Every culture wants to memorialize its dead. Every family needs the missing to be identified to reach closure. Perhaps that is why a wartime mass grave offends something so deep in the human conscience. Little can be said with certainty about the hundreds of bodies discovered last week at Izium, in a pine forest in northeastern Ukraine, other than that they are the beginning of a long story.

Restoring human dignity to the most dehumanising of scenes; heaped anonymous corpses, the reduction of lives to nothing, and the stench of abandonment is a painstaking forensic endeavour.

For many months, perhaps years, the work will continue to match DNA samples, collate the scraps, establish the cause of death, and determine what crimes may have been committed by the Russian forces who fled a week ago.

Any mass grave from Bosnia to Rwanda, from Argentina to Guatemala demands of our humanity the reconstitution of the individual lives ended there.&nbsp;

“On one side in Britain you see the Queen’s dignified burial and on the other this mass grave stemming from mass violence,” said Anjli Parrin, the Kenyan deputy director of the Human Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School. “They are two extremes that remind us that the idea of someone missing, buried anonymously, is a violation of a fundamental instinct to honor the dead.”

When President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia retreats, evidence of possible atrocities surfaces. That now seems to be a pattern of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, most recently in Izium. The post-apocalyptic scene last spring in Bucha, near Kyiv, of dozens of corpses arrayed in black plastic bags beneath weeping birches laden with mistletoe has proved to be the prelude to another troubling landscape.

The exhumation of a burial site in a pine forest, after more than five months of Russian occupation of Izium, has revealed one mass grave of Ukrainian Army soldiers, seventeen of them, according to an inscription on a cross. There were also 445 mainly unmarked individual graves. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s commissioner for human rights, spoke of “genocide of the Ukrainian population.”

But genocide&nbsp;requiring the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnicial, racial or religious group, as such,” in the words of the 1948 Genocide Convention is not easily proved. Other international crimes, including crimes against humanity and extrajudicial executions, may also have occurred.

It took nine years for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to rule that the 1995 Serbian killing of more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys around Srebrenica constituted genocide. This was the worst single massacre in Europe since 1945. 
It was also a massacre foretold.

For any correspondent covering the war there, as I did, it was clear for a long time that the so-called “safe areas” of Bosnia under the protection of the United Nations were no such thing. The blue helmets of UN troops had become a symbol of impotence. The horror, when it came, was merely a re-enactment, on a different scale, of the eviction and slaughter of the Muslim population of Bosnia by Serbian forces three years earlier, at the start of the war in 1992.

Izium, if the war in Ukraine endures and festers (even for years as seems possible), is unlikely to be the last site of myriad graves lost in the forest. Nor are the horrors emerging in Ukraine new to a nation with a poignant history in this regard, including at Babyn Yar, the ravine in Kyiv where more than 33,000 Jews were massacred in 1941 by the Nazis.

My colleague in Bosnia, Elizabeth Neuffer of the Boston Globe, who was later killed in Iraq, wrote of the Cerska mass grave 27 kilometres&nbsp;northwest of Srebrenica in “Crimes of War,” a book edited by Roy Gutman and David Rieff:

“The corpses were dressed in civilian clothes. They had gunshot wounds to the back of their heads. Their decaying hands were bound behind their back.” She continued: “Each part of the human skeleton,&nbsp;some two hundred bones and thirty-two teeth, has its tale to tell.”

They will come to Izium, the forensic pathologists, the ballistic experts, the forensic odontologists examining teeth, the anthropologists, the radiologists, the police investigators, the national and international authorities intent on establishing what violence produced those graves. Establishing the cause and manner and circumstance of death in war is hard. That much I have learned.

“It’s not just the collection of evidence that is difficult, it is preserving it,” Ms Parrin, who has been working on mass graves in the Central African Republic, said. “You are labeling and numbering and photographing under enormous stress and trauma, and you have to demonstrate the chain of custody...who passed what to whom and who locked it in which office and when.” 
It’s easy to get something wrong. Mistaken identity is not unusual.

Before Bosnia, there was Argentina, which I covered in the mid-1980s. Buenos Aires was awakening then to the scope of a national nightmare. Every conversation seemed to end in tears as parents, haunted by desperate imaginings, recalled their children who had been “disappeared” by the military junta. That many of the tens of thousands of “desaparecidos” had been dumped from planes into the South Atlantic between 1976 and 1983 was not yet known.

So did the Argentine military turn “disappear” into a transitive verb and the ocean into a mass grave. I sat and listened. That’s what journalists do: listen through silence, awaiting a clue, the revealing epiphany, the face that crumples like a dynamited building. 
The grief of bereaved parents was overwhelming. Sudden disappearance was too much to bear. There was no farewell and no adequate means to mourn. This twisted minds toward desperate acts.

I took away the conviction that for the bereaved, disappearance into an anonymous mass grave turns every living being into someone with a possible resemblance to a lost child, whose death can never be entirely accepted.

Before Argentina, there was Lithuania. My grandmother came from Zagare, a small Lithuanian town renowned for its cherries. The last Jew there, Aizikas Mendelsonas, died in 2011. When he was born in 1922, there were almost 2,000 Jews in Zagare, with its seven synagogues.

The Nazis ended all that after pushing into Lithuania in June 1941. On October&nbsp;2, 1941, the Jews of Zagare were ordered into the main square before being taken into the woods for execution.

In 1944, the Soviet Red Army, having fought its way into Lithuania, examined a mass grave in the forest outside Zagare and found 2,402 corpses (530 men, 1,223 women, 625 children, and 24 babies), as I discovered in researching a book on my family. A sign in the woods points to the “Graves of the Victims of the Jewish Genocide,” now also commemorated by a monument on the main square.

The hypothetical European fate of my family, had they not left Zagare in time, was to die nameless in a nameless ditch. Perhaps that is why mass graves have haunted me.

These things linger, subliminally or not. Two decades after Srebrenica, a French photographer, Adrien Selbert, showed me photographs of the town, now gathered in a book called “Srebrenica, From Night to Night.” They captured a town overcome by the weight of the past, unable to shake it off, gripped by a kind of sullen idleness. Stray dogs wander empty streets. Neon signs and streetlights glare into vacancy.

