Ukraine said on Sunday that it was ready to hold talks with Russia at Ukraine-Belarus border near Chernobyl exclusion zone. The development took place between Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelensky and Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko

"The politicians agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet the Russian one without preconditions at the Ukraine-Belarus border, near the Pripyat River," Zelensky's office said in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that a Russian delegation was currently in the Belarusian city of Gomel. &nbsp;

Zelensky has said he will not hold talks with Russia on the territory of Belarus, where some Russian troops were stationed before invading on Ukraine's northern border.&nbsp;

But Kyiv said Lukashenko assured Zelensky that "all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarus territory will remain on the ground during the travel, negotiations and return of the Ukrainian delegation".

Moscow has wanted to hold the talks in Kremlin-aligned Belarus.&nbsp;

Zelensky, refusing to travel to Minsk, said Kyiv had proposed "Warsaw, Bratislava, Budapest, Istanbul, Baku" as options to Russia.

Ukraine fought off an incursion by Russian troops into its second city Kharkiv on Sunday, the fourth day of the invasion, but Putin raised international alarm by putting nuclear forces on alert.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine said on Sunday that it was ready to hold talks with Russia at Ukraine-Belarus border near Chernobyl exclusion zone. The development took place between Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelensky and Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko "The politicians agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet the Russian one without preconditions at the Ukraine-Belarus border, near the Pripyat River," Zelensky's office said in a statement.

Ukraine said on Sunday that it was ready to hold talks with Russia at Ukraine-Belarus border near Chernobyl exclusion zone. The development took place between Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelensky and Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko "The politicians agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet the Russian one without preconditions at the Ukraine-Belarus border, near the Pripyat River," Zelensky's office said in a statement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that a Russian delegation was currently in the Belarusian city of Gomel. Zelensky has said he will not hold talks with Russia on the territory of Belarus, where some Russian troops were stationed before invading on Ukraine's northern border. But Kyiv said Lukashenko assured Zelensky that "all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarus territory will remain on the ground during the travel, negotiations and return of the Ukrainian delegation". Moscow has wanted to hold the talks in Kremlin-aligned Belarus. Zelensky, refusing to travel to Minsk, said Kyiv had proposed "Warsaw, Bratislava, Budapest, Istanbul, Baku" as options to Russia. Ukraine fought off an incursion by Russian troops into its second city Kharkiv on Sunday, the fourth day of the invasion, but Putin raised international alarm by putting nuclear forces on alert. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine agrees to talk with Russia at Belarus border

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been suspended as honorary president and ambassador of the International Judo Federation on Sunday.

The sports governing body removed Putin in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

"In light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine, the International Judo Federation announces the suspension of Vladimir Putin's status as Honorary President and Ambassador of the International Judo Federation," the International Judo Federation in a statement said.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/emotional-iga-swiatek-voices-support-for-ukraine-after-clinching-qatar-open-title-457063">Emotional Iga Swiatek voices support for Ukraine after clinching Qatar Open title</a>

The Russian President ordered special military operations on February 24 "to protect" the people in the Donbas region.

Earlier, Putin had recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities.

Russia has been facing immense criticism, especially from the western countries over the recent actions. A number of countries including the US, UK and Germany have applied fresh rounds of sanctions on Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been suspended as honorary president and ambassador of the International Judo Federation on Sunday. The sports governing body removed Putin in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been suspended as honorary president and ambassador of the International Judo Federation on Sunday. The sports governing body removed Putin in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. "In light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine, the International Judo Federation announces the suspension of Vladimir Putin's status as Honorary President and Ambassador of the International Judo Federation," the International Judo Federation in a statement said. ALSO READ: Emotional Iga Swiatek voices support for Ukraine after clinching Qatar Open title The Russian President ordered special military operations on February 24 "to protect" the people in the Donbas region. Earlier, Putin had recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Russia has been facing immense criticism, especially from the western countries over the recent actions. A number of countries including the US, UK and Germany have applied fresh rounds of sanctions on Russia.

International Judo Federation suspends Vladimir Putin as its honorary president amid Russia-Ukraine war

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned on Sunday that Russia-Ukraine conflict could last a "number of years". She added that the world needed to be prepared for Moscow "to seek to use even worse weapons".

"I fear this will be a long haul, this could be a number of years," Truss told Sky News.

"Russia have strong forces and we know the Ukrainians are brave, they are determined to stand up for their sovereignty and territorial integrity and they are determined to fight," she said.&nbsp;

Truss said, citing intelligence that Ukraine was "continuing to resist Russian advances" and that there had not been "significant changes" overnight.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-russia-claims-to-have-besieged-two-big-cities-in-ukraine-455211">Click here for latest on Russia-Ukraine conflict</a>

But she warned Russian President Vladimir Putin could deploy more deadly weapons.

"This could well be the beginning the end for Putin and I fear that he is determined to use the most unsavoury means in this war.

"I fear this conflict could be very, very bloody. We do need to be prepared for Russia to seek to use even worse weapons," she added.

However, Putin "should be aware the International Criminal Court is already looking at what is happening in Ukraine and there will be serious consequences for him personally," she told Sky News.

Western allies on Saturday agreed on a new volley of financial sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including the exclusion of a number of Russian banks from the SWIFT interbank system.

The allies also agreed to impose restrictive measures to prevent the Russian central bank from "using international financial transactions to prop up the ruble", a senior US official said.

(With inputs from agencies)

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned on Sunday that Russia-Ukraine conflict could last a "number of years". She added that the world needed to be prepared for Moscow "to seek to use even worse weapons".

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned on Sunday that Russia-Ukraine conflict could last a "number of years". She added that the world needed to be prepared for Moscow "to seek to use even worse weapons". "I fear this will be a long haul, this could be a number of years," Truss told Sky News. "Russia have strong forces and we know the Ukrainians are brave, they are determined to stand up for their sovereignty and territorial integrity and they are determined to fight," she said. Truss said, citing intelligence that Ukraine was "continuing to resist Russian advances" and that there had not been "significant changes" overnight. Click here for latest on Russia-Ukraine conflict But she warned Russian President Vladimir Putin could deploy more deadly weapons. "This could well be the beginning the end for Putin and I fear that he is determined to use the most unsavoury means in this war. "I fear this conflict could be very, very bloody. We do need to be prepared for Russia to seek to use even worse weapons," she added. However, Putin "should be aware the International Criminal Court is already looking at what is happening in Ukraine and there will be serious consequences for him personally," she told Sky News. Western allies on Saturday agreed on a new volley of financial sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including the exclusion of a number of Russian banks from the SWIFT interbank system. The allies also agreed to impose restrictive measures to prevent the Russian central bank from "using international financial transactions to prop up the ruble", a senior US official said. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine conflict may last 'number of years', says UK

As Ukraine continues to suffer after facing a full-fledged Russian military invasion, people across the globe have come together to extend their support for the grieving nation. Several sports stars and clubs have also expressed solidarity with the nation with messages of peace and 'no war'.

On Saturday, English Premier League (EPL) clubs Manchester City and Everton also showcased their support for Ukraine and the people of the country. While City players were spotted wearing shirts with the words 'NO WAR' written on the front and the back, the Everton players held a Ukrainian flag over their shoulders ahead of the start of the game.

While the two clubs expressed solidarity with Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia, there was a heartwarming moment shared between Ukrainian duo Oleksandr Zinchenko and Vitaliy Mykolenko ahead of the game. The two play for Manchester City and Everton respectively, however, the duo kept the club rivalry aside and were seen sharing an emotional hug.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/russias-andrey-rublev-writes-no-war-please-on-camera-lens-after-tough-semi-final-win-in-dubai-watch-456667">Russia's Rublev writes 'No War Please' on camera lens after tough semi-final win in Dubai - Watch</a>

The Ukrainian duo might be part of opposing teams but the on-field rivalry took a back seat in the wake of what their country is currently going through. The emotional embrace of the duo soon went viral on social media and became a major talking point ahead of the game as more support poured in for Ukraine and its people on social media.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ukrainian players Zinchenko (City) and Mykolenko (Everton) before their match at Goodison <a href="https://t.co/PiAxZ99snv">pic.twitter.com/PiAxZ99snv</a>
— Rachel Wearmouth (@REWearmouth) <a href="https://twitter.com/REWearmouth/status/1497627289739268097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chelseas-roman-abramovich-hands-over-stewardship-and-care-of-club-456995">Chelsea's Roman Abramovich hands over 'stewardship and care' of club</a>

Zinchenko was reduced to tears and almost broke down as he appreciated the support shown by fans of both teams at Goodison Park. The Ukrainian left-back was named on the bench for City while&nbsp;Mykolenko also was named as one of the substitutes for Everton.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Manchester City's Ukrainian football player Oleksandr Zinchenko could not hold back her tears because of the support of the fans and clubs to Ukraine before the match. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ManCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ManCity</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Zinchenko?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Zinchenko</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukrania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukrania</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nowar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nowar</a> <a href="https://t.co/tK3B1t4spz">pic.twitter.com/tK3B1t4spz</a>
— 10Numara (@10Numarayeni) <a href="https://twitter.com/10Numarayeni/status/1497640676011429890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

League leaders Manchester City defeated Everton 1-0 with the help of a goal from Phil Foden, who found the back of the net in the 82nd minute. With the victory, City further consolidated their spot on the top of the table. They currently have 66 points from 27 matches, six more than second-placed Liverpool, who have one game in hand to close the gap.

&nbsp;

As Ukraine continues to suffer after facing a full-fledged Russian military invasion, people across the globe have come together to extend their support for the grieving nation.

As Ukraine continues to suffer after facing a full-fledged Russian military invasion, people across the globe have come together to extend their support for the grieving nation. Several sports stars and clubs have also expressed solidarity with the nation with messages of peace and 'no war'. On Saturday, English Premier League (EPL) clubs Manchester City and Everton also showcased their support for Ukraine and the people of the country. While City players were spotted wearing shirts with the words 'NO WAR' written on the front and the back, the Everton players held a Ukrainian flag over their shoulders ahead of the start of the game. While the two clubs expressed solidarity with Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia, there was a heartwarming moment shared between Ukrainian duo Oleksandr Zinchenko and Vitaliy Mykolenko ahead of the game. The two play for Manchester City and Everton respectively, however, the duo kept the club rivalry aside and were seen sharing an emotional hug. Also Read: Russia's Rublev writes 'No War Please' on camera lens after tough semi-final win in Dubai - Watch The Ukrainian duo might be part of opposing teams but the on-field rivalry took a back seat in the wake of what their country is currently going through. The emotional embrace of the duo soon went viral on social media and became a major talking point ahead of the game as more support poured in for Ukraine and its people on social media. Ukrainian players Zinchenko (City) and Mykolenko (Everton) before their match at Goodison pic.twitter.com/PiAxZ99snv — Rachel Wearmouth (@REWearmouth) February 26, 2022 × Also Read: Chelsea's Roman Abramovich hands over 'stewardship and care' of club Zinchenko was reduced to tears and almost broke down as he appreciated the support shown by fans of both teams at Goodison Park. The Ukrainian left-back was named on the bench for City while Mykolenko also was named as one of the substitutes for Everton. Manchester City's Ukrainian football player Oleksandr Zinchenko could not hold back her tears because of the support of the fans and clubs to Ukraine before the match. #ManCity #Zinchenko #Ukrania #nowar pic.twitter.com/tK3B1t4spz — 10Numara (@10Numarayeni) February 26, 2022 × League leaders Manchester City defeated Everton 1-0 with the help of a goal from Phil Foden, who found the back of the net in the 82nd minute. With the victory, City further consolidated their spot on the top of the table. They currently have 66 points from 27 matches, six more than second-placed Liverpool, who have one game in hand to close the gap.

Ukrainian duo Zinchenko and Mykolenko embrace each other as Man City, Everton show support for Ukraine

More than 600 Russian experts have signed an open letter condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It comes as other European universities and national academies have expressed their solidarity with their Ukrainian counterparts.

In a letter published <a href="https://trv-science.ru/2022/02/we-are-against-war/">on the trv-science.ru website</a>, Russian researchers describe the battle with Ukraine as "unfair" and "senseless."

Many of the signatories have relatives, friends, and scientific colleagues in Ukraine, and they claim that the attack is a "cynical betrayal" of prior generations of Russians and Ukrainians who fought alongside each other during WWII.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-russian-missile-strikes-a-ukrainian-civilian-oil-depot-in-kyiv-official-456977">Watch | Russian missile strikes a Ukrainian civilian oil depot in Kyiv: Official</a>

On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered a land, sea, and air attack on Ukraine. The invasion followed months of tension as Russia amassed around 200,000 troops on its border with the former Soviet territory, which gained independence in 1991. 
 
Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-army-to-broaden-offensive-from-all-sides-against-ukraine-says-kremlin-456881">Russian army to broaden offensive ‘from all sides’ against Ukraine: Kremlin</a>

According to the letter, the invasion will isolate Russia and turn it into an international pariah, making scientific work in the country difficult to continue as usual. 
 
Watch | UN Refugee Agency: At least 150,000 people flee Ukraine to neighboring countries

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-refugee-agency-at-least-150000-people-flee-ukraine-to-neighboring-countries-457003/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The signatories state, "After all, conducting scientific research is unthinkable without complete cooperation with colleagues from other countries." 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-is-ukraine-such-a-popular-choice-for-indian-medical-students-456990">Also read | Why is Ukraine such a popular choice for Indian medical students?</a>

'Russia's isolation from the rest of the world means that our country will continue to deteriorate culturally and technologically in the lack of any positive prospects.'

(With inputs from agencies)

More than 600 Russian experts have signed an open letter condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It comes as other European universities and national academies have expressed their solidarity with their Ukrainian counterparts.

More than 600 Russian experts have signed an open letter condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It comes as other European universities and national academies have expressed their solidarity with their Ukrainian counterparts. In a letter published on the trv-science.ru website, Russian researchers describe the battle with Ukraine as "unfair" and "senseless." Many of the signatories have relatives, friends, and scientific colleagues in Ukraine, and they claim that the attack is a "cynical betrayal" of prior generations of Russians and Ukrainians who fought alongside each other during WWII. Watch | Russian missile strikes a Ukrainian civilian oil depot in Kyiv: Official On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered a land, sea, and air attack on Ukraine. The invasion followed months of tension as Russia amassed around 200,000 troops on its border with the former Soviet territory, which gained independence in 1991. Also Read | Russian army to broaden offensive ‘from all sides’ against Ukraine: Kremlin According to the letter, the invasion will isolate Russia and turn it into an international pariah, making scientific work in the country difficult to continue as usual. Watch | UN Refugee Agency: At least 150,000 people flee Ukraine to neighboring countries The signatories state, "After all, conducting scientific research is unthinkable without complete cooperation with colleagues from other countries." Also read | Why is Ukraine such a popular choice for Indian medical students? 'Russia's isolation from the rest of the world means that our country will continue to deteriorate culturally and technologically in the lack of any positive prospects.' (With inputs from agencies)

Over 600 Russian scientists sign open letter against Ukraine invasion

When the United States barred Americans from doing business with Russian banks, oil and gas developers and other companies in 2014, after the country’s invasion of Crimea, the hit to Russia’s economy was swift and immense. Economists estimated that sanctions imposed by Western nations cost Russia $50 billion a year.

Since then, the global market for cryptocurrencies and other digital assets has ballooned. That is bad news for enforcers of sanctions and good news for Russia.

On Tuesday, the Biden administration enacted fresh sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, aiming to thwart its access to foreign capital. But Russian entities are preparing to blunt some of the worst effects by making deals with anyone around the world willing to work with them, experts said. And, they say, those entities can then use digital currencies to bypass the control points that governments rely on — mainly transfers of money by banks — to block deal execution.

“Russia has had a lot of time to think about this specific consequence,” said Michael Parker, a former federal prosecutor who now heads the anti-money laundering and sanctions practice at Washington, D.C., law firm Ferrari &amp; Associates. “It would be naive to think that they haven’t gamed out exactly this scenario.”

Sanctions are some of the most powerful tools the United States and European countries have to influence the behavior of nations they don’t consider allies. The United States in particular is able to use sanctions as a diplomatic tool because the dollar is the world’s reserve currency and used in payments worldwide. But American government officials are increasingly aware of the potential for cryptocurrencies to lessen the impact of sanctions and are stepping up their scrutiny of digital assets.

To apply sanctions, a government makes a list of people and businesses its citizens must avoid. Anyone caught engaging with a member of the list faces heavy fines. But the real key to any effective sanctions program is the global financial system. Banks around the world play a major role in enforcement: They see where money comes from and where it is bound, and anti-money laundering laws require them to block transactions with sanctioned entities and report what they see to authorities. But if banks are the eyes and ears of governments in this space, the explosion of digital currencies is blinding them.

Banks have to abide by “know your customer” rules, which include verifying their clients’ identities. But exchanges and other platforms that facilitate the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies and digital assets are rarely as good at tracking their customers as banks are, even though they are supposed to follow the same rules. In October, the U.S. Treasury Department warned that cryptocurrencies posed an increasingly serious threat to the U.S. sanctions program and that U.S. authorities needed to educate themselves about the technology.

Should it choose to evade sanctions, Russia has multiple cryptocurrency-related tools at its disposal, experts said. All it needs is to find ways to trade without touching the dollar.

The Russian government is developing its own central bank digital currency, a so-called digital ruble that it hopes to use to trade directly with other countries willing to accept it without first converting it into dollars. Hacking techniques like ransomware could help Russian actors steal digital currencies and make up revenue lost to sanctions.

And while cryptocurrency transactions are recorded on the underlying blockchain, making them transparent, new tools developed in Russia can help mask the origin of such transactions. That would allow businesses to trade with Russian entities without detection.

There is a precedent for these kinds of workarounds. Iran and North Korea are among countries that have used digital currencies to mitigate the effects of Western sanctions, a trend that U.S. and United Nations officials have recently observed. North Korea, for instance, has used ransomware to steal cryptocurrency to fund its nuclear program, according to a U.N. report.

