British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accused Russia of threatening peace and security across Europe.

According to him, "Putin's brutal attack is not only causing untold devastation in Ukraine, but it is also threatening peace and security across Europe."

Ahead of a planned video call on Sunday by Group of Seven leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he also pledged to provide a further 1.3 billion pounds ($1.60 billion) in military support and aid to Kyiv.

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Johnson, who is one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine's efforts to resist Russian forces since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion, has provided Kyiv with anti-tank missiles, air defence systems, and other weapons.

Calling this the highest rate of spending on a conflict since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Johnson said the new pledge almost doubles Britain's previous spending commitments on Ukraine.

The British government will utilise a reserve used for emergencies for the extra spending on Ukraine.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-simulated-nuclear-missile-strikes-il-80-doomsday-plane-477100">Russia's 'simulated' nuclear missile strikes &amp; Il-80 Doomsday plane</a>

The United Kingdom had previously faced criticism from France for accepting relatively few of the more than 5 million Ukrainians who have fled their country.

With Russia marking the 77th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany on May 9, leaders of G7 countries will hold their virtual meeting with Zelensky on Sunday.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world's unending wars. Catch our special series World at War every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accused Russia of threatening peace and security across Europe. According to him, "Putin's brutal attack is not only causing untold devastation in Ukraine, but it is also threatening peace and security across Europe.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accused Russia of threatening peace and security across Europe. According to him, "Putin's brutal attack is not only causing untold devastation in Ukraine, but it is also threatening peace and security across Europe." Ahead of a planned video call on Sunday by Group of Seven leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he also pledged to provide a further 1.3 billion pounds ($1.60 billion) in military support and aid to Kyiv. Johnson, who is one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine's efforts to resist Russian forces since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion, has provided Kyiv with anti-tank missiles, air defence systems, and other weapons. Calling this the highest rate of spending on a conflict since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Johnson said the new pledge almost doubles Britain's previous spending commitments on Ukraine. The British government will utilise a reserve used for emergencies for the extra spending on Ukraine. Also see | Russia's 'simulated' nuclear missile strikes & Il-80 Doomsday plane The United Kingdom had previously faced criticism from France for accepting relatively few of the more than 5 million Ukrainians who have fled their country. With Russia marking the 77th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany on May 9, leaders of G7 countries will hold their virtual meeting with Zelensky on Sunday. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world's unending wars. Catch our special series World at War every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.

UK accuses Russia of threatening peace and security across Europe; pledges aid to Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is winning hearts again.&nbsp;

Zelensky has maintained his place in headlines for the last two months after his country faced unprecedented attacks from Russia on the orders of the country's President Vladimir Putin.

The comedian-turned-politician built a war hero character for himself, winning hearts with his bravery, and now he's gaining hearts for the kindness he showed&nbsp;a young boy.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/to-rebuild-ukraine-win-war-against-russia-zelensky-launches-a-crowdfunding-platform-476590" hreflang="en">To rebuild Ukraine, win war against Russia, Zelensky launches a crowdfunding platform</a>

The idea of a president of a war-torn country responding to a schoolboy's letter seems silly, and some might call it a dream.

But Zelensky has managed to fulfil the unrealised dream of a little boy.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Watch: The ordeal of a couple living off rations in the besieged port city of Mariupol

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Thomas, a 12-year-old student at Durham Trinity School and Sports College, was part of his school's fundraising efforts for the war-torn country when he wrote Ukraine's President a letter.

As per a tweet by the UK Department of Education Thomas addressed the letter to the "best president", telling Zelensky that he was "happy to be helping" Ukraine.

<img alt="Thomas's letter" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="538bc6c7-9e2c-4703-9ac5-aa45ecbec8b6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/stories%20%2814%29.jpg" />

Thomas's letter to Volodomyr Zelensky (Image: UK&nbsp;Department for Education/ Twitter)

His letter was among 270 parcels of medical supplies, food, clothing and "some teddies" for Ukrainian youngsters reports BBC.

Last month, the donations were driven by a convoy to a refugee processing centre set up at the East Warsaw railway station in Poland to assist Ukrainians fleeing the fighting.

In reply to the schoolboy's letter, Zelensky wrote "Dear Thomas, Thank you for your letter of support. I am ok and thank you for your help. We hope to bring peace to Ukraine and food to the citizens of all the country and rebuild the towns."&nbsp;

<img alt="Thomas's letter to Volodomyr Zelensky (Image: UK Department for Education/ Twitter)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fe4ff8e9-2e7c-4ec8-980e-47e530eebdd8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/stories%20%2813%29.jpg" />

Volodomyr Zelensky's reply (Image: UK&nbsp;Department for Education/ Twitter)

Talking to BBC Radio Newcastle Thomas's mom Kimberly described her son's excitement. She said, "Thomas came home from school waving it in his hand - I don't know whether we'll be able to prise it out of his hands but we're going to frame it and give it pride of place in our home."&nbsp;

A copy of the President's reply would also be framed and hung in the Durham School.

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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is winning hearts again. Zelensky has maintained his place in headlines for the last two months after his country faced unprecedented attacks from Russia on the orders of the country's President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is winning hearts again. Zelensky has maintained his place in headlines for the last two months after his country faced unprecedented attacks from Russia on the orders of the country's President Vladimir Putin. The comedian-turned-politician built a war hero character for himself, winning hearts with his bravery, and now he's gaining hearts for the kindness he showed a young boy. Also read | To rebuild Ukraine, win war against Russia, Zelensky launches a crowdfunding platform The idea of a president of a war-torn country responding to a schoolboy's letter seems silly, and some might call it a dream. But Zelensky has managed to fulfil the unrealised dream of a little boy. Watch | Watch: The ordeal of a couple living off rations in the besieged port city of Mariupol Thomas, a 12-year-old student at Durham Trinity School and Sports College, was part of his school's fundraising efforts for the war-torn country when he wrote Ukraine's President a letter. As per a tweet by the UK Department of Education Thomas addressed the letter to the "best president", telling Zelensky that he was "happy to be helping" Ukraine. Thomas's letter to Volodomyr Zelensky (Image: UK Department for Education/ Twitter) His letter was among 270 parcels of medical supplies, food, clothing and "some teddies" for Ukrainian youngsters reports BBC. Last month, the donations were driven by a convoy to a refugee processing centre set up at the East Warsaw railway station in Poland to assist Ukrainians fleeing the fighting. In reply to the schoolboy's letter, Zelensky wrote "Dear Thomas, Thank you for your letter of support. I am ok and thank you for your help. We hope to bring peace to Ukraine and food to the citizens of all the country and rebuild the towns." Volodomyr Zelensky's reply (Image: UK Department for Education/ Twitter) Talking to BBC Radio Newcastle Thomas's mom Kimberly described her son's excitement. She said, "Thomas came home from school waving it in his hand - I don't know whether we'll be able to prise it out of his hands but we're going to frame it and give it pride of place in our home." A copy of the President's reply would also be framed and hung in the Durham School. Watch WION LIVE HERE:

War-torn Ukraine's President wins hearts, responds to a UK schoolboy's letter amid tensions at home

In an effort to win over hesitant governments like Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, the European Commission is proposing amendments to its planned embargo on Russian oil.

Should EU nations fail to achieve an agreement on an oil embargo against Russia by the weekend, a meeting of EU foreign ministers will be scheduled next week, according to EU foreign policy leader Josep Borrell.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-assures-it-wont-use-nuclear-weapons-in-ongoing-war-against-ukraine-476897" hreflang="en">Russia assures it won’t use nuclear weapons in ongoing war against Ukraine</a>

The oil embargo was suggested by the European Union's executive on Wednesday as part of a larger package of EU penalties on Russia, the sixth since Moscow started its&nbsp;invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Borrell told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Florence that he had faith in reaching "a solution that is shared, as not all countries are in the same situation," and that a deal must be found quickly.

Watch |&nbsp;Ukraine war: Europe proposes ban on Russian oil, aims to phase out Russian crude in 6 months

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When asked about a prospective gas embargo, Borrell stated, "Gas is not for tomorrow, but for the day after tomorrow," implying that the EU should take its sanctions against Russia one step at a time.

Earlier on Friday, he said the bloc needs to be "realistic" in its ambitions to wean itself from Russian energy, adding that it must do so in an orderly and cautious manner.

As the situation in Ukraine worsens, Europe, which imports roughly 40 per cent of its gas from Russia, has been trying to diversify its energy supply mix.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-likely-to-sanction-vladimir-putins-rumoured-girlfriend-alina-kabaeva-report-476904" hreflang="en">European Union likely to sanction Vladimir Putin's rumoured girlfriend Alina Kabaeva - Report</a>

"Gas cannot be substituted with something else... if it's not Russian gas it needs to be gas anyway," he said.

The senior diplomat went on to say that there were a variety of methods to punish Russia's oil exports, and that action might not be confined to a simple ban on buying the oil.

"If insurance companies don't provide the insurance for the transportation of Russian oil, it's going to be a big problem for Russian oil exports - not only to the EU but to rest of world," he stated, without providing any other information.

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(With inputs from agencies)

Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.&nbsp;

In an effort to win over hesitant governments like Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, the European Commission is proposing amendments to its planned embargo on Russian oil.

In an effort to win over hesitant governments like Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, the European Commission is proposing amendments to its planned embargo on Russian oil. Should EU nations fail to achieve an agreement on an oil embargo against Russia by the weekend, a meeting of EU foreign ministers will be scheduled next week, according to EU foreign policy leader Josep Borrell. Also read | Russia assures it won’t use nuclear weapons in ongoing war against Ukraine The oil embargo was suggested by the European Union's executive on Wednesday as part of a larger package of EU penalties on Russia, the sixth since Moscow started its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Borrell told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Florence that he had faith in reaching "a solution that is shared, as not all countries are in the same situation," and that a deal must be found quickly. Watch | Ukraine war: Europe proposes ban on Russian oil, aims to phase out Russian crude in 6 months When asked about a prospective gas embargo, Borrell stated, "Gas is not for tomorrow, but for the day after tomorrow," implying that the EU should take its sanctions against Russia one step at a time. Earlier on Friday, he said the bloc needs to be "realistic" in its ambitions to wean itself from Russian energy, adding that it must do so in an orderly and cautious manner. As the situation in Ukraine worsens, Europe, which imports roughly 40 per cent of its gas from Russia, has been trying to diversify its energy supply mix. Also read | European Union likely to sanction Vladimir Putin's rumoured girlfriend Alina Kabaeva - Report "Gas cannot be substituted with something else... if it's not Russian gas it needs to be gas anyway," he said. The senior diplomat went on to say that there were a variety of methods to punish Russia's oil exports, and that action might not be confined to a simple ban on buying the oil. "If insurance companies don't provide the insurance for the transportation of Russian oil, it's going to be a big problem for Russian oil exports - not only to the EU but to rest of world," he stated, without providing any other information. Watch WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies) Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.

EU top diplomat hints at more sanctions, even as agency proposes amendments to oil embargo against Russia

Kyiv has suffered a great deal as a result of the Russian-Ukraine conflict. From the humanitarian cost of lives lost to the destruction of homes and buildings.

To rebuild the country's lost infrastructure and&nbsp;to help his country win the war against Moscow, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday launched a global crowdfunding platform.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-russia-declare-all-out-war-in-ukraine-on-may-9-find-out-what-kremlin-has-to-say-476500" hreflang="en">Will Russia declare all-out war in Ukraine on May 9? Find out what Kremlin has to say</a>

"Every donation matters for victory."

In a video that was posted to his Twitter page, President Zelensky launched the United24 platform and said in English, "in one click, you can donate funds to protect our defenders, to save our civilians and to rebuild Ukraine."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We launched United24 <a href="https://twitter.com/U24_gov_ua?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@U24_gov_ua</a> global initiative. 
 
Its 1st component is an online platform to raise funds in support of 🇺🇦. Other projects &amp; programs will be added soon. 
 
You can make a donation in 1 click from any country. 
 
Together we will win!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/united24?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#united24</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thepoweroffreedom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thepoweroffreedom</a> <a href="https://t.co/notUt1P3ZF">pic.twitter.com/notUt1P3ZF</a>
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1522143153473601536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Two months since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has suffered large scale destruction amounting to billions.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine crisis: Russian assault on Azovstal steel plant continues, at least 200 trapped

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According to the Kyiv School of Economics, Russian aggression costs Ukraine $4.5 billion&nbsp;per week, as bombs destroy thousands of buildings, public infrastructure, and kilometres of road.

Since Vladimir Putin launched the assault in February, the total cost of direct infrastructure damage has risen to $92 billion.

Earlier too, the country had launched fundraising efforts. In March the country launched an "Aid for Ukraine" website on which donors could contribute in 10 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and ether.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-soldiers-are-raping-men-and-boys-in-ukraine-says-un-official-476453" hreflang="en">Russian soldiers are raping men and boys in Ukraine, says UN official</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Over $60M contributed, with $10M donated in a few days! 
 
Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/FinancialTimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FinancialTimes</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/CristinaCriddle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CristinaCriddle</a>! "As the war has continued, the government has refined its approach. This week, it launched an official <a href="https://twitter.com/_AidForUkraine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_AidForUkraine</a> website"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HelpUkraineWithCrypto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HelpUkraineWithCrypto</a> at <a href="https://t.co/nEFnqSk4Pw">https://t.co/nEFnqSk4Pw</a> <a href="https://t.co/hI0eHG81He">https://t.co/hI0eHG81He</a> <a href="https://t.co/RsMuOuIEhn">pic.twitter.com/RsMuOuIEhn</a>
— Aid For Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@_AidForUkraine) <a href="https://twitter.com/_AidForUkraine/status/1505262863052644357?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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On March 19, the campaign's official website tweeted, "Over $60M contributed, with $10M donated in a few days!"

Calling on the ordinary people of the world to help Ukraine, Zelensky said "all funds will be transferred to the national bank of Ukraine and allocated to the relevant ministries.

As per him, an update about the money's usage will be given by his government every day.

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(With inputs from agencies)

Kyiv has suffered a great deal as a result of the Russian-Ukraine conflict. From the humanitarian cost of lives lost to the destruction of homes and buildings. To rebuild the country's lost infrastructure and to help his country win the war against Moscow, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday launched a global crowdfunding platform.

Kyiv has suffered a great deal as a result of the Russian-Ukraine conflict. From the humanitarian cost of lives lost to the destruction of homes and buildings. To rebuild the country's lost infrastructure and to help his country win the war against Moscow, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday launched a global crowdfunding platform. Also read | Will Russia declare all-out war in Ukraine on May 9? Find out what Kremlin has to say "Every donation matters for victory." In a video that was posted to his Twitter page, President Zelensky launched the United24 platform and said in English, "in one click, you can donate funds to protect our defenders, to save our civilians and to rebuild Ukraine." We launched United24 @U24_gov_ua global initiative. Its 1st component is an online platform to raise funds in support of 🇺🇦. Other projects & programs will be added soon. You can make a donation in 1 click from any country. Together we will win!#united24 #thepoweroffreedom pic.twitter.com/notUt1P3ZF — Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 5, 2022 × Two months since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has suffered large scale destruction amounting to billions. Watch | Russia-Ukraine crisis: Russian assault on Azovstal steel plant continues, at least 200 trapped According to the Kyiv School of Economics, Russian aggression costs Ukraine $4.5 billion per week, as bombs destroy thousands of buildings, public infrastructure, and kilometres of road. Since Vladimir Putin launched the assault in February, the total cost of direct infrastructure damage has risen to $92 billion. Earlier too, the country had launched fundraising efforts. In March the country launched an "Aid for Ukraine" website on which donors could contribute in 10 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and ether. Also read | Russian soldiers are raping men and boys in Ukraine, says UN official Over $60M contributed, with $10M donated in a few days! Thanks @FinancialTimes & @CristinaCriddle! "As the war has continued, the government has refined its approach. This week, it launched an official @_AidForUkraine website"#HelpUkraineWithCrypto at https://t.co/nEFnqSk4Pw https://t.co/hI0eHG81He pic.twitter.com/RsMuOuIEhn — Aid For Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@_AidForUkraine) March 19, 2022 × On March 19, the campaign's official website tweeted, "Over $60M contributed, with $10M donated in a few days!" Calling on the ordinary people of the world to help Ukraine, Zelensky said "all funds will be transferred to the national bank of Ukraine and allocated to the relevant ministries. As per him, an update about the money's usage will be given by his government every day. Watch WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies)

To rebuild Ukraine, win war against Russia, Zelensky launches a crowdfunding platform

More than two months have passed since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, 66 days to be exact, and it is not showing any signs of slowing down.

Even after multiple rounds of peace talks, a consensus is yet to be reached, and the war continues both on the streets and online.

Now, the British Foreign Office on Sunday (May 1st) has accused Moscow of using a 'troll factory' to spread disinformation about the war in Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/surprising-in-three-months-five-russian-oligarchs-found-dead-families-of-3-businessmen-killed-too-475202" hreflang="en">In three months, five Russian oligarchs found dead; families of 3 businessmen killed too</a>

As per them, Russia is using disinformation to target politicians across a number of countries, including Britain and South Africa.

This is based on UK-funded research which is yet to be published. As per the country, the research exposes how the Kremlin's disinformation campaign attempts to manipulate international public opinion of the Russian invasion of its neighbour while also recruiting sympathisers.

Watch |&nbsp;Will Putin declare war against Ukraine? Watch UK Defence Secretary speak on Ukraine conflict

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"The UK government has alerted international partners and will continue to work closely with allies and media platforms to undermine Russian information operations", said British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in a statement, adding "we cannot allow the Kremlin and it's shady troll farms to invade our online space with their lies about Putin's illegal war."

