Russia Ukraine war, Russian

2022 - 4 - 6

Post cover — Image courtesy of "NBC News"

Russia-Ukraine war live updates: NATO ministers meet as ... (NBC News)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the international community for support in an impassioned plea before the U.N. Security Council.

Russian forces were accused of killing and torturing as many as 300 people in Bucha before pulling out of the town. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expected to attend part of the two-day talks. Moscow has repeatedly denied the claim, calling it a "provocation," even as photos purported to show the dead bodies of civilians in Bucha have sparked international outrage. Safe routes out of Mariupol have been repeatedly blocked and attacked, making evacuations nearly impossible, Ukrainian officials have said. The proposed package also includes a full transaction ban on four Russian banks. Russian and Belarusian transport companies would also be blocked from entering the European Union. In a statement, police said they were still investigating the incident. They have not yet released the identity of the driver. India's ambassador to the United Nations said the country "unequivocally" condemns the atrocities Russia has been accused of committing in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha. "We must increase pressure on Putin and the Russian government again," she said in a tweet Wednesday. "So, we propose to tighten our sanctions even further." Ukraine has accused Russian forces of killing and torturing as many as 300 people in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha before pulling out of the town. On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech before Ireland's Parliament that he could not tolerate "indecisiveness" from the West on sanctions against Russia. He accused Russia of deliberately provoking a food crisis to use hunger as a weapon against civilians.

The Russia-Ukraine War: Latest News and Live Updates (The Wall Street Journal)

Ukrainian authorities braced for the discovery of more civilian deaths in cities and towns around the capital from which Russian forces have retreated.

"To talk about where exactly my daughters work and what they do—I have never done this and am not going to do it now, for many reasons, including security issues," Mr. Putin said. Mr. Putin “always spoiled them, and I had to educate them,” Ms. Putina, the president’s former wife, is cited as saying. "They just live their lives and do it with dignity," he said. My daughters are fluent in three European languages,” he was cited by TASS as saying. The Kremlin has only ever identified them by their first names, Maria and Katerina. The name “Putina” would typically connote the daughters’ family name, before taking on any married name. Both daughters were born to Mr. Putin’s former wife, Lyudmila Putina, a former Aeroflot cabin crew member.

Who are the everyday Russians rallying behind Putin's war? (Aljazeera.com)

A protester paints the "Z" sign on a street, in reference to Russian. The 'Z' has become a rallying sign to show support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine [ ...

Zelenskyy promised to end the war [in Donbas], restore democracy and free entrepreneurship.” “Over the years since the coup, Ukraine has become the poorest country in Europe and is flooded with all sorts of weapons, including biological. They are physically one people speaking the same language,” said Sergey Kalenik, a 36-year-old PR professional in Moscow whose comic series “Superputin” casts the Russian president as a hero. So, the whole system needs to be changed. No, it’s a totalitarian dictatorship.” Sanctions and how they were perceived and conveyed also played into hardening of a defensive stance vis-à-vis the West.” At the same time, many Russians have been increasingly dismayed by Western nations. “Ukraine is an integral part of Russia, just like Wales is for the UK, and anyone who thinks otherwise is not a Russian person.” I believe that Russia was forced to take this step.” “Every Russian has relatives in Ukraine, and also every Ukrainian has relatives in Russia – it is impossible to distinguish them. “Even if he had made such an attempt, he would probably have been able to claim the Nobel Peace Prize, but obviously he would not live to see it as he would be eliminated immediately,” she said of Zelenskyy. “The United States will wage war in Ukraine to the last drop of Ukrainian blood.” “After the coup d’état in Ukraine in 2014, which took place with the participation of the United States, the country came under external control,” she told Al Jazeera, referring to the Maidan revolution that led to the removal of then-President Viktor Yanukovych, which critics like Valentina have dismissed as a Washington-orchestrated coup.

Ukraine war: Bucha deaths 'not far short of genocide' - PM (BBC News)

It comes as the UK announces further sanctions against eight oligarchs and two more Russian banks.

"It is no wonder people are responding in the way that they are. Asset freezes prevent anyone in the UK or any UK company from dealing with any funds or resources that are owned or held by the designated person, and prevent resources being provided to or for the benefit of that person. As part of its sanctions response, the UK has pledged to stop importing Russian oil by the end of the year, while the EU is reducing its imports of Russian gas by two-thirds.

Russia-Ukraine war: US sanctions Vladimir Putin's daughters (The Australian Financial Review)

White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said that the Biden administration is announcing a new round of sanctions on Russia, ...

The government has also set a target of more than doubling onshore wind capacity to 115GW by 2030, including by reducing the minimum distance to certain radio beacons and weather radars. Officially, the coordinated IEA stockpile release will amount to 120 million barrels of oil -- half from the US and half from other members, the people said. Europe’s biggest economy aims to generate almost all of its electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2035 — more than doubling the current rate in 13 years. The goal for 2045 — by when Germany aims to achieve “net zero”′ greenhouse gas emissions — is 70 GW of offshore wind capacity. This will be the second coordinated deployment of oil stockpiles in just a few weeks. The IEA expects Russia’s oil production to slump by a quarter this month, leaving a huge gap of 3 million barrels a day in global energy supplies. The Associated Press saw two in a house in a silent neighbourhood. Ukrainian officials have stepped up calls for civilians to evacuate westward from towns near the front line ahead of the anticipated Russian offensive, and some essential services were being moved away. “I suggested that (Putin) … the Ukrainian president, the French president and the German chancellor hold a meeting here in Budapest, the sooner the better,” Orban said. Hungary is a member of both the European Union and NATO. In addition to seeking Russian oil, India is the world’s largest buyer of Russian weapons. The new sanctions hit Sberbank, which holds one-third of Russia’s total banking assets, and Alfa Bank, the country’s fourth largest financial institution, US officials said.

Inside Russia's epic failure to take Ukraine's capital (Fortune)

Kyiv was a Russian defeat for the ages. The fight started poorly for the invaders and went downhill from there.

They might seize Kyiv in a few days and the whole country in a few weeks, although some analysts did question whether Putin appreciated how much Ukraine's forces had gained from Western training that intensified after Putin's 2014 seizure of Crimea and incursion into the Donbas. By capturing the airfield, also known as Antonov airport, the Russians planned to establish a base from which to fly in more troops and light armored vehicles within striking distance of the heart of the nation's largest city. It initially seemed to be a worrisome sign for the Ukrainians, but they managed to attack elements of the convoy, which had limited off-road capability and thus eventually dispersed or otherwise became a non-factor in the fight. Against enormous odds, the Ukrainians held their ground and fought back, stalling the Russians, and put to effective use a wide array of Western arms, including Javelin portable anti-tank weapons, shoulder-fired Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and much more. For now at least, Putin's forces have shifted away from Kyiv, to eastern Ukraine. Ultimately, the Russian leader may achieve some of his objectives. But as the seat of national power, Kyiv was the main prize.