Russia earned nearly 100 billion dollars from export of fossil fuels during the first 100 days of Ukraine war, research has revealed. The research has said that most of USD 98 billion worth of fossil fuels has been sent to the European Union.

The study has been done by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent, Finland-based group. The study report has come as Kyiv is urging the West to sever all ties with Russia.

Europe is heavily dependent on Russian oil. Earlier this month, the EU agreed to halt most of these imports. Though the bloc aims to reduce gas shipments by two-thirds this year, an embargo is not in the cards at present.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-destroys-bridge-in-severodontesk-cutting-escape-route-487614">Russia destroys bridge in Severodonetsk cutting escape route</a>

As per the research report, supply to EU made up 61 per cent of Russia's fossil fuel exports in first 100 days of Ukraine war. The exports were worth USD 60 billion. China was the top importer at 12.6 billion euros, Germany (12.1 billion) and Italy (7.8 billion).&nbsp;

Russia's fossil fuel revenues come first from the sale of crude oil (46 billion), followed by pipeline gas, oil products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal.&nbsp;

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Russia's exports plunged in May as countries and companies moved away from purchase. However, global rise in fossil fuel prices benefitted Russia.

The report added that some countries like China, India, the UAE and France had upped their purchases from Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia earned nearly 100 billion dollars from export of fossil fuels during the first 100 days of Ukraine war, research has revealed. The research has said that most of USD 98 billion worth of fossil fuels has been sent to the European Union.

Russia earned nearly 100 billion dollars from export of fossil fuels during the first 100 days of Ukraine war, research has revealed. The research has said that most of USD 98 billion worth of fossil fuels has been sent to the European Union. The study has been done by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent, Finland-based group. The study report has come as Kyiv is urging the West to sever all ties with Russia. Europe is heavily dependent on Russian oil. Earlier this month, the EU agreed to halt most of these imports. Though the bloc aims to reduce gas shipments by two-thirds this year, an embargo is not in the cards at present. Also Read | Russia destroys bridge in Severodonetsk cutting escape route As per the research report, supply to EU made up 61 per cent of Russia's fossil fuel exports in first 100 days of Ukraine war. The exports were worth USD 60 billion. China was the top importer at 12.6 billion euros, Germany (12.1 billion) and Italy (7.8 billion). Russia's fossil fuel revenues come first from the sale of crude oil (46 billion), followed by pipeline gas, oil products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Russia's exports plunged in May as countries and companies moved away from purchase. However, global rise in fossil fuel prices benefitted Russia. The report added that some countries like China, India, the UAE and France had upped their purchases from Russia. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia earns almost USD 100 bn from fuel exports in 100 days of Ukraine conflict

What would you do for money? A loud question in a room full of people is likely to elicit an 'Anything' in at least one mind. But will that anything include survival in acid rain, completely dark 45 'days' with sub-zero temperatures and noxious gases in the surroundings?

Welcome to Norilsk, also known as 'most depressing city' in the world.&nbsp;

Norilsk is the most northerly city in Russia. It is located in Krasnoyarsk Krai region of Siberia, eastern Russia. The situation is so bad there that not even a single road goes there. Only one freight line runs to and from the city. The city is connected by air as well but frigid conditions means even this is out of question sometimes.

In spite of super-tough conditions, the city is home to about 170,000 people.

The average monthly income of most people in Norilsk is USD 986. It is much higher than average monthly income of Russians (USD 739).

Why?

The city is located near biggest nickel-copper-palladium deposits on Earth. Extraction of these minerals is what this city earns its money from.

Most of the people in the city are employed by Norilsk Nickel.

But more-than-natiional-average monthly income comes at a great cost to the residents.

The nickel plant releases over two million tonnes of toxic gases. This results in acid rains and polluted water bodies. This has an immensely adverse impact on the lives of residents. So much so that average life expectancy of a person in Norilsk is 59 years as opposed to national average of 69 years.

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What would you do for money? A loud question in a room full of people is likely to elicit an 'Anything' in at least one mind. But will that anything include survival in acid rain, completely dark 45 'days' with sub-zero temperatures and noxious gases in the surroundings?

What would you do for money? A loud question in a room full of people is likely to elicit an 'Anything' in at least one mind. But will that anything include survival in acid rain, completely dark 45 'days' with sub-zero temperatures and noxious gases in the surroundings? Welcome to Norilsk, also known as 'most depressing city' in the world. Norilsk is the most northerly city in Russia. It is located in Krasnoyarsk Krai region of Siberia, eastern Russia. The situation is so bad there that not even a single road goes there. Only one freight line runs to and from the city. The city is connected by air as well but frigid conditions means even this is out of question sometimes. In spite of super-tough conditions, the city is home to about 170,000 people. The average monthly income of most people in Norilsk is USD 986. It is much higher than average monthly income of Russians (USD 739). Why? The city is located near biggest nickel-copper-palladium deposits on Earth. Extraction of these minerals is what this city earns its money from. Most of the people in the city are employed by Norilsk Nickel. But more-than-natiional-average monthly income comes at a great cost to the residents. The nickel plant releases over two million tonnes of toxic gases. This results in acid rains and polluted water bodies. This has an immensely adverse impact on the lives of residents. So much so that average life expectancy of a person in Norilsk is 59 years as opposed to national average of 69 years. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

This Russian city is called world's 'most depressing city'

Russia earned nearly 100 billion dollars from export of fossil fuels during the first 100 days of Ukraine war, research has revealed. The research has said that most of USD 98 billion worth of fossil fuels has been sent to the European Union.

The study has been done by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent, Finland-based group. The study report has come as Kyiv is urging the West to sever all ties with Russia.

Europe is heavily dependent on Russian oil. Earlier this month, the EU agreed to halt most of these imports. Though the bloc aims to reduce gas shipments by two-thirds this year, an embargo is not in the cards at present.

As per the research report, supply to EU made up 61 per cent of Russia's fossil fuel exports in first 100 days of Ukraine war. The exports were worth USD 60 billion. China was the top importer at 12.6 billion euros, Germany (12.1 billion) and Italy (7.8 billion).&nbsp;

Russia's fossil fuel revenues come first from the sale of crude oil (46 billion), followed by pipeline gas, oil products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal.&nbsp;

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Russia's exports plunged in May as countries and companies moved away from purchase. However, global rise in fossil fuel price benefitted Russia.

The report added that some countries like China, India, the UAE and France had upped their purchases from Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russia earned nearly 100 billion dollars from export of fossil fuels during the first 100 days of Ukraine war, research has revealed. The research has said that most of USD 98 billion worth of fossil fuels has been sent to the European Union. The study has been done by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent, Finland-based group. The study report has come as Kyiv is urging the West to sever all ties with Russia. Europe is heavily dependent on Russian oil. Earlier this month, the EU agreed to halt most of these imports. Though the bloc aims to reduce gas shipments by two-thirds this year, an embargo is not in the cards at present. As per the research report, supply to EU made up 61 per cent of Russia's fossil fuel exports in first 100 days of Ukraine war. The exports were worth USD 60 billion. China was the top importer at 12.6 billion euros, Germany (12.1 billion) and Italy (7.8 billion). Russia's fossil fuel revenues come first from the sale of crude oil (46 billion), followed by pipeline gas, oil products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Russia's exports plunged in May as countries and companies moved away from purchase. However, global rise in fossil fuel price benefitted Russia. The report added that some countries like China, India, the UAE and France had upped their purchases from Russia. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russia earns almost USD 100 bn from fuel exports in 100 days of Ukraine war

Former restaurants of McDonald’s were thrown open to the public in Moscow on Sunday under a new brand name— Vkusno &amp; tochka, which translates to "Tasty and that's it".

About 15 restaurants were opened under the new brand name in the Russian capital, with many more expected to open across the country. Another 50 restaurants will be open on Monday, Vkusno &amp; tochka said.

This comes after McDonalds on May 16 announced to shut their operations in Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24.

Oleg Paroev, chief executive of Vkusno &amp; tochka, said the fast-food chain has plans to reopen 200 restaurants in Russia by the end of June and all 850 by the end of the summer, reports Reuters.

"Our goal is that our guests do not notice a difference either in quality or ambience," Paroev told a media conference in what used to be the first McDonald's restaurant that opened in Soviet Moscow in 1990.

Alexander Govor, the new owner of the chain, said the company employs 51,000 people.

"The corporation asked me to, first of all, keep the headcount, to provide people with work. That's what I'm going to do," he added.

The rebranded fast-food chain will keep its old McDonald's interior but will expunge any references to its old name, said Paroev, who was appointed Russia McDonald's CEO in February, weeks before Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb 24.

The reopening of the outlets, three decades after McDonald's first opened in Moscow in a symbolic thaw between East and West, could provide a test of how successfully Russia's economy can become more self-sufficient and withstand Western sanctions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Former restaurants of McDonald’s were thrown open to the public in Moscow on Sunday under a new brand name— Vkusno & tochka, which translates to "Tasty and that's it".

Former restaurants of McDonald’s were thrown open to the public in Moscow on Sunday under a new brand name— Vkusno & tochka, which translates to "Tasty and that's it". About 15 restaurants were opened under the new brand name in the Russian capital, with many more expected to open across the country. Another 50 restaurants will be open on Monday, Vkusno & tochka said. This comes after McDonalds on May 16 announced to shut their operations in Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24. Oleg Paroev, chief executive of Vkusno & tochka, said the fast-food chain has plans to reopen 200 restaurants in Russia by the end of June and all 850 by the end of the summer, reports Reuters. "Our goal is that our guests do not notice a difference either in quality or ambience," Paroev told a media conference in what used to be the first McDonald's restaurant that opened in Soviet Moscow in 1990. Alexander Govor, the new owner of the chain, said the company employs 51,000 people. "The corporation asked me to, first of all, keep the headcount, to provide people with work. That's what I'm going to do," he added. The rebranded fast-food chain will keep its old McDonald's interior but will expunge any references to its old name, said Paroev, who was appointed Russia McDonald's CEO in February, weeks before Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb 24. The reopening of the outlets, three decades after McDonald's first opened in Moscow in a symbolic thaw between East and West, could provide a test of how successfully Russia's economy can become more self-sufficient and withstand Western sanctions. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

‘Vkusno & tochka’: Russia’s McDonald’s reopens under new brand name in Moscow

McDonald's iconic 'Golden Arches' have been taken down at sites in Moscow and St Petersburg on Sunday, where they will make way for a new logo comprising two fries and a hamburger patty against a green background, &nbsp;as former McDonald's Corp restaurants reopen under new branding and ownership, more than three decades after the arrival of the hugely popular Western fast-food chain.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mcdonalds-to-leave-russia-after-more-than-three-decades-over-ukraine-conflict-479623">McDonald's to leave Russia after more than three decades over Ukraine conflict</a>

The relaunch will begin on Russia Day, a patriotic holiday celebrating the country's independence, at the same flagship location in Moscow's Pushkin Square where McDonald's first opened in Russia in January 1990.&nbsp;

In the early 1990s, as the Soviet Union crumbled, McDonald's came to embody a thawing of Cold War tensions and was a vehicle for millions of Russians to sample American food and culture. The brand's exit is now a powerful symbol of how Russia and the West are once again turning their backs on each other.&nbsp;

McDonald's last month said it was selling its restaurants in Russia to one of its local licensees, Alexander Govor. The deal marked one of the most high-profile business departures since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mcdonalds-food-being-sold-online-at-exorbitant-prices-in-russia-after-ceasing-operations-461561">McDonald’s food being sold online at exorbitant prices in Russia after ceasing operations</a>

The reopening will initially cover 15 locations in Moscow and the surrounding region.

The new chain's name remains a closely guarded secret. A change in the name of the McDonald’s app on Friday to 'My Burger' generated some online excitement, but the chain's press team said this was only temporary, the RBC daily reported.&nbsp;

A motto on the app's home page read: "Some things are changing, but stable work is here to stay."

Russian media, citing leaked images of the new menu, have reported the renaming of dishes such as the Filet-O-Fish to 'Fish Burger' and Chicken McNuggets to simply 'Nuggets'.

[with inputs from agencies] 
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McDonald's iconic 'Golden Arches' have been taken down at sites in Moscow and St Petersburg on Sunday, where they will make way for a new logo comprising two fries and a hamburger patty against a green background, as former McDonald's Corp restaurants reopen under new branding and ownership, more than three decades after the arrival of the hugely popular Western fast-food chain.