In October 2020, representatives of Russia’s central bank told a Moscow newspaper that the new “digital ruble” would make the country less dependent on the United States and better able to resist sanctions. It would let Russian entities conduct transactions outside the international banking system with any country willing to trade in digital currency.

Russia could find willing partners in other nations targeted by U.S. sanctions, including Iran, that are also developing government-backed digital currencies. China, Russia’s largest trading partner in both imports and exports according to the World Bank, has already launched its own central bank digital currency. The country’s leader, Xi Jinping, recently described China’s relationship with Russia as having “no limits.”

The developing system of central banks directly exchanging digital currencies creates new risks, said Yaya Fanusie, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security who has studied the effects of cryptocurrency on sanctions. “The lessening of U.S. sanctions power comes from a system where these nation states are able to do transactions without going through the global banking system.”

In early February, independent sanctions monitors told the U.N. Security Council that North Korea was using cryptocurrencies to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile program, according to Reuters. (A spokesperson for Norway’s permanent mission to the U.N. confirmed the existence of the report, which has not yet been made public.) In May, consulting firm Elliptic described how Iran was using revenue from Bitcoin mining to make up for the limitations on its ability to sell oil because of sanctions.

Sanctioned Russian entities could deploy their own evasion strategy, using ransomware attacks. The playbook is straightforward: A hacker breaks into computer networks and locks up digital information until the victim pays for its release, usually in cryptocurrency.

Russia is at the center of the growing ransomware industry. Last year, about 74% of global ransomware revenue, or more than $400 million worth of cryptocurrency, went to entities that are probably affiliated with Russia in some way, according to a Feb. 14 report by blockchain-tracking firm Chainalysis.

Illegal funds have also flowed into Russia through a dark web marketplace called Hydra, which is powered by cryptocurrency and handled more than $1 billion in sales in 2020, according to Chainalysis. The platform’s strict rules — sellers are allowed to liquidate cryptocurrency only through certain regional exchanges — have made it difficult for researchers to follow the money.

“We know that there’s no questions asked, and we know that Hydra operates not just throughout Eastern Europe but throughout western Europe,” said Kim Grauer, director of research at Chainalysis. “There’s definitely cross-border business happening.”

Digital currencies all use blockchain technology, a form of computer code that is publicly viewable by anyone, anywhere. This public ledger keeps track of the movements of individual digital coins from one “wallet” — as online repositories for digital assets are called — to another. In theory, this should let authorities track all crypto transactions and keep sanctioned entities from completing them.

But the technology behind Hydra masks the source of transactions, offering a potential tool for Russian users to move money outside the country’s borders. On its own, Hydra is not yet big enough to handle the volume of transactions that Russia would need to successfully evade sanctions. But other money-laundering techniques — including “nesting,” in which an illicit marketplace buries itself within a larger, legitimate structure to hide its activities — could also help.

There are signs that the United States is stepping up its monitoring of cryptocurrency activity. On Feb. 17, the Justice Department announced it had created a new national cryptocurrency enforcement team, a move that seemed to emphasize that federal prosecutors were paying extra attention to bad behavior among cryptocurrency users.

Parker, the former prosecutor, said that the Feb. 8 arrests of a Manhattan couple for stealing $3.6 billion in Bitcoin from Hong Kong cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex is “a tangible example of the government getting very good and up to speed on what they need to do to be able to trace this.”

Administration officials are also urging the cryptocurrency industry to implement internal controls that prevent bad actors from using their services. In October, the Treasury Department published a 30-page sanctions-compliance manual recommending that cryptocurrency companies use geolocation tools to weed out customers in sanctioned jurisdictions. In many cases, the report said, crypto companies have taken months or years to implement such compliance procedures.

That may change as the industry starts to mature. Chainalysis offers a “know your transaction” tool that alerts companies when blacklisted entities use their services. Last year, the company doubled its number of private-sector customers, many of whom use the compliance tool.

But savvy cryptocurrency users can find ways around a blacklist.

“A Treasury designation of a crypto wallet address is not foolproof,” said Fanusie of the Center for a New American Security. “That designated actor can still open up a new wallet elsewhere. You can do that quite easily.”

When the United States barred Americans from doing business with Russian banks, oil and gas developers and other companies in 2014, after the country’s invasion of Crimea, the hit to Russia’s economy was swift and immense.

When the United States barred Americans from doing business with Russian banks, oil and gas developers and other companies in 2014, after the country’s invasion of Crimea, the hit to Russia’s economy was swift and immense. Economists estimated that sanctions imposed by Western nations cost Russia $50 billion a year. Since then, the global market for cryptocurrencies and other digital assets has ballooned. That is bad news for enforcers of sanctions and good news for Russia. On Tuesday, the Biden administration enacted fresh sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, aiming to thwart its access to foreign capital. But Russian entities are preparing to blunt some of the worst effects by making deals with anyone around the world willing to work with them, experts said. And, they say, those entities can then use digital currencies to bypass the control points that governments rely on — mainly transfers of money by banks — to block deal execution. “Russia has had a lot of time to think about this specific consequence,” said Michael Parker, a former federal prosecutor who now heads the anti-money laundering and sanctions practice at Washington, D.C., law firm Ferrari & Associates. “It would be naive to think that they haven’t gamed out exactly this scenario.” Sanctions are some of the most powerful tools the United States and European countries have to influence the behavior of nations they don’t consider allies. The United States in particular is able to use sanctions as a diplomatic tool because the dollar is the world’s reserve currency and used in payments worldwide. But American government officials are increasingly aware of the potential for cryptocurrencies to lessen the impact of sanctions and are stepping up their scrutiny of digital assets. To apply sanctions, a government makes a list of people and businesses its citizens must avoid. Anyone caught engaging with a member of the list faces heavy fines. But the real key to any effective sanctions program is the global financial system. Banks around the world play a major role in enforcement: They see where money comes from and where it is bound, and anti-money laundering laws require them to block transactions with sanctioned entities and report what they see to authorities. But if banks are the eyes and ears of governments in this space, the explosion of digital currencies is blinding them. Banks have to abide by “know your customer” rules, which include verifying their clients’ identities. But exchanges and other platforms that facilitate the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies and digital assets are rarely as good at tracking their customers as banks are, even though they are supposed to follow the same rules. In October, the U.S. Treasury Department warned that cryptocurrencies posed an increasingly serious threat to the U.S. sanctions program and that U.S. authorities needed to educate themselves about the technology. Should it choose to evade sanctions, Russia has multiple cryptocurrency-related tools at its disposal, experts said. All it needs is to find ways to trade without touching the dollar. The Russian government is developing its own central bank digital currency, a so-called digital ruble that it hopes to use to trade directly with other countries willing to accept it without first converting it into dollars. Hacking techniques like ransomware could help Russian actors steal digital currencies and make up revenue lost to sanctions. And while cryptocurrency transactions are recorded on the underlying blockchain, making them transparent, new tools developed in Russia can help mask the origin of such transactions. That would allow businesses to trade with Russian entities without detection. There is a precedent for these kinds of workarounds. Iran and North Korea are among countries that have used digital currencies to mitigate the effects of Western sanctions, a trend that U.S. and United Nations officials have recently observed. North Korea, for instance, has used ransomware to steal cryptocurrency to fund its nuclear program, according to a U.N. report. In October 2020, representatives of Russia’s central bank told a Moscow newspaper that the new “digital ruble” would make the country less dependent on the United States and better able to resist sanctions. It would let Russian entities conduct transactions outside the international banking system with any country willing to trade in digital currency. Russia could find willing partners in other nations targeted by U.S. sanctions, including Iran, that are also developing government-backed digital currencies. China, Russia’s largest trading partner in both imports and exports according to the World Bank, has already launched its own central bank digital currency. The country’s leader, Xi Jinping, recently described China’s relationship with Russia as having “no limits.” The developing system of central banks directly exchanging digital currencies creates new risks, said Yaya Fanusie, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security who has studied the effects of cryptocurrency on sanctions. “The lessening of U.S. sanctions power comes from a system where these nation states are able to do transactions without going through the global banking system.” In early February, independent sanctions monitors told the U.N. Security Council that North Korea was using cryptocurrencies to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile program, according to Reuters. (A spokesperson for Norway’s permanent mission to the U.N. confirmed the existence of the report, which has not yet been made public.) In May, consulting firm Elliptic described how Iran was using revenue from Bitcoin mining to make up for the limitations on its ability to sell oil because of sanctions. Sanctioned Russian entities could deploy their own evasion strategy, using ransomware attacks. The playbook is straightforward: A hacker breaks into computer networks and locks up digital information until the victim pays for its release, usually in cryptocurrency. Russia is at the center of the growing ransomware industry. Last year, about 74% of global ransomware revenue, or more than $400 million worth of cryptocurrency, went to entities that are probably affiliated with Russia in some way, according to a Feb. 14 report by blockchain-tracking firm Chainalysis. Illegal funds have also flowed into Russia through a dark web marketplace called Hydra, which is powered by cryptocurrency and handled more than $1 billion in sales in 2020, according to Chainalysis. The platform’s strict rules — sellers are allowed to liquidate cryptocurrency only through certain regional exchanges — have made it difficult for researchers to follow the money. “We know that there’s no questions asked, and we know that Hydra operates not just throughout Eastern Europe but throughout western Europe,” said Kim Grauer, director of research at Chainalysis. “There’s definitely cross-border business happening.” Digital currencies all use blockchain technology, a form of computer code that is publicly viewable by anyone, anywhere. This public ledger keeps track of the movements of individual digital coins from one “wallet” — as online repositories for digital assets are called — to another. In theory, this should let authorities track all crypto transactions and keep sanctioned entities from completing them. But the technology behind Hydra masks the source of transactions, offering a potential tool for Russian users to move money outside the country’s borders. On its own, Hydra is not yet big enough to handle the volume of transactions that Russia would need to successfully evade sanctions. But other money-laundering techniques — including “nesting,” in which an illicit marketplace buries itself within a larger, legitimate structure to hide its activities — could also help. There are signs that the United States is stepping up its monitoring of cryptocurrency activity. On Feb. 17, the Justice Department announced it had created a new national cryptocurrency enforcement team, a move that seemed to emphasize that federal prosecutors were paying extra attention to bad behavior among cryptocurrency users. Parker, the former prosecutor, said that the Feb. 8 arrests of a Manhattan couple for stealing $3.6 billion in Bitcoin from Hong Kong cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex is “a tangible example of the government getting very good and up to speed on what they need to do to be able to trace this.” Administration officials are also urging the cryptocurrency industry to implement internal controls that prevent bad actors from using their services. In October, the Treasury Department published a 30-page sanctions-compliance manual recommending that cryptocurrency companies use geolocation tools to weed out customers in sanctioned jurisdictions. In many cases, the report said, crypto companies have taken months or years to implement such compliance procedures. That may change as the industry starts to mature. Chainalysis offers a “know your transaction” tool that alerts companies when blacklisted entities use their services. Last year, the company doubled its number of private-sector customers, many of whom use the compliance tool. But savvy cryptocurrency users can find ways around a blacklist. “A Treasury designation of a crypto wallet address is not foolproof,” said Fanusie of the Center for a New American Security. “That designated actor can still open up a new wallet elsewhere. You can do that quite easily.”

Russia could use cryptocurrency to blunt the force of US sanctions

In another advisory for nationals stranded in Ukraine, India on Saturday advised them to exercise caution at all times and not move to any border posts to exit the country without prior coordination with its officials. &nbsp;

The fresh advisory was issued by Indian embassy in Ukraine.&nbsp;It particularly advised its nationals staying in the eastern part of Ukraine to continue to remain in their current places of residence and stay indoors or in shelters as much as possible. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-abstains-on-unsc-resolution-says-dialogue-only-answer-to-settle-disputes-456638" hreflang="en">India abstains on UNSC resolution, says dialogue 'only answer' to solve issues</a>

"All Indian Citizens in Ukraine are advised to not move to any of the border posts without prior coordination with the government of India officials at the border posts (helpline numbers established) and the emergency numbers of the embassy of India in Kyiv," the embassy said. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Advisory to all Indian Nationals/Students in Ukraine 
as on 26 February 2022.<a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MEAIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PIB_India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PIB_India</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PIBHindi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PIBHindi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DDNewslive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DDNewslive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DDNewsHindi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DDNewsHindi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DDNational?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DDNational</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianDiplomacy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndianDiplomacy</a> <a href="https://t.co/yN6PT2Yi8c">pic.twitter.com/yN6PT2Yi8c</a>
— India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainUkraine/status/1497404359436554242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The situation at various border checkpoints is sensitive, it said. The embassy is working continuously with the Indian missions in the neighbouring countries for coordinated evacuation of the citizens, it added. &nbsp;

In the advisory, it further added, "Embassy is finding it increasingly difficult to help the crossing of those Indian nationals who reach border checkpoint without prior intimation." &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-conflict-us-eu-uk-sanction-russian-president-vladimir-putin-top-officials-456616">Ukraine conflict: US, EU, UK sanction Russian President, top officials</a>

On Friday, India also managed to set up camp offices in Lviv and Chernivtsi towns in western Ukraine with the aim to facilitate the transit of Indians to Romania, Hungary and Poland. &nbsp;&nbsp;

To coordinate the exit of nationals from Ukraine, India also positioned teams of officials at Zahony border post in Hungary, Krakowiec as well as Shehyni-Medyka land border points in Poland, Vysne Nemecke in the Slovak Republic and Suceava transit point in Romania. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;&nbsp;

In another advisory for nationals stranded in Ukraine, India on Saturday advised them to exercise caution at all times and not move to any border posts to exit the country without prior coordination with its officials.

In another advisory for nationals stranded in Ukraine, India on Saturday advised them to exercise caution at all times and not move to any border posts to exit the country without prior coordination with its officials. The fresh advisory was issued by Indian embassy in Ukraine. It particularly advised its nationals staying in the eastern part of Ukraine to continue to remain in their current places of residence and stay indoors or in shelters as much as possible. Also Read: India abstains on UNSC resolution, says dialogue 'only answer' to solve issues "All Indian Citizens in Ukraine are advised to not move to any of the border posts without prior coordination with the government of India officials at the border posts (helpline numbers established) and the emergency numbers of the embassy of India in Kyiv," the embassy said. Advisory to all Indian Nationals/Students in Ukraine as on 26 February 2022.@MEAIndia @PIB_India @PIBHindi @DDNewslive @DDNewsHindi @DDNational @IndianDiplomacy pic.twitter.com/yN6PT2Yi8c — India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) February 26, 2022 × The situation at various border checkpoints is sensitive, it said. The embassy is working continuously with the Indian missions in the neighbouring countries for coordinated evacuation of the citizens, it added. In the advisory, it further added, "Embassy is finding it increasingly difficult to help the crossing of those Indian nationals who reach border checkpoint without prior intimation." Also Read | Ukraine conflict: US, EU, UK sanction Russian President, top officials On Friday, India also managed to set up camp offices in Lviv and Chernivtsi towns in western Ukraine with the aim to facilitate the transit of Indians to Romania, Hungary and Poland. To coordinate the exit of nationals from Ukraine, India also positioned teams of officials at Zahony border post in Hungary, Krakowiec as well as Shehyni-Medyka land border points in Poland, Vysne Nemecke in the Slovak Republic and Suceava transit point in Romania. (With inputs from agencies)

India advises nationals stranded in Ukraine to exercise caution, not move without coordination with officials

Russia's recognition on 21st February of Ukraine’s self-declared independent regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in Donbas region of the Eastern Ukraine, deployment of forces under the guise of Peacekeeping Forces for the “protection” of the civilians, followed by full-scale military invasion in Ukraine on 24th February has drawn curtains on Act 1 of the drama.

The lead actors include President Putin of the Russian Federation on the one hand and President Biden of the USA and his NATO allies on the other, while the script revolves around&nbsp;President Zelensky of Ukraine.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukraine-conflict-moscow-dismisses-radiation-rise-reports-from-chernobyl-nuclear-plant-456777/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The USA and allies have imposed stringed sanctions on Russia, deployed forces on the territories of NATO Member countries in the neighbourhood, assured continued political, diplomatic, economic and military assistance to Ukraine but have made it clear that there is no plan to send NATO forces to Ukraine to fight Russia together with /on behalf of Ukraine.&nbsp;

It remains under suspense as to how the drama will unfold in subsequent acts.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-the-ghost-of-kyiv-the-ace-pilot-giving-hope-to-ukrainians-456795">Who is the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’? The ace pilot giving hope to Ukrainians</a>

The drama can be said to have begun in December last year when Russia sought a set of legally binding assurances including a halt on NATO's further eastwards expansion nearer to Russia's borders. Russia demanded in particular that two of Russia's next-door neighbours namely Ukraine and Georgia be declined NATO membership.

The rather impossible demands came in the backdrop of a massive military build-up by Russia along its borders with Ukraine and prolonged military exercise in Belarus, and also the ongoing clashes in eastern Ukraine between the separatist forces (supported by Russia) &nbsp;and the Ukrainian military. 
&nbsp; 
The origins of the current phase of the standoff between the West and Russia can be traced to the period immediately after the disintegration of the USSR in 1991 when the West adopted a policy of ideological conquest of the former Soviet Union and its satellite countries in East Europe through financial and technical assistance.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-announces-historic-deployment-of-forces-to-bolster-eastern-europe-after-ukraine-invasion-456810">NATO announces 'historic' deployment of forces to bolster Eastern Europe after Ukraine invasion</a>

Gradually, NATO began to increase its footprints in the post-Soviet space. Beginning from 1999 the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland (1999), Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia (2004), Albania and Croatia (2009), Montenegro (2017) and North Macedonia (2020) have been taken into the fold of NATO.

Russia calls this expansion a breach of promises and assurances by NATO given to Russia in the wake of the disintegration of the USSR. However, being relatively weak, Russia could do nothing to halt this process. The situation changed with the advent of President Putin as Russia’s leader from 2000 onwards.&nbsp;

So when NATO announced in April 2008 that Georgia and Ukraine will be members of NATO (though no specific dates were indicated) Russia acted swiftly; it recognised the self-declared independence of two breakaway regions of Georgia namely Abkhazia and South Ossetia, intervened militarily and has since consolidated its positions in those regions. &nbsp;

In 2014, when the pro-Russia government in Ukraine was replaced by a pro-Western regime in Ukraine, Russia reacted again and this time successfully manipulated Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula’s incorporation into Russian Federation, often described as Crimea’s annexation..