It was clear that all the bullets the Serbs emptied into their male victims constituted equal violence upon their female survivors, who were left with the hurt of the unsayable.

What Russia has done, in Izium and elsewhere, is forge a Ukrainian national identity that is more powerful than ever, along with wounds that will be refracted down through the generations.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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Every culture wants to memorialize its dead. Every family needs the missing to be identified to reach closure. Perhaps that is why a wartime mass grave offends something so deep in the human conscience.

Every culture wants to memorialize its dead. Every family needs the missing to be identified to reach closure. Perhaps that is why a wartime mass grave offends something so deep in the human conscience. Little can be said with certainty about the hundreds of bodies discovered last week at Izium, in a pine forest in northeastern Ukraine, other than that they are the beginning of a long story. Restoring human dignity to the most dehumanising of scenes; heaped anonymous corpses, the reduction of lives to nothing, and the stench of abandonment is a painstaking forensic endeavour. For many months, perhaps years, the work will continue to match DNA samples, collate the scraps, establish the cause of death, and determine what crimes may have been committed by the Russian forces who fled a week ago. Any mass grave from Bosnia to Rwanda, from Argentina to Guatemala demands of our humanity the reconstitution of the individual lives ended there. “On one side in Britain you see the Queen’s dignified burial and on the other this mass grave stemming from mass violence,” said Anjli Parrin, the Kenyan deputy director of the Human Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School. “They are two extremes that remind us that the idea of someone missing, buried anonymously, is a violation of a fundamental instinct to honor the dead.” When President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia retreats, evidence of possible atrocities surfaces. That now seems to be a pattern of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, most recently in Izium. The post-apocalyptic scene last spring in Bucha, near Kyiv, of dozens of corpses arrayed in black plastic bags beneath weeping birches laden with mistletoe has proved to be the prelude to another troubling landscape. The exhumation of a burial site in a pine forest, after more than five months of Russian occupation of Izium, has revealed one mass grave of Ukrainian Army soldiers, seventeen of them, according to an inscription on a cross. There were also 445 mainly unmarked individual graves. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s commissioner for human rights, spoke of “genocide of the Ukrainian population.” But genocide requiring the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnicial, racial or religious group, as such,” in the words of the 1948 Genocide Convention is not easily proved. Other international crimes, including crimes against humanity and extrajudicial executions, may also have occurred. It took nine years for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to rule that the 1995 Serbian killing of more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys around Srebrenica constituted genocide. This was the worst single massacre in Europe since 1945. It was also a massacre foretold. For any correspondent covering the war there, as I did, it was clear for a long time that the so-called “safe areas” of Bosnia under the protection of the United Nations were no such thing. The blue helmets of UN troops had become a symbol of impotence. The horror, when it came, was merely a re-enactment, on a different scale, of the eviction and slaughter of the Muslim population of Bosnia by Serbian forces three years earlier, at the start of the war in 1992. Izium, if the war in Ukraine endures and festers (even for years as seems possible), is unlikely to be the last site of myriad graves lost in the forest. Nor are the horrors emerging in Ukraine new to a nation with a poignant history in this regard, including at Babyn Yar, the ravine in Kyiv where more than 33,000 Jews were massacred in 1941 by the Nazis. My colleague in Bosnia, Elizabeth Neuffer of the Boston Globe, who was later killed in Iraq, wrote of the Cerska mass grave 27 kilometres northwest of Srebrenica in “Crimes of War,” a book edited by Roy Gutman and David Rieff: “The corpses were dressed in civilian clothes. They had gunshot wounds to the back of their heads. Their decaying hands were bound behind their back.” She continued: “Each part of the human skeleton, some two hundred bones and thirty-two teeth, has its tale to tell.” They will come to Izium, the forensic pathologists, the ballistic experts, the forensic odontologists examining teeth, the anthropologists, the radiologists, the police investigators, the national and international authorities intent on establishing what violence produced those graves. Establishing the cause and manner and circumstance of death in war is hard. That much I have learned. “It’s not just the collection of evidence that is difficult, it is preserving it,” Ms Parrin, who has been working on mass graves in the Central African Republic, said. “You are labeling and numbering and photographing under enormous stress and trauma, and you have to demonstrate the chain of custody...who passed what to whom and who locked it in which office and when.” It’s easy to get something wrong. Mistaken identity is not unusual. Before Bosnia, there was Argentina, which I covered in the mid-1980s. Buenos Aires was awakening then to the scope of a national nightmare. Every conversation seemed to end in tears as parents, haunted by desperate imaginings, recalled their children who had been “disappeared” by the military junta. That many of the tens of thousands of “desaparecidos” had been dumped from planes into the South Atlantic between 1976 and 1983 was not yet known. So did the Argentine military turn “disappear” into a transitive verb and the ocean into a mass grave. I sat and listened. That’s what journalists do: listen through silence, awaiting a clue, the revealing epiphany, the face that crumples like a dynamited building. The grief of bereaved parents was overwhelming. Sudden disappearance was too much to bear. There was no farewell and no adequate means to mourn. This twisted minds toward desperate acts. I took away the conviction that for the bereaved, disappearance into an anonymous mass grave turns every living being into someone with a possible resemblance to a lost child, whose death can never be entirely accepted. Before Argentina, there was Lithuania. My grandmother came from Zagare, a small Lithuanian town renowned for its cherries. The last Jew there, Aizikas Mendelsonas, died in 2011. When he was born in 1922, there were almost 2,000 Jews in Zagare, with its seven synagogues. The Nazis ended all that after pushing into Lithuania in June 1941. On October 2, 1941, the Jews of Zagare were ordered into the main square before being taken into the woods for execution. In 1944, the Soviet Red Army, having fought its way into Lithuania, examined a mass grave in the forest outside Zagare and found 2,402 corpses (530 men, 1,223 women, 625 children, and 24 babies), as I discovered in researching a book on my family. A sign in the woods points to the “Graves of the Victims of the Jewish Genocide,” now also commemorated by a monument on the main square. The hypothetical European fate of my family, had they not left Zagare in time, was to die nameless in a nameless ditch. Perhaps that is why mass graves have haunted me. These things linger, subliminally or not. Two decades after Srebrenica, a French photographer, Adrien Selbert, showed me photographs of the town, now gathered in a book called “Srebrenica, From Night to Night.” They captured a town overcome by the weight of the past, unable to shake it off, gripped by a kind of sullen idleness. Stray dogs wander empty streets. Neon signs and streetlights glare into vacancy. It was clear that all the bullets the Serbs emptied into their male victims constituted equal violence upon their female survivors, who were left with the hurt of the unsayable. What Russia has done, in Izium and elsewhere, is forge a Ukrainian national identity that is more powerful than ever, along with wounds that will be refracted down through the generations. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