McDonald's iconic 'Golden Arches' have been taken down at sites in Moscow and St Petersburg on Sunday, where they will make way for a new logo comprising two fries and a hamburger patty against a green background, as former McDonald's Corp restaurants reopen under new branding and ownership, more than three decades after the arrival of the hugely popular Western fast-food chain. Also Read: McDonald's to leave Russia after more than three decades over Ukraine conflict The relaunch will begin on Russia Day, a patriotic holiday celebrating the country's independence, at the same flagship location in Moscow's Pushkin Square where McDonald's first opened in Russia in January 1990. In the early 1990s, as the Soviet Union crumbled, McDonald's came to embody a thawing of Cold War tensions and was a vehicle for millions of Russians to sample American food and culture. The brand's exit is now a powerful symbol of how Russia and the West are once again turning their backs on each other. McDonald's last month said it was selling its restaurants in Russia to one of its local licensees, Alexander Govor. The deal marked one of the most high-profile business departures since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24. Also Read: McDonald’s food being sold online at exorbitant prices in Russia after ceasing operations The reopening will initially cover 15 locations in Moscow and the surrounding region. The new chain's name remains a closely guarded secret. A change in the name of the McDonald’s app on Friday to 'My Burger' generated some online excitement, but the chain's press team said this was only temporary, the RBC daily reported. A motto on the app's home page read: "Some things are changing, but stable work is here to stay." Russian media, citing leaked images of the new menu, have reported the renaming of dishes such as the Filet-O-Fish to 'Fish Burger' and Chicken McNuggets to simply 'Nuggets'. [with inputs from agencies] WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Iconic golden arches taken down, rebranded McDonald’s to open in Russia

In pics: Russia-China inaugurate cross-border road bridge to boost trade

Finland's government plans to amend border legislation to allow the building of barriers on its eastern frontier with Russia, it said on Thursday, in a move to strengthen preparedness against hybrid threats amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Finland, which is currently applying for membership in the Western military alliance NATO, has a history of wars with Russia, although currently the forest-covered border zone between the two countries is marked merely with signs and plastic lines for most of its 1,300-km (810-mile) length.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/as-finland-applies-for-nato-membership-finnish-women-sign-up-for-military-training-485889">As Finland applies for NATO membership, Finnish women sign up for military training</a>

The Finnish government has rushed to strengthen border security as it fears Russia could attempt to put pressure on Finland by sending asylum seekers to its borders, as the European Union accused Belarus of doing at the end of last year when hundreds of migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa got stuck on the Polish border.

The government's amendments to the law include a proposal to enable concentrating the reception of asylum applications only at specific points of entry.

Under existing EU rules, migrants have the right to ask for asylum at any given entry point to an EU member country.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russia-ukraine-conflict-finnish-women-take-up-weapons-just-in-case-of-an-attack-485722">Russia-Ukraine conflict: Finnish women take up weapons 'just in case' of an attack</a>

&nbsp;



&nbsp;

The amendments would also allow the building of barriers such as fences, as well as new roads to facilitate border patrolling on the Finnish side.

"Later on, the government will decide on border barriers to the critical zones on the eastern border, on the basis of the Finnish Border Guard's assessment," minister of internal affairs Krista Mikkonen said in a statement.

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Finland's government plans to amend border legislation to allow the building of barriers on its eastern frontier with Russia, it said on Thursday, in a move to strengthen preparedness against hybrid threats amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Finland's government plans to amend border legislation to allow the building of barriers on its eastern frontier with Russia, it said on Thursday, in a move to strengthen preparedness against hybrid threats amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland, which is currently applying for membership in the Western military alliance NATO, has a history of wars with Russia, although currently the forest-covered border zone between the two countries is marked merely with signs and plastic lines for most of its 1,300-km (810-mile) length. Also read | As Finland applies for NATO membership, Finnish women sign up for military training The Finnish government has rushed to strengthen border security as it fears Russia could attempt to put pressure on Finland by sending asylum seekers to its borders, as the European Union accused Belarus of doing at the end of last year when hundreds of migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa got stuck on the Polish border. The government's amendments to the law include a proposal to enable concentrating the reception of asylum applications only at specific points of entry. Under existing EU rules, migrants have the right to ask for asylum at any given entry point to an EU member country. Also read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: Finnish women take up weapons 'just in case' of an attack The amendments would also allow the building of barriers such as fences, as well as new roads to facilitate border patrolling on the Finnish side. "Later on, the government will decide on border barriers to the critical zones on the eastern border, on the basis of the Finnish Border Guard's assessment," minister of internal affairs Krista Mikkonen said in a statement. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Finland plans to build barriers on its border with Russia

Three fighters who were captured while fighting for Ukraine and sentenced to death are being used as ‘hostages’ by Russia to put pressure on the West over peace negotiations, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday.&nbsp;

"The trial of the foreigners raises the stakes in the Russian Federation's negotiation process. They are using them as hostages to put pressure on the world over the negotiation process," he told national television.

Two Britons and a Moroccan received the death sentence on Thursday from a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), one of Russia's proxies in eastern Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported.

They were brought to trial after a Ukrainian court sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison last month for killing an unarmed civilian in Ukraine.&nbsp;

Kyiv said Thursday's court ruling had no authority, that the fighters were members of the Ukrainian armed forces and that they were subject to Geneva Convention protections.

Vadym Denysenko, an Interior Ministry adviser, said on Friday Ukraine would coordinate its position on the sentences with Britain, the United States and the European Union.

Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are frozen. Russia has accused Ukraine of blocking talks, but Kyiv says Moscow is to blame.

Britain on Friday condemned Russian proxy authorities in Donbas for what it called an "egregious breach" of the Geneva convention in sentencing to death two British nationals captured in the separatist region while fighting for Ukraine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said he was talking to Ukraine rather than Russia over the situation facing Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, who were convicted of "mercenary activities" on Thursday by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).

Aslin's family said he and Pinner "are not, and never were mercenaries."

They had been living in Ukraine when the war broke out and "as members of Ukrainian armed forces, should be treated with respect just like any other prisoners of war," the family said in a statement.

[with inputs from agencies]

 
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Three fighters who were captured while fighting for Ukraine and sentenced to death are being used as ‘hostages’ by Russia to put pressure on the West over peace negotiations, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday.

Three fighters who were captured while fighting for Ukraine and sentenced to death are being used as ‘hostages’ by Russia to put pressure on the West over peace negotiations, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. "The trial of the foreigners raises the stakes in the Russian Federation's negotiation process. They are using them as hostages to put pressure on the world over the negotiation process," he told national television. Two Britons and a Moroccan received the death sentence on Thursday from a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), one of Russia's proxies in eastern Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported. They were brought to trial after a Ukrainian court sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison last month for killing an unarmed civilian in Ukraine. Kyiv said Thursday's court ruling had no authority, that the fighters were members of the Ukrainian armed forces and that they were subject to Geneva Convention protections. Vadym Denysenko, an Interior Ministry adviser, said on Friday Ukraine would coordinate its position on the sentences with Britain, the United States and the European Union. Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are frozen. Russia has accused Ukraine of blocking talks, but Kyiv says Moscow is to blame. Britain on Friday condemned Russian proxy authorities in Donbas for what it called an "egregious breach" of the Geneva convention in sentencing to death two British nationals captured in the separatist region while fighting for Ukraine. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said he was talking to Ukraine rather than Russia over the situation facing Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, who were convicted of "mercenary activities" on Thursday by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). Aslin's family said he and Pinner "are not, and never were mercenaries." They had been living in Ukraine when the war broke out and "as members of Ukrainian armed forces, should be treated with respect just like any other prisoners of war," the family said in a statement. [with inputs from agencies] WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Ukrainian official says Russia wants to use captured fighters as ‘hostages’

Visa requirements for Russian critics of Vladimir Putin's government will be eased to allow them to live and work in Germany, a German&nbsp;interior ministry spokesperson&nbsp;said Monday.

Journalists, scientists and civil society activists who are facing pressure from Moscow will be able to benefit from the newly agreed rules.

Human rights activists, employees of NGOs and civil society groups with a connection to Germany and journalists and researchers who have taken a stance against the war in Ukraine are among those who qualify to stay in the longer term.&nbsp;

Employees of foreign organisations which have been classified as "undesirable" in Russia can also be granted residency under the sped-up procedures. Their immediate family members will likewise benefit, said the spokesman.

The move aims to remove some of the red tape involved in Germany's visa process and guarantee a longer stay than the 90 days allowed under the Schengen tourist visa.

He could not give any figures on how many people might benefit from the eased procedures but said applicants will have to present "credible" cases.

Germany has opened its doors to Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion. 
But in the last weeks, calls have grown for Europe's biggest economy to also offer protection to Kremlin critics.

Deputy Chancellor Robert Habeck said however that in the process of welcoming Russians, Germany has to ensure that "the wrong ones" do not "come to us, and we don't bring spies into our country".

[with inputs from agencies]

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Visa requirements for Russian critics of Vladimir Putin's government will be eased to allow them to live and work in Germany, a German interior ministry spokesperson said Monday.

Visa requirements for Russian critics of Vladimir Putin's government will be eased to allow them to live and work in Germany, a German interior ministry spokesperson said Monday. Journalists, scientists and civil society activists who are facing pressure from Moscow will be able to benefit from the newly agreed rules. Human rights activists, employees of NGOs and civil society groups with a connection to Germany and journalists and researchers who have taken a stance against the war in Ukraine are among those who qualify to stay in the longer term. Employees of foreign organisations which have been classified as "undesirable" in Russia can also be granted residency under the sped-up procedures. Their immediate family members will likewise benefit, said the spokesman. The move aims to remove some of the red tape involved in Germany's visa process and guarantee a longer stay than the 90 days allowed under the Schengen tourist visa. He could not give any figures on how many people might benefit from the eased procedures but said applicants will have to present "credible" cases. Germany has opened its doors to Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion. But in the last weeks, calls have grown for Europe's biggest economy to also offer protection to Kremlin critics. Deputy Chancellor Robert Habeck said however that in the process of welcoming Russians, Germany has to ensure that "the wrong ones" do not "come to us, and we don't bring spies into our country". [with inputs from agencies] WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Germany eases visa restrictions for Putin critics classified as 'undesirable' in Russia

The interior minister of Ukraine said on Thursday that there was 'no danger' of a Russian attack on Kyiv but preparations were on for defence.

"There is no danger of an attack on Kyiv today," Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said.

"There is no concentration of troops near the Belarusian border, but we understand that any scenarios are possible tomorrow," he told AFP, dressed in a black military sweater, a Ukrainian flag on its right sleeve.

"Therefore, serious training is under way -- preparation of the line of defence, training of troops who will remain" in Kyiv and around the city.

However, the minister noted that danger of Russian air strikes was present.

"Any place in Ukraine can be a target for rocket fire, including Kyiv," he said.

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He further said that the targets can include "the government quarter" and "historic centre of the capital.

Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. Initially, Russia had set its eye on the Ukrainian capital. They had even captured several towns around the city. However, Russian forces withdrew a month later. Russia has since concentrated its firepower in eastern and southern regions of Ukraine.

Monastyrsky said Ukraine would continue to prosecute captured Russian soldiers for alleged war crimes.

"These crimes have no statute of limitations. Whenever these monsters are found, they will be held accountable," he said.&nbsp;

Up to "288 people have been suspected so far."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-britons-one-moroccan-fighter-in-ukraine-sentenced-to-death-by-russian-separatist-court-486680">Two Britons, Moroccan fighter in Ukraine sentenced to death by Russian separatist court</a>

He added that negotiations were underway to bring home Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia or Moscow-backed separatists.

"It is vital to bring them back here today, to save the boys from imminent death," he said.

"We are working to return the wounded first."

(With inputs from agencies)

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The interior minister of Ukraine said on Thursday that there was 'no danger' of a Russian attack on Kyiv but preparations were on for defence. "There is no danger of an attack on Kyiv today," Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said.

The interior minister of Ukraine said on Thursday that there was 'no danger' of a Russian attack on Kyiv but preparations were on for defence. "There is no danger of an attack on Kyiv today," Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said. "There is no concentration of troops near the Belarusian border, but we understand that any scenarios are possible tomorrow," he told AFP, dressed in a black military sweater, a Ukrainian flag on its right sleeve. "Therefore, serious training is under way -- preparation of the line of defence, training of troops who will remain" in Kyiv and around the city. However, the minister noted that danger of Russian air strikes was present. "Any place in Ukraine can be a target for rocket fire, including Kyiv," he said. He further said that the targets can include "the government quarter" and "historic centre of the capital. Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. Initially, Russia had set its eye on the Ukrainian capital. They had even captured several towns around the city. However, Russian forces withdrew a month later. Russia has since concentrated its firepower in eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. Monastyrsky said Ukraine would continue to prosecute captured Russian soldiers for alleged war crimes. "These crimes have no statute of limitations. Whenever these monsters are found, they will be held accountable," he said. Up to "288 people have been suspected so far." Also Read | Two Britons, Moroccan fighter in Ukraine sentenced to death by Russian separatist court He added that negotiations were underway to bring home Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia or Moscow-backed separatists. "It is vital to bring them back here today, to save the boys from imminent death," he said. "We are working to return the wounded first." (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Kyiv in 'no danger', but we are preparing: Ukraine minister

The UK government on Thursday said it was "deeply concerned" after Russian news agencies reported pro-Moscow separatists had sentenced to death two British fighters captured by Russian troops while fighting for Ukraine.

"We're obviously deeply concerned by this. We've said continually that prisoners of war shouldn't be exploited for political purposes," said a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

"Under the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are entitled to combatant immunity, and they should not be prosecuted for participation in hostilities. So we will continue to work with Ukrainian authorities to try and secure the release of any British national who was serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and who are being held as prisoners of war," He added.

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🚨 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇷🇺 | The disturbing moment when <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UK</a> national Aiden Aslin was coerced by a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Donetsk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Donetsk</a> kangaroo court into pleading GUILTY to charges of "mercenarism and crimes against humanity." 
 
He has been sentenced to DEATH by firing squad and has one month to appeal this sentencing. <a href="https://t.co/0beFCHpW4q">pic.twitter.com/0beFCHpW4q</a>
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Two Britons and a Moroccan were sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), one of Russia's proxies in eastern Ukraine.

The court found the three men - Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and Moroccan Brahim Saadoun - guilty of "mercenary activities and committing actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order of the DPR."&nbsp;

The three men were captured while fighting for Ukraine against Russia and Russian-backed forces that entered the country on Feb. 24. In court, they admitted they were mercenaries. Their lawyer said they will appeal the decision.

British Foreign Secretary Luz Truss tweeted: “I utterly condemn the sentencing of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine. They are prisoners of war. This is a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy.”