Reverting to the current phase of crisis, it appears in hindsight that Russia from the very beginning had made up its mind at least to trifurcate Ukraine and take Eastern Ukraine under its influence and control.

Russia now appears to be going much further with the objective of subjugating entire Ukraine and even installing a puppet or at least a more pliable/ neutral regime in Ukraine.

President Putin is reported to have encouraged the Ukraine Armed Forces to take full control of the country suggesting that it would be easier to deal with them rather than the civilian leadership.

At this point of time, there is a fairly good clarity about the intentions of Russia and also the positions taken by the USA and its allies so far. At the same time there are many imponderables: Will Ukraine be able to resist Russia and compel it to withdraw? &nbsp;Looks difficult. Are we then heading for a scenario of the fall of Kiev or urban insurgency? What else the USA and NATO allies can or will do besides current efforts to isolate Russia diplomatically and weaken it economically by imposing sanctions.

Will there be an attempt to invoke Chapter VII of the UN Charter to send international armed forces (read NATO) into Ukraine?&nbsp;

The economic sanctions have so far not deterred Russia. And in the given case the sanctions can also act as a double-edged sword causing an adverse impact on the energy security of Europe. Biden has already cautioned the American public in this regard though he has also assured to minimise the impact on the US population.&nbsp;

The Ukrainian crisis is a test for India’s diplomacy. It must be noted that India is not in alliance with USA or Russia, and to that extent India is not obliged to take sides with either of them.

At the same time, India has strong partnerships with both the USA and Russia, besides good relations with Europe and also Ukraine. Prima-facie, India has so far taken a balanced position. Some observers have described it as a neutral stance reminiscent of the period of non-alignment.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Note must be taken of the key element in India’s statements in which India has called for the resolution of the issue in a manner that would address the “legitimate security interests” of all concerned.

It requires a careful reading between the lines to determine whose “legitimate security interests” are under real threat. Is the tilt not slightly in favour of Russia whose security concerns arising out of NATO’s eastwards expansion appear genuine?.

Whether it entitles Russia to use force to address its concerns is a matter of entirely different and difficult debate as it involves issues such as sovereignty, territorial integrity on the one hand and the concept of indivisible security on the other.

The evacuation of estimated 20,000 Indian nationals mostly students stranded in Ukraine is India’s top priority at the moment. India’s track record in the evacuation of Indian national from conflict regions is commendable. In the given case, the situation is complicated by the fact that the Indian nationals are spread in various parts of Ukraine some of which are in conflict zones, and it is not possible to send flights to Ukraine as its airspace is closed.

Alternate arrangements for evacuation through land routes to neighbouring countries such as Romania, Hungary etc. en-route to India through Chartered flights sponsored by the Indian Government are underway albeit with partial success so far. One hopes that all &nbsp;Indian nationals are able to return home safely. It is pointless to debate now as to whether or not it would have been desirable to begin the process a few weeks earlier.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the experts do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views.)

Russia's recognition on 21st February of Ukraine’s self-declared independent regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in Donbas region of the Eastern Ukraine, deployment of forces under the guise of Peacekeeping Forces for the “protection” of the civilians, followed by full-scale military invasion in Ukraine on 24th February has drawn curtains on Act 1 of the drama.

Russia's recognition on 21st February of Ukraine’s self-declared independent regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in Donbas region of the Eastern Ukraine, deployment of forces under the guise of Peacekeeping Forces for the “protection” of the civilians, followed by full-scale military invasion in Ukraine on 24th February has drawn curtains on Act 1 of the drama. The lead actors include President Putin of the Russian Federation on the one hand and President Biden of the USA and his NATO allies on the other, while the script revolves around President Zelensky of Ukraine. × The USA and allies have imposed stringed sanctions on Russia, deployed forces on the territories of NATO Member countries in the neighbourhood, assured continued political, diplomatic, economic and military assistance to Ukraine but have made it clear that there is no plan to send NATO forces to Ukraine to fight Russia together with /on behalf of Ukraine. It remains under suspense as to how the drama will unfold in subsequent acts. Also Read | Who is the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’? The ace pilot giving hope to Ukrainians The drama can be said to have begun in December last year when Russia sought a set of legally binding assurances including a halt on NATO's further eastwards expansion nearer to Russia's borders. Russia demanded in particular that two of Russia's next-door neighbours namely Ukraine and Georgia be declined NATO membership. The rather impossible demands came in the backdrop of a massive military build-up by Russia along its borders with Ukraine and prolonged military exercise in Belarus, and also the ongoing clashes in eastern Ukraine between the separatist forces (supported by Russia) and the Ukrainian military. The origins of the current phase of the standoff between the West and Russia can be traced to the period immediately after the disintegration of the USSR in 1991 when the West adopted a policy of ideological conquest of the former Soviet Union and its satellite countries in East Europe through financial and technical assistance. Also Read | NATO announces 'historic' deployment of forces to bolster Eastern Europe after Ukraine invasion Gradually, NATO began to increase its footprints in the post-Soviet space. Beginning from 1999 the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland (1999), Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia (2004), Albania and Croatia (2009), Montenegro (2017) and North Macedonia (2020) have been taken into the fold of NATO. Russia calls this expansion a breach of promises and assurances by NATO given to Russia in the wake of the disintegration of the USSR. However, being relatively weak, Russia could do nothing to halt this process. The situation changed with the advent of President Putin as Russia’s leader from 2000 onwards. So when NATO announced in April 2008 that Georgia and Ukraine will be members of NATO (though no specific dates were indicated) Russia acted swiftly; it recognised the self-declared independence of two breakaway regions of Georgia namely Abkhazia and South Ossetia, intervened militarily and has since consolidated its positions in those regions. In 2014, when the pro-Russia government in Ukraine was replaced by a pro-Western regime in Ukraine, Russia reacted again and this time successfully manipulated Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula’s incorporation into Russian Federation, often described as Crimea’s annexation.. Reverting to the current phase of crisis, it appears in hindsight that Russia from the very beginning had made up its mind at least to trifurcate Ukraine and take Eastern Ukraine under its influence and control. Russia now appears to be going much further with the objective of subjugating entire Ukraine and even installing a puppet or at least a more pliable/ neutral regime in Ukraine. President Putin is reported to have encouraged the Ukraine Armed Forces to take full control of the country suggesting that it would be easier to deal with them rather than the civilian leadership. At this point of time, there is a fairly good clarity about the intentions of Russia and also the positions taken by the USA and its allies so far. At the same time there are many imponderables: Will Ukraine be able to resist Russia and compel it to withdraw? Looks difficult. Are we then heading for a scenario of the fall of Kiev or urban insurgency? What else the USA and NATO allies can or will do besides current efforts to isolate Russia diplomatically and weaken it economically by imposing sanctions. Will there be an attempt to invoke Chapter VII of the UN Charter to send international armed forces (read NATO) into Ukraine? The economic sanctions have so far not deterred Russia. And in the given case the sanctions can also act as a double-edged sword causing an adverse impact on the energy security of Europe. Biden has already cautioned the American public in this regard though he has also assured to minimise the impact on the US population. The Ukrainian crisis is a test for India’s diplomacy. It must be noted that India is not in alliance with USA or Russia, and to that extent India is not obliged to take sides with either of them. At the same time, India has strong partnerships with both the USA and Russia, besides good relations with Europe and also Ukraine. Prima-facie, India has so far taken a balanced position. Some observers have described it as a neutral stance reminiscent of the period of non-alignment. Note must be taken of the key element in India’s statements in which India has called for the resolution of the issue in a manner that would address the “legitimate security interests” of all concerned. It requires a careful reading between the lines to determine whose “legitimate security interests” are under real threat. Is the tilt not slightly in favour of Russia whose security concerns arising out of NATO’s eastwards expansion appear genuine?. Whether it entitles Russia to use force to address its concerns is a matter of entirely different and difficult debate as it involves issues such as sovereignty, territorial integrity on the one hand and the concept of indivisible security on the other. The evacuation of estimated 20,000 Indian nationals mostly students stranded in Ukraine is India’s top priority at the moment. India’s track record in the evacuation of Indian national from conflict regions is commendable. In the given case, the situation is complicated by the fact that the Indian nationals are spread in various parts of Ukraine some of which are in conflict zones, and it is not possible to send flights to Ukraine as its airspace is closed. Alternate arrangements for evacuation through land routes to neighbouring countries such as Romania, Hungary etc. en-route to India through Chartered flights sponsored by the Indian Government are underway albeit with partial success so far. One hopes that all Indian nationals are able to return home safely. It is pointless to debate now as to whether or not it would have been desirable to begin the process a few weeks earlier. (Disclaimer: The views of the experts do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views.)

How far will the Ukraine crisis go?

Polish footballer Robert Lewandowski on Saturday backed the Polish FA's decision to not play their 2022 FIFA World Cup play-off with Russia in Moscow on March 24.

The winners of Poland vs Russia are due to play Sweden or Czech Republic for a place in the finals.

Cezary Kulesz, the president of the Polish football federation said on Twitter: "No more words, it's time to act. Due to the escalation of the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine, the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match against Russia."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/poland-will-not-play-world-cup-qualifying-match-against-russia-says-polish-fa-head-cezary-kulesza-456742">Poland will not play World Cup qualifying match against Russia, says Polish FA head Cezary Kulesza</a>

To which Poland men's football team captain replied: "It is the right decision! I can't imagine playing a match with the Russian National Team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues. Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we can't pretend that nothing is happening."

On Friday, the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged all International Sports Federations to relocate or cancel their sports events currently planned in Russia or Belarus.

IOC said that they should take the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarussian governments into account and give the safety and security of the athletes an absolute priority.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ukraines-ruslan-malinovskyi-does-no-war-celebration-after-scoring-for-atalanta-in-europa-league-watch-456484">Ukraine's Ruslan Malinovskyi does 'no war' celebration after scoring for Atalanta in Europa League - WATCH</a>

The IOC itself has no events planned in Russia or Belarus.UEFA has already shifted the men's Champions League final venue from Russia to France and Formula 1 cancelled the Russian Grand Prix amid the Ukraine crisis.

Polish footballer Robert Lewandowski on Saturday backed the Polish FA's decision to not play their 2022 FIFA World Cup play-off with Russia in Moscow on March 24.

Polish footballer Robert Lewandowski on Saturday backed the Polish FA's decision to not play their 2022 FIFA World Cup play-off with Russia in Moscow on March 24. The winners of Poland vs Russia are due to play Sweden or Czech Republic for a place in the finals. Cezary Kulesz, the president of the Polish football federation said on Twitter: "No more words, it's time to act. Due to the escalation of the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine, the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match against Russia." ALSO READ: Poland will not play World Cup qualifying match against Russia, says Polish FA head Cezary Kulesza To which Poland men's football team captain replied: "It is the right decision! I can't imagine playing a match with the Russian National Team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues. Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we can't pretend that nothing is happening." On Friday, the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged all International Sports Federations to relocate or cancel their sports events currently planned in Russia or Belarus. IOC said that they should take the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarussian governments into account and give the safety and security of the athletes an absolute priority. ALSO READ: Ukraine's Ruslan Malinovskyi does 'no war' celebration after scoring for Atalanta in Europa League - WATCH The IOC itself has no events planned in Russia or Belarus.UEFA has already shifted the men's Champions League final venue from Russia to France and Formula 1 cancelled the Russian Grand Prix amid the Ukraine crisis.

'Right decision': Robert Lewandowski on Poland's decision to not play World Cup qualifier with Russia

Americans are showing some of the highest levels of hostility toward the Russian Federation in 40 years, with Russophobia reaching Cold War levels.

The poll done for ABC News and the Washington Post found that 80% of Americans see Russia as unfriendly or an enemy of the United States. 
That’s the worst since 1983, when Russia was part of the Soviet Union - although Americans used to refer to the whole region as Russia. That was also the height of Cold War, when nuclear tensions between Russia and the West were at their peak.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-russia-conflict-anti-war-protests-solidarity-events-held-across-continents-456718">Ukraine-Russia conflict: Anti-war protests, solidarity events held across continents</a>

Now, just 12% of Americans see Russia as a friend of the US, found the new poll, which was conducted between Sunday and Thursday when Russia began its military operations targeting Ukraine.

That number was at its highest in 1993, two years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, when two-thirds of Americans saw Russia as friendly toward the US.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-taiwan-to-join-democratic-countries-in-sanctions-on-russia-456545">&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine war: Taiwan to join 'democratic countries' in sanctions on Russia</a>

Respondents were generally negative on Russia in spite of party affiliations. But it was slightly less for Republicans at 78% compared to 86% for Democrats, and 81% for independents.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Global reaction to Russian invasion of Ukraine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-global-reaction-to-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-456597/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

While 62% of Republicans said they supported anti-Russia sanction, 79% of Democrats and 63% of independents backed the measures.

Americans are showing some of the highest levels of hostility toward the Russian Federation in 40 years, with Russophobia reaching Cold War levels. The poll done for ABC News and the Washington Post found that 80% of Americans see Russia as unfriendly or an enemy of the United States.

Americans are showing some of the highest levels of hostility toward the Russian Federation in 40 years, with Russophobia reaching Cold War levels. The poll done for ABC News and the Washington Post found that 80% of Americans see Russia as unfriendly or an enemy of the United States. That’s the worst since 1983, when Russia was part of the Soviet Union - although Americans used to refer to the whole region as Russia. That was also the height of Cold War, when nuclear tensions between Russia and the West were at their peak. Also read | Ukraine-Russia conflict: Anti-war protests, solidarity events held across continents Now, just 12% of Americans see Russia as a friend of the US, found the new poll, which was conducted between Sunday and Thursday when Russia began its military operations targeting Ukraine. That number was at its highest in 1993, two years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, when two-thirds of Americans saw Russia as friendly toward the US. Also read | Russia-Ukraine war: Taiwan to join 'democratic countries' in sanctions on Russia Respondents were generally negative on Russia in spite of party affiliations. But it was slightly less for Republicans at 78% compared to 86% for Democrats, and 81% for independents. Watch | Gravitas: Global reaction to Russian invasion of Ukraine While 62% of Republicans said they supported anti-Russia sanction, 79% of Democrats and 63% of independents backed the measures.

Russophobia in US nears Cold War levels, 80% see Russia as enemy: Poll

Internet services in Ukraine have been&nbsp;massively affected by the Russian invasion. As per internet blockage observatory NetBlocks, the connection is majorly hampered in the southern and eastern parts of the country where fighting has been heaviest.&nbsp;

Alp Toker, director of NetBlocks while speaking to Reuters said, "We currently observe national connectivity at 87% of ordinary levels, a figure that reflects service disruptions as well as population flight and the shuttering of homes and businesses since the morning of the 24th."

"While there is no nation-scale blackout, little is being heard from the worst affected regions, and for others there's an ever-present fear that connectivity could worsen at any moment, cutting off friends and family."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-watchdog-orders-media-to-ban-usage-of-words-invasion-and-assault-456734">Also read |&nbsp;Russian watchdog orders media to ban usage of words 'invasion' and 'assault'</a>

Connectivity to GigaTrans, which happens to be Ukraine's main internet provider, dropped to below 20 per cent of normal levels before returning to higher levels during early Friday morning.&nbsp;

Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in the killing of dozens of people. Also, this has forced more than 50,000 to flee Ukraine in just 48 hours.

Ukraine's defence ministry said Russian forces during the night launched strikes with "long-range precision weapons using air-and sea-launched cruise missiles" against the military infrastructure of Ukraine.

Amid the heavy fighting, Russian forces claimed they had annexed the Ukrainian city of Melitopol as its forces unleashed cruise missile and artillery strikes on several cities including the capital Kyiv.

(With inputs from agencies)

Internet services in Ukraine have been massively affected by the Russian invasion. As per internet blockage observatory NetBlocks, the connection is majorly hampered in the southern and eastern parts of the country where fighting has been heaviest.

Internet services in Ukraine have been massively affected by the Russian invasion. As per internet blockage observatory NetBlocks, the connection is majorly hampered in the southern and eastern parts of the country where fighting has been heaviest. Alp Toker, director of NetBlocks while speaking to Reuters said, "We currently observe national connectivity at 87% of ordinary levels, a figure that reflects service disruptions as well as population flight and the shuttering of homes and businesses since the morning of the 24th." "While there is no nation-scale blackout, little is being heard from the worst affected regions, and for others there's an ever-present fear that connectivity could worsen at any moment, cutting off friends and family." Also read | Russian watchdog orders media to ban usage of words 'invasion' and 'assault' Connectivity to GigaTrans, which happens to be Ukraine's main internet provider, dropped to below 20 per cent of normal levels before returning to higher levels during early Friday morning. Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in the killing of dozens of people. Also, this has forced more than 50,000 to flee Ukraine in just 48 hours. Ukraine's defence ministry said Russian forces during the night launched strikes with "long-range precision weapons using air-and sea-launched cruise missiles" against the military infrastructure of Ukraine. Amid the heavy fighting, Russian forces claimed they had annexed the Ukrainian city of Melitopol as its forces unleashed cruise missile and artillery strikes on several cities including the capital Kyiv. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine invasion: Internet services majorly disrupted as Russian troops advance

Ukraine's nuclear agency and interior ministry said on Friday they were recording increased radiation levels from the site of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Experts at the state nuclear agency did not provide exact radiation levels but said the change was due to the movement of heavy military equipment in the area, lifting radioactive dust into the air.

"Radiation has started to increase. It is not critical for Kyiv for the time being, but we are monitoring, "the interior ministry said.

The still-radioactive site of the 1986 nuclear disaster lies some 100 kilometres from Kyiv.

Ukraine's neighbor, Poland, said it had not recorded any increase in radiation levels on its territory.