Britain alleges that it has traced the Russian disinformation campaign to eight platforms including Telegram, Twitter, Facebook and Tik Tok. It has also accused the country of trying to recruit and coordinate with new supporters who then target Kremlin critics' profiles.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-police-find-three-bodies-with-hands-tied-near-bucha-475267" hreflang="en">Ukrainian police find three bodies with hands tied near Bucha</a>

On the other hand, Russia calls the western media's coverage of the conflict biased. As per the Kremlin, the Western media narrative ignores the ex-soviet country's concerns about NATO expansion and the alleged persecution of Russian speaking people in Ukraine.

This war is not the first time Russia has been accused of participating in a disinformation campaign. Earlier in 2016, the US accused Moscow of meddling in the presidential election.

Watch WION LIVE HERE:

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(With inputs from agencies)

More than two months have passed since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, 66 days to be exact, and it is not showing any signs of slowing down. Even after multiple rounds of peace talks, a consensus is yet to be reached, and the war continues both on the streets and online.

More than two months have passed since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, 66 days to be exact, and it is not showing any signs of slowing down. Even after multiple rounds of peace talks, a consensus is yet to be reached, and the war continues both on the streets and online. Now, the British Foreign Office on Sunday (May 1st) has accused Moscow of using a 'troll factory' to spread disinformation about the war in Ukraine. Also read | In three months, five Russian oligarchs found dead; families of 3 businessmen killed too As per them, Russia is using disinformation to target politicians across a number of countries, including Britain and South Africa. This is based on UK-funded research which is yet to be published. As per the country, the research exposes how the Kremlin's disinformation campaign attempts to manipulate international public opinion of the Russian invasion of its neighbour while also recruiting sympathisers. Watch | Will Putin declare war against Ukraine? Watch UK Defence Secretary speak on Ukraine conflict "The UK government has alerted international partners and will continue to work closely with allies and media platforms to undermine Russian information operations", said British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in a statement, adding "we cannot allow the Kremlin and it's shady troll farms to invade our online space with their lies about Putin's illegal war." Britain alleges that it has traced the Russian disinformation campaign to eight platforms including Telegram, Twitter, Facebook and Tik Tok. It has also accused the country of trying to recruit and coordinate with new supporters who then target Kremlin critics' profiles. Also read | Ukrainian police find three bodies with hands tied near Bucha On the other hand, Russia calls the western media's coverage of the conflict biased. As per the Kremlin, the Western media narrative ignores the ex-soviet country's concerns about NATO expansion and the alleged persecution of Russian speaking people in Ukraine. This war is not the first time Russia has been accused of participating in a disinformation campaign. Earlier in 2016, the US accused Moscow of meddling in the presidential election. Watch WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies)

Britain says Russia using 'troll farms' to spread disinformation about the Ukraine conflict

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict crossing the two-month mark, the tensions between Moscow and the West continue to escalate.

Russia has now announced that it is all set to pull out of the International Space Station and that the country's space agency will no longer work with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-army-damaged-1000-tanks-200-aircraft-2500-armored-vehicles-of-russian-forces-claims-zelensky-475357" hreflang="en">Ukrainian army damaged 1,000 tanks, 200 aircraft, 2,500 armored vehicles of Russian forces, claims Zelensky</a>

Speaking to Russian state TV, Roscosmos General Director Dmitry Rogozin said that Russia will no longer cooperate with international partners onboard ISS.

According to a Bloomberg report, Rogozin said that in accordance to the obligations the agency will inform its partners about the exit date with a year's notice.

In spite of the tensions between Russia and the West, space has been one of the last remaining areas of cooperation but seems like Russia's unprecedented aggression toward its neighbour&nbsp;Ukraine will be creating tensions in space too.

Watch |&nbsp;Will Putin declare war against Ukraine? Watch UK Defence Secretary speak on Ukraine conflict

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Russia had earlier warned this month that If the country were to withdraw, it will pose major problems for the ISS as Russian rockets deliver a large amount of cargo needed to maintain the space station.

&nbsp;In late March, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei shared a ride back to Earth alongside two Russian Cosmonauts and when asked had said that the relations among the ISS crew remained unaffected by the tensions in Ukraine.

"We support each other through everything," said Hei adding that he "never had any concerns about my ability to continue working with them".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ghost-of-kyiv-killed-in-fighting-after-shooting-down-40-russian-jets-475309" hreflang="en">'Ghost of Kyiv' killed in fighting, has shot down 40 Russian jets</a>

After Russia's withdrawal will NASA, ESA and other space agencies continue to maintain operations remain to be seen.&nbsp;

Dailymail reports that as per Nathan Eismont a leading researcher at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of sciences, operations would be close to impossible without the Russian crew.&nbsp;

ISS is jointly managed by Moscow and Washington and a complete Russian pullout will pose major challenges to the operation.

Watch WION LIVE HERE:

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(With inputs from agencies)

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict crossing the two-month mark, the tensions between Moscow and the West continue to escalate. Russia has now announced that it is all set to pull out of the International Space Station and that the country's space agency will no longer work with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict crossing the two-month mark, the tensions between Moscow and the West continue to escalate. Russia has now announced that it is all set to pull out of the International Space Station and that the country's space agency will no longer work with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). Also read | Ukrainian army damaged 1,000 tanks, 200 aircraft, 2,500 armored vehicles of Russian forces, claims Zelensky Speaking to Russian state TV, Roscosmos General Director Dmitry Rogozin said that Russia will no longer cooperate with international partners onboard ISS. According to a Bloomberg report, Rogozin said that in accordance to the obligations the agency will inform its partners about the exit date with a year's notice. In spite of the tensions between Russia and the West, space has been one of the last remaining areas of cooperation but seems like Russia's unprecedented aggression toward its neighbour Ukraine will be creating tensions in space too. Watch | Will Putin declare war against Ukraine? Watch UK Defence Secretary speak on Ukraine conflict Russia had earlier warned this month that If the country were to withdraw, it will pose major problems for the ISS as Russian rockets deliver a large amount of cargo needed to maintain the space station. In late March, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei shared a ride back to Earth alongside two Russian Cosmonauts and when asked had said that the relations among the ISS crew remained unaffected by the tensions in Ukraine. "We support each other through everything," said Hei adding that he "never had any concerns about my ability to continue working with them". Also read | 'Ghost of Kyiv' killed in fighting, has shot down 40 Russian jets After Russia's withdrawal will NASA, ESA and other space agencies continue to maintain operations remain to be seen. Dailymail reports that as per Nathan Eismont a leading researcher at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of sciences, operations would be close to impossible without the Russian crew. ISS is jointly managed by Moscow and Washington and a complete Russian pullout will pose major challenges to the operation. Watch WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies)

Tensions in ISS: Russia announces that it will be ending space cooperation with NASA, ESA

War is made up of more than two sides battling for victory; it also includes hundreds of thousands of refugees fighting for their lives.

Ukraine is Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.&nbsp;

The United Nations predicted Tuesday that more than eight million Ukrainians may flee as refugees this year. The organisation has also doubled its relief request for those trapped in the war-torn country.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdoms-defence-ministry-investigating-russian-hack-targeting-its-army-recruits-473963" hreflang="en">United Kingdom's defence ministry investigating Russian hack targeting its army recruits</a>

More than 5.2 million Ukrainians have already fled the nation in the two months since Russia launched its full-fledged invasion on February 24.

The UN refugee agency had predicted that up to four million people would migrate this year and had initially estimated that $1.85 billion would be required to support refugees in neighbouring countries.

On March 1, the United Nations again issued an urgent appeal for $1.1 billion to support six million people within the country over the next three months.

Watch | Russian rockets target residential buildings in Kharkiv; 5 dead, several injured

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Now, on Tuesday, the UN's humanitarian office, OCHA, said it estimates that more than $2.25 billion is needed to meet the country's growing requirements and that the appealed amount would last through August.

This is significant because it implies the UN's humanitarian agency has more than doubled its estimate for the amount of money required to help people within Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/danger-of-world-war-iii-is-real-warns-russian-foreign-minister-lavrov-473854" hreflang="en">Danger of World War III is 'real', warns Russian foreign minister Lavrov</a>

In Ukraine, the number of individuals who require humanitarian assistance has also risen to 15.7 million, up from 12 million previously.

UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva that the new predicted number was reached "in collaboration with the authorities and neighbouring countries."&nbsp;

"But it is important to remember that this situation is highly dynamic," she added.

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(With inputs from agencies)

War is made up of more than two sides battling for victory; it also includes hundreds of thousands of refugees fighting for their lives. Ukraine is Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.

War is made up of more than two sides battling for victory; it also includes hundreds of thousands of refugees fighting for their lives. Ukraine is Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II. The United Nations predicted Tuesday that more than eight million Ukrainians may flee as refugees this year. The organisation has also doubled its relief request for those trapped in the war-torn country. Also read | United Kingdom's defence ministry investigating Russian hack targeting its army recruits More than 5.2 million Ukrainians have already fled the nation in the two months since Russia launched its full-fledged invasion on February 24. The UN refugee agency had predicted that up to four million people would migrate this year and had initially estimated that $1.85 billion would be required to support refugees in neighbouring countries. On March 1, the United Nations again issued an urgent appeal for $1.1 billion to support six million people within the country over the next three months. Watch | Russian rockets target residential buildings in Kharkiv; 5 dead, several injured Now, on Tuesday, the UN's humanitarian office, OCHA, said it estimates that more than $2.25 billion is needed to meet the country's growing requirements and that the appealed amount would last through August. This is significant because it implies the UN's humanitarian agency has more than doubled its estimate for the amount of money required to help people within Ukraine. Also read | Danger of World War III is 'real', warns Russian foreign minister Lavrov In Ukraine, the number of individuals who require humanitarian assistance has also risen to 15.7 million, up from 12 million previously. UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva that the new predicted number was reached "in collaboration with the authorities and neighbouring countries." "But it is important to remember that this situation is highly dynamic," she added. Watch WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies)

UN expects 8 million refugees to flee Ukraine this year, doubles its appeal for funds

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.&nbsp;WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media.

A heartbreaking video from Mariupol is making the rounds on the internet. Shot in the besieged Azovstal steel factory in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol this video shows women and children asking to see the sun and return home to their families, saying that they are “running out of strength”.

The video was uploaded to Youtube by Ukraine's Azov Battalion on Saturday.

Watch the video here:

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It shows men in uniform heading inside a place reported to be a bunker in the Azovstal steel factory. Video shows soldiers stepping in and announcing that they’ve brought food and gifts for the children holed up in a room.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-restarts-attacking-mariupol-ukraine-soldiers-holed-up-in-steel-plant-473225" hreflang="en">Russia resumes attack on Mariupol, Ukraine soldiers holed up in steel plant</a>

As per a Guardian report, one woman in the video says in Russian that there are 15 youngsters, ranging from young children to teenagers living in the tunnels under the plant.

"(I hope) we can leave here and see the sun, because we've been sat here for two months already. I want to see the sun because in here it's dim, not like outside. When our houses are rebuilt we can live in peace. Let Ukraine win because Ukraine is our native home," says one unidentified young boy in the video.

Among those hiding, a woman reports that she has been holed up under the factory since 27th February, i.e., more than 50 days.

Mariupol, Ukraine, was "successfully liberated," according to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, April 21.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Global protest rage against Russian invasion of Ukraine

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As per reports, Putin has ordered his men to block the Azovstal steel mill, the city's only surviving Ukrainian stronghold so that no one can flee.

"Block off this industrial region so that not even a fly can leave."

For weeks, Russia had been bombing Mariupol, Ukraine's port city. The city has been subjected to near-constant Russian bombardment since Russian soldiers entered Ukraine on February 24, with attacks devastating substantial portions of the city. Ukrainian forces have been attempting to protect the Azov Seaport, but Russian attacks have forced them back.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-satellite-images-show-200-new-graves-in-ukraines-mariupol-472830">Russia-Ukraine war: 200 new graves found in Mariupol, claims mayor as satellite pictures emerge</a>
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Mariupol is a significant city located in the middle of the two regions; Crimea and Donbas. If Russia takes Mariupol, its forces in the two regions will be able to collaborate effectively, which might help Russia organise attacks further into Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)

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. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media. A heartbreaking video from Mariupol is making the rounds on the internet. Shot in the besieged Azovstal steel factory in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol this video shows women and children asking to see the sun and return home to their families, saying that they are “running out of strength”. The video was uploaded to Youtube by Ukraine's Azov Battalion on Saturday. Watch the video here: × It shows men in uniform heading inside a place reported to be a bunker in the Azovstal steel factory. Video shows soldiers stepping in and announcing that they’ve brought food and gifts for the children holed up in a room. Also read | Russia resumes attack on Mariupol, Ukraine soldiers holed up in steel plant As per a Guardian report, one woman in the video says in Russian that there are 15 youngsters, ranging from young children to teenagers living in the tunnels under the plant. "(I hope) we can leave here and see the sun, because we've been sat here for two months already. I want to see the sun because in here it's dim, not like outside. When our houses are rebuilt we can live in peace. Let Ukraine win because Ukraine is our native home," says one unidentified young boy in the video. Among those hiding, a woman reports that she has been holed up under the factory since 27th February, i.e., more than 50 days. Mariupol, Ukraine, was "successfully liberated," according to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, April 21. Watch | Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Global protest rage against Russian invasion of Ukraine As per reports, Putin has ordered his men to block the Azovstal steel mill, the city's only surviving Ukrainian stronghold so that no one can flee. "Block off this industrial region so that not even a fly can leave." For weeks, Russia had been bombing Mariupol, Ukraine's port city. The city has been subjected to near-constant Russian bombardment since Russian soldiers entered Ukraine on February 24, with attacks devastating substantial portions of the city. Ukrainian forces have been attempting to protect the Azov Seaport, but Russian attacks have forced them back. Also read | Russia-Ukraine war: 200 new graves found in Mariupol, claims mayor as satellite pictures emerge Mariupol is a significant city located in the middle of the two regions; Crimea and Donbas. If Russia takes Mariupol, its forces in the two regions will be able to collaborate effectively, which might help Russia organise attacks further into Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies)

'We want to see the sun': Heart-breaking video of children holed up in embattled Mariupol emerges. Watch

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.&nbsp;

Striking crucial infrastructure, Russia on Monday (April 25) attacked the railway and fuel facilities in eastern Ukraine.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had used a Ukrainian train to visit President Volodymyr Zelensky.&nbsp;

According to Blinken, “The strategy that we’ve put in place, massive support for Ukraine, massive pressure against Russia, solidarity with more than 30 countries engaged in these efforts,&nbsp;is having real results.”

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Saw the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people firsthand during my visit to Kyiv with <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> Austin. During our meeting with President <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZelenskyyUA</a>, we reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine as it withstands Russian aggression.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1518519031384453120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Russian forces have attempted to break through Ukraine's defences by continuing their attack on towns including Rubizhne, Popasna, Sievierodonetsk, Maryinka, and Avdiivka.

The Ukrainian army believes that they are attempting to advance from the town of Izyum towards Barvinkove and Sloviansk.

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The United Kingdom had previously praised the significant breakthrough made by the Ukrainian forces against Russia.

The country's defence's ministry said in a statement, ''Russia from 14:00 Moscow time (1100 GMT) on April 25, 2022, will unilaterally stop any hostilities, withdraw units to a safe distance and ensure the withdrawal of" civilians.''

However, after a few hours Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vershchuk said, "Unfortunately, there are no agreements on humanitarian corridors from Azovstal today."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-terms-of-russias-war-aims-moscow-has-already-failed-says-blinken-473640">In terms of Russia's war aims, Moscow has already failed, says Blinken</a>

He added: "It is important to understand that the humanitarian corridor is opened by agreement of both parties. The corridor announced unilaterally does not provide security, and therefore, in fact, is not a humanitarian corridor."&nbsp;

Britain's defence ministry said Ukrainian troops were holed up in a steel plant located in Mariupol after unabated attacks by the Russian troops.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has entered the third month after Moscow attacked Kyiv on February 24.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has slammed the United States for trying to “split Russian society and to destroy Russia from within.”

“We want to see Ukraine remain a sovereign country, a democratic country able to protect its sovereign territory, we want to see Russia weakened to the point where it can’t do things like invading Ukraine,” said Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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. Striking crucial infrastructure, Russia on Monday (April 25) attacked the railway and fuel facilities in eastern Ukraine. Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had used a Ukrainian train to visit President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Blinken, “The strategy that we’ve put in place, massive support for Ukraine, massive pressure against Russia, solidarity with more than 30 countries engaged in these efforts, is having real results.” Saw the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people firsthand during my visit to Kyiv with @SecDef Austin. During our meeting with President @ZelenskyyUA, we reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine as it withstands Russian aggression. — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 25, 2022 × Russian forces have attempted to break through Ukraine's defences by continuing their attack on towns including Rubizhne, Popasna, Sievierodonetsk, Maryinka, and Avdiivka. The Ukrainian army believes that they are attempting to advance from the town of Izyum towards Barvinkove and Sloviansk. The United Kingdom had previously praised the significant breakthrough made by the Ukrainian forces against Russia. The country's defence's ministry said in a statement, ''Russia from 14:00 Moscow time (1100 GMT) on April 25, 2022, will unilaterally stop any hostilities, withdraw units to a safe distance and ensure the withdrawal of" civilians.'' However, after a few hours Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vershchuk said, "Unfortunately, there are no agreements on humanitarian corridors from Azovstal today." Also read | In terms of Russia's war aims, Moscow has already failed, says Blinken He added: "It is important to understand that the humanitarian corridor is opened by agreement of both parties. The corridor announced unilaterally does not provide security, and therefore, in fact, is not a humanitarian corridor." Britain's defence ministry said Ukrainian troops were holed up in a steel plant located in Mariupol after unabated attacks by the Russian troops. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has entered the third month after Moscow attacked Kyiv on February 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin has slammed the United States for trying to “split Russian society and to destroy Russia from within.” “We want to see Ukraine remain a sovereign country, a democratic country able to protect its sovereign territory, we want to see Russia weakened to the point where it can’t do things like invading Ukraine,” said Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia unleashes string of attacks against Ukraine's rail, fuel facilities

Russia has resumed its attack on last Ukrainian defenders in the port city Mariupol, according to Ukrainian official quoted by Reuters. These Ukrainian soldiers are holed up in a giant steel factory. The resumption of Russian attack has come days after Moscow's declaration of victory in Mariupol. As the time of declaring victory, Russia had said that its forces did not need to take the factory in the city.