British citizens Aslin and Pinner were captured by the Russian-backed forces in Mariupol in April, during a bitter fight for control of the city. Moroccan Saadoun surrendered in March while fighting in a small town between Mariupol and the regional capital of Donetsk.

[with inputs from agencies]

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The UK government on Thursday said it was "deeply concerned" after Russian news agencies reported pro-Moscow separatists had sentenced to death two British fighters captured by Russian troops while fighting for Ukraine.

The UK government on Thursday said it was "deeply concerned" after Russian news agencies reported pro-Moscow separatists had sentenced to death two British fighters captured by Russian troops while fighting for Ukraine. "We're obviously deeply concerned by this. We've said continually that prisoners of war shouldn't be exploited for political purposes," said a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson. "Under the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are entitled to combatant immunity, and they should not be prosecuted for participation in hostilities. So we will continue to work with Ukrainian authorities to try and secure the release of any British national who was serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and who are being held as prisoners of war," He added. 🚨 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇷🇺 | The disturbing moment when #UK national Aiden Aslin was coerced by a #Donetsk kangaroo court into pleading GUILTY to charges of "mercenarism and crimes against humanity." He has been sentenced to DEATH by firing squad and has one month to appeal this sentencing. pic.twitter.com/0beFCHpW4q — Terror Alarm (@terror_alarm) June 9, 2022 × Two Britons and a Moroccan were sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), one of Russia's proxies in eastern Ukraine. The court found the three men - Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and Moroccan Brahim Saadoun - guilty of "mercenary activities and committing actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order of the DPR." The three men were captured while fighting for Ukraine against Russia and Russian-backed forces that entered the country on Feb. 24. In court, they admitted they were mercenaries. Their lawyer said they will appeal the decision. British Foreign Secretary Luz Truss tweeted: “I utterly condemn the sentencing of Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine. They are prisoners of war. This is a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy.” British citizens Aslin and Pinner were captured by the Russian-backed forces in Mariupol in April, during a bitter fight for control of the city. Moroccan Saadoun surrendered in March while fighting in a small town between Mariupol and the regional capital of Donetsk. [with inputs from agencies] WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Two Britons, Moroccan fighter in Ukraine sentenced to death by Russian separatist court

Russian forces largely control the key eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, said the region's governor on Wednesday. Severodonetsk is a key city in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Russia has concentrated its firepower on the Donbas region after being repelled from other regions of Ukraine.

Moscow's forces "control a large part of Severodonetsk. The industrial zone is still ours, there are no Russians there", Sergiy Gaiday, governor of the Lugansk region which includes the city, said on Telegram.

"The fighting is only going on in the streets inside the city," he added.

Earlier in the day, Gaiday said that Russia was shelling Severodonetsk "24 hours a day" and that Ukraine's forces might have to pull back. Russia has already claimed on Tuesday that it had full control of residential areas.

Watch | Ukraine’s food grain problem explained: How Kyiv can resume export

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Donbas region includes Donetsk and Luhansk and the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, which are separated by a river, were the last areas still under Ukrainian control.

Gaiday said that though Lysychansk remained fully under Ukrainian control it is under "powerful and chaotic" shelling. He accused Russian forces of purposely targetting hospitals and humanitarian aid distribution centres.

"The destruction is enormous," he added.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-winning-the-ukraine-war-486362">Who is winning the Ukraine war?</a>

The United Nation's secretary-general said Wednesday that 1.6 billion people were likely to be affected as the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine worsened.

"The war's impact on food security, energy and finance is systemic, severe, and speeding up," Guterres said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russian forces largely control the key eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, said the region's governor on Wednesday. Severodonetsk is a key city in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.

Russian forces largely control the key eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, said the region's governor on Wednesday. Severodonetsk is a key city in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Russia has concentrated its firepower on the Donbas region after being repelled from other regions of Ukraine. Moscow's forces "control a large part of Severodonetsk. The industrial zone is still ours, there are no Russians there", Sergiy Gaiday, governor of the Lugansk region which includes the city, said on Telegram. "The fighting is only going on in the streets inside the city," he added. Earlier in the day, Gaiday said that Russia was shelling Severodonetsk "24 hours a day" and that Ukraine's forces might have to pull back. Russia has already claimed on Tuesday that it had full control of residential areas. Watch | Ukraine’s food grain problem explained: How Kyiv can resume export × Donbas region includes Donetsk and Luhansk and the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, which are separated by a river, were the last areas still under Ukrainian control. Gaiday said that though Lysychansk remained fully under Ukrainian control it is under "powerful and chaotic" shelling. He accused Russian forces of purposely targetting hospitals and humanitarian aid distribution centres. "The destruction is enormous," he added. Also Read | Who is winning the Ukraine war? The United Nation's secretary-general said Wednesday that 1.6 billion people were likely to be affected as the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine worsened. "The war's impact on food security, energy and finance is systemic, severe, and speeding up," Guterres said. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Key city in Donbas is largely under Russian control, says Ukraine

Japan on Wednesday criticized Russia's announcement suspending an agreement that allows the Japanese to fish in waters near disputed southern Kuril islands, as relations between the countries deteriorate over the war in Ukraine.&nbsp;

“In the current situation, we are forced to suspend the implementation of the 1998 Agreement until the Japanese side fulfils all its financial obligations,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

The fishing deal has been in place since 1998, allowing Japanese fishing boats to operate around the Russian-held Kurils, which Japan also claims and calls the Northern Territories, in exchange for Japan's payment based on catch quota and other conditions negotiated annually.&nbsp;

A territorial dispute over the islands, known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories, dates back to the end of World War Two when Soviet troops seized them from Japan. The row has prevented the two countries from signing a formal peace treaty.

Its suspension, apparently in response to Japan's sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, raises concern about the safety of Japanese fishing boats in the area. Prior to the agreement, Russian authorities had seized and shot at Japanese boats.&nbsp;

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said it was "regrettable that Russia one-sidedly announced suspending the cooperation in this manner." He criticized Moscow for blaming Japan's failure to fund unrelated development projects on Sakhalin, the largest Russian island in the Pacific.&nbsp;

Matsuno said that Tokyo will pursue negotiations to ensure safe operations of Japanese boats under the pact.&nbsp; 
"We will do our utmost to protect the safety of the Japanese fishing operation," he said.&nbsp; 
The area is a rich fishing ground for pollack, Okhotsk mackerel and octopus.&nbsp;

The territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II. Russia has already scrapped peace treaty negotiations with Japan in response to the sanctions.&nbsp;

Matsuno criticized Moscow for linking Japan's failure to fund development projects on Sakhalin, which is not part of the territory claimed by Tokyo, to the fishing deal, "as if the Sakhalin projects are conditional to the fishing safety agreement."&nbsp;

Japan has provided development funds for Sakhalin for years as part of its effort to improve ties with Russia. Matsuno acknowledged that Tokyo had not provided its latest payment for Sakhalin projects, but it wasn't immediately clear if it was tied to the sanctions.&nbsp;

Japan quickly joined the United States and Europe in imposing sanctions against Russia and providing support for Ukraine. It fears the crisis may further embolden China to increase its assertiveness in the region.&nbsp;

[With inputs from agencies] 
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Japan on Wednesday criticized Russia's announcement suspending an agreement that allows the Japanese to fish in waters near disputed southern Kuril islands, as relations between the countries deteriorate over the war in Ukraine.

Japan on Wednesday criticized Russia's announcement suspending an agreement that allows the Japanese to fish in waters near disputed southern Kuril islands, as relations between the countries deteriorate over the war in Ukraine. “In the current situation, we are forced to suspend the implementation of the 1998 Agreement until the Japanese side fulfils all its financial obligations,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. The fishing deal has been in place since 1998, allowing Japanese fishing boats to operate around the Russian-held Kurils, which Japan also claims and calls the Northern Territories, in exchange for Japan's payment based on catch quota and other conditions negotiated annually. A territorial dispute over the islands, known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories, dates back to the end of World War Two when Soviet troops seized them from Japan. The row has prevented the two countries from signing a formal peace treaty. Its suspension, apparently in response to Japan's sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, raises concern about the safety of Japanese fishing boats in the area. Prior to the agreement, Russian authorities had seized and shot at Japanese boats. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said it was "regrettable that Russia one-sidedly announced suspending the cooperation in this manner." He criticized Moscow for blaming Japan's failure to fund unrelated development projects on Sakhalin, the largest Russian island in the Pacific. Matsuno said that Tokyo will pursue negotiations to ensure safe operations of Japanese boats under the pact. "We will do our utmost to protect the safety of the Japanese fishing operation," he said. The area is a rich fishing ground for pollack, Okhotsk mackerel and octopus. The territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II. Russia has already scrapped peace treaty negotiations with Japan in response to the sanctions. Matsuno criticized Moscow for linking Japan's failure to fund development projects on Sakhalin, which is not part of the territory claimed by Tokyo, to the fishing deal, "as if the Sakhalin projects are conditional to the fishing safety agreement." Japan has provided development funds for Sakhalin for years as part of its effort to improve ties with Russia. Matsuno acknowledged that Tokyo had not provided its latest payment for Sakhalin projects, but it wasn't immediately clear if it was tied to the sanctions. Japan quickly joined the United States and Europe in imposing sanctions against Russia and providing support for Ukraine. It fears the crisis may further embolden China to increase its assertiveness in the region. [With inputs from agencies] WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Japan calls out Russia over suspension of agreement that allows Japan to fish in southern Kuril islands

Over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered in Mariupol city and were captured have reportedly been sent to Russia for investigation, Tass News Agency reported quoting a Russian law enforcement source.

Over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered in Mariupol city and were captured have reportedly been sent to Russia for investigation, Tass News Agency reported quoting a Russian law enforcement source. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, close to 2400 people surrendered in total. If confirmed, the news can compromise the existing problematic peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Also read | Ukraine war: Turkiye backs Russian demand for grain exports As a part of a swap with Russia, Kyiv is seeking the return of all the estimated 2000 soldiers from the Azovstal plant, however, Russian lawmakers have demanded a few soldiers be put on trial. These soldiers spent several weeks caved up in the City's Azovstal steelworks before being taken as prisoners in the month of May. "Over 1,000 people from Azovstal have been transferred to Russia. Law enforcement officers are working with them. Investigators also plan to send a number of other captives to Russia in the future, following a series of face-to-face confrontations," Tass quoted the source. Also read | Ukraine-Russia conflict: Russian assault on Severodonetsk continues Citing the source the agency added that close to 100 people, "including foreign mercenaries who surrendered in Mariupol," are presently in Moscow. There have been no official comments or statements obtained currently from the investigation and law-enforcement bodies. This comes after the bodies of soldiers who were killed while defending the major south eastern port of Mariupol city were returned to Kyiv by Russia. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

More than 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners sent to Russia for investigation

Former German chancellor Angela&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;on Tuesday defended her years-long policy of detente towards Moscow, saying she had "nothing to apologise for" even as the Ukraine war casts a pall on her legacy.

In her first major interview since stepping down six months ago,&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;insisted she had not been naive in her dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Diplomacy isn't wrong just because it hasn't worked," the 67-year-old said on stage in a Berlin theatre, in an interview broadcast on the Phoenix news channel.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/merkels-party-on-track-to-win-regional-elections-in-north-germany-477351">Merkel's party on track to win regional elections in North Germany</a>

She recalled her support for economic sanctions against Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea, and the German-French efforts to keep the Minsk peace process for Ukraine alive.&nbsp;

"I don't have to blame myself for not trying hard enough," the conservative ex-chancellor said.

"I don't see that I&nbsp;have to say 'that was wrong' and that's why I have nothing to apologise for."

The veteran leader, who frequently met with Putin during her 16 years in power and championed a commerce-driven, pragmatic approach towards Moscow, said the February 24 invasion of Ukraine had marked a "turning point".

'Wants to destroy Europe'

There was "no justification whatsoever" for the "brutal" and illegal war of aggression, she said, adding that Putin had made "a big mistake".

"He wants to destroy Europe," she warned. "It's very important for the European Union to stick together now."

But she batted away criticism that she had been wrong to block Ukraine from joining NATO in 2008, saying it was not ready then and she wanted to avoid "further escalation" with Putin, who was already seething about the military alliance's perceived eastward expansion.

She also insisted that the 2014-2015 Minsk peace pacts, which now lie in tatters, were at the time seen as the best bet to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian soldiers.

The peace process "brought some calm" that gave Ukraine an extra seven years to develop as a democracy and strengthen its military, she said, in a nod to Kyiv's much praised resistance against the invading Russian troops.

"The courage and passion with which they are fighting for their country is very impressive," Merkel said, adding she had "the highest respect" for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

But Merkel insisted there was no way to avoid dealing with Putin because Russia, like China, was too big to ignore.

"We have to find a way to co-exist despite all our differences," she said.

'Language of strength'&nbsp;

Confronted with criticism of the "change through trade" policy pushed by successive German governments, Merkel said she was never under the illusion that closer trade links would spur democratic reforms in Russia.

"I never thought Putin would change through trade," she said. But in the absence of a political rapprochement, "having some economic ties makes sense".

Germany became hugely reliant on Russian energy imports on Merkel's watch, and she long irked Western allies with her backing for the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline that was to double Russian gas deliveries to Germany.

The project was shelved by current Chancellor Olaf Scholz in late February over Russia's aggression, and Europe's top economy is now joining EU partners in a race to wean itself off Russian oil, gas and coal.

In another major reversal, Scholz has pledged to invest 100 billion euros ($107 billion) in modernising Germany's military, seen as chronically underfunded during the Merkel era.