Ukraine's nuclear agency and interior ministry said on Friday they were recording increased radiation levels from the site of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Ukraine's nuclear agency and interior ministry said on Friday they were recording increased radiation levels from the site of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Experts at the state nuclear agency did not provide exact radiation levels but said the change was due to the movement of heavy military equipment in the area, lifting radioactive dust into the air. "Radiation has started to increase. It is not critical for Kyiv for the time being, but we are monitoring, "the interior ministry said. The still-radioactive site of the 1986 nuclear disaster lies some 100 kilometres from Kyiv. Ukraine's neighbor, Poland, said it had not recorded any increase in radiation levels on its territory.

Ukraine nuclear agency reports higher Chernobyl radiation levels

The government will join "democratic countries" in imposing sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, the government said on Friday, with the world's largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, saying it would comply with all export control rules.

The crisis is being watched closely in Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory and which has faced increased military pressure from Beijing over the last two years.

"We very harshly condemn such an act of invasion and will join democratic countries to jointly impose sanctions," Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters in Taipei without giving details.

The foreign ministry echoed that message, while Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said the island would "harshly scrutinise" exports to Russia and "coordinate" with unspecified allies on further actions. She also did not elaborate.

Asked about the sanctions, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), a major Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier and Asia's most valuable listed company, said it had a robust export control system and would follow the rules.

"TSMC complies with all applicable laws and regulations and is fully committed to complying with the new export control rules announced," it said in a statement.

Taiwan is not a major market for Russia, and trade with Ukraine and Russia each accounted for less than 1% of its total, government data showed.

The island's natural gas contract with Russia is due to expire in March, and Taiwan will diversify its supplies, the economic ministry said on Thursday.

Asked about Taiwan's sanctions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Taipei never missed an opportunity to "grab eyeballs and try to make their presence felt."

"But this kind of trick will not prevail, "he said.

China is not imposing sanctions on Russia, saying they have never resolved any problems.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, speaking in the southern city of Tainan, reiterated that the island's situation was different from Ukraine's and that the Taiwan Strait formed a "natural barrier".

She said that Taiwan's improved military power and the great attention paid to the region by "friendly and allied countries" give strong confidence in maintaining security, she said.

She also called for greater vigilance to prevent foreign forces and local players from exploiting the Ukraine crisis to "create panic and affect the morale of Taiwanese society."

Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters a working group was watching the Ukraine crisis and would see if the war caused any "linkage" to China. The minister said commanders and their deputies had been ordered not to leave their bases at the same time.

His ministry released a video set to music featuring a montage of its fighter jets, tanks, warships, and soldiers training to demonstrate its resolve to defend Taiwan.

Chiu Tai-san, head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, said there was "no comparison" between Ukraine and Taiwan in terms of strategic importance.

"Taiwan has long been the most important country in the first island chain. "If Taiwan is lost, the strategic planning in Asia will need to be changed significantly," he said, referring to the islands and countries that run from southern Japan down to the bottom of the South China Sea.

The government will join "democratic countries" in imposing sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, the government said on Friday, with the world's largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, saying it would comply with all export control rules.

The government will join "democratic countries" in imposing sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, the government said on Friday, with the world's largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, saying it would comply with all export control rules. The crisis is being watched closely in Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory and which has faced increased military pressure from Beijing over the last two years. "We very harshly condemn such an act of invasion and will join democratic countries to jointly impose sanctions," Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters in Taipei without giving details. The foreign ministry echoed that message, while Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said the island would "harshly scrutinise" exports to Russia and "coordinate" with unspecified allies on further actions. She also did not elaborate. Asked about the sanctions, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), a major Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier and Asia's most valuable listed company, said it had a robust export control system and would follow the rules. "TSMC complies with all applicable laws and regulations and is fully committed to complying with the new export control rules announced," it said in a statement. Taiwan is not a major market for Russia, and trade with Ukraine and Russia each accounted for less than 1% of its total, government data showed. The island's natural gas contract with Russia is due to expire in March, and Taiwan will diversify its supplies, the economic ministry said on Thursday. Asked about Taiwan's sanctions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Taipei never missed an opportunity to "grab eyeballs and try to make their presence felt." "But this kind of trick will not prevail, "he said. China is not imposing sanctions on Russia, saying they have never resolved any problems. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, speaking in the southern city of Tainan, reiterated that the island's situation was different from Ukraine's and that the Taiwan Strait formed a "natural barrier". She said that Taiwan's improved military power and the great attention paid to the region by "friendly and allied countries" give strong confidence in maintaining security, she said. She also called for greater vigilance to prevent foreign forces and local players from exploiting the Ukraine crisis to "create panic and affect the morale of Taiwanese society." Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters a working group was watching the Ukraine crisis and would see if the war caused any "linkage" to China. The minister said commanders and their deputies had been ordered not to leave their bases at the same time. His ministry released a video set to music featuring a montage of its fighter jets, tanks, warships, and soldiers training to demonstrate its resolve to defend Taiwan. Chiu Tai-san, head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, said there was "no comparison" between Ukraine and Taiwan in terms of strategic importance. "Taiwan has long been the most important country in the first island chain. "If Taiwan is lost, the strategic planning in Asia will need to be changed significantly," he said, referring to the islands and countries that run from southern Japan down to the bottom of the South China Sea.

Russia-Ukraine war: Taiwan to join 'democratic countries' in sanctions on Russia

European football's governing body UEFA has taken a firm stand against Russia amid the country's ongoing war with Ukraine and decided to move the Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris. The final of the marquee football fixture was all set to be played at the Gazprom Arena in Russia’s second-largest city on May 28.

In the wake of the Russian military's invasion of Ukraine, UEFA had called for an emergency meeting of its executive committee on Friday. The UEFA has decided to strip Russia off the hosting rights of the Champions League final. The final will now be played on the scheduled date at the Stade de France in Paris.

UEFA also condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and said it stands in “solidarity with the football community in Ukraine”. UEFA has also confirmed that Russian and Ukrainian clubs along with their national teams will play their matches at neutral venues in the UEFA competitions. Russian club Spartak Moscow is currently part of the ongoing Europa League.

Spartak Moscow is scheduled to play on Friday while the Russian national team is also scheduled to take on Ukraine in the World Cup playoffs next month. UEFA has said the matches of the Russian and Ukrainian clubs will be played at neutral venues until further notice. Russia and Ukraine are also scheduled to feature in the UEFA Nations League in June this year.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/people-should-stay-together-new-world-no1-daniil-medvedev-calls-for-peace-after-russia-attacks-ukraine-456367">'People should stay together': New world no.1 Daniil Medvedev calls for peace after Russia attacks Ukraine</a>

“Uefa wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to French Republic president Emmanuel Macron for his personal support and commitment to have European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis,” it said in a statement.

“Together with the French government, Uefa will fully support multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure the provision of rescue for football players and their families in Ukraine who face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement," added the European football's governing body. 
&nbsp;

European football's governing body UEFA has taken a firm stand against Russia amid the country's ongoing war with Ukraine and decided to move the Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris.

European football's governing body UEFA has taken a firm stand against Russia amid the country's ongoing war with Ukraine and decided to move the Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris. The final of the marquee football fixture was all set to be played at the Gazprom Arena in Russia’s second-largest city on May 28. In the wake of the Russian military's invasion of Ukraine, UEFA had called for an emergency meeting of its executive committee on Friday. The UEFA has decided to strip Russia off the hosting rights of the Champions League final. The final will now be played on the scheduled date at the Stade de France in Paris. UEFA also condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and said it stands in “solidarity with the football community in Ukraine”. UEFA has also confirmed that Russian and Ukrainian clubs along with their national teams will play their matches at neutral venues in the UEFA competitions. Russian club Spartak Moscow is currently part of the ongoing Europa League. Spartak Moscow is scheduled to play on Friday while the Russian national team is also scheduled to take on Ukraine in the World Cup playoffs next month. UEFA has said the matches of the Russian and Ukrainian clubs will be played at neutral venues until further notice. Russia and Ukraine are also scheduled to feature in the UEFA Nations League in June this year. Also Read: 'People should stay together': New world no.1 Daniil Medvedev calls for peace after Russia attacks Ukraine “Uefa wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to French Republic president Emmanuel Macron for his personal support and commitment to have European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis,” it said in a statement. “Together with the French government, Uefa will fully support multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure the provision of rescue for football players and their families in Ukraine who face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement," added the European football's governing body.

UEFA moves Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris amid Russia-Ukraine conflict

&nbsp;India&nbsp;is exploring ways to set&nbsp;up&nbsp;a rupee payment mechanism for&nbsp;trade&nbsp;with&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;to&nbsp;soften&nbsp;the&nbsp;blow&nbsp;on New Delhi of Western&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;imposed on&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;after its invasion of Ukraine, government and banking&nbsp;sources&nbsp;said.

Indian officials are concerned that vital supplies of fertilizer from&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;could be disrupted as&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;intensify, threatening&nbsp;India's vast farm sector.

India&nbsp;has called for an end to violence in Ukraine but refrained from outright condemnation of&nbsp;Russia, with which it has long-standing political and security ties.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-embassy-in-ukraine-issues-advisory-asks-citizens-to-follow-these-steps-456443">Indian embassy in Ukraine issues advisory, asks citizens to follow these steps</a>

Russia&nbsp;invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea on Thursday in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

Russian forces pressed their advance on Friday and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pleaded with the international community to do more, saying&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;announced so far were not enough.

Officials said the plan was to get&nbsp;Russian banks and companies to open&nbsp;accounts&nbsp;with a few state-run banks in&nbsp;India&nbsp;for&nbsp;trade&nbsp;settlement, a banking source involved in the discussions said.

"This is a proactive move assuming that the conflict escalates and&nbsp;there could be a slew of&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;in place," the source said.

"In this case we would not be able to settle the transaction in dollars and so an arrangement has been proposed to set&nbsp;up&nbsp;a rupee account, which is being considered."

Funds in such&nbsp;accounts&nbsp;act as a guarantee of payment for&nbsp;trade&nbsp;exchanged between two countries, while the parties barter commodities from each other to offset the sum, the source said.

A similar arrangement, in which part of the settlement with&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;is in foreign currency and rest is through local rupee&nbsp;accounts, was also being explored, said the banking and the government source.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-to-evacuate-stranded-citizens-in-ukraine-from-neighbouring-countries-sources-456437">India to evacuate stranded citizens in Ukraine from neighbouring countries: Sources</a>

Such mechanisms are often used by countries to shield themselves from the&nbsp;blow&nbsp;of&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;and&nbsp;India&nbsp;also used it with Iran after it came under Western&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;for its nuclear weapons programme, the source said.

The programme was introduced in 2012 and worked well for several years.

The discussions on&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;were still at an early stage and formal talks had not yet begun between the two sides, an&nbsp;Indian government official said.

EU leaders agreed on Thursday to impose new economic&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;on&nbsp;Russia, joining the United States and Britain in trying to punish&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies for the attack.

The&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;impede&nbsp;Russia's ability to do business in major currencies and target individual banks and state-owned enterprises.

The finance ministry did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. None of the&nbsp;sources&nbsp;wanted to be identified as the discussions are private.

Russia's exports to&nbsp;India&nbsp;stood at $6.9 billion in 2021, mainly mineral oils, fertilisers and rough diamonds, while&nbsp;India&nbsp;exported $3.33 billion worth of goods to&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;in 2021, mainly pharmaceutical products, tea and coffee.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: India urges 'restraint and talks' in eastern Ukraine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-india-urges-restraint-and-talks-in-eastern-ukraine-455511/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Russia&nbsp;and Belarus usually account for nearly a third of&nbsp;India's total potash imports. It would not be feasible to replace them amid a rally in fertilizer prices to a record high, a senior industry official told Reuters.

New Delhi is also holding a meeting with fertilizer industry officials on Friday to explore ways to secure supplies from&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;and Belarus, said a senior fertilizer industry official, who declined to be identified.

India is exploring ways to set up a rupee payment mechanism for trade with Russia to soften the blow on New Delhi of Western sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, government and banking sources said.

India is exploring ways to set up a rupee payment mechanism for trade with Russia to soften the blow on New Delhi of Western sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, government and banking sources said. Indian officials are concerned that vital supplies of fertilizer from Russia could be disrupted as sanctions intensify, threatening India's vast farm sector. India has called for an end to violence in Ukraine but refrained from outright condemnation of Russia, with which it has long-standing political and security ties. Also read | Indian embassy in Ukraine issues advisory, asks citizens to follow these steps Russia invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea on Thursday in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Russian forces pressed their advance on Friday and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pleaded with the international community to do more, saying sanctions announced so far were not enough. Officials said the plan was to get Russian banks and companies to open accounts with a few state-run banks in India for trade settlement, a banking source involved in the discussions said. "This is a proactive move assuming that the conflict escalates and there could be a slew of sanctions in place," the source said. "In this case we would not be able to settle the transaction in dollars and so an arrangement has been proposed to set up a rupee account, which is being considered." Funds in such accounts act as a guarantee of payment for trade exchanged between two countries, while the parties barter commodities from each other to offset the sum, the source said. A similar arrangement, in which part of the settlement with Russia is in foreign currency and rest is through local rupee accounts, was also being explored, said the banking and the government source. Also read | India to evacuate stranded citizens in Ukraine from neighbouring countries: Sources Such mechanisms are often used by countries to shield themselves from the blow of sanctions and India also used it with Iran after it came under Western sanctions for its nuclear weapons programme, the source said. The programme was introduced in 2012 and worked well for several years. The discussions on Russia were still at an early stage and formal talks had not yet begun between the two sides, an Indian government official said. EU leaders agreed on Thursday to impose new economic sanctions on Russia, joining the United States and Britain in trying to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies for the attack. The sanctions impede Russia's ability to do business in major currencies and target individual banks and state-owned enterprises. The finance ministry did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. None of the sources wanted to be identified as the discussions are private. Russia's exports to India stood at $6.9 billion in 2021, mainly mineral oils, fertilisers and rough diamonds, while India exported $3.33 billion worth of goods to Russia in 2021, mainly pharmaceutical products, tea and coffee. Watch | Gravitas: India urges 'restraint and talks' in eastern Ukraine Russia and Belarus usually account for nearly a third of India's total potash imports. It would not be feasible to replace them amid a rally in fertilizer prices to a record high, a senior industry official told Reuters. New Delhi is also holding a meeting with fertilizer industry officials on Friday to explore ways to secure supplies from Russia and Belarus, said a senior fertilizer industry official, who declined to be identified.

India explores setting up rupee trade accounts with Russia to soften sanctions blow: Sources

Former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said he would take up arms alongside his brother and fellow Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko to fight in what is a "bloody war" following Russia`s invasion of their country Ukraine.

Russia launched its invasion by land, air and sea on Thursday following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin. An estimated 100,000 people have fled as explosions and gunfire rocked major cities. Dozens have been reported killed.

Vitali Klitschko, who has been the mayor of Ukraine`s capital Kyiv since 2014, said he was ready to fight.

"I don`t have another choice, I have to do that. I`ll be fighting," the 50-year-old, known as "Dr Ironfist" during his fighting days, told broadcaster ITV`s Good Morning Britain.

Vitali Klitschko said Kyiv was under threat and the main priority was to work with police and military forces to support critical infrastructure including the delivery of electricity, gas and water for its citizens.

He added civilians were ready to defend Kyiv as soldiers.

"I believe in Ukraine, I believe in my country and I believe in my people," Vitali Klitschko said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uefa-moves-champions-league-final-from-st-petersburg-to-paris-amid-russia-ukraine-conflict-456427">UEFA moves Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris amid Russia-Ukraine conflict</a>

Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko enlisted in Ukraine`s reserve army earlier this month, saying that the love for his country compelled him to defend it.

"The Ukrainian people are strong. And it will remain true to itself in this terrible ordeal. A people longing for sovereignty and peace. A people who consider the Russian people their brothers," he wrote in a post on LinkedIn on Thursday. 
"It knows that they basically do not want this war. The Ukrainian people have chosen democracy. 
"But: Democracy is a fragile regime. Democracy cannot defend itself; it needs the will of the citizens, the commitment of everyone. Basically, there is no democracy without democrats."

Former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said he would take up arms alongside his brother and fellow Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko to fight in what is a "bloody war" following Russia`s invasion of their country Ukraine.

Former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said he would take up arms alongside his brother and fellow Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko to fight in what is a "bloody war" following Russia`s invasion of their country Ukraine. Russia launched its invasion by land, air and sea on Thursday following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin. An estimated 100,000 people have fled as explosions and gunfire rocked major cities. Dozens have been reported killed. Vitali Klitschko, who has been the mayor of Ukraine`s capital Kyiv since 2014, said he was ready to fight. "I don`t have another choice, I have to do that. I`ll be fighting," the 50-year-old, known as "Dr Ironfist" during his fighting days, told broadcaster ITV`s Good Morning Britain. Vitali Klitschko said Kyiv was under threat and the main priority was to work with police and military forces to support critical infrastructure including the delivery of electricity, gas and water for its citizens. He added civilians were ready to defend Kyiv as soldiers. "I believe in Ukraine, I believe in my country and I believe in my people," Vitali Klitschko said. Also Read: UEFA moves Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris amid Russia-Ukraine conflict Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko enlisted in Ukraine`s reserve army earlier this month, saying that the love for his country compelled him to defend it. "The Ukrainian people are strong. And it will remain true to itself in this terrible ordeal. A people longing for sovereignty and peace. A people who consider the Russian people their brothers," he wrote in a post on LinkedIn on Thursday. "It knows that they basically do not want this war. The Ukrainian people have chosen democracy. "But: Democracy is a fragile regime. Democracy cannot defend itself; it needs the will of the citizens, the commitment of everyone. Basically, there is no democracy without democrats."

Former heavyweight boxing champions, Klitschko brothers to take up arms and fight for Ukraine

A group of Brazilian footballers based in Ukraine appealed to their government to be rescued following Russia`s attack on their host country on Thursday.

"All our friends and family, the situation is serious and we are prisoners in Kyiv awaiting a solution to get out," Junior Moraes, a Shakhtar Donetsk player who is a naturalised Ukrainian, said on Instagram.