Russian forces were hitting the Azovstal complex with airstrikes and trying to storm it, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said, adding "the enemy is trying to strangle the final resistance of Mariupol's defenders".

Mariupol is crucial for Russia to link eastern Donbas region and Russian-controlled Crimea.

Russia-Ukraine War: Europe sent Weapons to Russia despite an embargo on arms shipment

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Russia's defence ministry said on Friday the remaining fighters had been "securely blockaded" at the steel plant. On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin had declared the city "liberated" and ordered his defence minister to block off the Azovstal complex "so not even a fly can get through" rather than try to storm it.

"There's no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial facilities" Putin said on television.

As per Arestovych, the Ukrainian soldiers were holding out in Azovstal complex and were attempting counterattacks "despite the very difficult situation".

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-has-designs-to-capture-other-countries-after-ukraine-says-zelensky-473173">Russia has designs to capture other countries after Ukraine, says Zelensky</a>

As per Ukrainian authorities, more than 1000 civilians are inside the steel plant along with soldiers.

Russian forces besieged and bombarded Mariupol - home to more than 400,000 people before the war - for weeks, leaving a city in ruins. Ukraine estimates tens of thousands of civilians have died and says 100,000 civilians are still there. The United Nations and Red Cross say the civilian toll is at least in the thousands.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia has resumed its attack on last Ukrainian defenders in the port city Mariupol, according to Ukrainian official quoted by Reuters. These Ukrainian soldiers are holed up in a giant steel factory.

Russia has resumed its attack on last Ukrainian defenders in the port city Mariupol, according to Ukrainian official quoted by Reuters. These Ukrainian soldiers are holed up in a giant steel factory. The resumption of Russian attack has come days after Moscow's declaration of victory in Mariupol. As the time of declaring victory, Russia had said that its forces did not need to take the factory in the city. Russian forces were hitting the Azovstal complex with airstrikes and trying to storm it, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said, adding "the enemy is trying to strangle the final resistance of Mariupol's defenders". Mariupol is crucial for Russia to link eastern Donbas region and Russian-controlled Crimea. Russia-Ukraine War: Europe sent Weapons to Russia despite an embargo on arms shipment × Russia's defence ministry said on Friday the remaining fighters had been "securely blockaded" at the steel plant. On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin had declared the city "liberated" and ordered his defence minister to block off the Azovstal complex "so not even a fly can get through" rather than try to storm it. "There's no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial facilities" Putin said on television. As per Arestovych, the Ukrainian soldiers were holding out in Azovstal complex and were attempting counterattacks "despite the very difficult situation". Also Read | Russia has designs to capture other countries after Ukraine, says Zelensky As per Ukrainian authorities, more than 1000 civilians are inside the steel plant along with soldiers. Russian forces besieged and bombarded Mariupol - home to more than 400,000 people before the war - for weeks, leaving a city in ruins. Ukraine estimates tens of thousands of civilians have died and says 100,000 civilians are still there. The United Nations and Red Cross say the civilian toll is at least in the thousands. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia resumes attack on Mariupol, Ukraine soldiers holed up in steel plant

Russia has been accused of genocide in Ukraine, the ultimate war crime. However, genocide has a specific legal definition and to date has only been proven in court a few times.

Let's find out more.

What exactly is genocide?

According to the 1948 Genocide Convention, it is defined as crimes done with the goal to eliminate, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.

Killing members of a group, causing substantial bodily or mental injury to them, establishing conditions meant to destroy them, preventing births, or forcibly transferring children to other groups are all examples of genocide.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-armenia-to-myanmar-accusations-of-genocide-in-the-past-464634">From Armenia to Myanmar: Accusations of genocide in the past</a>

What criteria are used to determine genocide?

Prosecutors must first show that the victims were members of a distinct national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in order to prove genocide. This rule does not apply to organisations targeted based on their political ideas.

"Genocide is a difficult crime to prove. Parties have to bring a lot to the table," explained Melanie O'Brien, head of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, citing the combined need of demonstrating intent, targeting a protected group, and crimes such as murder or forcible removal of minors.

Who made the allegation against Russia?

Multiple people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Joe Biden and even UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have accused Russian forces of genocide, citing evidence of rape, torture, and executions in districts near Kyiv regained by Ukrainian troops earlier this month.

Watch |&nbsp;Ukraine war: Russian acts in Ukraine amounts to 'genocide', says Joe Biden

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"Yes, I called it genocide because it has become clearer and clearer that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian and the evidence is mounting," said Biden.

The scope of the horrors "doesn't look far short of genocide," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned last week.

What is Russia's response to these accusations?

Moscow claims the West fabricated evidence to defame its troops, calling the war on its smaller neighbour "a special operation" to stop genocide against Russian speakers in Ukraine.

Will the&nbsp;allegations against Russia&nbsp;be investigated?

In February, the International Criminal Court launched a probe into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. It has authority over genocide as well.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-icj-ukraine-and-russia-to-fight-again-but-over-genocide-claim-459711">At ICJ, Ukraine and Russia to fight again but over ‘genocide claim’</a>

Are there any old cases of genocide?

Yes, the international courts have had three cases meet their threshold:

-The Cambodian Khmer Rouge slaughter of&nbsp;minority Cham and Vietnamese people in the 1970s. An estimated&nbsp;1.7 million people were murdered in this genocide.

-&nbsp;Rwanda's mass massacre of Tutsis in 1994, which resulted in the deaths of 800,000 people.

-The 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which claimed the lives of 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

Since the 1990s, the US administration has declared genocide in seven situations: Bosnia, Rwanda, Iraq, Sudan's Darfur area, Islamic State's massacres, particularly against the Yezidi, Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, and China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims. Only time will tell if the Russian violence against Ukraine will be categorized as a 'genocide'.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia has been accused of genocide in Ukraine, the ultimate war crime. However, genocide has a specific legal definition and to date has only been proven in court a few times.

Russia has been accused of genocide in Ukraine, the ultimate war crime. However, genocide has a specific legal definition and to date has only been proven in court a few times. Let's find out more. What exactly is genocide? According to the 1948 Genocide Convention, it is defined as crimes done with the goal to eliminate, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group. Killing members of a group, causing substantial bodily or mental injury to them, establishing conditions meant to destroy them, preventing births, or forcibly transferring children to other groups are all examples of genocide. Also read | From Armenia to Myanmar: Accusations of genocide in the past What criteria are used to determine genocide? Prosecutors must first show that the victims were members of a distinct national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in order to prove genocide. This rule does not apply to organisations targeted based on their political ideas. "Genocide is a difficult crime to prove. Parties have to bring a lot to the table," explained Melanie O'Brien, head of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, citing the combined need of demonstrating intent, targeting a protected group, and crimes such as murder or forcible removal of minors. Who made the allegation against Russia? Multiple people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Joe Biden and even UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have accused Russian forces of genocide, citing evidence of rape, torture, and executions in districts near Kyiv regained by Ukrainian troops earlier this month. Watch | Ukraine war: Russian acts in Ukraine amounts to 'genocide', says Joe Biden "Yes, I called it genocide because it has become clearer and clearer that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian and the evidence is mounting," said Biden. The scope of the horrors "doesn't look far short of genocide," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned last week. What is Russia's response to these accusations? Moscow claims the West fabricated evidence to defame its troops, calling the war on its smaller neighbour "a special operation" to stop genocide against Russian speakers in Ukraine. Will the allegations against Russia be investigated? In February, the International Criminal Court launched a probe into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. It has authority over genocide as well. Also read | At ICJ, Ukraine and Russia to fight again but over ‘genocide claim’ Are there any old cases of genocide? Yes, the international courts have had three cases meet their threshold: -The Cambodian Khmer Rouge slaughter of minority Cham and Vietnamese people in the 1970s. An estimated 1.7 million people were murdered in this genocide. - Rwanda's mass massacre of Tutsis in 1994, which resulted in the deaths of 800,000 people. -The 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which claimed the lives of 8,000 Muslim men and boys. Since the 1990s, the US administration has declared genocide in seven situations: Bosnia, Rwanda, Iraq, Sudan's Darfur area, Islamic State's massacres, particularly against the Yezidi, Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, and China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims. Only time will tell if the Russian violence against Ukraine will be categorized as a 'genocide'. (With inputs from agencies)

WION explains: The ultimate, yet hard to prove war crime called 'genocide'

In a small, peaceful village in southern Spain, there exists a white wall with a board that holds the sign "Square of Mariupol".

As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on even after fifty days, countries around the world have stood up in solidarity with Kyiv amid aggression by Putin's forces.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-russia-steps-up-offensive-in-cities-ukraines-richest-man-vows-to-rebuild-mariupol-471456" hreflang="en">As Russia steps up offensive in cities, Ukraine’s richest man vows to rebuild Mariupol</a>

From offering weapons to aid, countries have come forward to help Ukraine, however, as per a Reuters report a small Spanish village located&nbsp;thousands of kilometres away from the conflict has shown its solidarity in a unique way&nbsp;by changing its name.

Formerly known as "Fuentes de Andalucia", it is now known as&nbsp;"Ukraine", the village has not only changed its name but has also renamed its streets.

Watch |&nbsp;Czech designer comes up with Zelensky's portrait pillows to raise funds for Ukrainians

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/czech-designer-comes-up-with-zelenskys-portrait-pillows-to-raise-funds-for-ukrainians-463993/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In the village of around 7,100 people, just east of Seville, streets are now called City of Kyiv, Mariupol, and Odesa.

The village has also raised 3,500 euros&nbsp;i.e., about $3,780 for a refugee centre within just two days, they have plans to offer homes and refuge to up to 25 refugees at the&nbsp;centre and more with the village’s families.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fleeing-war-russian-and-ukrainian-travel-thousands-of-kilometres-to-get-married-at-mexico-border-471171" hreflang="en">Fleeing war, Russian and Ukrainian travel thousands of kilometres to get married at Mexico border</a>

Earlier, a&nbsp;Czech designer had come up with a novel way to generate donations for Ukrainians afflicted by the country's crisis he designed pillows depicting the president's portrait, Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Many people, mostly of the fair sex, see him as some kind of a sex symbol, so I got the idea to make a pillow which would look like he is actually in their bed," the designer Tomas Brinek had told Reuters news agency on Friday.

Yet another amazing fundraising technique was employed by a small&nbsp;firm&nbsp;in&nbsp;Chicago. Using&nbsp;Lego&nbsp;mini-figures&nbsp;of&nbsp;Ukrainian&nbsp;President&nbsp;Volodymyr&nbsp;Zelensky&nbsp;and&nbsp;Motolov&nbsp;drinks,&nbsp;they&nbsp;raised&nbsp;over&nbsp;$160,000.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a small, peaceful village in southern Spain, there exists a white wall with a board that holds the sign "Square of Mariupol". As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on even after fifty days, countries around the world have stood up in solidarity with Kyiv amid aggression by Putin's forces.

In a small, peaceful village in southern Spain, there exists a white wall with a board that holds the sign "Square of Mariupol". As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on even after fifty days, countries around the world have stood up in solidarity with Kyiv amid aggression by Putin's forces. Also read | As Russia steps up offensive in cities, Ukraine’s richest man vows to rebuild Mariupol From offering weapons to aid, countries have come forward to help Ukraine, however, as per a Reuters report a small Spanish village located thousands of kilometres away from the conflict has shown its solidarity in a unique way by changing its name. Formerly known as "Fuentes de Andalucia", it is now known as "Ukraine", the village has not only changed its name but has also renamed its streets. Watch | Czech designer comes up with Zelensky's portrait pillows to raise funds for Ukrainians In the village of around 7,100 people, just east of Seville, streets are now called City of Kyiv, Mariupol, and Odesa. The village has also raised 3,500 euros i.e., about $3,780 for a refugee centre within just two days, they have plans to offer homes and refuge to up to 25 refugees at the centre and more with the village’s families. Also read | Fleeing war, Russian and Ukrainian travel thousands of kilometres to get married at Mexico border Earlier, a Czech designer had come up with a novel way to generate donations for Ukrainians afflicted by the country's crisis he designed pillows depicting the president's portrait, Volodymyr Zelensky. "Many people, mostly of the fair sex, see him as some kind of a sex symbol, so I got the idea to make a pillow which would look like he is actually in their bed," the designer Tomas Brinek had told Reuters news agency on Friday. Yet another amazing fundraising technique was employed by a small firm in Chicago. Using Lego mini-figures of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Motolov drinks, they raised over $160,000. (With inputs from agencies)

From a village renaming itself to Zelensky pillows, amazing methods people used to show support for Ukraine

A Russian artist called Alexandra Skochilenko has been accused of spreading ''fake news'' after she replaced grocery price tags with anti-war slogans.

Amnesty International says she faces up to 10 years in prison for protesting against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

She had provided information regarding the Mariupol art school bombing in Perekryostok supermarket on March 31 which is being deemed as "political hatred for Russia."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/zelensky-we-will-end-negotiations-if-our-troops-are-harmed-471580/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Skochilenko also condemned ''Russian forces' special operation'' saying "I don't support the war in Ukraine. I came out on the street today to say so loudly." She wrote this in a post on her Instagram account.

According to investigators she has been accused of "putting fragments of paper in place of price tags, containing knowingly false information about the use of the Russian armed forces."&nbsp;

A massive fine of 10,000 rubles ($121) has been imposed on the independent artist and musician for participating in an anti-war protest that condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-sets-sunday-deadline-for-ukraine-troops-to-surrender-in-mariupol-471528" hreflang="en">Russia sets Sunday deadline for Ukraine troops to surrender in Mariupol</a>

Skochilenko belongs to a small town in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg. A local court has called her a ''flight risk'' as she does not have an officially registered address.

She allegedly made the hand gesture of a peace sign and smiled inside the cage for defendants in the courtroom.

Skochilenko has frequently shared images saying "violence is never the way out" on her social media accounts.

She designed a series of postcards and painted images of peace symbols along with the Ukrainian flag.

Several Russian activists have raised concerns regarding her health online as she suffers from celiac disease. It is an immune reaction to the consumption of wheat, rye, and barley.

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We need your help ❤️ This is our friend Sasha Skochilenko. She is facing 10 years in prison. Her crime? Replacing supermarket price labels with anti-war appeals and information on Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine. <a href="https://t.co/0DfGVgLM8f">pic.twitter.com/0DfGVgLM8f</a>
— Soviet Visuals (@sovietvisuals) <a href="https://twitter.com/sovietvisuals/status/1514912763860205571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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This is Sasha Skochilenko. She’s facing 10 yrs in prison for replacing supermarket price labels with information on Russian attacks on civilians in Mariupol, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a>, accused of spreading ‘false information’. Sasha doesn’t deny leaving the tags, but insists it’s all true <a href="https://t.co/8gc5FhOzBd">pic.twitter.com/8gc5FhOzBd</a>
— Sarah Rainsford (@sarahrainsford) <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahrainsford/status/1514547016877101065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Our friend and ex-colleague Sasha Skochilenko is facing from 5 to 10 years in prison because of the new law prohibiting "fake news about Russian military". Now she is under arrest until the end of spring which is life-threatening given her medical condition (celiac disease). 1/4 <a href="https://t.co/JS2g81pJ9n">pic.twitter.com/JS2g81pJ9n</a>
— Victoria Vziatysheva (@victoria_vzt) <a href="https://twitter.com/victoria_vzt/status/1514521052273168387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In a similar incident, a 59-year-old doctor called Andrei Makedonov and Tatiana Popova were detained in Russia.

While Makedonov had participated in a protest, Popova had hung "no to war" slogans on toys in a supermarket.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A Russian artist called Alexandra Skochilenko has been accused of spreading ''fake news'' after she replaced grocery price tags with anti-war slogans. Amnesty International says she faces up to 10 years in prison for protesting against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A Russian artist called Alexandra Skochilenko has been accused of spreading ''fake news'' after she replaced grocery price tags with anti-war slogans. Amnesty International says she faces up to 10 years in prison for protesting against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She had provided information regarding the Mariupol art school bombing in Perekryostok supermarket on March 31 which is being deemed as "political hatred for Russia." Skochilenko also condemned ''Russian forces' special operation'' saying "I don't support the war in Ukraine. I came out on the street today to say so loudly." She wrote this in a post on her Instagram account. According to investigators she has been accused of "putting fragments of paper in place of price tags, containing knowingly false information about the use of the Russian armed forces." A massive fine of 10,000 rubles ($121) has been imposed on the independent artist and musician for participating in an anti-war protest that condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin. Also read | Russia sets Sunday deadline for Ukraine troops to surrender in Mariupol Skochilenko belongs to a small town in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg. A local court has called her a ''flight risk'' as she does not have an officially registered address. She allegedly made the hand gesture of a peace sign and smiled inside the cage for defendants in the courtroom. Skochilenko has frequently shared images saying "violence is never the way out" on her social media accounts. She designed a series of postcards and painted images of peace symbols along with the Ukrainian flag. Several Russian activists have raised concerns regarding her health online as she suffers from celiac disease. It is an immune reaction to the consumption of wheat, rye, and barley. We need your help ❤️ This is our friend Sasha Skochilenko. She is facing 10 years in prison. Her crime? Replacing supermarket price labels with anti-war appeals and information on Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/0DfGVgLM8f — Soviet Visuals (@sovietvisuals) April 15, 2022 × This is Sasha Skochilenko. She’s facing 10 yrs in prison for replacing supermarket price labels with information on Russian attacks on civilians in Mariupol, #Ukraine, accused of spreading ‘false information’. Sasha doesn’t deny leaving the tags, but insists it’s all true pic.twitter.com/8gc5FhOzBd — Sarah Rainsford (@sarahrainsford) April 14, 2022 × Our friend and ex-colleague Sasha Skochilenko is facing from 5 to 10 years in prison because of the new law prohibiting "fake news about Russian military". Now she is under arrest until the end of spring which is life-threatening given her medical condition (celiac disease). 1/4 pic.twitter.com/JS2g81pJ9n — Victoria Vziatysheva (@victoria_vzt) April 14, 2022 × In a similar incident, a 59-year-old doctor called Andrei Makedonov and Tatiana Popova were detained in Russia. While Makedonov had participated in a protest, Popova had hung "no to war" slogans on toys in a supermarket. (With inputs from agencies)

Russian artist accused of spreading 'fake news' after replacing grocery price tags with anti-war slogans

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.&nbsp;

Russian state television on Friday (April 15) said that Moscow has entered World War Three against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The bold statement was made in regards to Russia's invasion of Ukraine which President Vladimir Putin calls a ''special operation.''