Scholz, a Social Democrat who served as finance minister in Merkel's last coalition government, has also vowed to spend more than two percent of annual gross domestic product on defence, surpassing NATO's target.

Merkel voiced support for her successor's decisions, saying strength was "the only language Putin understands".

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/angela-merkel-rejects-zelenskys-criticism-stands-by-her-decision-to-block-ukraine-from-nato-468690">&nbsp;Angela Merkel rejects Zelensky's criticism, stands by her decision to block Ukraine from NATO</a>

During the interview, Merkel -- who remains hugely popular in Germany -- also offered a rare glimpse into her private life since retiring, spending time on her own on the Baltic Sea coast, taking walks and catching up on her reading.

After 30 years in politics, Merkel said she was enjoying not having to rush from appointment to appointment.

"Personally, I'm doing well," she told the audience, even if she felt sombre about the war in Ukraine, "like so many people".&nbsp;

"I had imagined my time after leaving office a bit differently," Merkel said.

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Former German chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday defended her years-long policy of detente towards Moscow, saying she had "nothing to apologise for" even as the Ukraine war casts a pall on her legacy.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday defended her years-long policy of detente towards Moscow, saying she had "nothing to apologise for" even as the Ukraine war casts a pall on her legacy. In her first major interview since stepping down six months ago, Merkel insisted she had not been naive in her dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Diplomacy isn't wrong just because it hasn't worked," the 67-year-old said on stage in a Berlin theatre, in an interview broadcast on the Phoenix news channel. Also read | Merkel's party on track to win regional elections in North Germany She recalled her support for economic sanctions against Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea, and the German-French efforts to keep the Minsk peace process for Ukraine alive. "I don't have to blame myself for not trying hard enough," the conservative ex-chancellor said. "I don't see that I have to say 'that was wrong' and that's why I have nothing to apologise for." The veteran leader, who frequently met with Putin during her 16 years in power and championed a commerce-driven, pragmatic approach towards Moscow, said the February 24 invasion of Ukraine had marked a "turning point". 'Wants to destroy Europe' There was "no justification whatsoever" for the "brutal" and illegal war of aggression, she said, adding that Putin had made "a big mistake". "He wants to destroy Europe," she warned. "It's very important for the European Union to stick together now." But she batted away criticism that she had been wrong to block Ukraine from joining NATO in 2008, saying it was not ready then and she wanted to avoid "further escalation" with Putin, who was already seething about the military alliance's perceived eastward expansion. She also insisted that the 2014-2015 Minsk peace pacts, which now lie in tatters, were at the time seen as the best bet to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian soldiers. The peace process "brought some calm" that gave Ukraine an extra seven years to develop as a democracy and strengthen its military, she said, in a nod to Kyiv's much praised resistance against the invading Russian troops. "The courage and passion with which they are fighting for their country is very impressive," Merkel said, adding she had "the highest respect" for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. But Merkel insisted there was no way to avoid dealing with Putin because Russia, like China, was too big to ignore. "We have to find a way to co-exist despite all our differences," she said. 'Language of strength' Confronted with criticism of the "change through trade" policy pushed by successive German governments, Merkel said she was never under the illusion that closer trade links would spur democratic reforms in Russia. "I never thought Putin would change through trade," she said. But in the absence of a political rapprochement, "having some economic ties makes sense". Germany became hugely reliant on Russian energy imports on Merkel's watch, and she long irked Western allies with her backing for the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline that was to double Russian gas deliveries to Germany. The project was shelved by current Chancellor Olaf Scholz in late February over Russia's aggression, and Europe's top economy is now joining EU partners in a race to wean itself off Russian oil, gas and coal. In another major reversal, Scholz has pledged to invest 100 billion euros ($107 billion) in modernising Germany's military, seen as chronically underfunded during the Merkel era. Scholz, a Social Democrat who served as finance minister in Merkel's last coalition government, has also vowed to spend more than two percent of annual gross domestic product on defence, surpassing NATO's target. Merkel voiced support for her successor's decisions, saying strength was "the only language Putin understands". Also read | Angela Merkel rejects Zelensky's criticism, stands by her decision to block Ukraine from NATO During the interview, Merkel -- who remains hugely popular in Germany -- also offered a rare glimpse into her private life since retiring, spending time on her own on the Baltic Sea coast, taking walks and catching up on her reading. After 30 years in politics, Merkel said she was enjoying not having to rush from appointment to appointment. "Personally, I'm doing well," she told the audience, even if she felt sombre about the war in Ukraine, "like so many people". "I had imagined my time after leaving office a bit differently," Merkel said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Merkel defends Russia legacy, says 'nothing to apologise for'

Microsoft&nbsp;Corp is substantially cutting its business in Russia in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier in March,&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;said it was suspending new sales of its products and services in Russia.

"More than 400 employees will be affected", said a company spokesperson.

Several major companies, including Apple Inc, Nike and Dell Technologies, have severed connections with Russia.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-google-and-microsoft-working-on-passwordless-future-477217">Apple, Google and Microsoft working on 'passwordless future'</a>

Watch |&nbsp;Microsoft warns of Forex hit, cuts 4th quarter forecast

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Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google have also taken measures to restrict Russian state media from making money off ads on their platforms.

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Microsoft Corp is substantially cutting its business in Russia in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Earlier in March, Microsoft said it was suspending new sales of its products and services in Russia.

Microsoft Corp is substantially cutting its business in Russia in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Earlier in March, Microsoft said it was suspending new sales of its products and services in Russia. "More than 400 employees will be affected", said a company spokesperson. Several major companies, including Apple Inc, Nike and Dell Technologies, have severed connections with Russia. Also read | Apple, Google and Microsoft working on 'passwordless future' Watch | Microsoft warns of Forex hit, cuts 4th quarter forecast Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google have also taken measures to restrict Russian state media from making money off ads on their platforms. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Microsoft cuts Russia operations due to Ukraine invasion

Russia claimed on Tuesday that it had taken control of residential neighbourhoods in Severodonetsk, a flashpoint city in eastern Ukraine. The city is a key hub in the eastern Donbas region.

Russian and Ukrainian forces have fought for weeks for the city but the battle grinds on. Civilians have been fleeing and about 800 have taken refuge in a chemical factory.

"The residential areas of the city of Severodonetsk have been fully liberated," Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

The Russian army was still seeking to establish control over the city's "industrial zone and the nearest settlements," he added.

'Heroic' defence underway, says Zelensky

<img alt="Donbas" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="028948c3-39f9-4246-89bc-a3293ba7c191" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_32C23TE.jpg" />

(Ukrainian troops repair a tank in this picture taken on June 7, 2022 in Donbas. Image: AFP)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a 'heroic' is going on in the Donbas region.

“The situation on the front lines hasn’t changed much over the last 24 hours. The absolutely heroic defence of Donbas is ongoing, the hot spots remain the same. First of all, Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Popasna. It is absolutely felt that the occupiers didn’t believe the resistance of our military would be so strong and now they are trying to bring in new resources towards the Donbas. It is the same in Kherson - they are bringing in new units to stifle our actions," he said. He was quoted by Reuters.

After failing to capture Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Russia has focussed its firepower on Donbas region. Separatist elements in the region have long enjoyed support from Russia.

World Bank okays fresh funds for Ukraine

The executive board of the World Bank on Tuesday approved USD 1.49 billion of additional funds for Ukraine to help the country pay wages for government and social workers. These fresh funds have expanded the bank's total pledged support to over $4 billion

The World Bank said in a statement that the latest funding is supported by financing guarantees from Britain, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Latvia. The project is also being supported by parallel financing from Italy and contributions from a new Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russia claimed on Tuesday that it had taken control of residential neighbourhoods in Severodonetsk, a flashpoint city in eastern Ukraine. The city is a key hub in the eastern Donbas region.

Russia claimed on Tuesday that it had taken control of residential neighbourhoods in Severodonetsk, a flashpoint city in eastern Ukraine. The city is a key hub in the eastern Donbas region. Russian and Ukrainian forces have fought for weeks for the city but the battle grinds on. Civilians have been fleeing and about 800 have taken refuge in a chemical factory. "The residential areas of the city of Severodonetsk have been fully liberated," Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said. The Russian army was still seeking to establish control over the city's "industrial zone and the nearest settlements," he added. 'Heroic' defence underway, says Zelensky (Ukrainian troops repair a tank in this picture taken on June 7, 2022 in Donbas. Image: AFP) Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a 'heroic' is going on in the Donbas region. “The situation on the front lines hasn’t changed much over the last 24 hours. The absolutely heroic defence of Donbas is ongoing, the hot spots remain the same. First of all, Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Popasna. It is absolutely felt that the occupiers didn’t believe the resistance of our military would be so strong and now they are trying to bring in new resources towards the Donbas. It is the same in Kherson - they are bringing in new units to stifle our actions," he said. He was quoted by Reuters. After failing to capture Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Russia has focussed its firepower on Donbas region. Separatist elements in the region have long enjoyed support from Russia. World Bank okays fresh funds for Ukraine The executive board of the World Bank on Tuesday approved USD 1.49 billion of additional funds for Ukraine to help the country pay wages for government and social workers. These fresh funds have expanded the bank's total pledged support to over $4 billion The World Bank said in a statement that the latest funding is supported by financing guarantees from Britain, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Latvia. The project is also being supported by parallel financing from Italy and contributions from a new Multi-Donor Trust Fund. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russia claims progress, Zelensky says 'heroic' defence underway in Donbas

US and European acquiescence in Turkey's long-standing refusal to honour Kurdish ethnic, cultural, and political rights has come home to roost with Turkish opposition to Finnish and Swedish NATO membership.

The opposition has sparked debates about Turkey's controversial place in the North Atlantic defense alliance.

Turkey’s detractors point to its problematic military intervention in Syria, relations with Russia, refusal to sanction Moscow, and alleged fuelling of tension in the eastern Mediterranean, calling the country’s NATO membership into question.

Its defenders note that Turkey, NATO’s second-largest standing military, is key to maintaining the alliance’s southern flank. Also, Turkey’s geography, population size, economy, military power, and cultural links to a Turkic world make it a critical link between Europe and Asia. In addition, Turkish drones have been vital in Ukraine's war with Russia, while Turkey has been a mediator in the conflict, albeit with limited success.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-foreign-minister-visits-turkey-to-discuss-ukraine-grain-exports-486080">Russian foreign minister visits Turkey to discuss Ukraine grain exports</a>

Kurdish rights hardly figure in the debates, and if they do, only as a prop for taking Turkey to task for its slide into authoritarianism.

An ethnic group spread across southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northern Syria, and western Iran, Kurds are seen at best as assets in the fight against the Islamic State and at worst a threat to Turkish security and territorial integrity. Turkey's estimated 16 million Kurds account for up to 20 per cent of the country's population.

Turkey, or Turkiye as it wants to be known going forward, has used the security argument to make its agreement to Swedish and Finnish NATO membership dependent on the two Nordic countries effectively accepting its definition of terrorism as including any national expression of Kurdish identity.

Turkey has demanded that Sweden and Finland extradite 33 people, some of whom are Swedish or Finnish nationals, because of their alleged support for the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) or exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds responsible for a failed military coup in 2016.

Turkey accuses the two Nordic countries of allowing the PKK to organize on their territory. Alongside the United States and the European Union, Turkey has designated the PKK as a terrorist organisation. The PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency against Turkey in which tens of thousands have been killed.

Turkey also wants Sweden and Finland to support its military operation against the People's Protection Units (YPG), a US-backed Syrian Kurdish group that played a crucial role in defeating the Islamic State. Turkey asserts that the YPG is an extension of the PKK.

Mr. Erdogan recently announced that Turkey would launch a new military operation to extend the Turkish armed forces' areas of control in Syria to a 30-kilometer swath of land along the two countries shared border. The offensive would target the YPG in the towns of Tel Rifaat and Manbij and possibly Kobani, Ain Issa, and Tell Tamer.

Watch | Ankara renews military offensive threats; Russia warns Turkiye against Syrian offensive

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Past US and European failure to stand up for Kurdish rights, as part of Turkey's need to meet the criteria for NATO membership that include "fair treatment of minority populations," has complicated the fight against the Islamic State, stymied Kurdish aspirations beyond Turkey's borders and enabled repression of Kurdish rights in Turkey.

More immediately, the failure to hold Turkey accountable for its repression of Kurdish ethnic and political rights within the framework of the Turkish state has enabled Ankara to establish Turkish policies as a condition for NATO membership even if they violate NATO membership criteria.

Those policies include defining the peaceful expression of Kurdish identity as terrorism and the rolling back of Kurdish language and cultural rights since the collapse in 2015 of peace talks with the PKK. Turkey lifted the ban on Kurdish languages and the word Kurd in 1991. Until then, Kurds were referred to as ‘mountain Turks.’

The governor of the southeastern Turkish province of Diyarbakir, widely seen as a hub of Kurdish cultural and political activity, forced this writer under treat of death to leave the region for using the word Kurd rather than mountain Turk in interviews in the 1980s.

Kurdish language programs in universities have dwindled in recent years amid administrative hurdles, while Kurdish parents complain of pressure not to enroll their children in elective Kurdish courses.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-walks-out-of-security-council-meeting-after-eu-blames-kremlin-for-looming-food-crisis-485958">Russia walks out of Security Council meeting after EU blames Kremlin for looming food crisis</a>

Most Kurdish-language services and activities created by local administrations were terminated by government-appointed trustees who replaced dozens of Kurdish mayors ousted by Ankara for alleged links to the PKK. Many of the ousted mayors and other leading Kurdish politicians remain behind bars.