"We are in a hotel. Pray for us."

In a video recorded at a hotel where around a dozen players had gathered with wives and children, members of the group asked Brazilian authorities to come and rescue them.

"We really feel abandoned because we don`t know what to do," one of the women said. "We don`t know how to resolve this situation."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Jogadores brasileiros do Shakhtar e do Dínamo estão reunidos com as famílias em um hotel de Kiev. Acabaram de gravar esse vídeo pedindo ajuda das autoridades brasileiras para deixar o país. <a href="https://t.co/7ah1RuKGo2">pic.twitter.com/7ah1RuKGo2</a>
— Arthur Quezada (@ArthurQuezada) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArthurQuezada/status/1496777721900572675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The Brazilian foreign ministry later said the embassy in Kyiv was "open and dedicated ... to protecting the close to 500 Brazilian citizens in the Ukraine."

Without referring to any individuals or groups it urged Brazilians to remain in daily contact with the embassy and said those in the east of the country should move to the capital Kyiv if it is safe to do so.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/people-should-stay-together-new-world-no1-daniil-medvedev-calls-for-peace-after-russia-attacks-ukraine-456367">&nbsp;'People should stay together': New world no.1 Daniil Medvedev calls for peace after Russia attacks Ukraine</a>

Group members said they had gathered at the hotel to meet and discuss how to get out of their predicament.

"There is a shortage of fuel in the city, the borders are closed, the air space is closed, we can`t get out," one of the men said.

Most of the players play with the Shakhtar Donetsk club, based in the east of the country.

Shakhtar has more than a dozen Brazilian players in their squad, while Dynamo Kyiv also has at last one Brazilian on their books. There was no immediate reply from Shakhtar to Reuters emailed request for comment. Dynamo Kyiv could not immediately be contacted for comment.

Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday in a mass assault by land, sea and air, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.

A group of Brazilian footballers based in Ukraine appealed to their government to be rescued following Russia`s attack on their host country on Thursday. "All our friends and family, the situation is serious and we are prisoners in Kyiv awaiting a solution to get out," Junior Moraes, a Shakhtar Donetsk player who is a naturalised Ukrainian, said on Instagram.

A group of Brazilian footballers based in Ukraine appealed to their government to be rescued following Russia`s attack on their host country on Thursday. "All our friends and family, the situation is serious and we are prisoners in Kyiv awaiting a solution to get out," Junior Moraes, a Shakhtar Donetsk player who is a naturalised Ukrainian, said on Instagram. "We are in a hotel. Pray for us." In a video recorded at a hotel where around a dozen players had gathered with wives and children, members of the group asked Brazilian authorities to come and rescue them. "We really feel abandoned because we don`t know what to do," one of the women said. "We don`t know how to resolve this situation." Jogadores brasileiros do Shakhtar e do Dínamo estão reunidos com as famílias em um hotel de Kiev. Acabaram de gravar esse vídeo pedindo ajuda das autoridades brasileiras para deixar o país. pic.twitter.com/7ah1RuKGo2 — Arthur Quezada (@ArthurQuezada) February 24, 2022 × The Brazilian foreign ministry later said the embassy in Kyiv was "open and dedicated ... to protecting the close to 500 Brazilian citizens in the Ukraine." Without referring to any individuals or groups it urged Brazilians to remain in daily contact with the embassy and said those in the east of the country should move to the capital Kyiv if it is safe to do so. Also Read: 'People should stay together': New world no.1 Daniil Medvedev calls for peace after Russia attacks Ukraine Group members said they had gathered at the hotel to meet and discuss how to get out of their predicament. "There is a shortage of fuel in the city, the borders are closed, the air space is closed, we can`t get out," one of the men said. Most of the players play with the Shakhtar Donetsk club, based in the east of the country. Shakhtar has more than a dozen Brazilian players in their squad, while Dynamo Kyiv also has at last one Brazilian on their books. There was no immediate reply from Shakhtar to Reuters emailed request for comment. Dynamo Kyiv could not immediately be contacted for comment. Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday in a mass assault by land, sea and air, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.

Brazilian footballers from Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv appeal to be rescued from Ukraine

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev has called for peace after his country attacked Ukraine. Medvedev was confirmed as the new world number one in men's singles tennis on Thursday after defeating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarter-final of the Mexican Open to set up a semi-final clash against current Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal.

With Novak Djokovic suffering a shock defeat at the Dubai Championships, the Russian's win over Nishioka at the Mexican Open saw him topple the Serbian to move to the top spot in the rankings. While Medvedev became the first man apart from Djokovic, Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to become the world no.1 in men's singles since 2004, he said it was not easy for him to focus on tennis amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Medvedev said as a tennis player he is all for promoting peace across the world, having played in several different countries himself throughout his career. The Russian tennis star said it was not easy for him to watch the news. "By being a tennis player I want to promote peace all over the world," said the new world no.1 in men's singles tennis.

"We play in so many different countries. I`ve been in so many different countries as a junior and as a pro. It`s just not easy to hear all this news. I`m all for peace," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-to-lose-world-number-one-ranking-to-daniil-medvedev-after-shock-defeat-against-jiri-vesely-456339">Novak Djokovic to lose world number one ranking to Daniil Medvedev after shock defeat against Jiri Vesely</a>

Daniil Medvedev praises Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev for Ukranian pairing&nbsp;

Medvedev's Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev had paired up with Ukraine's Denys Molchanov to win the men's doubles title in Marseille last week. Lauding Rublev for his pairing with the Ukrainian, Medvedev said people need to stay together.

"This was amazing because I think people need to stay together and that's the most important," Medvedev said while talking about Rublev and Molchanov.

Though it is one of the biggest moments of his career to attain the top ranking in men's tennis, Medvedev is not worried about the sport and is hopeful of peace prevailing across the world. The Russian tennis star said it is in situations like these that sports take a backseat for more important issues around the globe.

"At this moment, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important. It was definitely not easy to play and I am happy that I managed to win the match. That was a little bit of a roller-coaster day," said Medvedev.

"In these moments you realise that my match is not important. It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible.

You realise how important (it) is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. It's about that. We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing," he added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ukraine-under-attack-wion-decodes-the-developments-456220/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev has called for peace after his country attacked Ukraine. Medvedev was confirmed as the new world number one in men's singles tennis on Thursday after defeating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarter-final of the Mexican Open to set up a semi-final clash against current Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal.

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev has called for peace after his country attacked Ukraine. Medvedev was confirmed as the new world number one in men's singles tennis on Thursday after defeating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarter-final of the Mexican Open to set up a semi-final clash against current Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal. With Novak Djokovic suffering a shock defeat at the Dubai Championships, the Russian's win over Nishioka at the Mexican Open saw him topple the Serbian to move to the top spot in the rankings. While Medvedev became the first man apart from Djokovic, Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to become the world no.1 in men's singles since 2004, he said it was not easy for him to focus on tennis amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Medvedev said as a tennis player he is all for promoting peace across the world, having played in several different countries himself throughout his career. The Russian tennis star said it was not easy for him to watch the news. "By being a tennis player I want to promote peace all over the world," said the new world no.1 in men's singles tennis. "We play in so many different countries. I`ve been in so many different countries as a junior and as a pro. It`s just not easy to hear all this news. I`m all for peace," he added. Also Read: Novak Djokovic to lose world number one ranking to Daniil Medvedev after shock defeat against Jiri Vesely Daniil Medvedev praises Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev for Ukranian pairing Medvedev's Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev had paired up with Ukraine's Denys Molchanov to win the men's doubles title in Marseille last week. Lauding Rublev for his pairing with the Ukrainian, Medvedev said people need to stay together. "This was amazing because I think people need to stay together and that's the most important," Medvedev said while talking about Rublev and Molchanov. Though it is one of the biggest moments of his career to attain the top ranking in men's tennis, Medvedev is not worried about the sport and is hopeful of peace prevailing across the world. The Russian tennis star said it is in situations like these that sports take a backseat for more important issues around the globe. "At this moment, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important. It was definitely not easy to play and I am happy that I managed to win the match. That was a little bit of a roller-coaster day," said Medvedev. "In these moments you realise that my match is not important. It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible. You realise how important (it) is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. It's about that. We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing," he added. ×

'People should stay together': New world no.1 Daniil Medvedev calls for peace after Russia attacks Ukraine

Backdrop&nbsp;

Russia declared war on Ukraine on February 24, 2022. It is executing a plan meticulously prepared and war-gamed. NATO appears to have over-relied on the potency of its sanctions to deter Putin, which appears to be a major strategic error because it has not worked in the past and does not appear to be working now. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Instead, it has emboldened Russian leadership's resolve that NATO will be unable to respond to a quick offensive beyond condemnation, Ukraine's capacity building, and sanctions on Russia. &nbsp;&nbsp;

It has pushed Ukraine towards disaster as its President's loud demand to join NATO was neither acted upon by West, nor provided him any assurance that anyone else would do the heavy lifting or put boots on the ground in Ukraine to fight Russians, despite a massive military force imbalance in Russia's favour. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Decoding strategic and military action of Russia so far &nbsp;

The contours and logic of Russian plans were evident from its posturing over months, President Putin’s speeches to the nation and his demands made to Ukraine. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The political aim of Russia seems to be to target Ukraine’s leadership to give up demand of NATO membership, or else force a regime change, replacing it with a pro-Russian government not propagating NATO membership or agenda.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Strategically, the centre of gravity for Russian offensive is minds of Ukraine’s leadership and military to surrender to Russia with minimum military actions. This strategic goal cannot be realised without surrounding Kyiv, which is the key strategic objective; as a result, operations to encircle Kyiv and capture adjacent airbases have been launched. &nbsp;&nbsp;

After Russia recognised the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, the liberation of the Donbas region was a foregone conclusion. &nbsp;

The military aim is to demilitarise Ukrainian military to ensure that Ukraine cannot be used as a springboard by NATO to threaten security of Russia and isolate Kyiv to facilitate regime change without military interference. To shape the battlefield, Russian &nbsp;military postured three sides of Ukraine with massive combat superiority, used forces in Belarus to invade from the North to reach Kyiv via shortest route, used its Black Sea fleet and Crimea to blockade Ukraine from South, and forces in Donbas region to invade from east and some forces from northeast to expedite consolidation. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The military operations were preceded by cyber-attacks and information warfare. Military operations were launched in a well-planned and professional manner under the banner of 'Special Operations,' beginning with air and missile strikes to neutralise air defence capability, air assets to achieve air superiority, and pulverise military targets, claiming to have destroyed over 70 military targets and installations, including 11 airfields in Ukraine, before ground elements marched in, adding conventional superiority to upgrade its hybrid war. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

NATO’s response and future options &nbsp;

US President Joe Biden’s address on February 22, and statements of other Western leaders, clearly indicated that NATO is not going to have boots on ground in Ukraine and will depend on financial sanctions and material support to Ukraine as response to Russian aggression. &nbsp;&nbsp;

This weakness emboldened Russia to seize opportunity for offensive into Ukraine with minimum military cost, so far. NATO is still unclear about further responses, as Russian offensive is already underway; hence time for any possible military action by NATO is already over. &nbsp;&nbsp;

NATO therefore is only salvaging its own security by strengthening NATO countries bordering Ukraine/Russia to prevent any possibility of Russian adventurism into any of the NATO country, leaving Ukraine to its fate, as it is not a member of NATO yet. &nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Likely Russian action ahead &nbsp;

Russia will try to achieve its strategic objectives as fast as possible and move out of Ukraine to minimise its cost. It will avoid fighting in built up areas, as it will prolong the invasion and may not remain as occupational force to avoid backlash from segment of hostile population turning into insurgency against it. It will therefore try to maximise pressure on Ukraine by all instruments of power to submit to regime change or force it at the earliest and deescalate.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Notwithstanding what Russia wants, the resolve of Ukrainian military and leadership will determine the timeframe and escalation dynamics and the support of NATO to refuel resistance will determine the staying power. Russia is unlikely to make the mistake of annexing complete Ukraine, as it does not make sense in strategic cost benefit analysis. &nbsp;&nbsp;

To build pressure for Ukraine to surrender, Russia may also takeover some key strategic installations, till its strategic aims are achieved. It's a harsh punishment for Ukraine's uncomfortable geopolitical location and leadership's desire to join NATO, which has thrust it into the centre of a "Big Power Contestation" that is going to be a tragedy for its people, in all contingencies. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Indian response &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The first priority for India should be to evacuate its own students and diaspora. It can push for diplomatic solutions and peaceful resolutions, as well as measures to reduce temperatures, but it should avoid taking sides because it has good connections with all of the opposing powers. &nbsp;&nbsp;

While each country's sovereignty must be maintained, both sides have rejected it when it has served their interests, as in the Iraq war, Crimea and Afghanistan. India needs to factor the weak Western response to Ukraine crisis in its strategic calculations, as it can embolden other authoritative powers like China to take similar actions in Indo-Pacific region.&nbsp;

(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.) &nbsp;&nbsp;

Backdrop Russia declared war on Ukraine on February 24, 2022. It is executing a plan meticulously prepared and war-gamed. NATO appears to have over-relied on the potency of its sanctions to deter Putin, which appears to be a major strategic error because it has not worked in the past and does not appear to be working now.

Backdrop Russia declared war on Ukraine on February 24, 2022. It is executing a plan meticulously prepared and war-gamed. NATO appears to have over-relied on the potency of its sanctions to deter Putin, which appears to be a major strategic error because it has not worked in the past and does not appear to be working now. Instead, it has emboldened Russian leadership's resolve that NATO will be unable to respond to a quick offensive beyond condemnation, Ukraine's capacity building, and sanctions on Russia. It has pushed Ukraine towards disaster as its President's loud demand to join NATO was neither acted upon by West, nor provided him any assurance that anyone else would do the heavy lifting or put boots on the ground in Ukraine to fight Russians, despite a massive military force imbalance in Russia's favour. Decoding strategic and military action of Russia so far The contours and logic of Russian plans were evident from its posturing over months, President Putin’s speeches to the nation and his demands made to Ukraine. The political aim of Russia seems to be to target Ukraine’s leadership to give up demand of NATO membership, or else force a regime change, replacing it with a pro-Russian government not propagating NATO membership or agenda. Strategically, the centre of gravity for Russian offensive is minds of Ukraine’s leadership and military to surrender to Russia with minimum military actions. This strategic goal cannot be realised without surrounding Kyiv, which is the key strategic objective; as a result, operations to encircle Kyiv and capture adjacent airbases have been launched. After Russia recognised the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, the liberation of the Donbas region was a foregone conclusion. The military aim is to demilitarise Ukrainian military to ensure that Ukraine cannot be used as a springboard by NATO to threaten security of Russia and isolate Kyiv to facilitate regime change without military interference. To shape the battlefield, Russian military postured three sides of Ukraine with massive combat superiority, used forces in Belarus to invade from the North to reach Kyiv via shortest route, used its Black Sea fleet and Crimea to blockade Ukraine from South, and forces in Donbas region to invade from east and some forces from northeast to expedite consolidation. The military operations were preceded by cyber-attacks and information warfare. Military operations were launched in a well-planned and professional manner under the banner of 'Special Operations,' beginning with air and missile strikes to neutralise air defence capability, air assets to achieve air superiority, and pulverise military targets, claiming to have destroyed over 70 military targets and installations, including 11 airfields in Ukraine, before ground elements marched in, adding conventional superiority to upgrade its hybrid war. NATO’s response and future options US President Joe Biden’s address on February 22, and statements of other Western leaders, clearly indicated that NATO is not going to have boots on ground in Ukraine and will depend on financial sanctions and material support to Ukraine as response to Russian aggression. This weakness emboldened Russia to seize opportunity for offensive into Ukraine with minimum military cost, so far. NATO is still unclear about further responses, as Russian offensive is already underway; hence time for any possible military action by NATO is already over. NATO therefore is only salvaging its own security by strengthening NATO countries bordering Ukraine/Russia to prevent any possibility of Russian adventurism into any of the NATO country, leaving Ukraine to its fate, as it is not a member of NATO yet. Likely Russian action ahead Russia will try to achieve its strategic objectives as fast as possible and move out of Ukraine to minimise its cost. It will avoid fighting in built up areas, as it will prolong the invasion and may not remain as occupational force to avoid backlash from segment of hostile population turning into insurgency against it. It will therefore try to maximise pressure on Ukraine by all instruments of power to submit to regime change or force it at the earliest and deescalate. Notwithstanding what Russia wants, the resolve of Ukrainian military and leadership will determine the timeframe and escalation dynamics and the support of NATO to refuel resistance will determine the staying power. Russia is unlikely to make the mistake of annexing complete Ukraine, as it does not make sense in strategic cost benefit analysis. To build pressure for Ukraine to surrender, Russia may also takeover some key strategic installations, till its strategic aims are achieved. It's a harsh punishment for Ukraine's uncomfortable geopolitical location and leadership's desire to join NATO, which has thrust it into the centre of a "Big Power Contestation" that is going to be a tragedy for its people, in all contingencies. Indian response The first priority for India should be to evacuate its own students and diaspora. It can push for diplomatic solutions and peaceful resolutions, as well as measures to reduce temperatures, but it should avoid taking sides because it has good connections with all of the opposing powers. While each country's sovereignty must be maintained, both sides have rejected it when it has served their interests, as in the Iraq war, Crimea and Afghanistan. India needs to factor the weak Western response to Ukraine crisis in its strategic calculations, as it can embolden other authoritative powers like China to take similar actions in Indo-Pacific region. (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.)

Opinion: Have big powers pushed Ukraine towards disaster?

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a military operation against Ukraine on Thursday (February 24), several reports emerged that the Russian forces have fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine. News agencies also stated that Russia has landed troops on its coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east. AFP reported that loud explosions were heard in Mariupol, which is in eastern Ukraine. A CNN correspondent reported that he heard sounds of explosions from Kharkiv and he later informed that explosions near Kyiv were missile strikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the citizens not to panic and also vowed victory. He also imposed martial law across the country. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba stated how the world can help Ukraine need right now. "The world must act immediately. Future of Europe & the world is at stake," Kuleba said in a tweet, adding a to-do list. To do list: 1. Devastating sanctions on Russia NOW, including SWIFT 2. Fully isolate Russia by all means, in all formats 3. Weapons, equipment for Ukraine 4. Financial assistance 5. Humanitarian assistance ×

Russia-Ukraine conflict: What does Ukraine need right now? Its minister has some answers.