Addressing the viewers of Rossiya 1, presenter Olga Skabeyeva said ''Many people are asking could it not be done more quickly?''

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And here we have it - in a rant seemingly aimed at explaining to viewers why the "special operation in Ukraine" is taking so long, Russian state TV presenter Olga Skabeyeva says her country is fighting World War Three against Nato 
 
I've added subtitles <a href="https://t.co/MQW0UfiQso">pic.twitter.com/MQW0UfiQso</a>
— Francis Scarr (@francska1) <a href="https://twitter.com/francska1/status/1514612770594906117?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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''Everyone would like a conclusive victory. Everyone would like all the objectives set to be implemented.''

''Otherwise, on the whole, it is impossible to accept the special operation which we started,'' she said as per an English translation by 'The Independent'.

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''One can safely say call what it has escalated into World War Three. That's absolutely for sure.''

''Right now, we're definitely against NATO's infrastructure, if not the alliance itself. We need to recognise that,'' she added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/moskva-russian-navys-black-sea-fleet-flagship-has-sunk-defence-ministry-471089" hreflang="en">Moskva, Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet flagship, has sunk: Defence ministry</a>

Her comments came after Ukraine's missile strike destroyed the Soviet-era flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet.

Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said ''NATO is a defensive Alliance that is there to defend and to fortify and NATO will not be a threat to anyone that is not attacking NATO.''

''We would not be concerned that the expansion of a defensive alliance would do anything other than promoting stability on the European continent," he added.

Russia has warned NATO that if Sweden and Finland join the group it will further bolster its security.

(With inputs from agencies)

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. Russian state television on Friday (April 15) said that Moscow has entered World War Three against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The bold statement was made in regards to Russia's invasion of Ukraine which President Vladimir Putin calls a ''special operation.'' Addressing the viewers of Rossiya 1, presenter Olga Skabeyeva said ''Many people are asking could it not be done more quickly?'' And here we have it - in a rant seemingly aimed at explaining to viewers why the "special operation in Ukraine" is taking so long, Russian state TV presenter Olga Skabeyeva says her country is fighting World War Three against Nato I've added subtitles pic.twitter.com/MQW0UfiQso — Francis Scarr (@francska1) April 14, 2022 × ''Everyone would like a conclusive victory. Everyone would like all the objectives set to be implemented.'' ''Otherwise, on the whole, it is impossible to accept the special operation which we started,'' she said as per an English translation by 'The Independent'. ''One can safely say call what it has escalated into World War Three. That's absolutely for sure.'' ''Right now, we're definitely against NATO's infrastructure, if not the alliance itself. We need to recognise that,'' she added. Also read | Moskva, Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet flagship, has sunk: Defence ministry Her comments came after Ukraine's missile strike destroyed the Soviet-era flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet. Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said ''NATO is a defensive Alliance that is there to defend and to fortify and NATO will not be a threat to anyone that is not attacking NATO.'' ''We would not be concerned that the expansion of a defensive alliance would do anything other than promoting stability on the European continent," he added. Russia has warned NATO that if Sweden and Finland join the group it will further bolster its security. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | Russian state TV says Moscow has entered World War 3 against NATO

As Vladimir Putin embarks on his plan B — a massive military operation to try to grab at least a small bite of eastern Ukraine to justify his misbegotten war — I thought: Who could give him the best advice right now? I settled on one of America’s premier teachers of grand strategy, John Arquilla, who recently retired as a distinguished professor of defence analysis at the US&nbsp;Naval Postgraduate School. When I called Arquilla and asked him what he’d tell Putin today, he didn’t hesitate: “I would say, ‘Make peace, you fool.’”

This is also known as the first rule of holes: When you’re in one, stop digging.

Arquilla did not pluck his phrasing from thin air. After the D-Day landings on Normandy on June 6, 1944, it became quickly obvious that the Germans could not contain the Allies’ beachhead. So after a German counterattack near Caen failed on July 1, the top German commander on that front, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, phoned Berlin to report the debacle to the army chief of staff, Wilhelm Keitel, who then asked him, “What shall we do?” — to which von Rundstedt famously replied, “Make peace, you fools! What else can you do?”

The next day, von Rundstedt was removed — not unlike what Putin has just done, bringing in a new senior general, one who helped crush the opposition movement in Syria with unrestrained brutality — to run phase two of his war. This did not work for the Germans, and without making any predictions, Arquilla explained why he believed that Putin’s army, too, could meet very stiff resistance from the undermanned and underarmed Ukrainians in this new phase.

It starts, he argued, with all that is new in this Ukraine-Russia war: “In many respects, this war is our era’s Spanish Civil War. In that war, many weapons — like Stuka dive bombers and Panzer tanks — were tested out by the Germans, and the allies learned things as well, before World War II. The same is being done in Ukraine when it comes to next-generation warfare.”

Arquilla recently published a book on next-gen warfare, “Bitskrieg: The New Challenge of Cyberwarfare.”

“In that book, I outlined the three new rules of war, all of which I am seeing being employed by the Ukrainians,” he explained. “The first is that many and small beats large and heavy. The Ukrainians are operating in squad-level units armed with smart weapons, and these are able to disrupt far larger formations and attack slow-moving, loud helicopters and such. So even though they’re outnumbered by the Russians, the Ukrainians have many, many more units of action — usually between eight and 10 soldiers in size.”

Arquilla said that these small Ukrainian units armed with precision-guided smart weapons like killer drones, anti-aircraft weapons and light anti-tank weapons “can take out the Russians’ much larger and more heavily armed tank units.”

The second rule of modern warfare playing out in Ukraine, he said, “is that finding always beats flanking. If you can locate the enemy first, you can take him out. And especially if the enemy is made up of a few large units, like a 40-mile-long convoy of tanks and armored personnel carriers, you’re going to hammer the hell out of them with your small squads, without having to outflank them with an equal-sized force.”

I asked Arquilla why the Ukrainians are so good at finding. (I assume they are getting some reconnaissance help from NATO.)

“The Ukrainians are making very good use of small drones, particularly those Turkish drones, which are tremendous,” said Arquilla. But it’s their human sensors — the informal Ukrainian observer corps — that are devastating the Russians. Grandmas with iPhones can trump satellites.

“The Ukrainian observer corps is made up of babushkas and kids and anyone else who has got a smartphone,” he said. “And they’ve been calling in the locations of where the Russian units are and where they’re moving. And so the Ukrainian forces have this big edge in finding the Russians in this big country, and that is giving their small units with smart weapons” real-time, actionable intelligence.

The third rule of new-age warfare playing out in Ukraine, said Arquilla, is that “swarming always beats surging.” He explained: “War is not just a numbers game anymore. You don’t need big numbers to swarm the opponent with a lot of small smart weapons. I am sure you’ve seen some of the videos of these Russian tanks and columns, where suddenly one tank gets taken out at the front and then another at the rear, so the Russians can’t maneuver, and then they just get picked off.”

Since this is the next phase of warfare and the Russians are not stupid, they will surely adjust in phase two, no?

The Russians will continue to use some massive bombardments, Arquilla argued, “and they’ll be even less restrained about doing so in eastern Ukraine than they have been in its western territory. But rubble makes conquest harder. Recall Stalingrad.” The Nazis bombed Stalingrad, Russia, into the Stone Age in World War II but then had to try to move through the rubble in small units to secure it and could not do so.

So look for the Russians to adjust some tactics. “The Russians have shown an ability to learn and adapt,” said Arquilla. “In the first winter war against the Finns — 1939 to 1940 — the same sort of thing happened to the Russians when they first invaded Finland. They got clobbered by the Finns using these small-team tactics. The Russians then fell back, they reorganized, and then they came back in a little smarter way and eventually overwhelmed the opponent. My understanding is that the Russians have actually been activating more of their naval infantry units, which are used to operating in smaller teams.” So expect them to be more infantry-heavy and less tank-heavy in the next phase.

That said, he added, the Ukrainians “still should have the edge in terms of the finding issue, and they’re already habituated to operating in these very small units. The Russians are much more centralised. One of the reasons they’ve had so many generals get killed is that at the tactical level, they don’t have people who are empowered to make those quick decisions in a firefight; only general officers can, so they had to come down close to the front and do things that lieutenants and sergeants in the American military routinely do.”

One of the more intriguing aspects of the conflict in Ukraine is the apparent lack of cyberwarfare from Russia. “The Russians did employ cyberspace-based attack tools to disrupt Ukrainian command and control, yet it had little overall effect because of the very decentralized operations of Ukraine’s regular and militia defense forces,” explained Arquilla.

At the same time, the Russians appear loath to launch a big cyberattack against infrastructure in the United States and against the other NATO countries aiding Ukraine, out of a fear that doing so now would enable NATO to learn about Russia’s most advanced cyber tools and build defences against them. Russia needs to save its cyberweapons for a big war with the West. So, observed Arquilla, “it may be that when it comes to strategic cyberwarfare, the prospect on all sides of facing mutual assured disruption may actually produce a kind of cyberdeterrence.”

As for Russia’s vaunted air superiority, said Arquilla, “we have already seen how vulnerable their jets and helicopters are to Stingers. This won’t change in the next phase of the war.”

In sum, said Arquilla, “I am not saying that the Russians are going to be driven out of eastern Ukraine. I am trying to answer the question: Why have the Ukrainians done so very well? And it’s because they have applied all these new rules of modern warfare.”

And since they will surely continue to do so, it augurs a long, terrible, mutually destructive new round of warfare in which neither side is likely to be able to administer a knockout blow. After that, who knows?

I still hope Putin the fool will eventually seek a dirty, face-saving deal, involving a Russian withdrawal, some kind of independent status for the more pro-Russian eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and no Ukrainian membership in NATO but giving Ukraine a green light to join the European Union, along with security guarantees against another Russian invasion.

May it happen soon.

“The longer the fighting goes on, the tougher the Ukrainian resistance — thanks to the ways of war they are pioneering — the more the risk of escalation grows,” said Arquilla. “But Putin has cowed Russian civil society into submission. And the Russian military, so embarrassed by their relatively poor performance, is unlikely to turn on him. Thus, he probably thinks he’s not under time pressure to de-escalate.”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how little wars become big wars.

“I recently reread Barbara Tuchman’s ‘The Guns of August’” — about how the great powers stumbled into World War I — said Arquilla. “It’s a cautionary tale that remains relevant.”

As Vladimir Putin embarks on his plan B — a massive military operation to try to grab at least a small bite of eastern Ukraine to justify his misbegotten war — I thought: Who could give him the best advice right now?

As Vladimir Putin embarks on his plan B — a massive military operation to try to grab at least a small bite of eastern Ukraine to justify his misbegotten war — I thought: Who could give him the best advice right now? I settled on one of America’s premier teachers of grand strategy, John Arquilla, who recently retired as a distinguished professor of defence analysis at the US Naval Postgraduate School. When I called Arquilla and asked him what he’d tell Putin today, he didn’t hesitate: “I would say, ‘Make peace, you fool.’” This is also known as the first rule of holes: When you’re in one, stop digging. Arquilla did not pluck his phrasing from thin air. After the D-Day landings on Normandy on June 6, 1944, it became quickly obvious that the Germans could not contain the Allies’ beachhead. So after a German counterattack near Caen failed on July 1, the top German commander on that front, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, phoned Berlin to report the debacle to the army chief of staff, Wilhelm Keitel, who then asked him, “What shall we do?” — to which von Rundstedt famously replied, “Make peace, you fools! What else can you do?” The next day, von Rundstedt was removed — not unlike what Putin has just done, bringing in a new senior general, one who helped crush the opposition movement in Syria with unrestrained brutality — to run phase two of his war. This did not work for the Germans, and without making any predictions, Arquilla explained why he believed that Putin’s army, too, could meet very stiff resistance from the undermanned and underarmed Ukrainians in this new phase. It starts, he argued, with all that is new in this Ukraine-Russia war: “In many respects, this war is our era’s Spanish Civil War. In that war, many weapons — like Stuka dive bombers and Panzer tanks — were tested out by the Germans, and the allies learned things as well, before World War II. The same is being done in Ukraine when it comes to next-generation warfare.” Arquilla recently published a book on next-gen warfare, “Bitskrieg: The New Challenge of Cyberwarfare.” “In that book, I outlined the three new rules of war, all of which I am seeing being employed by the Ukrainians,” he explained. “The first is that many and small beats large and heavy. The Ukrainians are operating in squad-level units armed with smart weapons, and these are able to disrupt far larger formations and attack slow-moving, loud helicopters and such. So even though they’re outnumbered by the Russians, the Ukrainians have many, many more units of action — usually between eight and 10 soldiers in size.” Arquilla said that these small Ukrainian units armed with precision-guided smart weapons like killer drones, anti-aircraft weapons and light anti-tank weapons “can take out the Russians’ much larger and more heavily armed tank units.” The second rule of modern warfare playing out in Ukraine, he said, “is that finding always beats flanking. If you can locate the enemy first, you can take him out. And especially if the enemy is made up of a few large units, like a 40-mile-long convoy of tanks and armored personnel carriers, you’re going to hammer the hell out of them with your small squads, without having to outflank them with an equal-sized force.” I asked Arquilla why the Ukrainians are so good at finding. (I assume they are getting some reconnaissance help from NATO.) “The Ukrainians are making very good use of small drones, particularly those Turkish drones, which are tremendous,” said Arquilla. But it’s their human sensors — the informal Ukrainian observer corps — that are devastating the Russians. Grandmas with iPhones can trump satellites. “The Ukrainian observer corps is made up of babushkas and kids and anyone else who has got a smartphone,” he said. “And they’ve been calling in the locations of where the Russian units are and where they’re moving. And so the Ukrainian forces have this big edge in finding the Russians in this big country, and that is giving their small units with smart weapons” real-time, actionable intelligence. The third rule of new-age warfare playing out in Ukraine, said Arquilla, is that “swarming always beats surging.” He explained: “War is not just a numbers game anymore. You don’t need big numbers to swarm the opponent with a lot of small smart weapons. I am sure you’ve seen some of the videos of these Russian tanks and columns, where suddenly one tank gets taken out at the front and then another at the rear, so the Russians can’t maneuver, and then they just get picked off.” Since this is the next phase of warfare and the Russians are not stupid, they will surely adjust in phase two, no? The Russians will continue to use some massive bombardments, Arquilla argued, “and they’ll be even less restrained about doing so in eastern Ukraine than they have been in its western territory. But rubble makes conquest harder. Recall Stalingrad.” The Nazis bombed Stalingrad, Russia, into the Stone Age in World War II but then had to try to move through the rubble in small units to secure it and could not do so. So look for the Russians to adjust some tactics. “The Russians have shown an ability to learn and adapt,” said Arquilla. “In the first winter war against the Finns — 1939 to 1940 — the same sort of thing happened to the Russians when they first invaded Finland. They got clobbered by the Finns using these small-team tactics. The Russians then fell back, they reorganized, and then they came back in a little smarter way and eventually overwhelmed the opponent. My understanding is that the Russians have actually been activating more of their naval infantry units, which are used to operating in smaller teams.” So expect them to be more infantry-heavy and less tank-heavy in the next phase. That said, he added, the Ukrainians “still should have the edge in terms of the finding issue, and they’re already habituated to operating in these very small units. The Russians are much more centralised. One of the reasons they’ve had so many generals get killed is that at the tactical level, they don’t have people who are empowered to make those quick decisions in a firefight; only general officers can, so they had to come down close to the front and do things that lieutenants and sergeants in the American military routinely do.” One of the more intriguing aspects of the conflict in Ukraine is the apparent lack of cyberwarfare from Russia. “The Russians did employ cyberspace-based attack tools to disrupt Ukrainian command and control, yet it had little overall effect because of the very decentralized operations of Ukraine’s regular and militia defense forces,” explained Arquilla. At the same time, the Russians appear loath to launch a big cyberattack against infrastructure in the United States and against the other NATO countries aiding Ukraine, out of a fear that doing so now would enable NATO to learn about Russia’s most advanced cyber tools and build defences against them. Russia needs to save its cyberweapons for a big war with the West. So, observed Arquilla, “it may be that when it comes to strategic cyberwarfare, the prospect on all sides of facing mutual assured disruption may actually produce a kind of cyberdeterrence.” As for Russia’s vaunted air superiority, said Arquilla, “we have already seen how vulnerable their jets and helicopters are to Stingers. This won’t change in the next phase of the war.” In sum, said Arquilla, “I am not saying that the Russians are going to be driven out of eastern Ukraine. I am trying to answer the question: Why have the Ukrainians done so very well? And it’s because they have applied all these new rules of modern warfare.” And since they will surely continue to do so, it augurs a long, terrible, mutually destructive new round of warfare in which neither side is likely to be able to administer a knockout blow. After that, who knows? I still hope Putin the fool will eventually seek a dirty, face-saving deal, involving a Russian withdrawal, some kind of independent status for the more pro-Russian eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and no Ukrainian membership in NATO but giving Ukraine a green light to join the European Union, along with security guarantees against another Russian invasion. May it happen soon. “The longer the fighting goes on, the tougher the Ukrainian resistance — thanks to the ways of war they are pioneering — the more the risk of escalation grows,” said Arquilla. “But Putin has cowed Russian civil society into submission. And the Russian military, so embarrassed by their relatively poor performance, is unlikely to turn on him. Thus, he probably thinks he’s not under time pressure to de-escalate.” And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how little wars become big wars. “I recently reread Barbara Tuchman’s ‘The Guns of August’” — about how the great powers stumbled into World War I — said Arquilla. “It’s a cautionary tale that remains relevant.”

