Tag: Ukraine

Putin’s gas threat as Ukraine, West dismiss de-escalation claim

by Danny Kemp  © Agence France-Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) Russia threatened Thursday to turn off its gas taps to Europe, opening up a new front in its war in Ukraine amid growing skepticism over Moscow’s claim it is scaling back its onslaught. Over a month into Russia’s invasion of its neighbor, Vladimir Putin’s troops have devastated cities like Mariupol with shelling, killing at least 5,000 people in the port city alone. But they have struggled […]

Oil prices sink as US considers tapping reserves, stocks struggle

  HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Oil prices tumbled Thursday on reports that the United States is considering tapping its reserves to combat a supply crisis sparked by the Ukraine war. However, equities struggled to build on the week’s rally after Russia poured cold water on hopes that ceasefire talks were progressing, leaving the prospect of a protracted war in eastern Europe. The conflict has already sent shockwaves through the world economy, with growth forecasts […]

Two Ukrainians among five killed in Israel shooting: police

JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) – Two of the five men killed by a Palestinian gunman in the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak were Ukrainian nationals, Israeli police said on Wednesday. A police statement identified those slain in Tuesday’s attack, noting that “a foreigner from Ukraine, aged 23” and “a foreigner from Ukraine, aged 32” were among them. According to police, Diaa Armashah, a Palestinian from the West Bank village Yabad, had opened fire in the […]

Lavrov makes first China visit since Ukraine war

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China on Wednesday in his first visit to the key ally since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine last month. In a post on its Weibo social media account, the Russian embassy in Beijing confirmed Lavrov had landed in the eastern city of Huangshan, posting photos of delegates descending from a plane and being met by health officials in hazmat suits. Lavrov will attend […]

Germany looks to farm fumes in breakup with Russian gas

by Florian CAZERES Agence France-Presse RIBBECK, Germany (AFP) – As Germany scrambles to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, the pungent fumes from the manure and other organic waste in Peter Kaim’s farm could be part of the solution. An hour’s drive west of Berlin, a strong smell emanates from three large cylinders in the middle of a muddy field on Kaim’s property shared with 100 dairy cows. Every day, tonnes of organic waste — […]

12 dead, 33 injured in airstrike in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) – At least 12 people were killed and 33 wounded on Tuesday when a Russian missile hit a regional government building in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, emergency officials said. The strike hit the nine-storey building shortly before 9 am local time, destroying the entire central part of the structure. “The bodies of 12 people have been recovered from the site of the destruction and 33 people have been injured,” Ukraine’s […]

Russia pledge to deescalate in Ukraine leaves West cold

by Danny Kemp, with Anne Chaon in Istanbul KIEV, Ukraine (AFP) — Russia pledged to scale down fighting around Kyiv and a second major city following peace talks on Tuesday that Ukraine’s leader said showed “positive” signs, but Western allies made clear their doubts over Moscow’s intentions. Details filtering from the talks in Istanbul raised hopes after more than a month of war that has left thousands dead and millions displaced. Kyiv’s negotiator David Arakhamia […]

‘We live here now’: villagers flee in Russian-occupied Ukraine

by Danny KEMP Agence France-Presse BROVARY, Ukraine (AFP) – When a group of Russian soldiers burst into Valerii Koriachenko’s home in a village east of Kyiv, they told him his house and all his belongings were now theirs, down to his socks and underwear. “They took the rifle off safety and ‘politely asked’ us to go wherever we wanted, and said they were living there now,” said the 50-year-old baker, his bottom lip trembling with […]

Russia insists on ruble payments for gas after G7 outcry

  MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) –Russia reiterated Tuesday that it will only be accepting payment for gas deliveries to the EU in rubles after G7 ministers called this arrangement “unacceptable”. “Nobody will supply gas for free. This is just impossible. And it can only be paid for in rubles,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Companies must understand the completely changed environment that has arisen in the conditions of the economic war waged against Russia,” he […]

Russian, Ukrainian negotiators begin talks in Istanbul

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – Russian and Ukrainian negotiators began face-to-face talks in Istanbul on Tuesday, the official Turkish news agency said, with host Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urging them to “put an end to this tragedy”. The face-to-face talks at the Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul are aimed at trying to end a war has killed an estimated 20,000 people and forced more than 10 million from their homes. “The two parties have legitimate concerns. […]

Seven EU countries urge their citizens not to join fight in Ukraine

  BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Seven European Union countries on Monday urged their citizens to refrain from joining the Ukrainian military resistance against Russia’s invading troops. The appeal was issued by the justice ministers of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg and Belgium. The ministers of the seven countries “have unanimously discouraged Europeans from joining” the ranks of voluntary combatants heading to the war in Ukraine, according to a statement published after their meeting […]

Regime change, the controversial strategy the US no longer wants

    by Francesco FONTEMAGGI Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States says it is not seeking a “regime change” in Russia, hasty clarification that shows the strategy once popular among neoconservatives has become a hot button issue after negative experiences in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. President Joe Biden caused a stir Saturday when, during an impassioned speech in Warsaw, said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.” The […]