The singular offense of the mass grave: Story of Izium and beyond

Days after Ukraine authorities unearthed a mass burial site in the east Ukrainian town of Izium with most bodies having signs of violent deaths, the European Union presidency has called for the establishment of a war crimes tribunal.

Days after Ukraine authorities unearthed a mass burial site in the east Ukrainian town of Izium with most bodies having signs of violent deaths, the European Union presidency has called for the establishment of a war crimes tribunal. Reportedly, the statement was made by Jan Lipavsky, foreign minister of the Czech Republic which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency. Lipavsky took to Twitter to lash out at Russia and called for the establishment of a tribunal that will prosecute crimes of aggression. “Russia left behind mass graves of hundreds of shot and tortured people in the Izyum area. In the 21st century, such attacks against the civilian population are unthinkable and abhorrent," tweeted Lipavsky. "We must not overlook it. We stand for the punishment of all war criminals. I call for the speedy establishment of a special international tribunal that will prosecute the crime of aggression." he further added. Russia left behind mass graves of hundreds of shot and tortured people in the Izyum area. In the 21st century, such attacks against the civilian population are unthinkable and abhorrent. We must not overlook it. We stand for the punishment of all war criminals. #StandwithUkraine — Jan Lipavský (@JanLipavsky) September 17, 2022 × As reported by WION, the Ukrainian authorities on Friday began the process of examining the mass burial site. However, officials stated that 99 per cent of the exhumed bodies found at the burial site had signs of violent death, meaning the Russian troops tortured and mutilated them when killing. WATCH | Zelensky: After Bucha, new mass graves found in Ukraine's recaptured Izium × "Among the bodies that were exhumed today, 99 percent showed signs of violent death. There are several bodies with their hands tied behind their backs, and one person is buried with a rope around his neck." said Oleg Synegubov, head of the Kharkiv regional administration. Read more: Most bodies at mass burial site have signs of violent death, claims Kyiv Synegubov further stated that these people were obviously tortured and executed by the Russian troops. The Russian troops attacked Izyum in April and according to witnesses, over 100 were killed in the first assault as Russian bombs were hurled. The emergency service workers wearing blue plastic may have also stumbled upon the graves of little children, who, according to the locals were one of the earliest casualties in the attack. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

EU bats for war crimes tribunal after mass burial site unearthed in Ukraine

Hours after Russia's defence ministry announced on Saturday that the country was pulling back its troops from two areas in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed it to be a victory and talked down the Russians.

Hours after Russia's defence ministry announced on Saturday that the country was pulling back its troops from two areas in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed it to be a victory and talked down the Russians. Reportedly in a video post on Facebook, Zelensky gloated that the Russians were running scared ever since the Ukrainian soldiers gained access to a vital Russian supply hub. “These days, the Russian army is showing its best showing its back. And, in the end, it is a good choice for them to run away. There is and will be no place for the occupiers in Ukraine,” he said. The Ukrainian President further added that his troops had swept and liberated more than 2,000 square kilometres (770 square miles) of area since the month started. “The movement of our soldiers in different directions of the front continues. As of now, as part of active actions since the beginning of September, about 2,000 square kilometres (770 square miles) of our territory has already been liberated,” he said. × "I'm thankful to the troops of the 214th separate rifle battalion for securing the situation in Balakliya, who, together with units of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Special Operations Forces, special forces of the National Guard and the police, returned full control to the city. “I’m thankful to all our defenders, who during these weeks made the approach of our victory even more tangible!” Zelensky signed off as saying. As reported by WION, following the significant advances made by Ukrainian soldiers in Kharkiv, Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the troops would be regrouped from the Balakliya and Izyum areas. Read more: Kharkiv: After Kyiv severs supply line, Russian grip on northeast Ukraine collapses "To achieve the stated goals of the Special Military Operation for the liberation of Donbas, it was decided to regroup the Russian troops located in the districts of Balakliia and Izium for the purpose of increasing efforts in the Donetsk direction," Russian defence ministry was quoted as saying by state-run news agency TASS. Since bursting through the frontline earlier this week, Ukrainian forces have recaptured dozens of towns and villages held by Russia for months. Marking Russia's biggest battlefield defeat since its forces were forced to abandon their assault on the capital Kyiv in March, the claim of pullback to concentrate on Donetsk is similar to the justification given by Kremlin for Ukraine's capital. Read more: Zelensky says some settlements near Kharkiv region retaken from Russian forces (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

'Russian army is doing what it does best, showing its back,' gloats Zelensky after Russia pullback

A couple of days after announcing that Seimens was ready to&nbsp;fix the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Gazprom on Tuesday stated that the resumption of the pipeline depends on the German company.

When asked when the pipeline would resume pumping gas again, Gazprom's&nbsp;Deputy Chief Executive Vitaly Markelov on the sidelines of the&nbsp;Eastern Economic Forum in the far-east city of Vladivostok stated,&nbsp;"You should ask Siemens. They have to repair equipment first."

Markelov's statement comes in the backdrop of Siemens asserting that it could not comprehend Gazprom's&nbsp;presentation of the situation.