Free advice for Putin: ‘Make peace, you fool’

Russia has faced a multitude of sanctions, not only from the United States but also from western and European nations, and now it is retaliating with tit-for-tat.&nbsp;

As per reports by the Russian Interfax news agency, Moscow is sanctioning 398 members of the US Congress and 87 Canadian senators in a retaliatory move.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sadists-rapists-russian-forces-using-rape-as-punishing-tactic-in-ukraine-un-womens-body-voices-concern-470378" hreflang="en">'Sadists, rapists': Russian forces using rape as punishing tactic in Ukraine, UN women's body voices concern</a>

“New announcements of Russian counter measures are planned in the near future, involving an increase in the number of people on the 'stop list' and other retaliatory steps," Russia's foreign ministry said, according to Interfax.

Russia has reportedly introduced these sanctions in reprisal for the US's punitive measure for Moscow’s attack on Ukraine. The attack which began on 24th February today completes seven weeks of fear, violence, and deaths.

"Taking into account the sanctions the US is constantly introducing, further announcements of Russian countermeasures are planned in the near future," the Russian foreign ministry announced, adding that these sanctions include an entry ban.

Watch |&nbsp;'Moscow will continue its invasion of Ukraine until 'noble aims' are fulfilled,' says Putin

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/moscow-will-continue-its-invasion-of-ukraine-until-noble-aims-are-fulfilled-says-putin-470706/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In another statement, the ministry also vowed to announce additional sanctions for Ottawa’s "short-sighted" politics.

Following the invasion, Moscow faced a number of crippling sanctions that targeted its economy.

The country has seen the exclusion of its multiple banks from the SWIFT messaging system. It was also met with individual sanctions on its oligarchs, seizing of their personal property like yachts, a coal embargo and restrictions on new investments.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russia-ukraine-conflict-these-eu-allies-have-expelled-around-150-russian-diplomats-468612">Russia-Ukraine conflict: These EU allies have expelled around 150 Russian diplomats</a>

Additionally, its diplomats have also faced expulsion on charges of alleged spying and espionage.

The prolonged isolation that Russia faces has landed it in a deep economic depression, with its currency Ruble losing its value rapidly. Due to the sanctions, the currency fell to the low of 121.5 rubles per dollar. The ruble is recovering today, with the exchange rate at 82.35 rubles to the dollar on Thursday.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia has faced a multitude of sanctions, not only from the United States but also from western and European nations, and now it is retaliating with tit-for-tat.

Russia has faced a multitude of sanctions, not only from the United States but also from western and European nations, and now it is retaliating with tit-for-tat. As per reports by the Russian Interfax news agency, Moscow is sanctioning 398 members of the US Congress and 87 Canadian senators in a retaliatory move. Also read | 'Sadists, rapists': Russian forces using rape as punishing tactic in Ukraine, UN women's body voices concern “New announcements of Russian counter measures are planned in the near future, involving an increase in the number of people on the 'stop list' and other retaliatory steps," Russia's foreign ministry said, according to Interfax. Russia has reportedly introduced these sanctions in reprisal for the US's punitive measure for Moscow’s attack on Ukraine. The attack which began on 24th February today completes seven weeks of fear, violence, and deaths. "Taking into account the sanctions the US is constantly introducing, further announcements of Russian countermeasures are planned in the near future," the Russian foreign ministry announced, adding that these sanctions include an entry ban. Watch | 'Moscow will continue its invasion of Ukraine until 'noble aims' are fulfilled,' says Putin In another statement, the ministry also vowed to announce additional sanctions for Ottawa’s "short-sighted" politics. Following the invasion, Moscow faced a number of crippling sanctions that targeted its economy. The country has seen the exclusion of its multiple banks from the SWIFT messaging system. It was also met with individual sanctions on its oligarchs, seizing of their personal property like yachts, a coal embargo and restrictions on new investments. Also read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: These EU allies have expelled around 150 Russian diplomats Additionally, its diplomats have also faced expulsion on charges of alleged spying and espionage. The prolonged isolation that Russia faces has landed it in a deep economic depression, with its currency Ruble losing its value rapidly. Due to the sanctions, the currency fell to the low of 121.5 rubles per dollar. The ruble is recovering today, with the exchange rate at 82.35 rubles to the dollar on Thursday. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Moscow’s tit-for-tat move; slaps sanctions on US, Canada

Top UN officials called for a probe of Russia's aggression against women during its invasion of Ukraine, as well as the protection of children caught up in the conflict, on Monday.

"We are increasingly hearing of rape and sexual violence. These allegations must be independently investigated to ensure justice and accountability,"&nbsp;Sima Bahous, the UN's women's agency's director, said at a Security Council meeting in New York.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-forces-are-setting-the-stage-for-a-new-offensive-in-ukraines-east-470344" hreflang="en">Russian forces are setting the stage for a new offensive in Ukraine’s east</a>

It was unclear whether any probe would be approved by the Security Council, where Russia has&nbsp;veto-wielding powers.

"This war must stop. Now," said Bahous.

The combination of huge displacement with the large presence of conscripts and mercenaries, and the cruelty demonstrated towards the Ukrainian people, has triggered all red lights,&nbsp;according to Bahous.

On Monday, Russia, however, once again disputed claims made by Security Council members.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia threatens legal action if forced into sovereign debt default

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-threatens-legal-action-if-forced-into-sovereign-debt-default-470118/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's deputy UN ambassador, urged the group to respect the "presumption of innocence" and stressed that his country's "special military operation" was meant to "save Ukraine's future."

"We know and see - and we want you to hear our voices - that violence and rape is used now as a weapon of war by Russian invaders in Ukraine."&nbsp;Kateryna Cherepakha, president of the rights group La Strada-Ukraine, told the Council via video.

The charges were refuted by Russia's deputy UN ambassador, who accused Ukraine and its allies of having a clear intention to portray Russian servicemen as "sadists and rapists."

According to a report by BBC, they have independently sought out and discovered mounting evidence of rape being used as a punishing tactic by the invading soldiers. Their report includes graphic descriptions of sexual violence against women and girls of all ages.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-un-to-vote-on-expelling-russia-from-human-rights-council-469160" hreflang="en">Explained: UN to vote on expelling Russia from Human Rights Council</a>

One incident reported involves a 50-year-old woman who was raped and her husband killed, another had a 16-year-old raped in the street right in front of her 25-year-old sister with the invading soldiers yelling 'this will happen to every Nazi prostitute'.

The same BBC report also mentions, that Lyudmyla Denisova, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said that other such examples are being documented.

"About 25 girls and women aged 14 to 24 were systematically raped during the occupation in the basement of one house in Bucha. Nine of them are pregnant," she said. "Russian soldiers told them they would rape them to the point where they wouldn't want sexual contact with any man, to prevent them from having Ukrainian children."

(With inputs from agencies)

Top UN officials called for a probe of Russia's aggression against women during its invasion of Ukraine, as well as the protection of children caught up in the conflict, on Monday.

Top UN officials called for a probe of Russia's aggression against women during its invasion of Ukraine, as well as the protection of children caught up in the conflict, on Monday. "We are increasingly hearing of rape and sexual violence. These allegations must be independently investigated to ensure justice and accountability," Sima Bahous, the UN's women's agency's director, said at a Security Council meeting in New York. Also read | Russian forces are setting the stage for a new offensive in Ukraine’s east It was unclear whether any probe would be approved by the Security Council, where Russia has veto-wielding powers. "This war must stop. Now," said Bahous. The combination of huge displacement with the large presence of conscripts and mercenaries, and the cruelty demonstrated towards the Ukrainian people, has triggered all red lights, according to Bahous. On Monday, Russia, however, once again disputed claims made by Security Council members. Watch | Russia threatens legal action if forced into sovereign debt default Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's deputy UN ambassador, urged the group to respect the "presumption of innocence" and stressed that his country's "special military operation" was meant to "save Ukraine's future." "We know and see - and we want you to hear our voices - that violence and rape is used now as a weapon of war by Russian invaders in Ukraine." Kateryna Cherepakha, president of the rights group La Strada-Ukraine, told the Council via video. The charges were refuted by Russia's deputy UN ambassador, who accused Ukraine and its allies of having a clear intention to portray Russian servicemen as "sadists and rapists." According to a report by BBC, they have independently sought out and discovered mounting evidence of rape being used as a punishing tactic by the invading soldiers. Their report includes graphic descriptions of sexual violence against women and girls of all ages. Also read | Explained: UN to vote on expelling Russia from Human Rights Council One incident reported involves a 50-year-old woman who was raped and her husband killed, another had a 16-year-old raped in the street right in front of her 25-year-old sister with the invading soldiers yelling 'this will happen to every Nazi prostitute'. The same BBC report also mentions, that Lyudmyla Denisova, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said that other such examples are being documented. "About 25 girls and women aged 14 to 24 were systematically raped during the occupation in the basement of one house in Bucha. Nine of them are pregnant," she said. "Russian soldiers told them they would rape them to the point where they wouldn't want sexual contact with any man, to prevent them from having Ukrainian children." (With inputs from agencies)

'Sadists, rapists': Russian forces using rape as punishing tactic in Ukraine, UN women's body voices concern

As Russian forces step up attacks on critical infrastructure in eastern Ukraine and wage a cataclysmic campaign to gain total control over the southern port city of Mariupol, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said Monday that Moscow is deploying tens of thousands of soldiers for a renewed assault.

“Russia is preparing another offensive, hoping to break our national resistance after all,” Zelenskyy said. “The occupiers concentrated tens of thousands of soldiers and a huge amount of equipment to try to strike again.”

Ukrainian and Western officials have warned for days that Russian forces, having failed to seize Kyiv and topple the Ukrainian government, were regrouping. Moscow has said its aim is now to seize areas it does not already control in the Donbas, an area in the eastern part of the country, and to solidify its hold on the southern coastal region from Kherson to Mariupol.

Days of aerial attacks against airports, railways and other infrastructure in central and eastern Ukraine critical to the Ukrainian military’s logistical operations have been setting the stage for Russia’s campaign in the Donbas region.

“In my view, this great offensive has already begun,” Vadym Denisenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, said on national television Monday.

Since Friday, Russian forces have fired a missile at a train station, killing more than 50 people in the eastern city of Kramatorsk; struck an airport in the central city of Dnipro; and launched more than 60 attacks in and around the eastern city of Kharkiv.

The aerial attacks appear to be having more success than ground forces in gaining territory. Ukraine’s military claimed to have repulsed several assaults by Russian troops moving south from the strategic city of Izyum — currently under Russian control and a key anchor point geographically for any eastern offensive — that resulted in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment. As Russia regroups, it is likely to keep shelling Ukrainian positions and infrastructure to tie up Ukrainian resources.

Ukrainian officials noted that this new offensive is a continuation of an already brutal campaign to pummel the Ukrainian public into submission. Fighting has been raging across eastern Ukraine since the start of the war, decimating towns and cities and forcing millions to flee.

Russia might attempt to surround Ukraine’s forces and defeat some of their best soldiers in the Donbas before engaging in major combat operations to secure the region, according to U.S. defense officials, military analysts and Ukrainian officials.

Whatever the Russian strategy, the Ukrainians have proved their willingness to stand their ground even in the face of overwhelming force.

In Mariupol, outmanned Ukrainian fighters have held out and kept fighting despite being surrounded for weeks under heavy bombardment.

Securing Mariupol could free up Russian forces — both to combat Ukrainian forces seeking to take back territory in Kherson and to assist its forces in the Donbas.

The Russians have now essentially trapped the remaining Ukrainian defense forces in two locations in Mariupol — the main port in the southwest of the city and the Azovstal steel plant in the east, according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.

Ukraine’s military said Russian forces, backed by artillery and air support, were attempting to storm their remaining strongholds while Britain’s Ministry of Defense warned Monday that Russia may employ phosphorus gas munitions in Mariupol as fighting intensifies.

White phosphorus munitions are used by militaries around the world to create smoke screens and mark targets. But when used as a weapon, they can indiscriminately rain fire from the sky.

“White phosphorus can burn people to the bone, smolder inside the body, and reignite when bandages are removed,” according to Human Rights Watch.

As Russian forces step up attacks on critical infrastructure in eastern Ukraine and wage a cataclysmic campaign to gain total control over the southern port city of Mariupol, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said Monday that Moscow is deploying tens of thousands of soldiers for a renewed assault.

As Russian forces step up attacks on critical infrastructure in eastern Ukraine and wage a cataclysmic campaign to gain total control over the southern port city of Mariupol, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said Monday that Moscow is deploying tens of thousands of soldiers for a renewed assault. “Russia is preparing another offensive, hoping to break our national resistance after all,” Zelenskyy said. “The occupiers concentrated tens of thousands of soldiers and a huge amount of equipment to try to strike again.” Ukrainian and Western officials have warned for days that Russian forces, having failed to seize Kyiv and topple the Ukrainian government, were regrouping. Moscow has said its aim is now to seize areas it does not already control in the Donbas, an area in the eastern part of the country, and to solidify its hold on the southern coastal region from Kherson to Mariupol. Days of aerial attacks against airports, railways and other infrastructure in central and eastern Ukraine critical to the Ukrainian military’s logistical operations have been setting the stage for Russia’s campaign in the Donbas region. “In my view, this great offensive has already begun,” Vadym Denisenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, said on national television Monday. Since Friday, Russian forces have fired a missile at a train station, killing more than 50 people in the eastern city of Kramatorsk; struck an airport in the central city of Dnipro; and launched more than 60 attacks in and around the eastern city of Kharkiv. The aerial attacks appear to be having more success than ground forces in gaining territory. Ukraine’s military claimed to have repulsed several assaults by Russian troops moving south from the strategic city of Izyum — currently under Russian control and a key anchor point geographically for any eastern offensive — that resulted in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment. As Russia regroups, it is likely to keep shelling Ukrainian positions and infrastructure to tie up Ukrainian resources. Ukrainian officials noted that this new offensive is a continuation of an already brutal campaign to pummel the Ukrainian public into submission. Fighting has been raging across eastern Ukraine since the start of the war, decimating towns and cities and forcing millions to flee. Russia might attempt to surround Ukraine’s forces and defeat some of their best soldiers in the Donbas before engaging in major combat operations to secure the region, according to U.S. defense officials, military analysts and Ukrainian officials. Whatever the Russian strategy, the Ukrainians have proved their willingness to stand their ground even in the face of overwhelming force. In Mariupol, outmanned Ukrainian fighters have held out and kept fighting despite being surrounded for weeks under heavy bombardment. Securing Mariupol could free up Russian forces — both to combat Ukrainian forces seeking to take back territory in Kherson and to assist its forces in the Donbas. The Russians have now essentially trapped the remaining Ukrainian defense forces in two locations in Mariupol — the main port in the southwest of the city and the Azovstal steel plant in the east, according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank. Ukraine’s military said Russian forces, backed by artillery and air support, were attempting to storm their remaining strongholds while Britain’s Ministry of Defense warned Monday that Russia may employ phosphorus gas munitions in Mariupol as fighting intensifies. White phosphorus munitions are used by militaries around the world to create smoke screens and mark targets. But when used as a weapon, they can indiscriminately rain fire from the sky. “White phosphorus can burn people to the bone, smolder inside the body, and reignite when bandages are removed,” according to Human Rights Watch.

Russian forces are setting the stage for a new offensive in Ukraine’s east

It is hard to believe, but now impossible to deny, that the broad framework that kept much of the world stable and prospering since the end of the Cold War has been seriously fractured by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In ways we hadn’t fully appreciated, a lot of that framework rested on the West’s ability to coexist with Putin as he played “bad boy,” testing the limits of the world order but never breaching them at scale.

But with Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, his indiscriminate crushing of its cities and mass killings of Ukrainian civilians, he went from “bad boy” to “war criminal.” And when the leader of Russia — a country that spans 11 time zones, with vast oil, gas and mineral resources and more nuclear warheads than anyone else — is a war criminal and must be henceforth treated as a pariah, the world as we’ve known it is profoundly changed. Nothing can work the same.

How does the world have an effective United Nations with a country led by a war criminal on the Security Council, who can veto every resolution? How does the world have any effective global initiative to combat climate change and not be able to collaborate with the biggest landmass country on the planet? How does the US&nbsp;work closely with Russia on the Iran nuclear deal when we have no trust with, and barely communicate with, Moscow? How do we isolate and try to weaken a country so big and so powerful, knowing that it could be more dangerous if it disintegrates than if it’s strong? How do we feed and fuel the world at reasonable prices when a sanctioned Russia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of oil, wheat and fertilizer?

The answer is that we don’t know. Which is another way of saying that we are entering a period of geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainty the likes of which we have not known since 1989 — and possibly 1939.