Russia has recognised breakaway regions in east Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian military to enter it western neighbour. The Ukraine crisis was brewing for quite some time. Russia amassed more than 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine and frantic diplomacy was taking place to avert war in Europe. All appears to have come for a nought as hostilities have erupted between Russia and Ukraine.

Spencer Critchley, a media commentator and author told WION that events in eastern Europe were "extremely disturbing" and the conflict possessed gravity equal to that of a "Civilizational moment in history"

"We have established democratic world order. Where we do things like respect each other's boundaries and do not stage military invasions just because we want to take over somebody else's country," he said.

"Vladimir Putin has been preparing for this since he gained power. He has been telling us what he believes in and he has been following up on what he believes in," he added.

According to Critchley, Putin believes in re-establishing the Russian empire.&nbsp;

It is worth noting that Vladimir Putin was a KGB spy stationed in pro-Soviet East Germany before the fall of the Soviet Union. Ukraine was a very important part of the Soviet Union before the superpower's fall in 1991.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/50-russian-occupiers-killed-we-have-losses-says-ukraine-as-casualties-rise-455989">'50 Russian occupiers killed': We have losses, says Ukraine as casualties rise</a>

Critchley said that he was 'heartened' to see western sphere demonstrate resolve to stand up to what he called 'raw aggression'.

Western powers, including the US have reacted by imposing tough sanctions on Russia. But foreign policy expert Kadira Pethiyagoda opined while talking with WION that the threat of sanctions was never going to deter Russia from an invasion.

"Any kind of economic sanctions or deterrents were not going to work because the issue for Russia was strategic. They would never allow Ukraine to become a base for NATO missiles that could reach Moscow in a very short time," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly stated that he was fiercely against Ukraine joining North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wont-bow-down-ukraine-president-vows-to-fight-back-against-aggressor-russia-456029">‘Won’t bow down’: Ukraine president vows to fight back against ‘aggressor’ Russia</a>

NATO was set up with an implicit aim of checking Russian influence in Europe. Russia views NATO's expansion in Europe a huge threat. Ukraine has in past indicated its willingness to join the alliance. Many former Soviet republics have, in past joined NATO and Russia views this as western interference in its sphere of influence.&nbsp;

So is Ukraine capable to fight off Russia on its own? No, says Volodymyr Solohub who is an independent journalist.

Solohub spoke with WION from Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. He said that on Thursday (February 24) it was as if Ukrainians woke up in a different country.

He noted that though Ukraine's military had made improvements, the country was in "worse position than Rusia"

"Though military capabilities and preparedness of the Ukrainian army has improved. It is nothing compared to the capabilities of Russia," he said.

As tensions over Ukraine crisis mounted, there was frenzied diplomacy to prevent the war. After a brief window of opportunity, everything appeared to go back to where it was. But an outright Russian invasion surprised many.

Vladislav Davidzon, non-resident fellow at The Atlantic Council, said that he expected Russia to 'at the most' enhance its influence in the breakaway regions of Ukraine.

"I did not expect the worst-case predictions being made by the Americans for months and months were correct ones." he said.

Where does the situation go from here? John Blaxland, professor at Australian National University, said all bets were off.

"What Russia is trying to achieve has been a million dollar question...Russia has become increasingly assertive, adversarial, and now physically belligerent in its attempt to subdue Ukraine," he told WION.

(Disclaimer: The views of the experts do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views.)

Russia has recognised breakaway regions in east Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian military to enter it western neighbour. The Ukraine crisis was brewing for quite some time.

Russia has recognised breakaway regions in east Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian military to enter it western neighbour. The Ukraine crisis was brewing for quite some time. Russia amassed more than 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine and frantic diplomacy was taking place to avert war in Europe. All appears to have come for a nought as hostilities have erupted between Russia and Ukraine. Spencer Critchley, a media commentator and author told WION that events in eastern Europe were "extremely disturbing" and the conflict possessed gravity equal to that of a "Civilizational moment in history" "We have established democratic world order. Where we do things like respect each other's boundaries and do not stage military invasions just because we want to take over somebody else's country," he said. "Vladimir Putin has been preparing for this since he gained power. He has been telling us what he believes in and he has been following up on what he believes in," he added. According to Critchley, Putin believes in re-establishing the Russian empire. It is worth noting that Vladimir Putin was a KGB spy stationed in pro-Soviet East Germany before the fall of the Soviet Union. Ukraine was a very important part of the Soviet Union before the superpower's fall in 1991. Also Read | '50 Russian occupiers killed': We have losses, says Ukraine as casualties rise Critchley said that he was 'heartened' to see western sphere demonstrate resolve to stand up to what he called 'raw aggression'. Western powers, including the US have reacted by imposing tough sanctions on Russia. But foreign policy expert Kadira Pethiyagoda opined while talking with WION that the threat of sanctions was never going to deter Russia from an invasion. "Any kind of economic sanctions or deterrents were not going to work because the issue for Russia was strategic. They would never allow Ukraine to become a base for NATO missiles that could reach Moscow in a very short time," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly stated that he was fiercely against Ukraine joining North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Also Read | ‘Won’t bow down’: Ukraine president vows to fight back against ‘aggressor’ Russia NATO was set up with an implicit aim of checking Russian influence in Europe. Russia views NATO's expansion in Europe a huge threat. Ukraine has in past indicated its willingness to join the alliance. Many former Soviet republics have, in past joined NATO and Russia views this as western interference in its sphere of influence. So is Ukraine capable to fight off Russia on its own? No, says Volodymyr Solohub who is an independent journalist. Solohub spoke with WION from Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. He said that on Thursday (February 24) it was as if Ukrainians woke up in a different country. He noted that though Ukraine's military had made improvements, the country was in "worse position than Rusia" "Though military capabilities and preparedness of the Ukrainian army has improved. It is nothing compared to the capabilities of Russia," he said. As tensions over Ukraine crisis mounted, there was frenzied diplomacy to prevent the war. After a brief window of opportunity, everything appeared to go back to where it was. But an outright Russian invasion surprised many. Vladislav Davidzon, non-resident fellow at The Atlantic Council, said that he expected Russia to 'at the most' enhance its influence in the breakaway regions of Ukraine. "I did not expect the worst-case predictions being made by the Americans for months and months were correct ones." he said. Where does the situation go from here? John Blaxland, professor at Australian National University, said all bets were off. "What Russia is trying to achieve has been a million dollar question...Russia has become increasingly assertive, adversarial, and now physically belligerent in its attempt to subdue Ukraine," he told WION. (Disclaimer: The views of the experts do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views.)

Ukraine conflict: Putin was 'preparing for this since he gained power'

Twitter&nbsp;acknowledged Wednesday it suspended in error some&nbsp;accounts&nbsp;relaying information about&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;military movements as the threat builds for an attack on Ukraine.

The social network has begun restoring access to the users, which were taken down due to "our work to proactively address manipulated media," tweeted the platform's head of site integrity Yoel Roth.

A company spokesperson said earlier claims that the&nbsp;accounts&nbsp;were taken offline by a coordinated campaign or mass complaints were untrue.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-under-attack-along-russia-belarus-borders-report-455876">Ukraine under attack along Russia, Belarus borders: Report</a>

"We took enforcement action on a number of&nbsp;accounts&nbsp;in error," the spokesperson added. "We're expeditiously reviewing these actions and have already proactively reinstated access to a number of affected&nbsp;accounts."&nbsp;

Like Facebook and YouTube, the platform is regularly accused of not doing enough to fight misinformation.&nbsp;

But&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;has fewer human and financial resources t5han its Silicon Valley neighbors to curb the harmful phenomenon.&nbsp;

Tens of thousands of&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;troops&nbsp;are massed near Ukraine's borders, with the West saying they could attack at any moment.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Kyiv severs ties with Moscow, Putin warms West against aggression

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukraine-conflict-kyiv-severs-ties-with-moscow-putin-warms-west-against-aggression-456068/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine have asked Moscow for military help against Kyiv, the Kremlin said, in a move that opens the door for&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;troops&nbsp;to move in.

Washington and Britain say Russia's force is poised to strike Ukraine and trigger the most serious war in Europe for decades, but&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;President Vladimir Putin says he is open to negotiation -- within limits.

Twitter acknowledged Wednesday it suspended in error some accounts relaying information about Russian military movements as the threat builds for an attack on Ukraine.

Twitter acknowledged Wednesday it suspended in error some accounts relaying information about Russian military movements as the threat builds for an attack on Ukraine. The social network has begun restoring access to the users, which were taken down due to "our work to proactively address manipulated media," tweeted the platform's head of site integrity Yoel Roth. A company spokesperson said earlier claims that the accounts were taken offline by a coordinated campaign or mass complaints were untrue. Also read | Ukraine under attack along Russia, Belarus borders: Report "We took enforcement action on a number of accounts in error," the spokesperson added. "We're expeditiously reviewing these actions and have already proactively reinstated access to a number of affected accounts." Like Facebook and YouTube, the platform is regularly accused of not doing enough to fight misinformation. But Twitter has fewer human and financial resources t5han its Silicon Valley neighbors to curb the harmful phenomenon. Tens of thousands of Russian troops are massed near Ukraine's borders, with the West saying they could attack at any moment. Watch | Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Kyiv severs ties with Moscow, Putin warms West against aggression Rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine have asked Moscow for military help against Kyiv, the Kremlin said, in a move that opens the door for Russian troops to move in. Washington and Britain say Russia's force is poised to strike Ukraine and trigger the most serious war in Europe for decades, but Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is open to negotiation -- within limits.

Twitter mistakenly pulled accounts monitoring Russian troops

A drunk sat on a bench, swaying. A few older women, bundled against a biting wind, scurried from a grocery store, clutching plastic bags. Otherwise, the streets of Shchastya were deserted, while the thud of mortar and artillery fire reverberated through town.

Shchastya means “happiness” in Ukrainian, but in recent days the town has been one of the saddest places on earth, and may get a whole lot worse.

With its largely Russian-speaking and Russia-backing population, its proximity to the front lines in eastern Ukraine and the presence of a strategic electrical generating plant, it is particularly vulnerable to attack by separatist forces lurking on the far bank of the river running through town.

That has led military analysts and Ukrainian officials to suggest that Shchastya may well emerge as the stepping off point for a Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an offensive originating in the separatist areas that Moscow recognized as independent states on Monday.

The mayor, Oleksandr Bunets, stood outside city hall on Wednesday, smoking a cigarette and surveying the desultory scene. The day before, Shchastya had taken the heaviest shelling in the region, and fighting continued Wednesday between the government and Russian-backed separatist fighters.

“They will try to capture the town,” said Bunets, who was appointed to his position as military-civilian administrator because the townspeople had kept on electing Russian sympathizers as mayor. “They tried yesterday, and they tried the day before.”

In a report released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior overnight on Wednesday, listing attacks on government-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine, Shchastya and its environs were by far the most-targeted sites. The report listed 917 instances of incoming munitions from tanks, artillery, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms.

Stanytsia Luhanska, about a half-hour’s drive to the east, was the second-most active site, the report said, with 220 instances of incoming fire. Most of the incoming fire in Shchastya seemed to be hitting army positions just outside town.

On Tuesday, artillery strikes started a fire at the electrical plant, the town’s largest employer; employees evacuated to a bomb shelter while it burned, the company said. The fire was eventually extinguished, but water pipes were damaged and residents now fetch water from wells in plastic pails.

This is a particularly glum time for the town, but the name, Happiness, has been a stretch for years now.

Two-story brick apartment buildings, dreary and forlorn, slope down a hill of sandy soil and pine trees to the Seversky Donets River, with the industrial blight of the coal-fired power plant on one side and separatist military positions on the other. The roads are potholed, and many of the apartment blocks are partly deserted, reflecting the exodus after the war began that slashed the population by about half, to 7,000 today.

The mayor’s status as a military appointee — Bunets holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Ukrainian army but now serves in a civilian capacity — captures the complexities in many of the front-line mining and farming towns of eastern Ukraine. It also helps explain why they are seen as ripe for a first step into Ukraine by the Russian military.

Pro-Russia sentiment runs deep, paradoxically, even as these sites have borne the brunt of the conflict over the past eight years and would suffer in any new military action. Pro-Russia views have declined over the years, due in part to the efforts of countless Ukrainian nongovernmental groups. But they have never vanished, and many people have family ties with Russia.

The former mayor of Shchastya, for example, switched sides and lives in the Luhansk People’s Republic, across the river. Bunets, in contrast, hails from the western Ukrainian town of Mukachevo, and his staff members make a point of speaking only in Ukrainian with the Russian-speaking local population, stirring some resentment.

They kept it up Wednesday, speaking in Ukrainian to perplexed residents who turned up at city hall with complaints of broken water mains and homes without electricity, as explosions boomed in the distance.

“The government language of Ukraine is Ukrainian, and government bodies have to speak Ukrainian,” Bunets said. In emergencies, he said, he will speak Russian. “Right now, people are complaining that there is no water. We can’t supply water for now. Repair work is ongoing when it is quiet.”

With most of the shelling directed at the plant and government military installations, no civilians had been injured as of midday Wednesday, Bunets added.

He denied there was any strong pro-Russian feeling in the town and said people certainly did not want to live in one of the ministatelets that are now recognized by Russia. “Honestly, people want to live in a normal, civilized country,” he said. “There are many positive benefits to civilization.”

Nevertheless, it is not hard to find people expressing sympathetic views about Russia. Igor Rashupkina, 50, a driver for the electrical company, said he hoped the city didn't fall but nonetheless harbored no ill will toward Russia. His son, he said, works in the oil industry in Siberia.

Because the Russian border is close, many families in Shchastya are divided between the two countries. “I was born here. This is my town. I won’t leave” no matter what happens, Rashupkina said.

Before it became a potential flashpoint for what could become the biggest land war in Europe since 1945, Shchastya was not always such a grim place, said Maryna Danyliuk, 65, a retired worker at the electrical power plant.

She moved here in 1987, from Chelyabinsk, a city in the Ural Mountains in Russia, to marry a Ukrainian man. “I loved this town back then,” she said. “It was so green and very comfortable; everything worked. Now, it is pale.”

Since the war began in 2014, though, the town’s proximity to the front line has taken its toll. “The city changed. It became evil, unfriendly,” Danyliuk said. “It never became the same city I knew before. It feels like a snake is just around the corner.”

On Monday, as the artillery barrages exploded on the town’s outskirts, she called her sister in Chelyabinsk. “ ‘Can you hear this?’” she said she shouted at her sibling. “ ‘Can you hear this? These are your people shelling me now, your Russians shelling me now!’”

Danyliuk, who a few years ago switched to speaking Ukrainian even though she grew up in Russia, said that if the town seemed about to fall, she would run.

“I will miss these sands and pine trees,” she said. “I will miss the pine forest behind my house where I walk my dog, my garden and, of course, my house.”

A drunk sat on a bench, swaying. A few older women, bundled against a biting wind, scurried from a grocery store, clutching plastic bags. Otherwise, the streets of Shchastya were deserted, while the thud of mortar and artillery fire reverberated through town.

A drunk sat on a bench, swaying. A few older women, bundled against a biting wind, scurried from a grocery store, clutching plastic bags. Otherwise, the streets of Shchastya were deserted, while the thud of mortar and artillery fire reverberated through town. Shchastya means “happiness” in Ukrainian, but in recent days the town has been one of the saddest places on earth, and may get a whole lot worse. With its largely Russian-speaking and Russia-backing population, its proximity to the front lines in eastern Ukraine and the presence of a strategic electrical generating plant, it is particularly vulnerable to attack by separatist forces lurking on the far bank of the river running through town. That has led military analysts and Ukrainian officials to suggest that Shchastya may well emerge as the stepping off point for a Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an offensive originating in the separatist areas that Moscow recognized as independent states on Monday. The mayor, Oleksandr Bunets, stood outside city hall on Wednesday, smoking a cigarette and surveying the desultory scene. The day before, Shchastya had taken the heaviest shelling in the region, and fighting continued Wednesday between the government and Russian-backed separatist fighters. “They will try to capture the town,” said Bunets, who was appointed to his position as military-civilian administrator because the townspeople had kept on electing Russian sympathizers as mayor. “They tried yesterday, and they tried the day before.” In a report released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior overnight on Wednesday, listing attacks on government-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine, Shchastya and its environs were by far the most-targeted sites. The report listed 917 instances of incoming munitions from tanks, artillery, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. Stanytsia Luhanska, about a half-hour’s drive to the east, was the second-most active site, the report said, with 220 instances of incoming fire. Most of the incoming fire in Shchastya seemed to be hitting army positions just outside town. On Tuesday, artillery strikes started a fire at the electrical plant, the town’s largest employer; employees evacuated to a bomb shelter while it burned, the company said. The fire was eventually extinguished, but water pipes were damaged and residents now fetch water from wells in plastic pails. This is a particularly glum time for the town, but the name, Happiness, has been a stretch for years now. Two-story brick apartment buildings, dreary and forlorn, slope down a hill of sandy soil and pine trees to the Seversky Donets River, with the industrial blight of the coal-fired power plant on one side and separatist military positions on the other. The roads are potholed, and many of the apartment blocks are partly deserted, reflecting the exodus after the war began that slashed the population by about half, to 7,000 today. The mayor’s status as a military appointee — Bunets holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Ukrainian army but now serves in a civilian capacity — captures the complexities in many of the front-line mining and farming towns of eastern Ukraine. It also helps explain why they are seen as ripe for a first step into Ukraine by the Russian military. Pro-Russia sentiment runs deep, paradoxically, even as these sites have borne the brunt of the conflict over the past eight years and would suffer in any new military action. Pro-Russia views have declined over the years, due in part to the efforts of countless Ukrainian nongovernmental groups. But they have never vanished, and many people have family ties with Russia. The former mayor of Shchastya, for example, switched sides and lives in the Luhansk People’s Republic, across the river. Bunets, in contrast, hails from the western Ukrainian town of Mukachevo, and his staff members make a point of speaking only in Ukrainian with the Russian-speaking local population, stirring some resentment. They kept it up Wednesday, speaking in Ukrainian to perplexed residents who turned up at city hall with complaints of broken water mains and homes without electricity, as explosions boomed in the distance. “The government language of Ukraine is Ukrainian, and government bodies have to speak Ukrainian,” Bunets said. In emergencies, he said, he will speak Russian. “Right now, people are complaining that there is no water. We can’t supply water for now. Repair work is ongoing when it is quiet.” With most of the shelling directed at the plant and government military installations, no civilians had been injured as of midday Wednesday, Bunets added. He denied there was any strong pro-Russian feeling in the town and said people certainly did not want to live in one of the ministatelets that are now recognized by Russia. “Honestly, people want to live in a normal, civilized country,” he said. “There are many positive benefits to civilization.” Nevertheless, it is not hard to find people expressing sympathetic views about Russia. Igor Rashupkina, 50, a driver for the electrical company, said he hoped the city didn't fall but nonetheless harbored no ill will toward Russia. His son, he said, works in the oil industry in Siberia. Because the Russian border is close, many families in Shchastya are divided between the two countries. “I was born here. This is my town. I won’t leave” no matter what happens, Rashupkina said. Before it became a potential flashpoint for what could become the biggest land war in Europe since 1945, Shchastya was not always such a grim place, said Maryna Danyliuk, 65, a retired worker at the electrical power plant. She moved here in 1987, from Chelyabinsk, a city in the Ural Mountains in Russia, to marry a Ukrainian man. “I loved this town back then,” she said. “It was so green and very comfortable; everything worked. Now, it is pale.” Since the war began in 2014, though, the town’s proximity to the front line has taken its toll. “The city changed. It became evil, unfriendly,” Danyliuk said. “It never became the same city I knew before. It feels like a snake is just around the corner.” On Monday, as the artillery barrages exploded on the town’s outskirts, she called her sister in Chelyabinsk. “ ‘Can you hear this?’” she said she shouted at her sibling. “ ‘Can you hear this? These are your people shelling me now, your Russians shelling me now!’” Danyliuk, who a few years ago switched to speaking Ukrainian even though she grew up in Russia, said that if the town seemed about to fall, she would run. “I will miss these sands and pine trees,” she said. “I will miss the pine forest behind my house where I walk my dog, my garden and, of course, my house.”