"We cannot comprehend this new representation based on the information provided to us over the weekend," said Siemens.&nbsp;

"Therefore, until further notice, our assessment is that the finding communicated to us does not represent a technical reason for stopping operation. Such leaks do not normally affect the operation of a turbine and can be sealed on site." it further added.&nbsp;

Read more:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-nord-stream-1-gas-pipeline-due-to-reopen-on-weekend-to-remain-shut-512485" target="_blank">&nbsp;Russia: Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, due to reopen on weekend, will remain shut</a>

As reported by WION, on Saturday,&nbsp;Gazprom&nbsp;announced that Siemens Energy was ready to carry out the repairs.

"Siemens is taking part in repair work in accordance with the current contract, is detecting malfunctions ... and is ready to fix the oil leaks. Only there is nowhere to do the repair," said the company on its official Telegram account.&nbsp;

However, Siemens, on the same day,&nbsp;refuted Gazprom's statement saying it was not carrying any maintenance work currently but was available.&nbsp;

"Irrespective of this, we have already pointed out several times that there are enough additional turbines available in the Portovaya compressor station for Nord Stream 1 to operate," the company further quashed Kremlin's version.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/siemens-ready-to-fix-the-leaks-in-the-nord-stream-1-pipeline-says-gazprom-512680">Siemens ready to fix the leaks in Nord Stream 1 pipeline, claims Gazprom</a>

The confusion between the two main stakeholders involved in the operation of the pipeline has put the future of the entire continent in dark.&nbsp;

The pipeline which runs from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea is the lifeline of the European countries. With the frigid winter season approaching, Russia is looking to use its position to pin the 27-nation bloc into the mat.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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A couple of days after announcing that Seimens was ready to fix the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Gazprom on Tuesday stated that the resumption of the pipeline depends on the German company.

A couple of days after announcing that Seimens was ready to fix the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Gazprom on Tuesday stated that the resumption of the pipeline depends on the German company. When asked when the pipeline would resume pumping gas again, Gazprom's Deputy Chief Executive Vitaly Markelov on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in the far-east city of Vladivostok stated, "You should ask Siemens. They have to repair equipment first." Markelov's statement comes in the backdrop of Siemens asserting that it could not comprehend Gazprom's presentation of the situation. "We cannot comprehend this new representation based on the information provided to us over the weekend," said Siemens. "Therefore, until further notice, our assessment is that the finding communicated to us does not represent a technical reason for stopping operation. Such leaks do not normally affect the operation of a turbine and can be sealed on site." it further added. Read more: Russia: Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, due to reopen on weekend, will remain shut As reported by WION, on Saturday, Gazprom announced that Siemens Energy was ready to carry out the repairs. "Siemens is taking part in repair work in accordance with the current contract, is detecting malfunctions ... and is ready to fix the oil leaks. Only there is nowhere to do the repair," said the company on its official Telegram account. However, Siemens, on the same day, refuted Gazprom's statement saying it was not carrying any maintenance work currently but was available. "Irrespective of this, we have already pointed out several times that there are enough additional turbines available in the Portovaya compressor station for Nord Stream 1 to operate," the company further quashed Kremlin's version. Read more: Siemens ready to fix the leaks in Nord Stream 1 pipeline, claims Gazprom The confusion between the two main stakeholders involved in the operation of the pipeline has put the future of the entire continent in dark. The pipeline which runs from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea is the lifeline of the European countries. With the frigid winter season approaching, Russia is looking to use its position to pin the 27-nation bloc into the mat. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

'You should ask Siemens', Gazprom on the resumption of Nord Stream 1 pipeline

Aiming at ensuring electricity prices reflect cheaper renewable energy, the &nbsp;European Union is preparing an emergency plan to separate power prices from the soaring cost of gas.

In order to discuss how to ease the burden of soaring energy prices on businesses and households, energy ministers from the bloc will meet on September 9.

Driven by record gas prices as Russia curbed supply to Europe, European power costs have surged in the last year.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the West imposed crippling sanctions on Moscow and in retaliation Kremlin cut the gas supply of several members of the bloc.

Following cuts imposed by Russia, gas prices have soared as they are determined by global competition for the fuel.

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Racing to find a short-term solution, the 27 members of the European Union are considering energy market reforms.

With the cheapest sources coming in first, gas plants in Europe set the wholesale electricity price by the last power plant needed to meet overall demand.&nbsp;

To incentivise more investment in renewable generation, the cheaper renewables generators end up with a bigger profit margin.

Resulting in cheap renewable energy being sold to consumers for the same price as costlier fossil fuel-based power, Spain said the system is unfair.

Highlighting the EU needed to decouple the price of gas and power, Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said that severe drought in the continent has hampered hydropower output and affected coal deliveries.

Rallying support for a cap on the price of gas used to generate electricity, the Czech Republic said it has received support from France to separate the price of electricity from the price of gas.

According to Italy, EU countries should agree on a cap on the price of gas imported from Russia or pay gas companies the difference between the capped price and the higher market price.

Saying it would effectively subsidise fossil fuel generation with public funds that they said would be better spent on the shift to cheaper clean energy, Germany and the Netherlands pointed out other options that could include restricting financial speculators' participation in gas markets.

Rather than a hasty market overhaul, the bloc can target financial support for low-income households and businesses hit hardest by the soaring prices, according to analysts.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Aiming at ensuring electricity prices reflect cheaper renewable energy, the European Union is preparing an emergency plan to separate power prices from the soaring cost of gas.