And it promises only to get worse before it gets better, because Putin is now like a cornered animal. He not only got so much wrong in his Ukraine invasion; he produced the opposite of so much he was aiming to achieve, making him desperate for any war achievement, at any price, that can obscure this fact.

Putin said he had to go into Ukraine to push NATO away from Russia, and his war has not only reinvigorated what was a stagnating Western military alliance, it has also guaranteed NATO’s solidarity and weapons modernisation for as long as Putin is in power — and probably another generation after that.

Putin said he had to go into Ukraine to remove the Nazi clique ruling in Kyiv and bring both the Ukrainian people and their territory back into the arms of Mother Russia, where they naturally belonged and, in his imagination, longed to be. Instead, his invasion has made Ukrainians — even some formerly pro-Russia Ukrainians — bitter enemies of Russia for at least a generation and supercharged Ukraine’s desire to be independent of Russia and embedded in the European Union.

Putin thought that with a blitzkrieg takeover of Ukraine he would earn the proper respect from the West for Russia’s military prowess — ending the insults that Russia, with an economy smaller than the state of Texas’, was just “a gas station with nukes.” Instead, his army has been exposed as incompetent and barbaric and needing to enlist mercenaries from Syria and Chechnya just to hold its ground.

Having gotten so much wrong and having launched this war on his own initiative, Putin has to be desperate to show that he produced something — at least uncontested control of eastern Ukraine, from the Donbas region, south to Odesa on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast and connecting with Crimea. And he surely wants it by May 9, for Moscow’s giant annual Victory Day parade, marking Russia’s victory over the Nazis in World War II — the day when the Russian military recalls its greatest glory.

So, it appears that Putin is gearing up for a two-pronged strategy. First, he’s regrouping his ravaged forces and concentrating them on fully seizing and holding this smaller military prize. Second, he’s doubling down on systematic cruelty — the continued pummeling of Ukrainian towns with rockets and artillery to keep creating as many casualties and refugees and as much economic ruin as he can. He clearly hopes that the former will fracture the Ukrainian army, at least in the east, and the latter will fracture NATO, as its member states get overwhelmed by so many refugees and pressure Kyiv to give Putin whatever he wants to get him to stop.

Ukraine and NATO, therefore, need an effective counterstrategy.

It should have three pillars. The first is to support the Ukrainians with diplomacy if they want to negotiate with Putin — it’s their call — but also to support them with the best weaponry and training if they want to drive the Russian army off every inch of their territory. The second is to broadcast daily and loudly — in every way we can — that the world is at war “with Putin” and “not with the Russian people” — just the opposite of what Putin is telling them. And the third is for us to double down on ending our addiction to oil, Putin’s main source of income.

The hope is that the three together would set in motion forces inside Russia that topple Putin from power.

Yes, that is a high-risk-high-reward proposition. Putin’s downfall could lead to someone worse at the helm in the Kremlin. It could also lead to prolonged chaos and disintegration.

But if it leads to someone better, someone with just minimal decency and an ambition to rebuild Russia’s dignity and spheres of influence based on a new generation of Tchaikovskys, Rachmaninoffs, Sakharovs, Dostoyevskys and Sergey Brins — not yacht-owning oligarchs, cyberhackers and polonium-armed assassins — the whole world gets better. So many possibilities for healthy collaborations would be resurrected or forged.

Only the Russian people have the right and ability to change their leader. But it will not be easy because Putin, an ex-KGB officer — surrounded by many other former intelligence officers who are beholden to him — is nearly impossible to dislodge.

But here is one possible scenario: The Russian army is a prideful institution, and if it continues to suffer catastrophic defeats in Ukraine, I can imagine a situation in which either Putin wants to decapitate his army’s leadership — to make them the scapegoats for his failure in Ukraine — or the army, knowing this is coming, tries to oust Putin first. There never has been any love lost between the Russian military and the KGB/SVR/FSB security types surrounding Putin.

In sum, having the Russian people produce a better leader is a necessary condition for the world to produce a new, more resilient global order to replace the post-Cold War order, which Putin has now shattered. What is also necessary, though, is that America be a model of democracy and sustainability that others want to emulate.

When Ukrainians are making the ultimate sacrifice to hold onto every inch and ounce of their newly won freedom, is it too much to ask that Americans make the smallest sacrifices and compromises to hold on to our precious democratic inheritance?

It is hard to believe, but now impossible to deny, that the broad framework that kept much of the world stable and prospering since the end of the Cold War has been seriously fractured by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

It is hard to believe, but now impossible to deny, that the broad framework that kept much of the world stable and prospering since the end of the Cold War has been seriously fractured by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In ways we hadn’t fully appreciated, a lot of that framework rested on the West’s ability to coexist with Putin as he played “bad boy,” testing the limits of the world order but never breaching them at scale. But with Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, his indiscriminate crushing of its cities and mass killings of Ukrainian civilians, he went from “bad boy” to “war criminal.” And when the leader of Russia — a country that spans 11 time zones, with vast oil, gas and mineral resources and more nuclear warheads than anyone else — is a war criminal and must be henceforth treated as a pariah, the world as we’ve known it is profoundly changed. Nothing can work the same. How does the world have an effective United Nations with a country led by a war criminal on the Security Council, who can veto every resolution? How does the world have any effective global initiative to combat climate change and not be able to collaborate with the biggest landmass country on the planet? How does the US work closely with Russia on the Iran nuclear deal when we have no trust with, and barely communicate with, Moscow? How do we isolate and try to weaken a country so big and so powerful, knowing that it could be more dangerous if it disintegrates than if it’s strong? How do we feed and fuel the world at reasonable prices when a sanctioned Russia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of oil, wheat and fertilizer? The answer is that we don’t know. Which is another way of saying that we are entering a period of geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainty the likes of which we have not known since 1989 — and possibly 1939. And it promises only to get worse before it gets better, because Putin is now like a cornered animal. He not only got so much wrong in his Ukraine invasion; he produced the opposite of so much he was aiming to achieve, making him desperate for any war achievement, at any price, that can obscure this fact. Putin said he had to go into Ukraine to push NATO away from Russia, and his war has not only reinvigorated what was a stagnating Western military alliance, it has also guaranteed NATO’s solidarity and weapons modernisation for as long as Putin is in power — and probably another generation after that. Putin said he had to go into Ukraine to remove the Nazi clique ruling in Kyiv and bring both the Ukrainian people and their territory back into the arms of Mother Russia, where they naturally belonged and, in his imagination, longed to be. Instead, his invasion has made Ukrainians — even some formerly pro-Russia Ukrainians — bitter enemies of Russia for at least a generation and supercharged Ukraine’s desire to be independent of Russia and embedded in the European Union. Putin thought that with a blitzkrieg takeover of Ukraine he would earn the proper respect from the West for Russia’s military prowess — ending the insults that Russia, with an economy smaller than the state of Texas’, was just “a gas station with nukes.” Instead, his army has been exposed as incompetent and barbaric and needing to enlist mercenaries from Syria and Chechnya just to hold its ground. Having gotten so much wrong and having launched this war on his own initiative, Putin has to be desperate to show that he produced something — at least uncontested control of eastern Ukraine, from the Donbas region, south to Odesa on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast and connecting with Crimea. And he surely wants it by May 9, for Moscow’s giant annual Victory Day parade, marking Russia’s victory over the Nazis in World War II — the day when the Russian military recalls its greatest glory. So, it appears that Putin is gearing up for a two-pronged strategy. First, he’s regrouping his ravaged forces and concentrating them on fully seizing and holding this smaller military prize. Second, he’s doubling down on systematic cruelty — the continued pummeling of Ukrainian towns with rockets and artillery to keep creating as many casualties and refugees and as much economic ruin as he can. He clearly hopes that the former will fracture the Ukrainian army, at least in the east, and the latter will fracture NATO, as its member states get overwhelmed by so many refugees and pressure Kyiv to give Putin whatever he wants to get him to stop. Ukraine and NATO, therefore, need an effective counterstrategy. It should have three pillars. The first is to support the Ukrainians with diplomacy if they want to negotiate with Putin — it’s their call — but also to support them with the best weaponry and training if they want to drive the Russian army off every inch of their territory. The second is to broadcast daily and loudly — in every way we can — that the world is at war “with Putin” and “not with the Russian people” — just the opposite of what Putin is telling them. And the third is for us to double down on ending our addiction to oil, Putin’s main source of income. The hope is that the three together would set in motion forces inside Russia that topple Putin from power. Yes, that is a high-risk-high-reward proposition. Putin’s downfall could lead to someone worse at the helm in the Kremlin. It could also lead to prolonged chaos and disintegration. But if it leads to someone better, someone with just minimal decency and an ambition to rebuild Russia’s dignity and spheres of influence based on a new generation of Tchaikovskys, Rachmaninoffs, Sakharovs, Dostoyevskys and Sergey Brins — not yacht-owning oligarchs, cyberhackers and polonium-armed assassins — the whole world gets better. So many possibilities for healthy collaborations would be resurrected or forged. Only the Russian people have the right and ability to change their leader. But it will not be easy because Putin, an ex-KGB officer — surrounded by many other former intelligence officers who are beholden to him — is nearly impossible to dislodge. But here is one possible scenario: The Russian army is a prideful institution, and if it continues to suffer catastrophic defeats in Ukraine, I can imagine a situation in which either Putin wants to decapitate his army’s leadership — to make them the scapegoats for his failure in Ukraine — or the army, knowing this is coming, tries to oust Putin first. There never has been any love lost between the Russian military and the KGB/SVR/FSB security types surrounding Putin. In sum, having the Russian people produce a better leader is a necessary condition for the world to produce a new, more resilient global order to replace the post-Cold War order, which Putin has now shattered. What is also necessary, though, is that America be a model of democracy and sustainability that others want to emulate. When Ukrainians are making the ultimate sacrifice to hold onto every inch and ounce of their newly won freedom, is it too much to ask that Americans make the smallest sacrifices and compromises to hold on to our precious democratic inheritance?

How do we deal with a superpower led by a war criminal?

An “effective” embargo on Russian oil and gas can force Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine, the Russian president’s former chief economic adviser has told the BBC.

If Western countries “would try to implement a real embargo on oil and gas exports from Russia … I would bet that probably within a month or two, Russian military operations in Ukraine, probably will be ceased, will be stopped,” said Dr Andrei Illarionov.

“It’s one of the very effective instruments still in the possession of the Western countries.”

He claimed that the threats of oil ban by the Western countries have been not taken “seriously” by Putin.

Europe imports about 40 per cent of its gas and 27 per cent of its oil needs from Russia.

Despite threatening to cut imports, many European countries have continued to purchase fuel, indirectly helping Putin to fund his war in Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-prime-minister-boris-johnson-meets-ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelensky-in-kyiv-469759" hreflang="en">UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv</a>

This was highlighted recently by top EU diplomat Josep Borrell who said, "A billion [euros] is what we pay Putin every day for the energy he supplies us.”

A plethora of economic sanctions has so far failed to stop Putin's war on Ukraine.

Dr Illarionov claimed that the Russian president was prepared to let the domestic economy hit hard by sanctions as he is blindsided by his “territorial ambitions”.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-appoints-new-military-commander-in-ukraine-who-is-general-aleksandr-dvornikov-469926" hreflang="en">Putin appoints new military commander in Ukraine: Who is General Aleksandr&nbsp;Dvornikov?</a>

"His territorial ambitions, his imperial ambitions, are much more important than anything else, including the livelihood of the Russian population and of the financial situation in the country... even the financial state of his government," he was quoted as saying.

In the BBC interview, he also argued that a change of government is inevitable “sooner or later” as “it is absolutely impossible to have any positive future for Russia with the current political regime.”

(With inputs from agencies)

An “effective” embargo on Russian oil and gas can force Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine, the Russian president’s former chief economic adviser has told the BBC.

An “effective” embargo on Russian oil and gas can force Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine, the Russian president’s former chief economic adviser has told the BBC. If Western countries “would try to implement a real embargo on oil and gas exports from Russia … I would bet that probably within a month or two, Russian military operations in Ukraine, probably will be ceased, will be stopped,” said Dr Andrei Illarionov. “It’s one of the very effective instruments still in the possession of the Western countries.” He claimed that the threats of oil ban by the Western countries have been not taken “seriously” by Putin. Europe imports about 40 per cent of its gas and 27 per cent of its oil needs from Russia. Despite threatening to cut imports, many European countries have continued to purchase fuel, indirectly helping Putin to fund his war in Ukraine. Also read | UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv This was highlighted recently by top EU diplomat Josep Borrell who said, "A billion [euros] is what we pay Putin every day for the energy he supplies us.” A plethora of economic sanctions has so far failed to stop Putin's war on Ukraine. Dr Illarionov claimed that the Russian president was prepared to let the domestic economy hit hard by sanctions as he is blindsided by his “territorial ambitions”. Also read | Putin appoints new military commander in Ukraine: Who is General Aleksandr Dvornikov? "His territorial ambitions, his imperial ambitions, are much more important than anything else, including the livelihood of the Russian population and of the financial situation in the country... even the financial state of his government," he was quoted as saying. In the BBC interview, he also argued that a change of government is inevitable “sooner or later” as “it is absolutely impossible to have any positive future for Russia with the current political regime.” (With inputs from agencies)

Total embargo on Russian oil and gas can stop war within a month: Putin’s ex-economic advisor

Even as the UN General Assembly dealt Russia a devastating diplomatic blow by suspending it from the Human Rights Council, India remained neutral in the matter, abstaining from voting.

Russia, however,&nbsp;announced its voluntary withdrawal from the 47-member Council immediately following the vote on Thursday.

"We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. If India has chosen any side, it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence," T.S. Tirumurti, the Permanent Representative, remarked.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-russia-conflict-borodyanka-destruction-more-horrific-than-bucha-says-zelensky-469254" hreflang="en">Ukraine-Russia conflict: Borodyanka destruction 'more horrific' than Bucha, says Zelensky</a>

He explained that India was abstaining for both substantive and procedural reasons.

Simultaneously, New Delhi, which is also a member of the Council, refused to vote for the suspension despite pressure from the US and the West.

India has abstained for the eighth time on UN actions relating to Ukraine, since January.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-war-united-nations-to-vote-on-suspending-russia-from-human-rights-council-469018" hreflang="en">Ukraine war: United Nations to vote on suspending Russia from Human Rights Council</a>

"Recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. We have unequivocally condemned these killings and support the call for an independent investigation", Tirumurti remarked.

He did, however, say about the resolution, "we firmly believe that all decisions should be taken fully respecting due process, as all our democratic polity and structures enjoin us to do. This applies to international organisations as well, particularly the UN."

Several countries abstained, claiming that suspending Russia before an investigation into the atrocities authorised by the Council was complete was premature.

Watch |&nbsp;India's neutrality on test at United Nations General Assembly

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Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates were among those who abstained.

Libya was the only Member State to be suspended from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council in 2011 when the General Assembly passed an unprecedented resolution expressing deep concern about the human rights situation in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in the wake of Muammar Al-Qadhafi's violent crackdown on anti-government protestors.

(With inputs from agencies)

Even as the UN General Assembly dealt Russia a devastating diplomatic blow by suspending it from the Human Rights Council, India remained neutral in the matter, abstaining from voting.

Even as the UN General Assembly dealt Russia a devastating diplomatic blow by suspending it from the Human Rights Council, India remained neutral in the matter, abstaining from voting. Russia, however, announced its voluntary withdrawal from the 47-member Council immediately following the vote on Thursday. "We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. If India has chosen any side, it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence," T.S. Tirumurti, the Permanent Representative, remarked. Also read | Ukraine-Russia conflict: Borodyanka destruction 'more horrific' than Bucha, says Zelensky He explained that India was abstaining for both substantive and procedural reasons. Simultaneously, New Delhi, which is also a member of the Council, refused to vote for the suspension despite pressure from the US and the West. India has abstained for the eighth time on UN actions relating to Ukraine, since January. Also read | Ukraine war: United Nations to vote on suspending Russia from Human Rights Council "Recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. We have unequivocally condemned these killings and support the call for an independent investigation", Tirumurti remarked. He did, however, say about the resolution, "we firmly believe that all decisions should be taken fully respecting due process, as all our democratic polity and structures enjoin us to do. This applies to international organisations as well, particularly the UN." Several countries abstained, claiming that suspending Russia before an investigation into the atrocities authorised by the Council was complete was premature. Watch | India's neutrality on test at United Nations General Assembly Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates were among those who abstained. Libya was the only Member State to be suspended from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council in 2011 when the General Assembly passed an unprecedented resolution expressing deep concern about the human rights situation in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in the wake of Muammar Al-Qadhafi's violent crackdown on anti-government protestors. (With inputs from agencies)

Why did India abstain from voting against Russia in UNGA?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that conditions in Borodyanka were worse than in Bucha, where Russia has been accused of killing civilians.

Referring to the situation as&nbsp;"significantly more dreadful", he added that the city has a considerably higher number of victims targetted by&nbsp;"Russian occupiers"&nbsp;than Bucha.

"The work to clear the rubble in Borodyanka has begun ... It's significantly more dreadful there. Even more victims from the Russian occupiers," said&nbsp;Zelensky in a video that was&nbsp;posted&nbsp;on Telegram.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bucha-killings-are-fake-propaganda-says-putins-ally-dmitry-medvedev-468582" hreflang="en">Bucha killings are fake propaganda says Putin's ally Dmitry Medvedev</a>

Borodyanka is located about 25 km from Bucha.

He offered no further details or evidence that Russia was responsible for the deaths of civilians in the city.

The alleged killing of civilians in the city of Bucha has been largely condemned by the West as war crimes with countries lobbying for tougher sanctions against Russia.