The failure to take Turkey to task early on takes on added significance at a time when NATO casts the war in Ukraine as a battle of values and of democracy versus autocracy that will shape the contours of a 21st-century world order.

For his part, US President Joe Biden has sought to regain the moral high ground in the wake of the Trump presidency that broke with American liberalism by declaring “America is back” in the struggle for democratic and human rights.

Mr. Biden and Europe’s problem is that their credibility rides on cleaning up at home and ensuring that they are seen as sincere rather than hypocritical.

That’s a tall order amid assertions of structural racism on both sides of the Atlantic; controversy over gun ownership in the United States; preferential arrangements for Ukrainian refugees as opposed to non-Europeans and non-whites fleeing war, persecution, and destruction; and foreign policies that treat violations of human and political rights differently depending on who commits them.

The obvious place to start is at home. Kurds could be another starting point, with Finnish and Swedish NATO membership on the front burner. Meeting Turkish demands regarding perpetrators of political violence is one thing; acquiescing in the criminalization of legitimate Kurdish political and cultural expression is another.

That may be a tough bargain to drive home in Ankara. However, it would offer a compromise formula that could serve everyone’s interest and help Turkey solve a problem that promises to be one of the Middle East’s multiple exploding powder kegs.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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US and European acquiescence in Turkey's long-standing refusal to honour Kurdish ethnic, cultural, and political rights has come home to roost with Turkish opposition to Finnish and Swedish NATO membership.

US and European acquiescence in Turkey's long-standing refusal to honour Kurdish ethnic, cultural, and political rights has come home to roost with Turkish opposition to Finnish and Swedish NATO membership. The opposition has sparked debates about Turkey's controversial place in the North Atlantic defense alliance. Turkey’s detractors point to its problematic military intervention in Syria, relations with Russia, refusal to sanction Moscow, and alleged fuelling of tension in the eastern Mediterranean, calling the country’s NATO membership into question. Its defenders note that Turkey, NATO’s second-largest standing military, is key to maintaining the alliance’s southern flank. Also, Turkey’s geography, population size, economy, military power, and cultural links to a Turkic world make it a critical link between Europe and Asia. In addition, Turkish drones have been vital in Ukraine's war with Russia, while Turkey has been a mediator in the conflict, albeit with limited success. Also Read | Russian foreign minister visits Turkey to discuss Ukraine grain exports Kurdish rights hardly figure in the debates, and if they do, only as a prop for taking Turkey to task for its slide into authoritarianism. An ethnic group spread across southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northern Syria, and western Iran, Kurds are seen at best as assets in the fight against the Islamic State and at worst a threat to Turkish security and territorial integrity. Turkey's estimated 16 million Kurds account for up to 20 per cent of the country's population. Turkey, or Turkiye as it wants to be known going forward, has used the security argument to make its agreement to Swedish and Finnish NATO membership dependent on the two Nordic countries effectively accepting its definition of terrorism as including any national expression of Kurdish identity. Turkey has demanded that Sweden and Finland extradite 33 people, some of whom are Swedish or Finnish nationals, because of their alleged support for the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) or exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds responsible for a failed military coup in 2016. Turkey accuses the two Nordic countries of allowing the PKK to organize on their territory. Alongside the United States and the European Union, Turkey has designated the PKK as a terrorist organisation. The PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency against Turkey in which tens of thousands have been killed. Turkey also wants Sweden and Finland to support its military operation against the People's Protection Units (YPG), a US-backed Syrian Kurdish group that played a crucial role in defeating the Islamic State. Turkey asserts that the YPG is an extension of the PKK. Mr. Erdogan recently announced that Turkey would launch a new military operation to extend the Turkish armed forces' areas of control in Syria to a 30-kilometer swath of land along the two countries shared border. The offensive would target the YPG in the towns of Tel Rifaat and Manbij and possibly Kobani, Ain Issa, and Tell Tamer. Watch | Ankara renews military offensive threats; Russia warns Turkiye against Syrian offensive × Past US and European failure to stand up for Kurdish rights, as part of Turkey's need to meet the criteria for NATO membership that include "fair treatment of minority populations," has complicated the fight against the Islamic State, stymied Kurdish aspirations beyond Turkey's borders and enabled repression of Kurdish rights in Turkey. More immediately, the failure to hold Turkey accountable for its repression of Kurdish ethnic and political rights within the framework of the Turkish state has enabled Ankara to establish Turkish policies as a condition for NATO membership even if they violate NATO membership criteria. Those policies include defining the peaceful expression of Kurdish identity as terrorism and the rolling back of Kurdish language and cultural rights since the collapse in 2015 of peace talks with the PKK. Turkey lifted the ban on Kurdish languages and the word Kurd in 1991. Until then, Kurds were referred to as ‘mountain Turks.’ The governor of the southeastern Turkish province of Diyarbakir, widely seen as a hub of Kurdish cultural and political activity, forced this writer under treat of death to leave the region for using the word Kurd rather than mountain Turk in interviews in the 1980s. Kurdish language programs in universities have dwindled in recent years amid administrative hurdles, while Kurdish parents complain of pressure not to enroll their children in elective Kurdish courses. Also Read | Russia walks out of Security Council meeting after EU blames Kremlin for looming food crisis Most Kurdish-language services and activities created by local administrations were terminated by government-appointed trustees who replaced dozens of Kurdish mayors ousted by Ankara for alleged links to the PKK. Many of the ousted mayors and other leading Kurdish politicians remain behind bars. The failure to take Turkey to task early on takes on added significance at a time when NATO casts the war in Ukraine as a battle of values and of democracy versus autocracy that will shape the contours of a 21st-century world order. For his part, US President Joe Biden has sought to regain the moral high ground in the wake of the Trump presidency that broke with American liberalism by declaring “America is back” in the struggle for democratic and human rights. Mr. Biden and Europe’s problem is that their credibility rides on cleaning up at home and ensuring that they are seen as sincere rather than hypocritical. That’s a tall order amid assertions of structural racism on both sides of the Atlantic; controversy over gun ownership in the United States; preferential arrangements for Ukrainian refugees as opposed to non-Europeans and non-whites fleeing war, persecution, and destruction; and foreign policies that treat violations of human and political rights differently depending on who commits them. The obvious place to start is at home. Kurds could be another starting point, with Finnish and Swedish NATO membership on the front burner. Meeting Turkish demands regarding perpetrators of political violence is one thing; acquiescing in the criminalization of legitimate Kurdish political and cultural expression is another. That may be a tough bargain to drive home in Ankara. However, it would offer a compromise formula that could serve everyone’s interest and help Turkey solve a problem that promises to be one of the Middle East’s multiple exploding powder kegs. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Double standards haunt US and Europe in NATO dispute with Turkey

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tueday began his two-day visit to Turkey for talks over unblocking grain export from Ukraine. Food grain exports from Ukraine are currently facing hurdles due to ongoing Russian invasion. Ukraine is often called 'breadbasket of Europe' and stalled grain exports are likely to cause a wider food crisis in the world.

Lavrov was forced to cancel a visit to Serbia on Monday after several of its neighbours prevented his plane from passing through their airspace.&nbsp;

Following the request of United Nations, Turkey has agreed to provide services to escort maritime convoys from ports of Ukraine. There are mines in the waterways. Some of them have been detected near the Turkish coast.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergeo Lavrov is accompanied by a military delegation and he is due to meet his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday.

This is Lavrov's second Turkey visit. On March 10, he met Cavusoglu and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Negotiations will mainly circle around opening of a security corridor in order to ship grains from Ukraine.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-walks-out-of-security-council-meeting-after-eu-blames-kremlin-for-looming-food-crisis-485958">Russia walks out of Security Council meeting after EU blames Kremlin for looming food crisis</a>

An agreement between Ankara and Kyiv was hinted by Turkish Agriculture Minister Vahit Kirisci, said local media.

"But they (Ukrainians) have a dilemma about security and export. They want us to be the arbitrator here as Turkey. Negotiations continue under the auspices of the UN," he was quoted as saying.

"Both Russia and Ukraine trust us."

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement it "appreciates Turkey's efforts aimed at unblocking Ukrainian ports" but added that "for the moment there is no agreement on this point between Ukraine, Turkey and Russia."

"Decisions must be taken with the participation of all parties concerned", the ministry said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tueday began his two-day visit to Turkey for talks over unblocking grain export from Ukraine. Food grain exports from Ukraine are currently facing hurdles due to ongoing Russian invasion.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tueday began his two-day visit to Turkey for talks over unblocking grain export from Ukraine. Food grain exports from Ukraine are currently facing hurdles due to ongoing Russian invasion. Ukraine is often called 'breadbasket of Europe' and stalled grain exports are likely to cause a wider food crisis in the world. Lavrov was forced to cancel a visit to Serbia on Monday after several of its neighbours prevented his plane from passing through their airspace. Following the request of United Nations, Turkey has agreed to provide services to escort maritime convoys from ports of Ukraine. There are mines in the waterways. Some of them have been detected near the Turkish coast. Russian Foreign Minister Sergeo Lavrov is accompanied by a military delegation and he is due to meet his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday. This is Lavrov's second Turkey visit. On March 10, he met Cavusoglu and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Negotiations will mainly circle around opening of a security corridor in order to ship grains from Ukraine. Also Read | Russia walks out of Security Council meeting after EU blames Kremlin for looming food crisis An agreement between Ankara and Kyiv was hinted by Turkish Agriculture Minister Vahit Kirisci, said local media. "But they (Ukrainians) have a dilemma about security and export. They want us to be the arbitrator here as Turkey. Negotiations continue under the auspices of the UN," he was quoted as saying. "Both Russia and Ukraine trust us." The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement it "appreciates Turkey's efforts aimed at unblocking Ukrainian ports" but added that "for the moment there is no agreement on this point between Ukraine, Turkey and Russia." "Decisions must be taken with the participation of all parties concerned", the ministry said. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russian foreign minister visits Turkey to discuss Ukraine grain exports

Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday (June 6) that Moscow had imposed personal sanctions on 61 US officials. Those under sanctions include US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and more including those is USA's defense sector and media.

Personal sanctions would mean that these people will be banned from entering Russia. The ministry said that the sanctions were imposed in retaliation for "constantly expanding U.S. sanctions against Russian political and public figures, as well as representatives of domestic business."

The ministry added that the individuals under sanctions include heads of leading military-industrial corporations, media platforms, rating agencies and aircraft and shipbuilding companies, as well as individual US State Department officials. These officials, as per the Russian ministry, were "involved in fake reports about 'malicious' Russian cyber attacks"

Here are some of the names against whom sanctions have been imposed by Russia

<ul>
	<li>US Trade Representative Katherine Tai</li>
	<li>Edward Bastian, chief executive of Delta Air Lines</li>
	<li>White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield</li>
	<li>White House Budget director Shalanda Young</li>
	<li>James O'Brien, head of the State Department Office of Sanctions Coordination</li>
	<li>Nw York Stock Exchange Chairman Jeffrey Sprecher</li>
	<li>Fitch Group President and Chief Executive Paul Taylor</li>
</ul>

Relations between the US and Russia are streched currently particularly over Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US and the western countries have already imposed sanctions on Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday (June 6) that Moscow had imposed personal sanctions on 61 US officials. Those under sanctions include US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and more including those is USA's defense sector and media.

Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday (June 6) that Moscow had imposed personal sanctions on 61 US officials. Those under sanctions include US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and more including those is USA's defense sector and media. Personal sanctions would mean that these people will be banned from entering Russia. The ministry said that the sanctions were imposed in retaliation for "constantly expanding U.S. sanctions against Russian political and public figures, as well as representatives of domestic business." The ministry added that the individuals under sanctions include heads of leading military-industrial corporations, media platforms, rating agencies and aircraft and shipbuilding companies, as well as individual US State Department officials. These officials, as per the Russian ministry, were "involved in fake reports about 'malicious' Russian cyber attacks" Here are some of the names against whom sanctions have been imposed by Russia US Trade Representative Katherine Tai Edward Bastian, chief executive of Delta Air Lines White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield White House Budget director Shalanda Young James O'Brien, head of the State Department Office of Sanctions Coordination Nw York Stock Exchange Chairman Jeffrey Sprecher Fitch Group President and Chief Executive Paul Taylor Relations between the US and Russia are streched currently particularly over Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US and the western countries have already imposed sanctions on Russia. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russia announces personal sanctions on 61 top US officials

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday (June 6) called reports of Russia stealing Ukrainian grain 'credible. This allegation has already been made by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"There are credible reports... that Russia is pilfering Ukraine's grain exports to sell for its own profit," Blinken said at a State Department conference on food security issues arising from the invasion of Ukraine.

"Now, Russia is hoarding its food exports as well," Blinken added, outlining the reasons for the sharp surge in global prices for wheat and other grains, and looming shortages.

Blinken noted that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was having 'devastating impact on global food security since Ukraine was "one of the breadbaskets of the world"

The New York Times reported Monday that a number of freight vessels have departed Russia-controlled ports with what US officials have described as "stolen Ukrainian grain."

The report said that the United States has alerted 14 countries, mostly in Africa, about the shipments, as many of them are dependent on grain imports and already face severely constrained supplies.&nbsp;

Pics | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russia-ukraine-conflict-finnish-women-take-up-weapons-just-in-case-of-an-attack-485722">Russia-Ukraine conflict: Finnish women take up weapons 'just in case' of an attack</a>

Blinken said that Russian navy was taking effort to 'blackmail' the world in supporting Russia's war by blocking grain carriers from leaving the Black Sea port of Odessa.

"Right now a Russian naval blockade in the Black Sea is preventing Ukraine's crops from being shipped to their normal destinations," he said.