Aiming at ensuring electricity prices reflect cheaper renewable energy, the European Union is preparing an emergency plan to separate power prices from the soaring cost of gas. In order to discuss how to ease the burden of soaring energy prices on businesses and households, energy ministers from the bloc will meet on September 9. Driven by record gas prices as Russia curbed supply to Europe, European power costs have surged in the last year. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the West imposed crippling sanctions on Moscow and in retaliation Kremlin cut the gas supply of several members of the bloc. Following cuts imposed by Russia, gas prices have soared as they are determined by global competition for the fuel. × Racing to find a short-term solution, the 27 members of the European Union are considering energy market reforms. With the cheapest sources coming in first, gas plants in Europe set the wholesale electricity price by the last power plant needed to meet overall demand. To incentivise more investment in renewable generation, the cheaper renewables generators end up with a bigger profit margin. Resulting in cheap renewable energy being sold to consumers for the same price as costlier fossil fuel-based power, Spain said the system is unfair. Highlighting the EU needed to decouple the price of gas and power, Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said that severe drought in the continent has hampered hydropower output and affected coal deliveries. Rallying support for a cap on the price of gas used to generate electricity, the Czech Republic said it has received support from France to separate the price of electricity from the price of gas. According to Italy, EU countries should agree on a cap on the price of gas imported from Russia or pay gas companies the difference between the capped price and the higher market price. Saying it would effectively subsidise fossil fuel generation with public funds that they said would be better spent on the shift to cheaper clean energy, Germany and the Netherlands pointed out other options that could include restricting financial speculators' participation in gas markets. Rather than a hasty market overhaul, the bloc can target financial support for low-income households and businesses hit hardest by the soaring prices, according to analysts. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Why is Europe considering energy market reforms?

As a consequence of the Ukraine war, Africa has found itself bearing the brunt of food shortages and increased food prices as global-supply chains remain disrupted. But there is a new campaign, where the west and foreign leaders are seen as extending an olive branch to the continent especially former colonies. Some critics would argue it is a ploy to apologise for the wrongs in the past, while others say its neo-colonialism to counter China's influence in Africa. So, what is it that is enticing these leaders to the continent.

World Of Africa: Growing 'neo-colonialism' in Africa?

A day after French PM Elisabeth Borne&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-pm-warns-of-energy-rationing-in-the-winter-511241">warned&nbsp;</a>of energy rationing in the winter,&nbsp;Gazprom has dropped another bomb. Reportedly, the Russian state-owned gas company on Tuesday informed that gas deliveries to Engie, France's biggest supplier of gas to households and businesses&nbsp;will be reduced, starting today due to a dispute over contracts.&nbsp;

"There will be&nbsp;a reduction in gas deliveries, starting today, due to a disagreement between the parties on the application of some contracts." Engie informed about Gazprom's notice.&nbsp;

The French company further added that it had put measures in place to brave the reduction in supplies.

"Engie had already secured the volumes necessary to meet its commitments towards its customers and its own requirements, and put in place several measures to significantly reduce any direct financial and physical impacts that could result from an interruption to gas supplies by Gazprom." stated the company in a statement.&nbsp;

However, neither Gazprom nor Engie informed about the nature of the dispute with the former not releasing any statement.&nbsp;

In the aftermath of the announcement, French energy minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher stated that the fresh supply cuts should egg France to fully end its dependence on French supplies.&nbsp;

“Russia is using gas like a war weapon.&nbsp;We must prepare for the worst, a total interruption of deliveries.” said&nbsp;Runacher.

Nord Stream 1 pipeline will close from tomorrow&nbsp;

It is pertinent to note that Gazprom's reduction in the supply comes in the backdrop of the company announcing earlier this month that the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline will remain shut down for three days for 'routine maintenance', starting tomorrow i.e August 31.

Read more:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gazproms-halt-of-nord-stream-1-pipeline-plunges-europe-into-a-gas-crisis-509359">&nbsp;Gazprom's halt of Nord Stream 1 pipeline plunges Europe into a gas crisis</a>

The pipeline which runs from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea is the lifeline of the European countries. Despite being against Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, the European countries have remained toothless against Moscow which has used its position of dominance to circumvent the sanctions.&nbsp;

While most European nations are facing soaring prices, very few have capped the prices. Of the major countries, it is France that has put a four per cent cap on gas prices up until the end of the year.

Read more:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-to-limit-soaring-electricity-rates-next-year-cap-on-prices-to-continue-till-the-end-of-year-510752">&nbsp;France to 'limit' soaring electricity rates next year; cap on prices to continue till the end of year</a>

Moreover, France is only dependent on Russia for 17 per cent of its energy supply. The country is in talks with Algeria&nbsp;to increase gas imports&nbsp;while attempting to fill reserves for the winter which have reportedly reached the 90 per cent mark, according to government data.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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A day after French PM Elisabeth Borne warned of energy rationing in the winter, Gazprom has dropped another bomb. Reportedly, the Russian state-owned gas company on Tuesday informed that gas deliveries to Engie, France's biggest supplier of gas to households and businesses will be reduced, starting today due to a dispute over contracts.

A day after French PM Elisabeth Borne warned of energy rationing in the winter, Gazprom has dropped another bomb. Reportedly, the Russian state-owned gas company on Tuesday informed that gas deliveries to Engie, France's biggest supplier of gas to households and businesses will be reduced, starting today due to a dispute over contracts. "There will be a reduction in gas deliveries, starting today, due to a disagreement between the parties on the application of some contracts." Engie informed about Gazprom's notice. The French company further added that it had put measures in place to brave the reduction in supplies. "Engie had already secured the volumes necessary to meet its commitments towards its customers and its own requirements, and put in place several measures to significantly reduce any direct financial and physical impacts that could result from an interruption to gas supplies by Gazprom." stated the company in a statement. However, neither Gazprom nor Engie informed about the nature of the dispute with the former not releasing any statement. In the aftermath of the announcement, French energy minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher stated that the fresh supply cuts should egg France to fully end its dependence on French supplies. “Russia is using gas like a war weapon. We must prepare for the worst, a total interruption of deliveries.” said Runacher. Nord Stream 1 pipeline will close from tomorrow It is pertinent to note that Gazprom's reduction in the supply comes in the backdrop of the company announcing earlier this month that the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline will remain shut down for three days for 'routine maintenance', starting tomorrow i.e August 31. Read more: Gazprom's halt of Nord Stream 1 pipeline plunges Europe into a gas crisis The pipeline which runs from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea is the lifeline of the European countries. Despite being against Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, the European countries have remained toothless against Moscow which has used its position of dominance to circumvent the sanctions. While most European nations are facing soaring prices, very few have capped the prices. Of the major countries, it is France that has put a four per cent cap on gas prices up until the end of the year. Read more: France to 'limit' soaring electricity rates next year; cap on prices to continue till the end of year Moreover, France is only dependent on Russia for 17 per cent of its energy supply. The country is in talks with Algeria to increase gas imports while attempting to fill reserves for the winter which have reportedly reached the 90 per cent mark, according to government data. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Gazprom to reduce gas deliveries to Engie, France's biggest gas supplier

After half a year of war in Ukraine, a slim majority of Americans agrees that the United States should continue to support Kyiv until Russia withdraws all its forces, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Wednesday.