The potentially grim fate of a Ukrainian town called 'happiness'

In the wake of UK government warning of "unprecedented" new sanctions on Russia, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is preparing to make a televised statement on Ukraine Crisis, Downing Street said on Thursday.

Johnson summoned his security chiefs for an early morning meeting as Russia invaded Ukraine. The invasion was termed "unprovoked" and "horrific. Johnson will address the parliament in the afternoon.

"This is a catastrophe for our continent," the UK leader said on Twitter, confirming he would speak to fellow G7 leaders at an unspecified time as the West collectively readies tougher sanctions.

"I am calling for an urgent meeting of all NATO leaders as soon as possible," he added, hours after saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had "chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is a catastrophe for our continent. 
 
I will make an address to the nation this morning on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 
 
I will also speak to fellow G7 leaders and I am calling for an urgent meeting of all NATO leaders as soon as possible.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1496784638584360961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Johnson spoke to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky overnight and vowed "the West would not stand by as President Putin waged his campaign against the Ukrainian people", Downing Street said.

He chaired the emergency meeting -- dubbed COBR -- to coordinate Britain's response at 7:30 am (0730 GMT). As well as addressing the nation late morning, he will speak in parliament at 5:00 pm (1700 GMT).

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/50-russian-occupiers-killed-we-have-losses-says-ukraine-as-casualties-rise-455989">'50 Russian occupiers killed': We have losses, says Ukraine as casualties rise</a>

Putin early Thursday launched an air and ground assault on Ukraine after a surprise televised address.

'Stand with Ukraine'

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who spoke to her US counterpart Antony Blinken Wednesday evening ahead of the Russian leader's announcement, joined Johnson in condemning the attack "on the people of Ukraine".

"We stand with Ukraine and we will work with our international partners to respond to this terrible act of aggression," she said following the start of Russia's offensive.

Her foreign ministry colleague, lawmaker James Cleverly, told the BBC that the government feared it is "the start of a quite extensive military operation".

(With inputs from agencies)

In the wake of UK government warning of "unprecedented" new sanctions on Russia, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is preparing to make a televised statement on Ukraine Crisis, Downing Street said on Thursday.

In the wake of UK government warning of "unprecedented" new sanctions on Russia, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is preparing to make a televised statement on Ukraine Crisis, Downing Street said on Thursday. Johnson summoned his security chiefs for an early morning meeting as Russia invaded Ukraine. The invasion was termed "unprovoked" and "horrific. Johnson will address the parliament in the afternoon. "This is a catastrophe for our continent," the UK leader said on Twitter, confirming he would speak to fellow G7 leaders at an unspecified time as the West collectively readies tougher sanctions. "I am calling for an urgent meeting of all NATO leaders as soon as possible," he added, hours after saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had "chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack". This is a catastrophe for our continent. I will make an address to the nation this morning on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I will also speak to fellow G7 leaders and I am calling for an urgent meeting of all NATO leaders as soon as possible. — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 24, 2022 × Johnson spoke to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky overnight and vowed "the West would not stand by as President Putin waged his campaign against the Ukrainian people", Downing Street said. He chaired the emergency meeting -- dubbed COBR -- to coordinate Britain's response at 7:30 am (0730 GMT). As well as addressing the nation late morning, he will speak in parliament at 5:00 pm (1700 GMT). Also Read | '50 Russian occupiers killed': We have losses, says Ukraine as casualties rise Putin early Thursday launched an air and ground assault on Ukraine after a surprise televised address. 'Stand with Ukraine' UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who spoke to her US counterpart Antony Blinken Wednesday evening ahead of the Russian leader's announcement, joined Johnson in condemning the attack "on the people of Ukraine". "We stand with Ukraine and we will work with our international partners to respond to this terrible act of aggression," she said following the start of Russia's offensive. Her foreign ministry colleague, lawmaker James Cleverly, told the BBC that the government feared it is "the start of a quite extensive military operation". (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: UK PM Boris Johnson to make televised address, to brief parliament

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. There is a war-like situation in eastern Europe after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a military operation against Ukraine on Thursday (February 24). In the aftermath, Ukrainian authorities closed the airspace to civilian flights citing a high risk to safety. Europe's aviation regulator also warned against the dangers to aircraft flying in bordering areas of Russia and Belarus, because of the increased military activities. Ukraine State Air Traffic Services Enterprise said the country's airspace was closed to civilian flights starting from 0045 GMT on Thursday, with air traffic services suspended. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said airspace in Russia and Belarus within 100 nautical miles of their borders with Ukraine could also pose safety risks. The agency said in a conflict zone bulletin, "In particular, there is a risk of both intentional targeting and misidentification of civil aircraft." It added, "The presence and possible use of a wide range of ground and airborne warfare systems poses a high risk for civil flights operating at all altitudes and flight levels." Before the suspension was announced, Britain, Canada, France, Italy and the United States had told their airlines to avoid certain airspace above eastern Ukraine and Crimea. Air India's special flight returned mid-air A special Air India flight returning from mid-air as Ukraine airspace is closed due to notice to airmen (NOTAM) as war has been started between Russia and Ukraine. India-based news agency ANI reported citing sources that an empty flight of Air India AI-1947 is returning from over Iran air space as Ukraine imposed restrictions on civilian aircraft. "Air India flight AI1947 is coming back to Delhi due to NOTAM at, Kyiv, Ukraine," Air India informed. Notice to airmen (NOTAM), is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the flight. Air India is scheduled to operate a second special flight for Ukraine to bring back stranded Indian citizens. WATCH: Russia Ukraine conflict: Ukraine urges UN to do everything to stop war ×

Ukraine closes airspace to civilian flights, Air India's special flight returns mid-air

The European Union hs decided to hold an emergency summit in Brussels late on Thursday to discuss Russia's "aggressive actions" against Ukraine. The announcement of the emergency summit was made in a letter written by European Council President Charles Michel to leaders of the European Union.

"It is important that we continue to be united and determined and jointly define our collective approach and actions," he said in the letter published on Wednesday.

"Therefore, I would like to invite you for a special European Council (summit) on Thursday 24 February, which will take place in person in Brussels and start at 20:00 (1900 GMT)."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-crisis-civilians-given-permission-to-carry-firearms-in-ukraine-455690">Russia-Ukraine crisis: Civilians given permission to carry firearms in Ukraine</a>

The summit follows the EU's adoption of sanctions against Russia for declaring pro-Moscow separatist regions of Ukraine to be independent and mandating military forces to go into them.

The European Union says it is keeping more, tougher sanctions up its sleeve should the Russian forces invade &nbsp;further, beyond the territory that the separatists hold.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also questioned the sovereignty of the whole of Ukraine, a non-EU nation that borders both the EU and Russia.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/latest-satellite-pictures-show-russian-troop-deployment-near-ukraine-455540">Latest satellite pictures show Russian troop deployment near Ukraine</a>

"The use of force and coercion to change borders has no place in the 21st century," Michel wrote in his summit invitation.

"The aggressive actions by the Russian Federation violate international law and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. They also undermine the European security order," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Union hs decided to hold an emergency summit in Brussels late on Thursday to discuss Russia's "aggressive actions" against Ukraine. The announcement of the emergency summit was made in a letter written by European Council President Charles Michel to leaders of the European Union.

The European Union hs decided to hold an emergency summit in Brussels late on Thursday to discuss Russia's "aggressive actions" against Ukraine. The announcement of the emergency summit was made in a letter written by European Council President Charles Michel to leaders of the European Union. "It is important that we continue to be united and determined and jointly define our collective approach and actions," he said in the letter published on Wednesday. "Therefore, I would like to invite you for a special European Council (summit) on Thursday 24 February, which will take place in person in Brussels and start at 20:00 (1900 GMT)." Also Read | Russia-Ukraine crisis: Civilians given permission to carry firearms in Ukraine The summit follows the EU's adoption of sanctions against Russia for declaring pro-Moscow separatist regions of Ukraine to be independent and mandating military forces to go into them. The European Union says it is keeping more, tougher sanctions up its sleeve should the Russian forces invade further, beyond the territory that the separatists hold. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also questioned the sovereignty of the whole of Ukraine, a non-EU nation that borders both the EU and Russia. Also Read | Latest satellite pictures show Russian troop deployment near Ukraine "The use of force and coercion to change borders has no place in the 21st century," Michel wrote in his summit invitation. "The aggressive actions by the Russian Federation violate international law and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. They also undermine the European security order," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: EU calls emergency summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday spoke with Russian President Vladmir Putin on phone and told him that Turkey wouldn't recognise move against Ukraine's sovereignty. He warned Putin against military conflict

Erdogan told Putin that Turkey would "not recognise any step against Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," his office said, adding that this was Ankara's "principled approach".

President Vladimir Putin has defied an avalanche of international sanctions and put his forces on stand-by to occupy and defend two rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine.&nbsp;

Russia recognised the regions as independent this week, a serious escalation of tensions in the ongoing crisis.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-crisis-civilians-given-permission-to-carry-firearms-in-ukraine-455690">Russia-Ukraine crisis: Civilians given permission to carry firearms in Ukraine</a>

NATO member Turkey, which has friendly ties to Russia and Ukraine, has sought to position itself as a mediator.&nbsp;

During the phone call, Erdogan told Putin, "a military conflict would not bring benefit to anyone". Erdogan also said that Turkey prioritised diplomacy and dialogue.

"Turkey is ready to do its part to reduce tensions and maintain peace," he told Putin.&nbsp;

The Kremlin said Putin told Erdogan about the "necessity" of his decision to recognise east Ukraine's rebel Donetsk and Lugansk republics -- a move that opens the door to the presence of the Russian army there.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/latest-satellite-pictures-show-russian-troop-deployment-near-ukraine-455540">Latest satellite pictures show Russian troop deployment near Ukraine</a>

Putin said the decision was taken "in the conditions of the aggression of Ukrainian authorities in Donbas and their categorical refusal" to abide to a peace agreement, the Kremlin said.&nbsp;

Erdogan cut short a trip to Africa amid the flurry of diplomacy over the crisis and returned Turkey late on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Speaking to reporters on the plane home, Erdogan said Turkey did not want to choose between Russia and Ukraine, in comments published in Turkish media on Wednesday.&nbsp;

"It is not possible for us to give up on both," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday spoke with Russian President Vladmir Putin on phone and told him that Turkey wouldn't recognise move against Ukraine's sovereignty.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday spoke with Russian President Vladmir Putin on phone and told him that Turkey wouldn't recognise move against Ukraine's sovereignty. He warned Putin against military conflict Erdogan told Putin that Turkey would "not recognise any step against Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," his office said, adding that this was Ankara's "principled approach". President Vladimir Putin has defied an avalanche of international sanctions and put his forces on stand-by to occupy and defend two rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine. Russia recognised the regions as independent this week, a serious escalation of tensions in the ongoing crisis. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine crisis: Civilians given permission to carry firearms in Ukraine NATO member Turkey, which has friendly ties to Russia and Ukraine, has sought to position itself as a mediator. During the phone call, Erdogan told Putin, "a military conflict would not bring benefit to anyone". Erdogan also said that Turkey prioritised diplomacy and dialogue. "Turkey is ready to do its part to reduce tensions and maintain peace," he told Putin. The Kremlin said Putin told Erdogan about the "necessity" of his decision to recognise east Ukraine's rebel Donetsk and Lugansk republics -- a move that opens the door to the presence of the Russian army there. Also Read | Latest satellite pictures show Russian troop deployment near Ukraine Putin said the decision was taken "in the conditions of the aggression of Ukrainian authorities in Donbas and their categorical refusal" to abide to a peace agreement, the Kremlin said. Erdogan cut short a trip to Africa amid the flurry of diplomacy over the crisis and returned Turkey late on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters on the plane home, Erdogan said Turkey did not want to choose between Russia and Ukraine, in comments published in Turkish media on Wednesday. "It is not possible for us to give up on both," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Moves against Ukraine's sovereignty unacceptable, Erdogan tells Putin

If Russia further invades Ukraine, the Biden administration could deprive it of a vast swath of low- and high-tech US&nbsp;and foreign-made goods, from commercial electronics and computers to semiconductors and aircraft parts, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

President Joe Biden would achieve that by expanding the list of goods that require US&nbsp;licenses before suppliers can ship them to Russia, and his administration would then deny those licenses, the people said.

The measures, whose details have not previously been reported, are part of a suite of export control penalties that the United States has prepared to damage Russia's economy, targeting everything from lasers to telecoms equipment and maritime items.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/japan-australia-eu-impose-sanctions-on-russia-over-its-actions-in-ukraine-455699/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

They were not announced on Tuesday as part of a round of sanctions unveiled by Biden to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for recognizing two breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent and deploying troops into the regions to "keep the peace."

But a senior administration official said, “if Putin escalates further, we will escalate further, using both financial sanctions and export controls, which we’ve yet to unveil.”

The official added: "Export controls are really potent because we’re talking about critical technology inputs that Russia needs to diversify its economy.”

The official added that the United States is "fully prepared with a very large number of countries across the world to implement those export control measures if the invasion proceeds."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/latest-satellite-pictures-show-russian-troop-deployment-near-ukraine-455540">Latest satellite pictures show Russian troop deployment near Ukraine</a>

The White House, and the Commerce Department, which oversees U.S. export controls, did not respond to requests for comment on details of the potential restrictions.

The package, which was still being fine-tuned over the weekend and could change, could come even as some White House officials have pledged to spare the Russian consumer from the brunt of the penalties.

The goal of the export control measures "is really to degrade Russia's ability to have industrial production in a couple of key sectors," Peter Harrell, who sits on the White House's National Security Council, said in a speech last month. He said the administration was focused on industrial production and high-tech sectors "rather than how do we sort of target the Russian people writ-large."

The administration has been vowing to hit Moscow with a potent cocktail of banking sanctions and export controls for weeks, in response to a massing of hundreds of thousands of Russian troops along Ukraine's borders.

Reuters reported on Saturday that the Biden administration had also prepared a package of sanctions against Russia that includes barring US&nbsp;financial institutions from processing transactions for major Russian banks.

By far the most sweeping measure contained in the export controls package would take a page from restrictions placed on Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd under former President Donald Trump. It would dramatically expand the scope of the so-called Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR), requiring firms that use US&nbsp;tools to make technology overseas to obtain a US&nbsp;license before shipping them to Russia.

"It's extraordinarily novel and has the potential for being far more significant than controls just on exports of these items from the United States," said Washington lawyer Kevin Wolf, a former Commerce Department official.

US&nbsp;suppliers would also have to obtain licenses for certain Russia-bound items that do not currently require them, such as civil aircraft parts. Whether Europe would follow suit with similar measures remains to be seen.

Japan said on Tuesday it stood ready to join the United States and other G7 industrialised nations in slapping sanctions on Russia.

On Tuesday, Biden said the United States would impose sanctions against two large Russian financial institutions and Russian sovereign debt and against some Russian elites and their family members.

On Monday, as an initial response to Putin's moves into eastern Ukraine, Biden vowed to end investment in and trade with the regions while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced initial sanctions targeting Russian banks and billionaires.

Under changes proposed in the US&nbsp;export control package, the license applications, in turn, would face a strict "policy of denial" standard of review, meaning only in rare cases would the administration approve them.