"There is somewhere around 20 million tonnes of wheat that is trapped in silos near Odessa, and in ships literally filled with grain that are stuck in the Odessa port because of this Russian blockade."

Blinken said it was a deliberate strategy by Russian President Vladimir Putin to force the rest of the world "to give in to him," and eliminate sanctions on russia.

"In other words, quite simply put, it's blackmail," Blinken said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday (June 6) called reports of Russia stealing Ukrainian grain 'credible. This allegation has already been made by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday (June 6) called reports of Russia stealing Ukrainian grain 'credible. This allegation has already been made by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. "There are credible reports... that Russia is pilfering Ukraine's grain exports to sell for its own profit," Blinken said at a State Department conference on food security issues arising from the invasion of Ukraine. "Now, Russia is hoarding its food exports as well," Blinken added, outlining the reasons for the sharp surge in global prices for wheat and other grains, and looming shortages. Blinken noted that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was having 'devastating impact on global food security since Ukraine was "one of the breadbaskets of the world" The New York Times reported Monday that a number of freight vessels have departed Russia-controlled ports with what US officials have described as "stolen Ukrainian grain." The report said that the United States has alerted 14 countries, mostly in Africa, about the shipments, as many of them are dependent on grain imports and already face severely constrained supplies. Pics | Russia-Ukraine conflict: Finnish women take up weapons 'just in case' of an attack Blinken said that Russian navy was taking effort to 'blackmail' the world in supporting Russia's war by blocking grain carriers from leaving the Black Sea port of Odessa. "Right now a Russian naval blockade in the Black Sea is preventing Ukraine's crops from being shipped to their normal destinations," he said. "There is somewhere around 20 million tonnes of wheat that is trapped in silos near Odessa, and in ships literally filled with grain that are stuck in the Odessa port because of this Russian blockade." Blinken said it was a deliberate strategy by Russian President Vladimir Putin to force the rest of the world "to give in to him," and eliminate sanctions on russia. "In other words, quite simply put, it's blackmail," Blinken said. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Reports of Russia stealing Ukraine grain 'credible', says Blinken

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Finnish women take up weapons 'just in case' of an attack

After Russia lodged a diplomatic protest over the confiscation of its plane, Sri Lanka's main airport on Saturday denied the island nation's government was behind a decision to detain an Aeroflot aircraft.

Following a directive from a court in the capital Colombo, the Airbus A330 was seized at the Bandaranaike International Airport after it arrived from Moscow.

"Aeroflot is suspending commercial flights to Colombo (Sri Lanka) for the immediate period due to an unreliable situation in terms of the airline’s unobstructed flights to Sri Lanka. The sales of tickets for flights to Colombo have been temporarily shut down,"&nbsp; the company said in a statement.

Russian state news agency TASS reported that flight SU289 was about to return to the Russian capital with 191 passengers and 13 crew aboard.

Russian foreign ministry has summoned Sri Lanka's top envoy to receive a "resolute protest" over the detention.

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Calling the dispute "purely of a commercial nature", Airport and Aviation Services, which runs Bandaranaike airport, said in a statement that it should not be subject to state involvement.

In response to a commercial dispute filing by Celestial Aviation Trading 10 Limited of Ireland, the plane was stopped on the orders of Colombo Commercial Court.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/sri-lanka-crisis-woman-auto-rickshaw-driver-stands-in-queue-for-petrol-483830" hreflang="en">Sri Lanka crisis: Woman rickshaw driver has to queue 12 hours, or more, for fuel</a>

While the aircraft's passengers have been booked into hotels, it is parked north of Colombo at Bandaranaike International Airport.

Following tough Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Aeroflot suspended all international flights in March.

After it resumed operations to Colombo in the following month, Russia's civil aviation body had recommended airlines operating rental planes registered in foreign countries cease international flights to avoid their seizure.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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After Russia lodged a diplomatic protest over the confiscation of its plane, Sri Lanka's main airport on Saturday denied the island nation's government was behind a decision to detain an Aeroflot aircraft.

After Russia lodged a diplomatic protest over the confiscation of its plane, Sri Lanka's main airport on Saturday denied the island nation's government was behind a decision to detain an Aeroflot aircraft. Following a directive from a court in the capital Colombo, the Airbus A330 was seized at the Bandaranaike International Airport after it arrived from Moscow. "Aeroflot is suspending commercial flights to Colombo (Sri Lanka) for the immediate period due to an unreliable situation in terms of the airline’s unobstructed flights to Sri Lanka. The sales of tickets for flights to Colombo have been temporarily shut down," the company said in a statement. Russian state news agency TASS reported that flight SU289 was about to return to the Russian capital with 191 passengers and 13 crew aboard. Russian foreign ministry has summoned Sri Lanka's top envoy to receive a "resolute protest" over the detention. Calling the dispute "purely of a commercial nature", Airport and Aviation Services, which runs Bandaranaike airport, said in a statement that it should not be subject to state involvement. In response to a commercial dispute filing by Celestial Aviation Trading 10 Limited of Ireland, the plane was stopped on the orders of Colombo Commercial Court. Also see | Sri Lanka crisis: Woman rickshaw driver has to queue 12 hours, or more, for fuel While the aircraft's passengers have been booked into hotels, it is parked north of Colombo at Bandaranaike International Airport. Following tough Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Aeroflot suspended all international flights in March. After it resumed operations to Colombo in the following month, Russia's civil aviation body had recommended airlines operating rental planes registered in foreign countries cease international flights to avoid their seizure. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

Sri Lanka denies detaining Russian plane after Moscow lodges diplomatic protest

Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkiye&nbsp;Vasyl Bodnar on Friday alleged that Russia was stealing Ukrainian grain and sending it abroad including to Turkey.

"Russia shamelessly steals Ukrainian grain and sends it overseas from Crimea, including to Turkey," said Ambassador Bodnar. He was quoted by AFP.

"We have asked for Turkey's help to resolve the issue," he added in a message on Twitter.

Ukraine has been a major exporter of wheat and sunflower oil. However, Russian invasion of the country has disrupted the export leading many to predict a global food crisis. Russian invasion started on February 24. The conflict has completed 100 days.

Watch | 100 days of the Russia-Ukraine war: No end in sight

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Turkiye&nbsp;has been doing a careful balancing act between Ukraine and Russia, it has cordial ties with both countries.

NATO member Turkiye&nbsp;has delivered combat drones to Ukraine and sought to act as mediator in the conflict, but has refrained from slapping sanctions on Russia on which it relies for grain and energy.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/victory-will-be-ours-says-ukraine-president-zelensky-on-100th-day-of-fight-with-russia-484883">'Victory will be ours,' says Ukraine President Zelensky on 100th day of fight with Russia</a>

At the request of United Nations, Turkiye&nbsp;has offered to to help secure maritime corridors for the export of Ukrainian grain.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to visit Turkiye&nbsp;on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-war-eu-bans-most-russian-oil-targets-putins-alleged-girlfriend-with-sanctions-484812">Ukraine war: EU bans most Russian oil, targets Putin's alleged girlfriend with sanctions</a>

Food prices have soared since the war began, with countries in Africa and the Middle East particularly at risk since grain cannot be delivered because of the Russian navy blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkiye Vasyl Bodnar on Friday alleged that Russia was stealing Ukrainian grain and sending it abroad including to Turkey. "Russia shamelessly steals Ukrainian grain and sends it overseas from Crimea, including to Turkey," said Ambassador Bodnar.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkiye Vasyl Bodnar on Friday alleged that Russia was stealing Ukrainian grain and sending it abroad including to Turkey. "Russia shamelessly steals Ukrainian grain and sends it overseas from Crimea, including to Turkey," said Ambassador Bodnar. He was quoted by AFP. "We have asked for Turkey's help to resolve the issue," he added in a message on Twitter. Ukraine has been a major exporter of wheat and sunflower oil. However, Russian invasion of the country has disrupted the export leading many to predict a global food crisis. Russian invasion started on February 24. The conflict has completed 100 days. Watch | 100 days of the Russia-Ukraine war: No end in sight × Turkiye has been doing a careful balancing act between Ukraine and Russia, it has cordial ties with both countries. NATO member Turkiye has delivered combat drones to Ukraine and sought to act as mediator in the conflict, but has refrained from slapping sanctions on Russia on which it relies for grain and energy. Also Read | 'Victory will be ours,' says Ukraine President Zelensky on 100th day of fight with Russia At the request of United Nations, Turkiye has offered to to help secure maritime corridors for the export of Ukrainian grain. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to visit Turkiye on Wednesday. Also Read | Ukraine war: EU bans most Russian oil, targets Putin's alleged girlfriend with sanctions Food prices have soared since the war began, with countries in Africa and the Middle East particularly at risk since grain cannot be delivered because of the Russian navy blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Ukraine envoy to Turkiye accuses Russia of stealing Ukrainian grain

The conflict in Ukraine entered 100th day on Friday (June 3) with Russian forces continuing to push for control of Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Less than 24 hours ago, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia now controlled 20 per cent of Ukraine.

After invading Ukraine on February 24, Russian forces rushed in the direction of Kyiv. However, their plans to capture the Ukrainian capital did not come to fruition. After being repelled from Ukraine and the surrounding region, Russia concentrated its firepower at Donbas region. Separatist elements in the region have long enjoyed support from Russia.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) chief Jens Stoltenberg met US President Joe Biden on Thursday. Following the talks, Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's allies needed to brace for a "war of attrition".

"Today, about 20 percent of our territory is under the control of the occupiers," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address to Luxembourg lawmakers.

Thousands of people have been killed and millions have been forced to flee since February 24.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-controls-about-20-per-cent-of-ukraine-says-president-volodymyr-zelensky-484449">Russia controls 'about 20 per cent' of Ukraine, says president Volodymyr Zelensky</a>

Zelensky has said that up to 100 Ukrainian soldiers were getting killed in eastern part of the country which is under Russian attack.

On the ground, street battles were raging in the industrial hub of Severodonetsk in Lugansk, part of the Donbas.

The strategic city is a key target for Moscow, which already controls 80 percent of the area, but Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday vowed Ukrainian forces would fight "until the end".

Severodonetsk's Azot factory, one of Europe's biggest chemical plants, was targeted by Russian soldiers who fired on one of its administrative buildings and a warehouse where methanol was stored.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The conflict in Ukraine entered 100th day on Friday (June 3) with Russian forces continuing to push for control of Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Less than 24 hours ago, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia now controlled 20 per cent of Ukraine.

The conflict in Ukraine entered 100th day on Friday (June 3) with Russian forces continuing to push for control of Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Less than 24 hours ago, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia now controlled 20 per cent of Ukraine. After invading Ukraine on February 24, Russian forces rushed in the direction of Kyiv. However, their plans to capture the Ukrainian capital did not come to fruition. After being repelled from Ukraine and the surrounding region, Russia concentrated its firepower at Donbas region. Separatist elements in the region have long enjoyed support from Russia. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) chief Jens Stoltenberg met US President Joe Biden on Thursday. Following the talks, Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's allies needed to brace for a "war of attrition". "Today, about 20 percent of our territory is under the control of the occupiers," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address to Luxembourg lawmakers. Thousands of people have been killed and millions have been forced to flee since February 24. Also Read | Russia controls 'about 20 per cent' of Ukraine, says president Volodymyr Zelensky Zelensky has said that up to 100 Ukrainian soldiers were getting killed in eastern part of the country which is under Russian attack. On the ground, street battles were raging in the industrial hub of Severodonetsk in Lugansk, part of the Donbas. The strategic city is a key target for Moscow, which already controls 80 percent of the area, but Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday vowed Ukrainian forces would fight "until the end". Severodonetsk's Azot factory, one of Europe's biggest chemical plants, was targeted by Russian soldiers who fired on one of its administrative buildings and a warehouse where methanol was stored. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Ukraine conflict enters 100th day, battle rages in Severodonetsk

Russian troops on Wednesday made progress towards gaining control of Severodonetsk, a major city in Ukraine's Luhansk province. Luhansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said that Russians had taken control of 70 per cent of the city and Ukrainian forces are withdrawing to prepared positions.

"If in two or three days, the Russians take control of Severodonetsk, they will install artillery and mortars and will bombard more intensely Lysychansk," the Ukrainian-held city across the river, he said on Telegram.

After failing to capture Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Russia has focussed its firepower on the eastern Donbas region where Russia supports proxy separatist elements. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that eastern campaign has had high cost with 60 to 100 soldiers dying each day.

"The situation in the east is very difficult," Zelensky told US newsgroup Newsmax.

With only Lysychansk remaining a pocket of resistance in the eastern Lugansk region, Severodonetsk has become a target of massive Russian firepower.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/antony-blinken-expects-many-months-of-russia-ukraine-conflict-484243">Antony Blinken expects 'many months' of Russia-Ukraine war</a>

Oleksander Motuzianyk, spokesman for Ukraine's defence ministry, said there was fighting in the streets in Severodonetsk and the Russians had reached the city centre.

"The Ukrainian armed forces are actively resisting them," he said.

In a boost for the outgunned Ukrainian military, President Joe Biden confirmed that longer-range weapons were on the way.

The new weapon is the Himars multiple launch rocket system, or MLRS, a mobile unit that can simultaneously launch multiple precision-guided missiles up to 80 kilometres (50 miles) away.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russian troops on Wednesday made progress towards gaining control of Severodonetsk, a major city in Ukraine's Luhansk province. Luhansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said that Russians had taken control of 70 per cent of the city and Ukrainian forces are withdrawing to prepared positions.