Multiple countries have also come together and expelled Moscow's diplomats, accusing them of spying.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russia-ukraine-conflict-these-eu-allies-have-expelled-around-150-russian-diplomats-468612">Russia-Ukraine conflict: These EU allies have expelled around 150 Russian diplomats</a>

According to local authorities, more than 300 people were killed by Russian forces in Bucha, 35 kilometres northwest of the capital Kyiv, and at least&nbsp;50 of them&nbsp;were executed.
<gwofw>
However,&nbsp;Moscow has denied that its forces have committed any atrocities against civilians. The country says that the gruesome&nbsp;images of bodies in Bucha were staged by the Ukraine government so as to derail peace negotiations and justify additional sanctions against Moscow.

Zelensky has also alleged similar "war crimes" in the city of Mariupol.

Reuters quotes him as asking&nbsp;"and what will happen when the world learns the whole truth about what the Russian military did in Mariupol?"&nbsp;

&nbsp;

"There, on almost every street, is what the world saw in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region after the withdrawal of Russian troops."

Watch |&nbsp;The US commits more weapons to Ukraine &amp; ends normal trade with Russia

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-us-commits-more-weapons-to-ukraine-ends-normal-trade-with-russia-469250/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Since the beginning of this attack,&nbsp;Moscow has claimed that one of its aims is to "liberate" the largely Russian-speaking places like Mariupol from a threat of genocide by Ukrainian nationalists, who it accuses of using civilians as human shields.

The Ukrainian President&nbsp;Zelensky has rejected these&nbsp;claims, labelling them as a baseless pretext for Russia's invasion.

(With inputs from agencies)
</gwofw>

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that conditions in Borodyanka were worse than in Bucha, where Russia has been accused of killing civilians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that conditions in Borodyanka were worse than in Bucha, where Russia has been accused of killing civilians. Referring to the situation as "significantly more dreadful", he added that the city has a considerably higher number of victims targetted by "Russian occupiers" than Bucha. "The work to clear the rubble in Borodyanka has begun ... It's significantly more dreadful there. Even more victims from the Russian occupiers," said Zelensky in a video that was posted on Telegram. Also read | Bucha killings are fake propaganda says Putin's ally Dmitry Medvedev Borodyanka is located about 25 km from Bucha. He offered no further details or evidence that Russia was responsible for the deaths of civilians in the city. The alleged killing of civilians in the city of Bucha has been largely condemned by the West as war crimes with countries lobbying for tougher sanctions against Russia. Multiple countries have also come together and expelled Moscow's diplomats, accusing them of spying. Also read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: These EU allies have expelled around 150 Russian diplomats According to local authorities, more than 300 people were killed by Russian forces in Bucha, 35 kilometres northwest of the capital Kyiv, and at least 50 of them were executed. However, Moscow has denied that its forces have committed any atrocities against civilians. The country says that the gruesome images of bodies in Bucha were staged by the Ukraine government so as to derail peace negotiations and justify additional sanctions against Moscow. Zelensky has also alleged similar "war crimes" in the city of Mariupol. Reuters quotes him as asking "and what will happen when the world learns the whole truth about what the Russian military did in Mariupol?" "There, on almost every street, is what the world saw in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region after the withdrawal of Russian troops." Watch | The US commits more weapons to Ukraine & ends normal trade with Russia Since the beginning of this attack, Moscow has claimed that one of its aims is to "liberate" the largely Russian-speaking places like Mariupol from a threat of genocide by Ukrainian nationalists, who it accuses of using civilians as human shields. The Ukrainian President Zelensky has rejected these claims, labelling them as a baseless pretext for Russia's invasion. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine-Russia conflict: Borodyanka destruction 'more horrific' than Bucha, says Zelensky

Ratcheting up pressure on Russia, the US Congress on Thursday voted to end normal trade relations with Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine.

Through the legislation, US President Joe Biden can inflict steep hikes on imports such as steel and aluminum products from both Russia and its ally Belarus.

According to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, "Russian President Vladimir Putin must absolutely be held accountable for the detestable, despicable war crimes he is committing against Ukraine: the images we have seen coming out of that country... are just pure evil."

"It reminds us of the worst moments in human history, caused by the evil man, Putin: hundreds of civilians murdered in cold blood."

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Hailing the latest actions against Russia, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "Putin's aggression and barbaric war crimes have horrified the world and demand a strong response."

It comes after the United States removed Russia's so-called most favoured nation status which requires countries to guarantee regulatory treatment as well as equal tariffs towards one another.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-suspends-russia-from-human-rights-body-over-ukraine-469196">Over reports of abuses in Ukraine, UNGA suspends Russia from human rights body</a>

Meanwhile, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told Reuters that "The United States and its allies have a lot more that we can and we will do" to punish Moscow if Russia fails to halt its invasion.

After facing a plethora of sanctions from the West, the Russian economy is going into a ''deep recession'' as per US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"And what we're seeing is a likely contraction of the Russian economy by about 15 percent," he told NBC News in a statement.

"That is dramatic... We've seen an exodus from Russia of virtually every major company in the world. And Putin, in the space of a matter of weeks, has basically shut down Russia to the world." &nbsp;

Last year, the US had imported crude oil worth $17.5 billion and $30 billion in goods from Russia.

(With inputs from agencies

Ratcheting up pressure on Russia, the US Congress on Thursday voted to end normal trade relations with Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine. Through the legislation, US President Joe Biden can inflict steep hikes on imports such as steel and aluminum products from both Russia and its ally Belarus.

Ratcheting up pressure on Russia, the US Congress on Thursday voted to end normal trade relations with Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine. Through the legislation, US President Joe Biden can inflict steep hikes on imports such as steel and aluminum products from both Russia and its ally Belarus. According to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, "Russian President Vladimir Putin must absolutely be held accountable for the detestable, despicable war crimes he is committing against Ukraine: the images we have seen coming out of that country... are just pure evil." "It reminds us of the worst moments in human history, caused by the evil man, Putin: hundreds of civilians murdered in cold blood." Hailing the latest actions against Russia, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "Putin's aggression and barbaric war crimes have horrified the world and demand a strong response." It comes after the United States removed Russia's so-called most favoured nation status which requires countries to guarantee regulatory treatment as well as equal tariffs towards one another. Also read | Over reports of abuses in Ukraine, UNGA suspends Russia from human rights body Meanwhile, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told Reuters that "The United States and its allies have a lot more that we can and we will do" to punish Moscow if Russia fails to halt its invasion. After facing a plethora of sanctions from the West, the Russian economy is going into a ''deep recession'' as per US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "And what we're seeing is a likely contraction of the Russian economy by about 15 percent," he told NBC News in a statement. "That is dramatic... We've seen an exodus from Russia of virtually every major company in the world. And Putin, in the space of a matter of weeks, has basically shut down Russia to the world." Last year, the US had imported crude oil worth $17.5 billion and $30 billion in goods from Russia. (With inputs from agencies

Ukraine invasion: US Congress votes to end normal trade relations with Russia

Here are some of the top stories to start your day:&nbsp;Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday (April 6) accused Russia of hiding evidence related to "thousands" of people killed in Mariupol in an attempt to block humanitarian access to the besieged port city.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelensky-says-russia-hiding-thousands-killed-in-mariupol-468954">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia hiding 'thousands' killed in Mariupol</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/07/252916-volodymyr-zelensky-4.jpg" />Reports have mentioned that residents in Mariupol waited in long queues on Tuesday (April 5) to receive deliveries of humanitarian aid.&nbsp;But Zelensky said Russia is not revealing evidence of thousands of people killed, however, he expressed confidence that Russia would not succeed in concealing all the proof.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-says-us-ready-to-become-indias-reliable-supplier-to-counter-russia-dependence-468962">White House says US ready to become India's 'reliable supplier' to counter Russia dependence</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/07/252924-india-us.jpg" />The White House on Wednesday (April 6) reiterated that the United States is ready to support India as another option for energy imports to counter ties with Russia.&nbsp;Just like other countries, India has also been hit hard by rising crude values due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-us-threatens-beijing-with-sanctions-if-it-provides-material-support-to-moscow-468963">Russia-Ukraine war: US threatens Beijing with sanctions if it provides ‘material support’ to Moscow</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/07/252928-march.jpg" />In a veiled warning to Xi Jinping, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday said that a range of sanctions announced by the West and its allies should serve as an example of what is expected to come should China patterns with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Watch |&nbsp;UK, EU impose new sanctions on Russia in response to reports of Bucha killings

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-eu-impose-new-sanctions-on-russia-in-response-to-reports-of-bucha-killings-468959/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">Watch | Pakistan joint opposition calls for protests, to observe 'day of protection for constitution'</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

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Here are some of the top stories to start your day: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday (April 6) accused Russia of hiding evidence related to "thousands" of people killed in Mariupol in an attempt to block humanitarian access to the besieged port city.

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday (April 6) accused Russia of hiding evidence related to "thousands" of people killed in Mariupol in an attempt to block humanitarian access to the besieged port city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia hiding 'thousands' killed in Mariupol Reports have mentioned that residents in Mariupol waited in long queues on Tuesday (April 5) to receive deliveries of humanitarian aid. But Zelensky said Russia is not revealing evidence of thousands of people killed, however, he expressed confidence that Russia would not succeed in concealing all the proof. White House says US ready to become India's 'reliable supplier' to counter Russia dependence The White House on Wednesday (April 6) reiterated that the United States is ready to support India as another option for energy imports to counter ties with Russia. Just like other countries, India has also been hit hard by rising crude values due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war Russia-Ukraine war: US threatens Beijing with sanctions if it provides ‘material support’ to Moscow In a veiled warning to Xi Jinping, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday said that a range of sanctions announced by the West and its allies should serve as an example of what is expected to come should China patterns with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Watch | UK, EU impose new sanctions on Russia in response to reports of Bucha killings Watch | Pakistan joint opposition calls for protests, to observe 'day of protection for constitution'

Morning news brief: Mass killings in Ukraine's Mariupol, US offers help to India and more

Here are some of the top stories to start your day:&nbsp;As Ukraine claimed to have liberated Kyiv region, the US said it is working with its allies to send "longer-range anti-aircraft systems, artillery systems and coastal defence systems" to Ukraine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-may-send-longer-range-anti-aircraft-systems-artillery-to-ukraine-468423">US may send longer-range anti-aircraft systems, artillery to Ukraine</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/05/252415-uk11.jpg" />US national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the US is working on new sanctions measures to cripple the ruble in order to halt Putin's war machine with further sanctions announcements this week.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-sc-notes-violations-in-no-trust-proceedings-says-dy-speaker-has-no-authority-to-pass-ruling-468425">Pak SC notes violations in no-trust proceedings, says Dy Speaker has no authority to pass ruling</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/05/252417-supreme-court.jpg" />Pakistan Supreme Court expressed doubts on the jurisdiction of the deputy speaker who called the no-confidence motion filed by the opposition members “unconstitutional” and rejected their plea.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shanghais-covid-mission-impossible-38k-health-workers-deployed-sampling-of-25-million-residents-completed-468430">Shanghai's COVID 'mission impossible': 38k health workers deployed, sampling of 25 million residents completed</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/05/252423-testing1.jpg" />As Shanghai battles the Omicron wave amid the&nbsp;lockdown, China's state-run Global Times said authorities had deployed 38,000 health workers during testing which is the largest number of medical aid since the virus broke out in Wuhan over two years ago.

Imran Khan calls for protests, PTI supporters rally at Islamabad

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Here are some of the top stories to start your day: As Ukraine claimed to have liberated Kyiv region, the US said it is working with its allies to send "longer-range anti-aircraft systems, artillery systems and coastal defence systems" to Ukraine.

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: As Ukraine claimed to have liberated Kyiv region, the US said it is working with its allies to send "longer-range anti-aircraft systems, artillery systems and coastal defence systems" to Ukraine. US may send longer-range anti-aircraft systems, artillery to Ukraine US national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the US is working on new sanctions measures to cripple the ruble in order to halt Putin's war machine with further sanctions announcements this week. Pak SC notes violations in no-trust proceedings, says Dy Speaker has no authority to pass ruling Pakistan Supreme Court expressed doubts on the jurisdiction of the deputy speaker who called the no-confidence motion filed by the opposition members “unconstitutional” and rejected their plea. Shanghai's COVID 'mission impossible': 38k health workers deployed, sampling of 25 million residents completed As Shanghai battles the Omicron wave amid the lockdown, China's state-run Global Times said authorities had deployed 38,000 health workers during testing which is the largest number of medical aid since the virus broke out in Wuhan over two years ago. Imran Khan calls for protests, PTI supporters rally at Islamabad French Presidential Elections | Emmanuel Macron vs Marine Le Pen: The battle over pension reforms

Morning news brief: Pakistan SC finds discrepancies in no-trust ruling and more

Russia-Ukraine war: Young Ukrainians in Greece confront the trauma they've suffered

Russia-Ukraine conflict: These EU allies have expelled around 150 Russian diplomats

Here are some of the top stories to start your day:&nbsp;Amid large scale protests against the government over the escalating economic crisis in the country, Sri Lanka's entire cabinet resigned on Sunday. In other news, a Hindu woman was assaulted by an alleged cop in Bangladesh for sporting bindi.

Click on headlines to read the full report:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lankas-cabinet-resigns-as-protesters-defy-curfew-468104">Sri Lanka's cabinet resigns as protesters defy curfew</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/04/252141-la1.JPG" />There have been widespread protests in the past few days against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa amid shortage of fuel, rising inflation and large scale power cuts which has crippled the country's economy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-is-officially-no-longer-pakistans-prime-minister-468047">Imran Khan to continue as Pakistan prime minister until caretaker PM is appointed</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/03/252109-khan.jpg" />Imran Khan will continue to dispose of his duties as the prime minister, Pakistan President Arif Alvi said hours after the cricketer-turned-politician was de-notified as PM by the cabinet secretary. Under Article 224 A of the Pakistan Constitution, Khan will dispose of his duties as the PM until an interim/caretaker premiere is appointed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-new-law-1-million-reward-for-russian-soldier-who-surrenders-jet-warship-468132">Ukraine's new law: $1 million 'reward' for Russian soldier who surrenders jet, warship</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/04/252157-kyiv11.JPG" />According to reports, Ukraine's parliament has passed a new law to offer rewards of upto $1 million for defecting Russian soldiers who can hand over a warship or a combat aircraft to the country's Army.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-surprise-debut-ukraine-president-zelensky-makes-virtual-appearance-at-grammys-2022-468115">Surprise debut! Ukraine President Zelensky makes virtual appearance at Grammys 2022</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/04/252147-new-8.jpg" />While we did know that The Recording Academy was donating for the cause of Ukraine amid the ongoing crisis with their neighbour country Russia, it was a surprise when the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky made his debut at the Grammys stage. He appeared via video call as those present looked on and listened to what he had to say.&nbsp;

&nbsp;France presidential elections: Will Macron win re-election bid?

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Here are some of the top stories to start your day: Amid large scale protests against the government over the escalating economic crisis in the country, Sri Lanka's entire cabinet resigned on Sunday.

Here are some of the top stories to start your day: Amid large scale protests against the government over the escalating economic crisis in the country, Sri Lanka's entire cabinet resigned on Sunday. In other news, a Hindu woman was assaulted by an alleged cop in Bangladesh for sporting bindi. Click on headlines to read the full report: Sri Lanka's cabinet resigns as protesters defy curfew There have been widespread protests in the past few days against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa amid shortage of fuel, rising inflation and large scale power cuts which has crippled the country's economy. Imran Khan to continue as Pakistan prime minister until caretaker PM is appointed Imran Khan will continue to dispose of his duties as the prime minister, Pakistan President Arif Alvi said hours after the cricketer-turned-politician was de-notified as PM by the cabinet secretary. Under Article 224 A of the Pakistan Constitution, Khan will dispose of his duties as the PM until an interim/caretaker premiere is appointed. Ukraine's new law: $1 million 'reward' for Russian soldier who surrenders jet, warship According to reports, Ukraine's parliament has passed a new law to offer rewards of upto $1 million for defecting Russian soldiers who can hand over a warship or a combat aircraft to the country's Army. Surprise debut! Ukraine President Zelensky makes virtual appearance at Grammys 2022 While we did know that The Recording Academy was donating for the cause of Ukraine amid the ongoing crisis with their neighbour country Russia, it was a surprise when the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky made his debut at the Grammys stage. He appeared via video call as those present looked on and listened to what he had to say. France presidential elections: Will Macron win re-election bid?

Morning news brief: Sri Lankan cabinet ministers resign en masse and more

Ukraine's economic ministry has said that the country's economy shrank 16 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year due to Russia's invasion.

Citing preliminary estimates, it has also predicted that the Ukraine's economy could contract 40 per cent in 2022.

"Areas in which remote work is impossible have suffered the most," it said in a statement.

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The war campaign has deeply disrupted the Ukrainian economy. It has forced the country's central bank in Kyiv to limit the exchangeability of its hryvnia currency in order to preserve its reserve of dollars and euros.

Banks across the 27 EU nations have shown reluctance to accept hryvnia from the millions of refugees who have entered the European Union. They are afraid of being refused the transaction by the central bank in Kyiv.

European Union statistics agency Eurostat has said that spiralling energy bills and disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine caused consumer prices in the eurozone to surge by a new record of 7.5 per cent.

Europe has found itself caught in an oil and gas crunch due to tensions with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-making-slow-but-noticeable-withdrawal-from-northern-areas-president-zelensky-467569">Russia making 'slow but noticeable' withdrawal&nbsp;from northern areas: Zelensky</a>

European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde has warned that a prolonged Ukraine conflict will keep energy prices and the cost of living spiralling, blighting a post-Covid recovery.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian forces were leaving behind “a complete disaster” as they retreat from the north, including towns just outside Kyiv.