The polling suggests continued support for President Joe Biden's policy of backing Ukraine, despite economic worries and domestic political developments grabbing Americans' attention in recent months.

The Biden administration has provided weapons and ammunition for Ukraine's bid to repel Russian forces and is expected to announce a new security assistance package of about $3 billion, a U.S. official said, as Ukraine's marks its Independence Day on Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to recapture territory seized after the February&nbsp;24 invasion and in earlier incursions beginning in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.

Out of 1,005 people in the United States who took part in an online poll last week, 53% expressed support for backing Ukraine "until all Russian forces are withdrawn from territory claimed by Ukraine." Only 18% said they opposed.

That support came from both sides of the political divide, although Democratic voters were more likely to back the position, with 66% of Democrats in support compared to 51% of Republicans.

A slim majority, 51%, also supported providing arms such as guns and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine's military, compared with 22% who opposed.

In previous polls, higher numbers of Americans have backed providing arms to Ukraine but directly comparable polling was not available.

In line with past polling, there was little support among Americans from across the political spectrum for sending U.S. troops to Ukraine. Only 26% said they supported such an intervention, but 43% agreed with sending U.S. troops to NATO allies neighboring Ukraine who are not at war with Russia.

The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. 
&nbsp;

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After half a year of war in Ukraine, a slim majority of Americans agrees that the United States should continue to support Kyiv until Russia withdraws all its forces, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Wednesday.

After half a year of war in Ukraine, a slim majority of Americans agrees that the United States should continue to support Kyiv until Russia withdraws all its forces, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Wednesday. The polling suggests continued support for President Joe Biden's policy of backing Ukraine, despite economic worries and domestic political developments grabbing Americans' attention in recent months. The Biden administration has provided weapons and ammunition for Ukraine's bid to repel Russian forces and is expected to announce a new security assistance package of about $3 billion, a U.S. official said, as Ukraine's marks its Independence Day on Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to recapture territory seized after the February 24 invasion and in earlier incursions beginning in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. Out of 1,005 people in the United States who took part in an online poll last week, 53% expressed support for backing Ukraine "until all Russian forces are withdrawn from territory claimed by Ukraine." Only 18% said they opposed. That support came from both sides of the political divide, although Democratic voters were more likely to back the position, with 66% of Democrats in support compared to 51% of Republicans. A slim majority, 51%, also supported providing arms such as guns and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine's military, compared with 22% who opposed. In previous polls, higher numbers of Americans have backed providing arms to Ukraine but directly comparable polling was not available. In line with past polling, there was little support among Americans from across the political spectrum for sending U.S. troops to Ukraine. Only 26% said they supported such an intervention, but 43% agreed with sending U.S. troops to NATO allies neighboring Ukraine who are not at war with Russia. The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Just over half of Americans say US should back Ukraine until Russia withdraws: Poll

The raging war between Russia and Ukraine today entered 6 months. It has overshadowed the war against climate change and it is making countries backtrack on the little achievements made towards a cleaner planet.

WION Climate Tracker | Ukraine war overshadows climate pledges; countries put climate goals on hold

Ukraine's&nbsp;requests to completely demilitarise the area surrounding the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/kyiv-speculations-rife-over-provocations-russia-told-workers-to-not-show-up-508337">Zaporizhzhia</a> nuclear reactor in southern Ukraine have been turned down by Russia.&nbsp;

A Russian official claimed that the action would increase the plant's vulnerability.

As both sides accuse one another of bombarding the area, safety at the complex, which is Europe's largest nuclear plant, is a big concern.

As per CNN, the plant is run by Ukrainian employees and has been in Russian hands since March.&nbsp;It was one of the first locations Russian forces captured after invading Ukraine on February 24.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-chief-antonio-guterres-asks-russian-occupied-nuclear-plant-not-be-cut-off-from-ukraines-grid-508463">UN chief Antonio Guterres asks Russian-occupied nuclear plant not be cut off from Ukraine's grid</a>

After meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday in Lviv, UN Secretary General António Guterres raised alarm&nbsp;and cautioned that any potential harm to Zaporizhzhia would be a suicide.

The largest nuclear power station in Europe needs to be demilitarised, the Ukrainian president pleaded with the UN. The facility "must not be used as part of any military activity," &nbsp;Guterres continued.

The UN chief's worries were mirrored by Erdogan, who told reporters that he was concerned about the possibility of "another Chernobyl" tragedy erupting at the plant.

The calls come as Ukrainian employees at the site, who are working there under Russian guidance, have expressed concern about a possible nuclear accident there, claiming that over the past two weeks, the facility has been "the subject of constant military attacks."

Also watch |&nbsp;Russia deploys Hypersonic Missiles to Kaliningrad region as Ukraine nears six-month mark

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Ukraine's requests to completely demilitarise the area surrounding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor in southern Ukraine have been turned down by Russia. A Russian official claimed that the action would increase the plant's vulnerability.