Russian troops on Wednesday made progress towards gaining control of Severodonetsk, a major city in Ukraine's Luhansk province. Luhansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said that Russians had taken control of 70 per cent of the city and Ukrainian forces are withdrawing to prepared positions. "If in two or three days, the Russians take control of Severodonetsk, they will install artillery and mortars and will bombard more intensely Lysychansk," the Ukrainian-held city across the river, he said on Telegram. After failing to capture Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Russia has focussed its firepower on the eastern Donbas region where Russia supports proxy separatist elements. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that eastern campaign has had high cost with 60 to 100 soldiers dying each day. "The situation in the east is very difficult," Zelensky told US newsgroup Newsmax. With only Lysychansk remaining a pocket of resistance in the eastern Lugansk region, Severodonetsk has become a target of massive Russian firepower. Also Read | Antony Blinken expects 'many months' of Russia-Ukraine war Oleksander Motuzianyk, spokesman for Ukraine's defence ministry, said there was fighting in the streets in Severodonetsk and the Russians had reached the city centre. "The Ukrainian armed forces are actively resisting them," he said. In a boost for the outgunned Ukrainian military, President Joe Biden confirmed that longer-range weapons were on the way. The new weapon is the Himars multiple launch rocket system, or MLRS, a mobile unit that can simultaneously launch multiple precision-guided missiles up to 80 kilometres (50 miles) away. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russia advances on Severodonetsk, troops fight in streets

In the Paris daily Le Figaro this month, Henri Guaino, a top adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy when he was president of France, warned that Europe’s countries, under the shortsighted leadership of the United States, were “sleepwalking” into war with Russia. Mr. Guaino was borrowing a metaphor that the historian Christopher Clark used to describe the origins of World War I.

Naturally, Mr. Guaino understands that Russia is most directly to blame for the present conflict in Ukraine. It was Russia that massed its troops on the frontier last fall and winter and — having demanded from NATO a number of Ukraine-related security guarantees that NATO rejected — began the shelling and killing on Feb. 24.

But the United States has helped turn this tragic, local and ambiguous conflict into a potential world conflagration. By misunderstanding the war’s logic, Mr. Guaino argues, the West, led by the Biden administration, is giving the conflict a momentum that may be impossible to stop.

He is right.

In 2014 the United States backed an uprising — in its final stages a violent uprising — against the legitimately elected Ukrainian government of Viktor Yanukovych, which was pro-Russian. (The corruption of Mr. Yanukovych’s government has been much adduced by the rebellion’s defenders, but corruption is a perennial Ukrainian problem, even today.) Russia, in turn, annexed Crimea, a historically Russian-speaking part of Ukraine that since the 18th century had been home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

One can argue about Russian claims to Crimea, but Russians take them seriously. Hundreds of thousands of Russian and Soviet fighters died defending the Crimean city of Sevastopol from European forces during two sieges — one during the Crimean War and one during World War II. In recent years, Russian control of Crimea has seemed to provide a stable regional arrangement: Russia’s European neighbors, at least, have let sleeping dogs lie.

But the United States never accepted the arrangement. On Nov. 10, 2021, the United States and Ukraine signed a “charter on strategic partnership” that called for Ukraine to join NATO, condemned “ongoing Russian aggression” and affirmed an “unwavering commitment” to the reintegration of Crimea into Ukraine.

That charter “convinced Russia that it must attack or be attacked,” Mr. Guaino wrote. “It is the ineluctable process of 1914 in all its terrifying purity.”

This is a faithful account of the war that President Vladimir Putin has claimed to be fighting. “There were constant supplies of the most modern military equipment,” Mr. Putin said at Russia’s annual Victory Parade on May 9, referring to the foreign arming of Ukraine. “The danger was growing every day.”

Whether he was right to worry about Russia’s security depends on one’s perspective. Western news reports tend to belittle him.

The rocky course of the war in Ukraine thus far has vindicated Mr. Putin’s diagnosis, if not his conduct. Though Ukraine’s military industry was important in Soviet times, by 2014 the country barely had a modern military at all. Oligarchs, not the state, armed and funded some of the militias sent to fight Russian-supported separatists in the east. The United States started arming and training Ukraine’s military, hesitantly at first under President Barack Obama. Modern hardware began flowing during the Trump administration, though, and today the country is armed to the teeth.

Since 2018, Ukraine has received U.S.-built Javelin antitank missiles, Czech artillery and Turkish Bayraktar drones and other NATO-interoperable weaponry. The United States and Canada have lately sent up-to-date British-designed M777 howitzers that fire GPS-guided Excalibur shells. President Biden just signed into law a $40 billion military aid package.

In this light, mockery of Russia’s battlefield performance is misplaced. Russia is not being stymied by a plucky agricultural country a third its size; it is holding its own, at least for now, against NATO’s advanced economic, cyber and battlefield weapons.

And this is where Mr. Guaino is correct to accuse the West of sleepwalking. The United States is trying to maintain the fiction that arming one’s allies is not the same thing as participating in combat.

In the information age, this distinction is growing more and more artificial. The United States has provided intelligence used to kill Russian generals. It obtained targeting information that helped to sink the Russian Black Sea missile cruiser the Moskva, an incident in which about 40 seamen were killed.

And the United States may be playing an even more direct role. There are thousands of foreign fighters in Ukraine. One volunteer spoke to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation this month of fighting alongside “friends” who “come from the Marines, from the States.” Just as it is easy to cross the line between being a weapons supplier and being a combatant, it is easy to cross the line from waging a proxy war to waging a secret war.

In a subtler way, a country trying to fight such a war risks being drawn from partial into full involvement by force of moral reasoning. Perhaps American officials justify exporting weaponry the way they justify budgeting it: It is so powerful that it is dissuasive. The money is well spent because it buys peace. Should bigger guns fail to dissuade, however, they lead to bigger wars.

A handful of people died in the Russian takeover of Crimea in 2014. But this time around, matched in weaponry — and even outmatched in some cases — Russia has reverted to a war of bombardment that looks more like World War II.

Even if we don’t accept Mr. Putin’s claim that America’s arming of Ukraine is the reason the war happened in the first place, it is certainly the reason the war has taken the kinetic, explosive, deadly form it has. Our role in this is not passive or incidental. We have given Ukrainians cause to believe they can prevail in a war of escalation.

Thousands of Ukrainians have died who likely would not have if the United States had stood aside. That naturally may create among American policymakers a sense of moral and political obligation — to stay the course, to escalate the conflict, to match any excess.

The United States has shown itself not just liable to escalate but also inclined to. In March, Mr. Biden invoked God before insisting that Mr. Putin “cannot remain in power.” In April, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s explained that the United States seeks to “see Russia weakened.”

Noam Chomsky warned against the paradoxical incentives of such “heroic pronouncements” in an April interview. “It may feel like Winston Churchill impersonations, very exciting,” he said. “But what they translate into is: Destroy Ukraine.”

For similar reasons Mr. Biden’s suggestion that Mr. Putin be tried for war crimes is an act of consummate irresponsibility. The charge is so serious that, once leveled, it discourages restraint; after all, a leader who commits one atrocity is no less a war criminal than one who commits a thousand. The effect, intended or not, is to foreclose any recourse to peace negotiations.

The situation on the battlefield in Ukraine has evolved to an awkward stage. Both Russia and Ukraine have suffered heavy losses. But each has made gains, too. Russia has a land bridge to Crimea and control of some of Ukraine’s most fertile agricultural lands and energy deposits, and in recent days has held the battlefield momentum. Ukraine, after a robust defense of its cities, can expect further NATO support, know-how and weaponry — a powerful incentive not to end the war anytime soon.

But if the war does not end soon, its dangers will increase. “Negotiations need to begin in the next two months,” the former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned last week, “before it creates upheavals and tensions that will not be easily overcome.” Calling for a return to the status quo ante bellum, he added, “Pursuing the war beyond that point would not be about the freedom of Ukraine but a new war against Russia itself.”

In this, Mr. Kissinger is on the same page as Mr. Guaino. “To make concessions to Russia would be submitting to aggression,” Mr. Guaino warned. “To make none would be submitting to insanity.”

The United States is making no concessions. That would be to lose face. There’s an election coming. So the administration is closing off avenues of negotiation and working to intensify the war. We’re in it to win it. With time, the huge import of deadly weaponry, including that from the newly authorized $40 billion allocation, could take the war to a different level. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine warned in an address to students this month that the bloodiest days of the war were coming.

In the Paris daily Le Figaro this month, Henri Guaino, a top adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy when he was president of France, warned that Europe’s countries, under the shortsighted leadership of the United States, were “sleepwalking” into war with Russia.

In the Paris daily Le Figaro this month, Henri Guaino, a top adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy when he was president of France, warned that Europe’s countries, under the shortsighted leadership of the United States, were “sleepwalking” into war with Russia. Mr. Guaino was borrowing a metaphor that the historian Christopher Clark used to describe the origins of World War I. Naturally, Mr. Guaino understands that Russia is most directly to blame for the present conflict in Ukraine. It was Russia that massed its troops on the frontier last fall and winter and — having demanded from NATO a number of Ukraine-related security guarantees that NATO rejected — began the shelling and killing on Feb. 24. But the United States has helped turn this tragic, local and ambiguous conflict into a potential world conflagration. By misunderstanding the war’s logic, Mr. Guaino argues, the West, led by the Biden administration, is giving the conflict a momentum that may be impossible to stop. He is right. In 2014 the United States backed an uprising — in its final stages a violent uprising — against the legitimately elected Ukrainian government of Viktor Yanukovych, which was pro-Russian. (The corruption of Mr. Yanukovych’s government has been much adduced by the rebellion’s defenders, but corruption is a perennial Ukrainian problem, even today.) Russia, in turn, annexed Crimea, a historically Russian-speaking part of Ukraine that since the 18th century had been home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. One can argue about Russian claims to Crimea, but Russians take them seriously. Hundreds of thousands of Russian and Soviet fighters died defending the Crimean city of Sevastopol from European forces during two sieges — one during the Crimean War and one during World War II. In recent years, Russian control of Crimea has seemed to provide a stable regional arrangement: Russia’s European neighbors, at least, have let sleeping dogs lie. But the United States never accepted the arrangement. On Nov. 10, 2021, the United States and Ukraine signed a “charter on strategic partnership” that called for Ukraine to join NATO, condemned “ongoing Russian aggression” and affirmed an “unwavering commitment” to the reintegration of Crimea into Ukraine. That charter “convinced Russia that it must attack or be attacked,” Mr. Guaino wrote. “It is the ineluctable process of 1914 in all its terrifying purity.” This is a faithful account of the war that President Vladimir Putin has claimed to be fighting. “There were constant supplies of the most modern military equipment,” Mr. Putin said at Russia’s annual Victory Parade on May 9, referring to the foreign arming of Ukraine. “The danger was growing every day.” Whether he was right to worry about Russia’s security depends on one’s perspective. Western news reports tend to belittle him. The rocky course of the war in Ukraine thus far has vindicated Mr. Putin’s diagnosis, if not his conduct. Though Ukraine’s military industry was important in Soviet times, by 2014 the country barely had a modern military at all. Oligarchs, not the state, armed and funded some of the militias sent to fight Russian-supported separatists in the east. The United States started arming and training Ukraine’s military, hesitantly at first under President Barack Obama. Modern hardware began flowing during the Trump administration, though, and today the country is armed to the teeth. Since 2018, Ukraine has received U.S.-built Javelin antitank missiles, Czech artillery and Turkish Bayraktar drones and other NATO-interoperable weaponry. The United States and Canada have lately sent up-to-date British-designed M777 howitzers that fire GPS-guided Excalibur shells. President Biden just signed into law a $40 billion military aid package. In this light, mockery of Russia’s battlefield performance is misplaced. Russia is not being stymied by a plucky agricultural country a third its size; it is holding its own, at least for now, against NATO’s advanced economic, cyber and battlefield weapons. And this is where Mr. Guaino is correct to accuse the West of sleepwalking. The United States is trying to maintain the fiction that arming one’s allies is not the same thing as participating in combat. In the information age, this distinction is growing more and more artificial. The United States has provided intelligence used to kill Russian generals. It obtained targeting information that helped to sink the Russian Black Sea missile cruiser the Moskva, an incident in which about 40 seamen were killed. And the United States may be playing an even more direct role. There are thousands of foreign fighters in Ukraine. One volunteer spoke to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation this month of fighting alongside “friends” who “come from the Marines, from the States.” Just as it is easy to cross the line between being a weapons supplier and being a combatant, it is easy to cross the line from waging a proxy war to waging a secret war. In a subtler way, a country trying to fight such a war risks being drawn from partial into full involvement by force of moral reasoning. Perhaps American officials justify exporting weaponry the way they justify budgeting it: It is so powerful that it is dissuasive. The money is well spent because it buys peace. Should bigger guns fail to dissuade, however, they lead to bigger wars. A handful of people died in the Russian takeover of Crimea in 2014. But this time around, matched in weaponry — and even outmatched in some cases — Russia has reverted to a war of bombardment that looks more like World War II. Even if we don’t accept Mr. Putin’s claim that America’s arming of Ukraine is the reason the war happened in the first place, it is certainly the reason the war has taken the kinetic, explosive, deadly form it has. Our role in this is not passive or incidental. We have given Ukrainians cause to believe they can prevail in a war of escalation. Thousands of Ukrainians have died who likely would not have if the United States had stood aside. That naturally may create among American policymakers a sense of moral and political obligation — to stay the course, to escalate the conflict, to match any excess. The United States has shown itself not just liable to escalate but also inclined to. In March, Mr. Biden invoked God before insisting that Mr. Putin “cannot remain in power.” In April, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s explained that the United States seeks to “see Russia weakened.” Noam Chomsky warned against the paradoxical incentives of such “heroic pronouncements” in an April interview. “It may feel like Winston Churchill impersonations, very exciting,” he said. “But what they translate into is: Destroy Ukraine.” For similar reasons Mr. Biden’s suggestion that Mr. Putin be tried for war crimes is an act of consummate irresponsibility. The charge is so serious that, once leveled, it discourages restraint; after all, a leader who commits one atrocity is no less a war criminal than one who commits a thousand. The effect, intended or not, is to foreclose any recourse to peace negotiations. The situation on the battlefield in Ukraine has evolved to an awkward stage. Both Russia and Ukraine have suffered heavy losses. But each has made gains, too. Russia has a land bridge to Crimea and control of some of Ukraine’s most fertile agricultural lands and energy deposits, and in recent days has held the battlefield momentum. Ukraine, after a robust defense of its cities, can expect further NATO support, know-how and weaponry — a powerful incentive not to end the war anytime soon. But if the war does not end soon, its dangers will increase. “Negotiations need to begin in the next two months,” the former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned last week, “before it creates upheavals and tensions that will not be easily overcome.” Calling for a return to the status quo ante bellum, he added, “Pursuing the war beyond that point would not be about the freedom of Ukraine but a new war against Russia itself.” In this, Mr. Kissinger is on the same page as Mr. Guaino. “To make concessions to Russia would be submitting to aggression,” Mr. Guaino warned. “To make none would be submitting to insanity.” The United States is making no concessions. That would be to lose face. There’s an election coming. So the administration is closing off avenues of negotiation and working to intensify the war. We’re in it to win it. With time, the huge import of deadly weaponry, including that from the newly authorized $40 billion allocation, could take the war to a different level. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine warned in an address to students this month that the bloodiest days of the war were coming.