In addition, Russian companies listed as so-called military end users for their alleged ties to the Russian military, including a handful of aircraft producers, would be added to a trade blacklist known as the entity list. That would broaden the scope of items the companies would need licenses to obtain.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-crisis-civilians-given-permission-to-carry-firearms-in-ukraine-455690">Russia-Ukraine crisis: Civilians given permission to carry firearms in Ukraine</a>

Finally, Washington would expand the scope of products that would need approval from the United States when sent to Russian military end users through an even broader application of the FDPR rule, subjecting to US&nbsp;licenses requirements all items made abroad with U.S. tools and destined for companies that support the military.

US&nbsp;exports to Russia were under $5 billion in 2020, according to the Commerce Department, and already face many curbs. But the use of the FDPR rule dramatically expands the impact of the restrictions included in the package.

If Russia further invades Ukraine, the Biden administration could deprive it of a vast swath of low- and high-tech US and foreign-made goods, from commercial electronics and computers to semiconductors and aircraft parts, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

If Russia further invades Ukraine, the Biden administration could deprive it of a vast swath of low- and high-tech US and foreign-made goods, from commercial electronics and computers to semiconductors and aircraft parts, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. President Joe Biden would achieve that by expanding the list of goods that require US licenses before suppliers can ship them to Russia, and his administration would then deny those licenses, the people said. The measures, whose details have not previously been reported, are part of a suite of export control penalties that the United States has prepared to damage Russia's economy, targeting everything from lasers to telecoms equipment and maritime items. × They were not announced on Tuesday as part of a round of sanctions unveiled by Biden to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for recognizing two breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent and deploying troops into the regions to "keep the peace." But a senior administration official said, “if Putin escalates further, we will escalate further, using both financial sanctions and export controls, which we’ve yet to unveil.” The official added: "Export controls are really potent because we’re talking about critical technology inputs that Russia needs to diversify its economy.” The official added that the United States is "fully prepared with a very large number of countries across the world to implement those export control measures if the invasion proceeds." Also Read | Latest satellite pictures show Russian troop deployment near Ukraine The White House, and the Commerce Department, which oversees U.S. export controls, did not respond to requests for comment on details of the potential restrictions. The package, which was still being fine-tuned over the weekend and could change, could come even as some White House officials have pledged to spare the Russian consumer from the brunt of the penalties. The goal of the export control measures "is really to degrade Russia's ability to have industrial production in a couple of key sectors," Peter Harrell, who sits on the White House's National Security Council, said in a speech last month. He said the administration was focused on industrial production and high-tech sectors "rather than how do we sort of target the Russian people writ-large." The administration has been vowing to hit Moscow with a potent cocktail of banking sanctions and export controls for weeks, in response to a massing of hundreds of thousands of Russian troops along Ukraine's borders. Reuters reported on Saturday that the Biden administration had also prepared a package of sanctions against Russia that includes barring US financial institutions from processing transactions for major Russian banks. By far the most sweeping measure contained in the export controls package would take a page from restrictions placed on Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd under former President Donald Trump. It would dramatically expand the scope of the so-called Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR), requiring firms that use US tools to make technology overseas to obtain a US license before shipping them to Russia. "It's extraordinarily novel and has the potential for being far more significant than controls just on exports of these items from the United States," said Washington lawyer Kevin Wolf, a former Commerce Department official. US suppliers would also have to obtain licenses for certain Russia-bound items that do not currently require them, such as civil aircraft parts. Whether Europe would follow suit with similar measures remains to be seen. Japan said on Tuesday it stood ready to join the United States and other G7 industrialised nations in slapping sanctions on Russia. On Tuesday, Biden said the United States would impose sanctions against two large Russian financial institutions and Russian sovereign debt and against some Russian elites and their family members. On Monday, as an initial response to Putin's moves into eastern Ukraine, Biden vowed to end investment in and trade with the regions while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced initial sanctions targeting Russian banks and billionaires. Under changes proposed in the US export control package, the license applications, in turn, would face a strict "policy of denial" standard of review, meaning only in rare cases would the administration approve them. In addition, Russian companies listed as so-called military end users for their alleged ties to the Russian military, including a handful of aircraft producers, would be added to a trade blacklist known as the entity list. That would broaden the scope of items the companies would need licenses to obtain. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine crisis: Civilians given permission to carry firearms in Ukraine Finally, Washington would expand the scope of products that would need approval from the United States when sent to Russian military end users through an even broader application of the FDPR rule, subjecting to US licenses requirements all items made abroad with U.S. tools and destined for companies that support the military. US exports to Russia were under $5 billion in 2020, according to the Commerce Department, and already face many curbs. But the use of the FDPR rule dramatically expands the impact of the restrictions included in the package.

Punishing Putin: How Biden could cut Russia off from world tech

Ukrainian armed forces on Wednesday (February 23) said that the country has started conscripting reservists aged 18-60 following a decree by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The maximum service period is one year.&nbsp;

In a Facebook message, Ukrainian Ground Forces said: "Reservists aged 18 to 60 will be called up... The call will start today. The maximum service life is one year."&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Zelenskiy said he was introducing the conscription of reservists. He, however, ruled out a general mobilisation after Russia announced it was moving troops into eastern Ukraine.&nbsp;

WATCH | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-russian-president-vladimir-putins-tense-exchange-with-his-spy-chief-over-eastern-ukraine-455611">Russian President Vladimir Putin's tense exchange with his spy chief over eastern Ukraine</a>

Amid escalating situation, Ukraine on Wednesday urged its citizens to leave Russia immediately. "Because of the escalating Russian aggression against Ukraine, which can lead to a substantial reduction in possible consular assistance in Russia, the foreign ministry urges the citizens of Ukraine to refrain from travel to Russia, and for those in that country to leave its territory immediately," the ministry said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Wednesday that the word "invasion" used by the United States President Joe Biden is not appropriate for what is happening now in Ukraine.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Biden said on Tuesday that the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics as independent is the beginning of a Russian "invasion" of Ukraine.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/latest-satellite-pictures-show-russian-troop-deployment-near-ukraine-455540">Latest satellite pictures show Russian troop deployment near Ukraine</a>

"You need to weigh your words. An invasion is an invasion. And I think that this is not the right word for this situation [in Ukraine]. We will see what steps [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin will take next in the next hours, days or weeks," Le Maire told the BFM TV broadcaster.&nbsp;

"But what is happening now is an attempt to encroach on the territorial integrity of Ukraine and cast doubt on international agreements," he added.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin: Best if Ukraine adopts neutrality and drops NATO bid

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-president-vladimir-putin-best-if-ukraine-adopts-neutrality-and-drops-nato-bid-455577/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukrainian armed forces on Wednesday (February 23) said that the country has started conscripting reservists aged 18-60 following a decree by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Ukrainian armed forces on Wednesday (February 23) said that the country has started conscripting reservists aged 18-60 following a decree by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The maximum service period is one year. In a Facebook message, Ukrainian Ground Forces said: "Reservists aged 18 to 60 will be called up... The call will start today. The maximum service life is one year." On Tuesday, Zelenskiy said he was introducing the conscription of reservists. He, however, ruled out a general mobilisation after Russia announced it was moving troops into eastern Ukraine. WATCH | Russian President Vladimir Putin's tense exchange with his spy chief over eastern Ukraine Amid escalating situation, Ukraine on Wednesday urged its citizens to leave Russia immediately. "Because of the escalating Russian aggression against Ukraine, which can lead to a substantial reduction in possible consular assistance in Russia, the foreign ministry urges the citizens of Ukraine to refrain from travel to Russia, and for those in that country to leave its territory immediately," the ministry said. Meanwhile, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Wednesday that the word "invasion" used by the United States President Joe Biden is not appropriate for what is happening now in Ukraine. Biden said on Tuesday that the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics as independent is the beginning of a Russian "invasion" of Ukraine. IN PICS | Latest satellite pictures show Russian troop deployment near Ukraine "You need to weigh your words. An invasion is an invasion. And I think that this is not the right word for this situation [in Ukraine]. We will see what steps [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin will take next in the next hours, days or weeks," Le Maire told the BFM TV broadcaster. "But what is happening now is an attempt to encroach on the territorial integrity of Ukraine and cast doubt on international agreements," he added. WATCH | Russian President Vladimir Putin: Best if Ukraine adopts neutrality and drops NATO bid × (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine calls up military reservists, urges citizens to leave Russia 'immediately'

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a tense exchange with his spy chief Sergei Naryshkin during a crucial meeting of the Russian Security Council on Monday (February 21). The meeting was about the Russia-backed territories in east Ukraine.&nbsp;

The meeting happened before Putin ordered the deployment of troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine - the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic. The Russian leader recognised the two regions as independent.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beginning-an-invasion-us-imposes-fresh-sanctions-against-russia-455521">'Beginning an invasion': US imposes fresh sanctions against Russia</a>

A clip from the Russian Security Council meeting has gone viral where the chief of the foreign intelligence service is interrupted repeatedly by Putin, who even asked Naryshkin to&nbsp;'speak plainly!'&nbsp;

In the video, Naryshkin hesitated&nbsp;as he was interrupted by Putin while he was speaking about the recognition of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent regions and incorporating them into Russia.&nbsp;

Watch the video here:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In case you wonder whether the Russian intelligence community is afraid of speaking their mind in front of Putin. 
 
Sergei Naryshkin, chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service, tried to say there could be ways to avoid war at the security council meeting. <a href="https://t.co/2k96uJyHU7">pic.twitter.com/2k96uJyHU7</a>
— Visegrád 24 🇨🇿🇭🇺🇵🇱🇸🇰 (@visegrad24) <a href="https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1496254648776335361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/latest-satellite-pictures-show-russian-troop-deployment-near-ukraine-455540">Latest satellite pictures show Russian troop deployment near Ukraine</a>

After imposing sanctions on Russia, the United States President Joe Biden earlier stressed that the penalties were only a "first tranche" and more sanctions would come if Putin extended his country's military grip beyond the two territories in the eastern Donbas region.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Biden said Washington would continue to supply "defensive" weapons to Ukraine against a Russian invasion, and deploy US troops to reinforce NATO allies in Eastern Europe.&nbsp;

"Let me be clear, these are totally defensive moves on our part," Biden said in a televised speech at the White House.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin: Best if Ukraine adopts neutrality and drops NATO bid

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-president-vladimir-putin-best-if-ukraine-adopts-neutrality-and-drops-nato-bid-455577/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a tense exchange with his spy chief Sergei Naryshkin during a crucial meeting of the Russian Security Council on Monday (February 21).

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a tense exchange with his spy chief Sergei Naryshkin during a crucial meeting of the Russian Security Council on Monday (February 21). The meeting was about the Russia-backed territories in east Ukraine. The meeting happened before Putin ordered the deployment of troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine - the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic. The Russian leader recognised the two regions as independent. ALSO READ | 'Beginning an invasion': US imposes fresh sanctions against Russia A clip from the Russian Security Council meeting has gone viral where the chief of the foreign intelligence service is interrupted repeatedly by Putin, who even asked Naryshkin to 'speak plainly!' In the video, Naryshkin hesitated as he was interrupted by Putin while he was speaking about the recognition of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent regions and incorporating them into Russia. Watch the video here: In case you wonder whether the Russian intelligence community is afraid of speaking their mind in front of Putin. Sergei Naryshkin, chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service, tried to say there could be ways to avoid war at the security council meeting. pic.twitter.com/2k96uJyHU7 — Visegrád 24 🇨🇿🇭🇺🇵🇱🇸🇰 (@visegrad24) February 22, 2022 × IN PICS | Latest satellite pictures show Russian troop deployment near Ukraine After imposing sanctions on Russia, the United States President Joe Biden earlier stressed that the penalties were only a "first tranche" and more sanctions would come if Putin extended his country's military grip beyond the two territories in the eastern Donbas region. On Tuesday, Biden said Washington would continue to supply "defensive" weapons to Ukraine against a Russian invasion, and deploy US troops to reinforce NATO allies in Eastern Europe. "Let me be clear, these are totally defensive moves on our part," Biden said in a televised speech at the White House. WATCH | Russian President Vladimir Putin: Best if Ukraine adopts neutrality and drops NATO bid ×

Watch: Russian President Vladimir Putin's tense exchange with his spy chief over eastern Ukraine

Russia's Daniil Medvedev defeated Benoit Paire of France 6-3 6-4 in the first round of the Abierto Mexicano tournament in Acapulco on Tuesday to get his quest for the world number one ranking off to a winning start.

World number two Medvedev is looking to ascend to the top ranking for the first time by displacing Serbian Novak Djokovic, who is competing at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Djokovic will be forced to relinquish the crown even if he wins Dubai for a sixth time, provided the Russian wins the ATP 500 event in Acapulco, where he is making his tournament debut.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wion-exclusive-win-against-magnus-carlsen-a-big-boost-gives-confidence-says-chess-sensation-praggnanandhaa-455495">WION exclusive: Win against Magnus Carlsen a big boost, gives confidence, says chess sensation Praggnanandhaa</a>

"If Novak would not be playing, then maybe it would be a little bit more in my mind because it would only be me and it depends on what I can do," Medvedev said.

Taking to the main showcourt after Medvedev's win, Rafa Nadal breezed past 100th-ranked American Denis Kudla 6-3 6-2 in his first match since winning the Australian Open last month for his 21st Grand Slam title.

The 35-year-old Spaniard seemed to have some problems with the humidity on a warm night in the coastal resort town and decided to save as much energy as he could, sealing the contest in 76 minutes with his 16th forehand winner and 26th overall.

Nadal lost just four points on his serve while breaking his opponent three times to race to his 11th consecutive win in the 2022 season.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nbc-universal-draws-worst-olympic-ratings-with-beijing-games-2022-455489">NBC Universal draws worst Olympic ratings with Beijing Games 2022</a>

"It has been a positive start, a good victory in straight sets. That's always very positive for the confidence," Nadal said. "I think I played a very solid match, a good effort today."

Medvedev's contest also appeared to be a one-sided affair when Paire dumped a lifeless forehand into the net to hand the Russian the first set in 51 minutes. But Paire flexed his muscle in the second, attacking the Russian's serve for a 4-2 lead.

Playing for the first time since his defeat to Nadal in the Australian Open final, Medvedev kept his focus and outworked the Frenchman in a back-and-forth deuce game to level at 4-4 and sealed the win when Paire's backhand sailed into the net.

"It's always not easy to come back after some rest and some time off competition," Medvedev said. "Sometimes better, sometimes worse.

"I felt like my sensations were not at the top today, but I managed to fight until the end against a very tough opponent and I'm happy that I managed to win."

Fourth-ranked Serbian Stefanos Tsitsipas was made to work hard by Serbia's 51st-ranked Laslo Djere before the Greek registered a 7-6(7) 7-6(4) win in two hours and 13 minutes.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uae-ireland-qualify-for-icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2022-in-australia-455476">UAE, Ireland qualify for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia</a>

But Italian world number six Matteo Berrettini bowed out, retiring with an injury against American Tommy Paul. The Wimbledon finalist won the first set 6-4 but quit while trailing 1-5 in the second.

Australian John Millman was also forced to retire against American Marcus Giron when he suffered a freak injury by hitting the tennis ball into his own eye.

Russia's Daniil Medvedev defeated Benoit Paire of France 6-3 6-4 in the first round of the Abierto Mexicano tournament in Acapulco on Tuesday to get his quest for the world number one ranking off to a winning start.

Russia's Daniil Medvedev defeated Benoit Paire of France 6-3 6-4 in the first round of the Abierto Mexicano tournament in Acapulco on Tuesday to get his quest for the world number one ranking off to a winning start. World number two Medvedev is looking to ascend to the top ranking for the first time by displacing Serbian Novak Djokovic, who is competing at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Djokovic will be forced to relinquish the crown even if he wins Dubai for a sixth time, provided the Russian wins the ATP 500 event in Acapulco, where he is making his tournament debut. ALSO READ: WION exclusive: Win against Magnus Carlsen a big boost, gives confidence, says chess sensation Praggnanandhaa "If Novak would not be playing, then maybe it would be a little bit more in my mind because it would only be me and it depends on what I can do," Medvedev said. Taking to the main showcourt after Medvedev's win, Rafa Nadal breezed past 100th-ranked American Denis Kudla 6-3 6-2 in his first match since winning the Australian Open last month for his 21st Grand Slam title. The 35-year-old Spaniard seemed to have some problems with the humidity on a warm night in the coastal resort town and decided to save as much energy as he could, sealing the contest in 76 minutes with his 16th forehand winner and 26th overall. Nadal lost just four points on his serve while breaking his opponent three times to race to his 11th consecutive win in the 2022 season. ALSO READ: NBC Universal draws worst Olympic ratings with Beijing Games 2022 "It has been a positive start, a good victory in straight sets. That's always very positive for the confidence," Nadal said. "I think I played a very solid match, a good effort today." Medvedev's contest also appeared to be a one-sided affair when Paire dumped a lifeless forehand into the net to hand the Russian the first set in 51 minutes. But Paire flexed his muscle in the second, attacking the Russian's serve for a 4-2 lead. Playing for the first time since his defeat to Nadal in the Australian Open final, Medvedev kept his focus and outworked the Frenchman in a back-and-forth deuce game to level at 4-4 and sealed the win when Paire's backhand sailed into the net. "It's always not easy to come back after some rest and some time off competition," Medvedev said. "Sometimes better, sometimes worse. "I felt like my sensations were not at the top today, but I managed to fight until the end against a very tough opponent and I'm happy that I managed to win." Fourth-ranked Serbian Stefanos Tsitsipas was made to work hard by Serbia's 51st-ranked Laslo Djere before the Greek registered a 7-6(7) 7-6(4) win in two hours and 13 minutes. ALSO READ: UAE, Ireland qualify for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia But Italian world number six Matteo Berrettini bowed out, retiring with an injury against American Tommy Paul. The Wimbledon finalist won the first set 6-4 but quit while trailing 1-5 in the second. Australian John Millman was also forced to retire against American Marcus Giron when he suffered a freak injury by hitting the tennis ball into his own eye.

Mexican Open: Daniil Medvedev beats France's Benoit Paire in pursuit of world no. 1 ranking

russia-0

Russia, News on Russia, stories on Russia, articles on Russia, Russia stories at Wion, Russia news, Russia latest news

russia 0