Ukraine's requests to completely demilitarise the area surrounding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor in southern Ukraine have been turned down by Russia. A Russian official claimed that the action would increase the plant's vulnerability. As both sides accuse one another of bombarding the area, safety at the complex, which is Europe's largest nuclear plant, is a big concern. As per CNN, the plant is run by Ukrainian employees and has been in Russian hands since March. It was one of the first locations Russian forces captured after invading Ukraine on February 24. Also read | UN chief Antonio Guterres asks Russian-occupied nuclear plant not be cut off from Ukraine's grid After meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday in Lviv, UN Secretary General António Guterres raised alarm and cautioned that any potential harm to Zaporizhzhia would be a suicide. The largest nuclear power station in Europe needs to be demilitarised, the Ukrainian president pleaded with the UN. The facility "must not be used as part of any military activity," Guterres continued. The UN chief's worries were mirrored by Erdogan, who told reporters that he was concerned about the possibility of "another Chernobyl" tragedy erupting at the plant. The calls come as Ukrainian employees at the site, who are working there under Russian guidance, have expressed concern about a possible nuclear accident there, claiming that over the past two weeks, the facility has been "the subject of constant military attacks." Also watch | Russia deploys Hypersonic Missiles to Kaliningrad region as Ukraine nears six-month mark

Russia rejects calls to demilitarise the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine

English singer, songwriter, composer and Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has faced some flak online for calling Joe Biden a 'war criminal' of Ukraine and saying Taiwan is part of China.

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters draws flak for his comments over China & Russia's military aggression

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. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has triggered a global food crisis with climate shocks and the coronavirus (COVID-19) further fanning it. The war is driving rising prices of fertilizer, fuel and food. Experts and international agencies have claimed that millions of people across the world are at risk of being driven into starvation unless action is taken. On Wednesday (July 13), Russia and Ukraine made substantive progress in their first direct talks since March to discuss and tackle the ongoing global food crisis. The main cause is the block of the Black Sea used for grain exports. ALSO READ | Ukraine dismisses claims that West-supplied arms ending up on black market, calls it Russian propaganda The United Nations and Turkish officials in Istanbul were involved in the crucial meeting, which took place behind closed doors and at an unknown location. The officials have agreed to meet again in Turkey next week. The Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar said that Russia and Ukraine have made enough progress in resolving their dispute. In a statement, Akar said: "It was agreed that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations should meet again in Turkey next week." Russia and Ukraine's defence delegations agreed on "joint controls" at ports and on ways to "ensure the safety of the transfer routes" across the Black Sea, Akar said. ALSO READ | Russia shot down three Ukrainian fighter jets, says Russian defence ministry He also hinted that a final agreement on releasing an estimated 20 to 25 million tonnes of grain could be announced next week. Akar said, "At this meeting, which we will hold next week, all the details will be reviewed once again and the work we have done will be signed. After the meeting, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said a "critical step forward" had been made toward reviving Ukrainian grain exports but cautioned that "more technical work will now be needed to materialize today's progress". He told reporters in New York: "Next week, hopefully, we'll be able to have a final agreement. But, as I said, we still need a lot of goodwill and commitments by all parties." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Substantive progress in Russia and Ukraine's first talks since March over deal to restore grain exports

Amid fears of gas shortages with Russia curbing capacity, Germany's two houses of Parliament have taken the "painful but necessary" decision to reactivate the country's coal-fired power plants in order to support electricity generation reports the Guardian. This is a major setback to Germany's plans to phase out carbon-intensive coal by 2030. Environmental campaigners argue that this move to use the highly polluting form of energy is a compromise too far, given that the country already rusks missing even the most basic climate targets it had set. Some argue that with&nbsp;Berlin hugely dependent on gas supplies from Russia what can the nation do, but restart the "mothballed" coal power plants.

Watch |&nbsp;Vladimir Putin signs a new decree as Russia takes over the Sakhalin gas project

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Since the Russian aggression on Ukraine started in February of this year, Gas has become an even more volatile commodity than before.&nbsp;Given the Western sanction on it, Russia is pushing back by reducing the flow of its exports. Germany, which is highly dependent on Moscow's supplies says it had to take this step to restart coal power plants.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-crisis-european-countries-open-new-pipeline-to-achieve-energy-independence-495629" hreflang="en">Ukraine crisis: European countries open new pipeline to achieve energy independence</a>

By utilising coal to make power instead of gas, which must be saved for a variety of industrial activities, these steps intend to gradually wean Germany off Russian gas and reduce its vulnerability to blackmail. It&nbsp;also aims&nbsp;to keep energy supplies at a steady level before winter.

The government's environmentalist minister of economy, Robert Habeck, referred to the German parliament's action as "painful but necessary."&nbsp;&nbsp;The coalition government's leading&nbsp;Greens also&nbsp;support it, arguing that it is necessary as a short-term crisis management measure.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-vetoes-united-nations-resolution-extending-cross-border-aid-to-syria-495707" hreflang="en">Russia vetoes United Nations resolution extending cross-border aid to Syria</a>

As per the Guardian report business leaders have applauded the action. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) referred to the decision as "better late than never" in a statement.

When the war started, Germany's gas storage tanks were only around one-third filled. After&nbsp;efforts to acquire supplies from other sources, and&nbsp;in spite of cost-cutting measures they on Friday stood at around 63 per cent capacity. However, they are still a long way from the 90 per cent target set for 1 November, which experts say should be enough to get Germany through the winter.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Amid fears of gas shortages with Russia curbing capacity, Germany's two houses of Parliament have taken the "painful but necessary" decision to reactivate the country's coal-fired power plants in order to support electricity generation reports the Guardian.

Amid fears of gas shortages with Russia curbing capacity, Germany's two houses of Parliament have taken the "painful but necessary" decision to reactivate the country's coal-fired power plants in order to support electricity generation reports the Guardian. This is a major setback to Germany's plans to phase out carbon-intensive coal by 2030. Environmental campaigners argue that this move to use the highly polluting form of energy is a compromise too far, given that the country already rusks missing even the most basic climate targets it had set. Some argue that with Berlin hugely dependent on gas supplies from Russia what can the nation do, but restart the "mothballed" coal power plants. Watch | Vladimir Putin signs a new decree as Russia takes over the Sakhalin gas project Since the Russian aggression on Ukraine started in February of this year, Gas has become an even more volatile commodity than before. Given the Western sanction on it, Russia is pushing back by reducing the flow of its exports. Germany, which is highly dependent on Moscow's supplies says it had to take this step to restart coal power plants. Also read | Ukraine crisis: European countries open new pipeline to achieve energy independence By utilising coal to make power instead of gas, which must be saved for a variety of industrial activities, these steps intend to gradually wean Germany off Russian gas and reduce its vulnerability to blackmail. It also aims to keep energy supplies at a steady level before winter. The government's environmentalist minister of economy, Robert Habeck, referred to the German parliament's action as "painful but necessary." The coalition government's leading Greens also support it, arguing that it is necessary as a short-term crisis management measure. Also read | Russia vetoes United Nations resolution extending cross-border aid to Syria As per the Guardian report business leaders have applauded the action. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) referred to the decision as "better late than never" in a statement. When the war started, Germany's gas storage tanks were only around one-third filled. After efforts to acquire supplies from other sources, and in spite of cost-cutting measures they on Friday stood at around 63 per cent capacity. However, they are still a long way from the 90 per cent target set for 1 November, which experts say should be enough to get Germany through the winter. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