The war in Ukraine may be impossible to stop. And the US deserves much of the blame

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that US will provide more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine to strike "key targets" of Russian forces invading the country. He made the confirmation in an opinion piece in the New York Times on Tuesday.

"We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table," he wrote.

"We will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine,"

Though he mentioned provision of more advanced rocket systems, he did not exactly say which rocket systems will be provided.

Watch | Can EU find alternative to Russian oil and gas?

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AFP reported quoting a US official that Himar multiple rocket systems will be provided to Ukraine. This, said the news agency,&nbsp; 
as ended days of speculation over the latest upgrade of military aid to Kyiv in its fight against Russia.

The Himars use precision-guided munitions, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. The range is about 50 miles (80 kilometers), with Washington deciding against sending munitions with a far longer range.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-struck-nitric-acid-tank-in-ukraines-severodonetsk-governor-483956">Russia struck 'nitric acid tank' in Ukraine's Severodonetsk: Governor</a>

"These systems will be used by the Ukrainians to repel Russian advances on Ukrainian territory but they will not be used against Russia," the official said, as quoted by AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

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US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that US will provide more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine to strike "key targets" of Russian forces invading the country.

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that US will provide more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine to strike "key targets" of Russian forces invading the country. He made the confirmation in an opinion piece in the New York Times on Tuesday. "We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table," he wrote. "We will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine," Though he mentioned provision of more advanced rocket systems, he did not exactly say which rocket systems will be provided. Watch | Can EU find alternative to Russian oil and gas? × AFP reported quoting a US official that Himar multiple rocket systems will be provided to Ukraine. This, said the news agency, as ended days of speculation over the latest upgrade of military aid to Kyiv in its fight against Russia. The Himars use precision-guided munitions, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. The range is about 50 miles (80 kilometers), with Washington deciding against sending munitions with a far longer range. Also Read | Russia struck 'nitric acid tank' in Ukraine's Severodonetsk: Governor "These systems will be used by the Ukrainians to repel Russian advances on Ukrainian territory but they will not be used against Russia," the official said, as quoted by AFP. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

US to provide more advanced rocket systems to Ukraine, says Biden

Russia reacted to the planned delivery of new advanced missile systems and high precision US weapons to Ukraine, as Kremlin on Wednesday (June 1) accused Washington of "adding fuel to the fire". Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, this is the 11th package of security assistance to Ukraine by the US. Senior US administration officials confirmed that US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, will be delivered to Ukraine.&nbsp;

In the aftermath, Russia on Wednesday issued a veiled warning as it stated that such deliveries of weapons to Ukraine increase the risk of drawing the US into direct conflict with Russia.&nbsp;

Sergei Ryabkov, who is Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, told the RIA Novosti news agency that "any arms supplies that continue, are on the rise, increase the risks of such a development'". &nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-germany-to-ship-iris-t-air-defence-system-to-ukraine-says-chancellor-scholz-484103">Now, Germany to ship IRIS-T air defence system to Ukraine, says Chancellor Scholz</a>

Ryabkov was responding to a question about the possibility of a direct confrontation between Moscow and Washington. He also said the US is determined to "wage war (on Moscow) to the last Ukrainian in order to inflict, as they say, a strategic defeat on Russia. This is unprecedented, this is dangerous".&nbsp;&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Ukraine war crime trials: 2 captured Russian soldiers sentenced

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Washington said it will be supplying Ukraine with advanced missile systems, including the HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system. It can simultaneously launch multiple precision-guided missiles. The officials said the HIMARS will be equipped with munitions that will allow Ukraine to launch rockets about 80 kilometres.&nbsp;

Besides Ryabkov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also criticised the move as he told reporters: "We believe that the United States is adding fuel to the fire deliberately and on purpose."&nbsp;

"Such supplies" do not encourage Kyiv to resume peace talks, Peskov said, adding that Washington wanted to "fight Russia to the last Ukrainian."&nbsp;

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Russia reacted to the planned delivery of new advanced missile systems and high precision US weapons to Ukraine, as Kremlin on Wednesday (June 1) accused Washington of "adding fuel to the fire".

Russia reacted to the planned delivery of new advanced missile systems and high precision US weapons to Ukraine, as Kremlin on Wednesday (June 1) accused Washington of "adding fuel to the fire". Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, this is the 11th package of security assistance to Ukraine by the US. Senior US administration officials confirmed that US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, will be delivered to Ukraine. In the aftermath, Russia on Wednesday issued a veiled warning as it stated that such deliveries of weapons to Ukraine increase the risk of drawing the US into direct conflict with Russia. Sergei Ryabkov, who is Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, told the RIA Novosti news agency that "any arms supplies that continue, are on the rise, increase the risks of such a development'". ALSO READ | Now, Germany to ship IRIS-T air defence system to Ukraine, says Chancellor Scholz Ryabkov was responding to a question about the possibility of a direct confrontation between Moscow and Washington. He also said the US is determined to "wage war (on Moscow) to the last Ukrainian in order to inflict, as they say, a strategic defeat on Russia. This is unprecedented, this is dangerous". WATCH | Ukraine war crime trials: 2 captured Russian soldiers sentenced × ALSO READ | Sabotage or accident? Chinese space center finds mysterious jammer ahead of launch Washington said it will be supplying Ukraine with advanced missile systems, including the HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system. It can simultaneously launch multiple precision-guided missiles. The officials said the HIMARS will be equipped with munitions that will allow Ukraine to launch rockets about 80 kilometres. Besides Ryabkov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also criticised the move as he told reporters: "We believe that the United States is adding fuel to the fire deliberately and on purpose." "Such supplies" do not encourage Kyiv to resume peace talks, Peskov said, adding that Washington wanted to "fight Russia to the last Ukrainian." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Russia says US 'adding fuel to fire'; claims new arms supplies to Ukraine increase risk of confrontation

Russia struck a nitric acid tank at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk, a city in Ukraine's Luhansk region, said local governor. Sergiy Gaiday, the governor urged people to stay inside shelters.

Nitric acid is dangerous if inhaled, swallowed or even if it comes in contact with the skin.

The governor said on Telegram that air strike by Russian forces "hit a tank with nitric acid at a chemical plant".

"Do not come out of shelters!" Gaiday said.&nbsp;

Severodonetsk has seen fierce battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

The governor has urged people in the city to "prepare protective face masks impregnated with soda solution".&nbsp;

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia's air strike at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk was "just crazy".

But it is "no longer surprising that for the Russian military, for Russian commanders, for Russian soldiers, any madness is absolutely acceptable", Zelensky said in an evening video address on Telegram.

AFP quoted pro-Moscow separatists as saying that the tank had "exploded" on territory controlled by Ukrainian forces.&nbsp;

"At the Azot chemical plant, a container with chemicals was blown up. Preliminarily, it is nitric acid," Rodion Mironchik, a representative of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic, said on Telegram. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russia struck a nitric acid tank at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk, a city in Ukraine's Luhansk region, said local governor. Sergiy Gaiday, the governor urged people to stay inside shelters.

Russia struck a nitric acid tank at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk, a city in Ukraine's Luhansk region, said local governor. Sergiy Gaiday, the governor urged people to stay inside shelters. Nitric acid is dangerous if inhaled, swallowed or even if it comes in contact with the skin. The governor said on Telegram that air strike by Russian forces "hit a tank with nitric acid at a chemical plant". "Do not come out of shelters!" Gaiday said. Severodonetsk has seen fierce battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces. The governor has urged people in the city to "prepare protective face masks impregnated with soda solution". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia's air strike at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk was "just crazy". But it is "no longer surprising that for the Russian military, for Russian commanders, for Russian soldiers, any madness is absolutely acceptable", Zelensky said in an evening video address on Telegram. AFP quoted pro-Moscow separatists as saying that the tank had "exploded" on territory controlled by Ukrainian forces. "At the Azot chemical plant, a container with chemicals was blown up. Preliminarily, it is nitric acid," Rodion Mironchik, a representative of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic, said on Telegram. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russia struck 'nitric acid tank' in Ukraine's Severodonetsk: Governor

Kremlin said on Monday (May 30) indicated that Russia was ready to ensure 'unhindered' supply of food grains from Ukrainian ports. Kremlin quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

One of the effects Ukraine conflict has had on the world is food crisis. Ukraine exports foodgrains. But the export has been interrupted due Russian invasion. The conflict has resulted in prices of grain, cooking oil, fertiliser and energy soaring, hurting global growth.

The United Nations, which says a global food crisis is deepening, is trying to broker a deal to unblock Ukraine's grain exports though Western leaders have blamed Russia for holding the world to ransom by blockading Ukrainian ports.

Watch | Ukrainian president Zelensky visits frontline soldiers in Kharkiv region

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"During the discussion of the situation in Ukraine, emphasis was placed on ensuring safe navigation in the Black and Azov seas and eliminating the mine threat in their waters," the Kremlin said of Putin's call with Erdogan.

"Vladimir Putin noted the readiness of the Russian side to facilitate the unhindered sea transit of goods in coordination with Turkish partners. This also applies to the export of grain from Ukrainian ports."

Putin, according to the Kremlin, added that if sanctions were lifted, then Russia could "export significant volumes of fertilizers and agricultural products."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-says-will-not-send-ukraine-rocket-systems-that-can-reach-russia-483621">Joe Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia</a>

It was not clear which Ukrainian ports Putin was referring to. Grain export from Ukraine mainly takes place from Chornomorsk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson and Yuzhny.

During his conversation with Vladimir Putin, Erdogan said that Turkey was willing to take on a role in an "observation mechanism" between Moscow, Kyiv and the United Nations, if an agreement is reached.

He later told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he "especially valued the project to create a secure sea route for exporting Ukrainian agricultural products," his office said, adding he welcomed, in principle, the idea of making Istanbul a headquarters for the "observation mechanism".

(With inputs from agencies)

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Kremlin said on Monday (May 30) indicated that Russia was ready to ensure 'unhindered' supply of food grains from Ukrainian ports. Kremlin quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Kremlin said on Monday (May 30) indicated that Russia was ready to ensure 'unhindered' supply of food grains from Ukrainian ports. Kremlin quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. One of the effects Ukraine conflict has had on the world is food crisis. Ukraine exports foodgrains. But the export has been interrupted due Russian invasion. The conflict has resulted in prices of grain, cooking oil, fertiliser and energy soaring, hurting global growth. The United Nations, which says a global food crisis is deepening, is trying to broker a deal to unblock Ukraine's grain exports though Western leaders have blamed Russia for holding the world to ransom by blockading Ukrainian ports. Watch | Ukrainian president Zelensky visits frontline soldiers in Kharkiv region × "During the discussion of the situation in Ukraine, emphasis was placed on ensuring safe navigation in the Black and Azov seas and eliminating the mine threat in their waters," the Kremlin said of Putin's call with Erdogan. "Vladimir Putin noted the readiness of the Russian side to facilitate the unhindered sea transit of goods in coordination with Turkish partners. This also applies to the export of grain from Ukrainian ports." Putin, according to the Kremlin, added that if sanctions were lifted, then Russia could "export significant volumes of fertilizers and agricultural products." Also Read | Joe Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia It was not clear which Ukrainian ports Putin was referring to. Grain export from Ukraine mainly takes place from Chornomorsk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson and Yuzhny. During his conversation with Vladimir Putin, Erdogan said that Turkey was willing to take on a role in an "observation mechanism" between Moscow, Kyiv and the United Nations, if an agreement is reached. He later told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he "especially valued the project to create a secure sea route for exporting Ukrainian agricultural products," his office said, adding he welcomed, in principle, the idea of making Istanbul a headquarters for the "observation mechanism". (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russia ready for 'unhindered' grain exports from Ukraine ports: Kremlin

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