“They are mining the whole territory, they are mining homes, mining equipment, even the bodies of people who were killed,” he said.

“We are moving forward, moving carefully,” Zelensky added however the Ukraine president said the situation in the east remained “extremely difficult” as Russian troops were "preparing for new powerful blows".

An additional $300 million in military equipment to Ukrainian forces will be provided by US Defence Department. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement the new package “represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide new capabilities” to Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine's economic ministry has said that the country's economy shrank 16 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year due to Russia's invasion. Citing preliminary estimates, it has also predicted that the Ukraine's economy could contract 40 per cent in 2022.

Ukraine's economic ministry has said that the country's economy shrank 16 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year due to Russia's invasion. Citing preliminary estimates, it has also predicted that the Ukraine's economy could contract 40 per cent in 2022. "Areas in which remote work is impossible have suffered the most," it said in a statement. The war campaign has deeply disrupted the Ukrainian economy. It has forced the country's central bank in Kyiv to limit the exchangeability of its hryvnia currency in order to preserve its reserve of dollars and euros. Banks across the 27 EU nations have shown reluctance to accept hryvnia from the millions of refugees who have entered the European Union. They are afraid of being refused the transaction by the central bank in Kyiv. European Union statistics agency Eurostat has said that spiralling energy bills and disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine caused consumer prices in the eurozone to surge by a new record of 7.5 per cent. Europe has found itself caught in an oil and gas crunch due to tensions with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Also read | Russia making 'slow but noticeable' withdrawal from northern areas: Zelensky European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde has warned that a prolonged Ukraine conflict will keep energy prices and the cost of living spiralling, blighting a post-Covid recovery. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian forces were leaving behind “a complete disaster” as they retreat from the north, including towns just outside Kyiv. “They are mining the whole territory, they are mining homes, mining equipment, even the bodies of people who were killed,” he said. “We are moving forward, moving carefully,” Zelensky added however the Ukraine president said the situation in the east remained “extremely difficult” as Russian troops were "preparing for new powerful blows". An additional $300 million in military equipment to Ukrainian forces will be provided by US Defence Department. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement the new package “represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide new capabilities” to Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine's economy could contract 40% in 2022 due to Russian invasion

EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific Gabriele Visentin who is in Delhi has said that the war in Ukraine "does not reduce the resolve of the EU to act in the Indo pacific". During the India visit, the envoy met Secretary West Sanjay Verma, Joint Secretary Indo Pacific Geetika Srivastava, Joint Secretary Sumit Seth and envoys of all EU countries on the grouping's role in the region and the implication of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Visentin said, "price tag has been shown" for breaking of international order with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what is seen is "big neighbour attacking a smaller neighbour in an unprovoked way, not respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state."

In February, France and the EU co-hosted a foreign ministers' meeting on the Indo Pacific.&nbsp;

WION: What is your key focus during the Delhi visit?

Gabriele Visentin: What brings me here is actually a step up in the relations with India in terms of involvement of&nbsp;the implementation of the EU strategy on the Indo Pacific. So, my visit here is not only aimed at a political level and a comparison of notes on the current situation. but also to implement the EU strategy for cooperation on the Indo Pacific, both bilaterally and regionally.

 
WION: What is EU strategy in Indo Pacific, what is it all about?

Gabriele Visentin: The term Indo Pacific, was born in India in 2007. It was first raised in the speech by PM Abe in front of the Indian Parliament. The notion of the Indo Pacific was born in India. Already this is a great alignment, some people refer to the region as the Asia Pacific. We both refer to it as the Indo Pacific. There is the first definition of geographically scope which is aligned.

EU strategy for cooperation on Indo Pacific aims at strengthening and reinforcing the current and ongoing cooperation in the Indo Pacific,&nbsp;is structured along 7 themes, all of which have very high importance to India. We have a theme that talks about economic development and trade;&nbsp;2nd theme on climate change and the fight against its impact;&nbsp;3rd, cooperation on security and defence, human security which is all about fighting against pandemic, then ocean governance involving pollution and illegal fishing and illegal smuggling and law enforcement. Its overall strategy encompasses all possible fields of interest to the area and to India itself.

The biggest is the chapter on connectivity.&nbsp;The real backbone of the strategy is connectivity and implementation of the connectivity chapter is really at the heart of our policy for India and the region.

WION: Any practical cooperation by the EU in the region?

Gabriele Visentin: It is a bit too early to identify concrete projects. We are still in the phase of agreeing on the terms of cooperation. The EU has specified its concept of connectivity, through a policy initiative called global gateways, published towards the end of the year. India is one of two&nbsp;countries with which the EU has a connectivity partnership.

The implementation of the global gateway and connectivity partnership will pass through the identification of projects but we are aligned on the philosophy. The philosophy of the EU's way of connectivity and India's way of understanding connectivity is that projects should be based on their bankability or financial sustainability in the long term. It means that the financing will be a blend of public-private funds, involvement of financial institutions and a mix of loans and grants. Connectivity must be in the interest of the recipient country and based on the long term sustainability of debt. India, the EU's idea of connectivity, is that connectivity should create links and not dependency. &nbsp;

WION: Ukraine crisis has been the biggest worry; will it impact EU's focus on Indo pacific?

Gabriele Visentin: This is not a crisis, this is a drama going on, for the first time in 75 years' the war has touched European soil and it is at the neighbour of Europe. This is something we all stood against and this paradoxically does not reduce the resolve of the EU to act in the Indo pacific. It enhances the EU's resolve to act worldwide. What is happening there resonates all over the world. &nbsp;What is there is a big neighbour attacking a smaller neighbour in an unprovoked way, not respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state. This is all in a total breach of the UN charter, the international rules-based order. Breach of the rules, we all gave to each other to live peacefully. We can't pretend nothing has happened. This is something that will reinforce our resolve to act even more in the Indo Pacific and this has found attention from the Indian authorities during my talks.

WION: Do you see a Ukraine-like situation erupting in Asia, and if yes, what can the EU do?

Gabriele Visentin: For the time being nothing like that has happened and for the time being we have no signs that something like this can happen. Should this happen, anyhow the western world and western democracies, liberal democracies have shown that they can unite together to counteract this. The answer that EU and its member states, like-minded countries have given worldwide amid the Ukraine war is exemplary, what it means to breach the UN charter.

WION: You haven't taken the name of one country in Asia, but you have indicated bigger countries chipping away territory of smaller countries. How big is that worry for Europe?

Gabriele Visentin: It's not a worry, you need to be ready for whatever the future might bring. Actually, something on which we all agree is to show the price tag of breaking the international rules-based order. I think the price tag has been shown. There are no worries or targets for anything but an indication of the fact that democracies can work, deliver and unite themselves when need be.

WION: What are your expectations from the Indian side of the Indo Pacific. India has been the torchbearer of the vision.

Gabriele Visentin: &nbsp;I would not talk about expectation, but joining force. India is the biggest democracy in the world, the biggest regional power, both military and economic so it is not a matter of expectation but a matter of cooperation and joining forces. My presence here shows we want to engage more and more with India in order to really cooperate more in every possible aspect. There are tangible cooperation ideas, on connectivity, on defence undertaking EU military missions in the Indian ocean or fighting climate change or capacity building on law enforcement that will promote multilateralism, for example, UNCLOS. I would really like to stress, we found ourselves aligned on the will to cooperate more.&nbsp;

WION: Are you planning a big-ticket event, for example, the France event.

Gabriele Visentin: The Indo pacific meet was co-organized by the EU and France, so it was an EU event as well. We consider it a major step toward integrating the EU with the Indo Pacific. In Paris, we had all the ministers of the EU, plus more than 30 foreign ministers from the Indo Pacific. They all got together and found ways to further down the cooperation. This is important, and we do plan to continue this path and major events will be organized by the incoming presidency, we are in contact with the Czech, Swedish and Spanish presidencies so that Indo Pacific remains the centre of EU attention which has been an integral part of the bloc.&nbsp;

EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific Gabriele Visentin who is in Delhi has said that the war in Ukraine "does not reduce the resolve of the EU to act in the Indo pacific".

EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific Gabriele Visentin who is in Delhi has said that the war in Ukraine "does not reduce the resolve of the EU to act in the Indo pacific". During the India visit, the envoy met Secretary West Sanjay Verma, Joint Secretary Indo Pacific Geetika Srivastava, Joint Secretary Sumit Seth and envoys of all EU countries on the grouping's role in the region and the implication of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Visentin said, "price tag has been shown" for breaking of international order with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what is seen is "big neighbour attacking a smaller neighbour in an unprovoked way, not respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state." In February, France and the EU co-hosted a foreign ministers' meeting on the Indo Pacific. WION: What is your key focus during the Delhi visit? Gabriele Visentin: What brings me here is actually a step up in the relations with India in terms of involvement of the implementation of the EU strategy on the Indo Pacific. So, my visit here is not only aimed at a political level and a comparison of notes on the current situation. but also to implement the EU strategy for cooperation on the Indo Pacific, both bilaterally and regionally. WION: What is EU strategy in Indo Pacific, what is it all about? Gabriele Visentin: The term Indo Pacific, was born in India in 2007. It was first raised in the speech by PM Abe in front of the Indian Parliament. The notion of the Indo Pacific was born in India. Already this is a great alignment, some people refer to the region as the Asia Pacific. We both refer to it as the Indo Pacific. There is the first definition of geographically scope which is aligned. EU strategy for cooperation on Indo Pacific aims at strengthening and reinforcing the current and ongoing cooperation in the Indo Pacific, is structured along 7 themes, all of which have very high importance to India. We have a theme that talks about economic development and trade; 2nd theme on climate change and the fight against its impact; 3rd, cooperation on security and defence, human security which is all about fighting against pandemic, then ocean governance involving pollution and illegal fishing and illegal smuggling and law enforcement. Its overall strategy encompasses all possible fields of interest to the area and to India itself. The biggest is the chapter on connectivity. The real backbone of the strategy is connectivity and implementation of the connectivity chapter is really at the heart of our policy for India and the region. WION: Any practical cooperation by the EU in the region? Gabriele Visentin: It is a bit too early to identify concrete projects. We are still in the phase of agreeing on the terms of cooperation. The EU has specified its concept of connectivity, through a policy initiative called global gateways, published towards the end of the year. India is one of two countries with which the EU has a connectivity partnership. The implementation of the global gateway and connectivity partnership will pass through the identification of projects but we are aligned on the philosophy. The philosophy of the EU's way of connectivity and India's way of understanding connectivity is that projects should be based on their bankability or financial sustainability in the long term. It means that the financing will be a blend of public-private funds, involvement of financial institutions and a mix of loans and grants. Connectivity must be in the interest of the recipient country and based on the long term sustainability of debt. India, the EU's idea of connectivity, is that connectivity should create links and not dependency. WION: Ukraine crisis has been the biggest worry; will it impact EU's focus on Indo pacific? Gabriele Visentin: This is not a crisis, this is a drama going on, for the first time in 75 years' the war has touched European soil and it is at the neighbour of Europe. This is something we all stood against and this paradoxically does not reduce the resolve of the EU to act in the Indo pacific. It enhances the EU's resolve to act worldwide. What is happening there resonates all over the world. What is there is a big neighbour attacking a smaller neighbour in an unprovoked way, not respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state. This is all in a total breach of the UN charter, the international rules-based order. Breach of the rules, we all gave to each other to live peacefully. We can't pretend nothing has happened. This is something that will reinforce our resolve to act even more in the Indo Pacific and this has found attention from the Indian authorities during my talks. WION: Do you see a Ukraine-like situation erupting in Asia, and if yes, what can the EU do? Gabriele Visentin: For the time being nothing like that has happened and for the time being we have no signs that something like this can happen. Should this happen, anyhow the western world and western democracies, liberal democracies have shown that they can unite together to counteract this. The answer that EU and its member states, like-minded countries have given worldwide amid the Ukraine war is exemplary, what it means to breach the UN charter. WION: You haven't taken the name of one country in Asia, but you have indicated bigger countries chipping away territory of smaller countries. How big is that worry for Europe? Gabriele Visentin: It's not a worry, you need to be ready for whatever the future might bring. Actually, something on which we all agree is to show the price tag of breaking the international rules-based order. I think the price tag has been shown. There are no worries or targets for anything but an indication of the fact that democracies can work, deliver and unite themselves when need be. WION: What are your expectations from the Indian side of the Indo Pacific. India has been the torchbearer of the vision. Gabriele Visentin: I would not talk about expectation, but joining force. India is the biggest democracy in the world, the biggest regional power, both military and economic so it is not a matter of expectation but a matter of cooperation and joining forces. My presence here shows we want to engage more and more with India in order to really cooperate more in every possible aspect. There are tangible cooperation ideas, on connectivity, on defence undertaking EU military missions in the Indian ocean or fighting climate change or capacity building on law enforcement that will promote multilateralism, for example, UNCLOS. I would really like to stress, we found ourselves aligned on the will to cooperate more. WION: Are you planning a big-ticket event, for example, the France event. Gabriele Visentin: The Indo pacific meet was co-organized by the EU and France, so it was an EU event as well. We consider it a major step toward integrating the EU with the Indo Pacific. In Paris, we had all the ministers of the EU, plus more than 30 foreign ministers from the Indo Pacific. They all got together and found ways to further down the cooperation. This is important, and we do plan to continue this path and major events will be organized by the incoming presidency, we are in contact with the Czech, Swedish and Spanish presidencies so that Indo Pacific remains the centre of EU attention which has been an integral part of the bloc.

Exclusive | War in Ukraine enhances EU's resolve to act in Indo Pacific, says top diplomat Gabriele

Despite heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine, a US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts left the International Space Station (ISS) together on Wednesday in a Soyuz capsule.

To begin the journey back to Earth, the trio will close the hatch of the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft. The Soyuz will detach from the Rassvet module and land assisted by&nbsp;parachutes&nbsp;on Kazakhstan's steppes, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, on March 30.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/western-sanctions-could-cause-international-space-station-to-crash-russia-461606">Western sanctions could cause International space station to crash: Russia</a>

According to Russian space agency Roscosmos, the Russian Soyuz capsule carrying NASA's Mark Vande Hei and his cosmonaut colleagues Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov safely undocked from the International Space Station and is slated to make a parachute landing in central Kazakhstan at 1128 GMT.

The joint US-Russian return flight from the International Space Station is being closely scrutinised for signs that the escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia's invasion of Ukraine have spilled over into long-standing space cooperation between the two.

Watch |&nbsp;Russian cosmonauts arrive at the International space station for 6-month long mission

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-cosmonauts-arrive-at-the-international-space-station-for-6-month-long-mission-463660/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to NASA, Vande Hei, who is 55 years old and is on his second ISS mission, would have achieved a US space endurance record of 355 days in orbit, breaking the previous 340-day record set by astronaut Scott Kelly in 2016.

On February 24, US President Joe Biden announced economic sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin's government, including high-tech export restrictions aimed at "degrading" Russia's aerospace industry, particularly its space programme.

The director-general of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, then responded with a series of Twitter tweets, claiming that the US penalties may "destroy" ISS teamwork and cause the space station to tumble out of orbit.

Also read |&nbsp;Did Russian cosmonauts wear Ukrainian flag’s colours at ISS? Idea gets refuted

Around the same time, Rogozin announced that Russia would no longer manufacture or service Russian-made rocket engines used by two US&nbsp;aerospace NASA suppliers, suggesting that American astronauts may reach orbit using "broomsticks."

According to NASA, US and Russian ISS crew members are aware of happenings on Earth, but are working together professionally and without friction.

Three cosmonauts travelled to orbit on March 18 to replace the three returning ISS crew members, joining Vande Hei's three remaining American colleagues and a German astronaut from the European Space Agency.

(With inputs from agencies)

Despite heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine, a US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts left the International Space Station (ISS) together on Wednesday in a Soyuz capsule.

Despite heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine, a US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts left the International Space Station (ISS) together on Wednesday in a Soyuz capsule. To begin the journey back to Earth, the trio will close the hatch of the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft. The Soyuz will detach from the Rassvet module and land assisted by parachutes on Kazakhstan's steppes, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, on March 30. Also read | Western sanctions could cause International space station to crash: Russia According to Russian space agency Roscosmos, the Russian Soyuz capsule carrying NASA's Mark Vande Hei and his cosmonaut colleagues Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov safely undocked from the International Space Station and is slated to make a parachute landing in central Kazakhstan at 1128 GMT. The joint US-Russian return flight from the International Space Station is being closely scrutinised for signs that the escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia's invasion of Ukraine have spilled over into long-standing space cooperation between the two. Watch | Russian cosmonauts arrive at the International space station for 6-month long mission According to NASA, Vande Hei, who is 55 years old and is on his second ISS mission, would have achieved a US space endurance record of 355 days in orbit, breaking the previous 340-day record set by astronaut Scott Kelly in 2016. On February 24, US President Joe Biden announced economic sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin's government, including high-tech export restrictions aimed at "degrading" Russia's aerospace industry, particularly its space programme. The director-general of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, then responded with a series of Twitter tweets, claiming that the US penalties may "destroy" ISS teamwork and cause the space station to tumble out of orbit. Also read | Did Russian cosmonauts wear Ukrainian flag’s colours at ISS? Idea gets refuted Around the same time, Rogozin announced that Russia would no longer manufacture or service Russian-made rocket engines used by two US aerospace NASA suppliers, suggesting that American astronauts may reach orbit using "broomsticks." According to NASA, US and Russian ISS crew members are aware of happenings on Earth, but are working together professionally and without friction. Three cosmonauts travelled to orbit on March 18 to replace the three returning ISS crew members, joining Vande Hei's three remaining American colleagues and a German astronaut from the European Space Agency. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, US and Russian astronauts return to Earth together