corridors. Did that work? Russian tanks worked in its place, Russian Grads (multiple rocket launchers), Russian mines,” Zelensky said in a video posted on Telegram. The Ukrainian leader said Russian forces mined the road chosen to bring food and medicine to […]

US says, may become harder to ship arms to Ukraine

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Western nations have so far been succesful in delivering arms to Ukraine, but this may become harder in the coming days, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Monday. “I think it has been extraordinary the amount of arms supplies that are getting in to Ukraine even under the most difficult of circumstances,” she told a media briefing in Madrid. “The international community has been tremendously responsive and has found […]

Russia’s war in Ukraine: Latest developments

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Here are the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine: Russian evacuation offer rejected  Ukraine rejects a Kremlin offer to open escape routes for civilians trapped by the fighting in the cities of Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol and Sumy because several of the routes lead to Russia or its ally Belarus. Moscow says the proposal was based on a request from French President Emmanuel Macron, denied by Macron, and accuses Ukraine of […]

Firefighters battle blaze in London tower block

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — More than 125 firefighters Monday battled a blaze at a tower block housing apartments and offices near the City of London, as burning debris fell to the ground. Police evacuated the high-rise building, after the fire erupted on its 17th floor and sent thick smoke into the sky. London mayor Sadiq Khan said 20 fire trucks and more than 125 firefighters were trying to douse the flames in the Aldgate […]

US sends more troops to Europe, says all Russia forces deployed

But Biden says US troops won’t engage in conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine   WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States is sending 500 more troops to Europe to boost NATO security, an official said Monday as the Pentagon determined Russia has committed nearly all its combat power stationed along the border into Ukraine. With President Vladimir Putin intensifying operations, a senior US defense official also warned that Russian strikes on civilians were […]

Moscow warns ban on Russian oil will have ‘catastrophic consequences’

  MOSCOW< Russia (AFP) — Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak warned Monday that a ban on Russian oil imports would have “catastrophic” consequences, as Western allies consider further sanctions on Moscow over Ukraine. “A ban on Russian oil will lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market. The surge in prices will be unpredictable — more than $300 per barrel, if not more,” Novak said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. Novak added […]

More than 1.7 million people flee war in Ukraine: UNHCR

  GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — More than 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, according to the latest data from the United Nations on Monday. – 1,735,068 refugees – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, recorded 1,735,068 refugees on its dedicated website, just over 200,000 more than the previous count on Sunday. UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, believes around half of them are youngsters. Authorities and the UN […]

German ministers warn against boycotting Russian oil

FRANKFURT, Germany (AFP) – Germany’s finance and foreign ministers cautioned Sunday against banning Russian energy imports as the West searches for ways to tighten the screws on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. With his country fighting for its existence two weeks since the incursion, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has urged his Western allies to levy additional sanctions against Moscow, including boycotting its lucrative oil and gas sector. Earlier Sunday, chief US diplomat Antony Blinken said […]

Israeli PM vows more Ukraine talks, even if prospects ‘not great’

  JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s premier said Sunday his country had a “moral obligation” to help stem fighting in Ukraine even if chances of success were “not great”, after shuttle diplomacy that saw him visit the Kremlin. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met for three hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday, before flying to Berlin to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The Israeli premier, acting after Kyiv requested him to launch a […]

US, Poland exploring deal to supply planes to Ukraine: reports

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Washington is working on a deal with Poland to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era warplanes to bolster Kyiv’s defenses against the Russian invasion, according to US media. Multiple news outlets reported Saturday that US officials told them of the possible deal, in which Poland would send Soviet-era aircraft to Ukraine in return for American F-16 fighter jets. Since Russia invaded 10 days ago, the economic and humanitarian toll of the […]

Ukraine: Crisis chief calls for ‘humanitarian pause’, urgent UN aid arrives, WHO condemns healthcare attacks

© WFP/Marco Frattini Thousands of Ukrainians seek safety in neighbouring Poland. 5 March 2022 Humanitarian Aid Amin Awad, the United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, called on Saturday for an “immediate humanitarian pause” in fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces, as UN aid supplies arrive in the country. Mr Awad, who is in the country with his team, attempting to find ways to scale up humanitarian operations, said in a statement that his immediate aim was to […]