A compromise too far? As Russia curbs gas flow, Germany restarts its coal power plants to avoid blackmail

UK PM Boris Johnson has said that Russian supremo Vladimir Putin would have not invaded Ukraine had he been a woman, he also stated that Ukraine invasion is crazy and macho, adding that it was a perfect example of toxic masculinity. In his comments, the British leader called for more women in positions of power.

UK PM Boris Johnson calls for more women in power

In what would be a significant uptick in the campaign to punish the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine, the United States as per an AFP report claimed on Monday that the G7 nations are nearing an agreement on a strategy to impose a lower price for Russian oil.&nbsp;Describing talks among the G7 nations as 'advancing' a senior US official, speaking to AFP on the condition of anonymity, said: "We're still in final discussions with other G7 counterparts working to finalise this, but we're very close to a place where G7 leaders will have decided to urgently direct relevant ministers to develop mechanisms to set a global price cap for Russian oil."

Watch |&nbsp;G7 allies seek to close ranks against Russia

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Talking to the press at the G7 conference in Germany, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters that a "consensus" was emerging and "the price cap is a serious method to achieve that outcome."

The targeting of the oil industry marks the biggest economic stakes so far, despite the fact that the West has already imposed numerous levels of sanctions on Russia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-is-not-the-time-for-negotiations-with-russia-zelensky-to-g7-countries-492242" hreflang="en">Now is not the time for negotiations with Russia, Zelensky to G7 countries</a>

Reportedly, the strategy aims to "force down the price of Russian oil" and deprive the Kremlin of its "main source of cash."

According to the plan, consuming nations would essentially set a low price for Russian oil, which Moscow would be forced to accept because it needs the money.

However, there are significant doubts over the unity of the consuming nations and whether Russia would actually bow down or whether it might instead respond by shutting off the energy supply to Europe.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In what would be a significant uptick in the campaign to punish the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine, the United States as per an AFP report claimed on Monday that the G7 nations are nearing an agreement on a strategy to impose a lower price for Russian oil.

In what would be a significant uptick in the campaign to punish the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine, the United States as per an AFP report claimed on Monday that the G7 nations are nearing an agreement on a strategy to impose a lower price for Russian oil. Describing talks among the G7 nations as 'advancing' a senior US official, speaking to AFP on the condition of anonymity, said: "We're still in final discussions with other G7 counterparts working to finalise this, but we're very close to a place where G7 leaders will have decided to urgently direct relevant ministers to develop mechanisms to set a global price cap for Russian oil." Watch | G7 allies seek to close ranks against Russia Talking to the press at the G7 conference in Germany, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters that a "consensus" was emerging and "the price cap is a serious method to achieve that outcome." The targeting of the oil industry marks the biggest economic stakes so far, despite the fact that the West has already imposed numerous levels of sanctions on Russia. Also read | Now is not the time for negotiations with Russia, Zelensky to G7 countries Reportedly, the strategy aims to "force down the price of Russian oil" and deprive the Kremlin of its "main source of cash." According to the plan, consuming nations would essentially set a low price for Russian oil, which Moscow would be forced to accept because it needs the money. However, there are significant doubts over the unity of the consuming nations and whether Russia would actually bow down or whether it might instead respond by shutting off the energy supply to Europe. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

G7 leaders strategise to 'force down the price of Russian oil' and target Moscow's 'main source of cash'

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

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

Finland plans to build barriers on its border with Russia

Amid tensions over the death sentence to two Britons and a&nbsp;Moroccan by a separatist court in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the duo had committed crimes in the Donetsk People's Republic.

The Donetsk People's Republic is a self-proclaimed independent state which was recognised by Russian President Vladimir Putin just days ahead of the war with Ukraine. The territory is universally recognised as part of Ukraine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kyiv-in-no-danger-but-we-are-preparing-ukraine-minister-486747">Also Read:&nbsp;Kyiv in 'no danger', but we are preparing: Ukraine minister</a>

Lavrov maintained that "the crimes in question were committed on the DPR's territory". The two British and a Moroccan were captured by Russian forces as a court in &nbsp;Donetsk People's Republic&nbsp;ordered the death penalty for Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Saadun Brahim.

Watch:&nbsp;Fierce battle underway in east Ukraine

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Reports claimed they were accussed of being mercenaries. Ukraine slammed the court's verdict declaring that it was "placing propaganda interests above the law".

Russian news agency reported the British citizens had surrendered in&nbsp;Mariupol in April and the Moroccon citizen Brahim had surrendered in Volnovakha in March.

The Britons had earlier pleaded with UK PM Boris Johnson to negotiate their release, however, the pro-Russian separatist court sentenced them to death on Wednesday.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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Amid tensions over the death sentence to two Britons and a Moroccan by a separatist court in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the duo had committed crimes in the Donetsk People's Republic.

Amid tensions over the death sentence to two Britons and a Moroccan by a separatist court in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the duo had committed crimes in the Donetsk People's Republic. The Donetsk People's Republic is a self-proclaimed independent state which was recognised by Russian President Vladimir Putin just days ahead of the war with Ukraine. The territory is universally recognised as part of Ukraine. Also Read: Kyiv in 'no danger', but we are preparing: Ukraine minister Lavrov maintained that "the crimes in question were committed on the DPR's territory". The two British and a Moroccan were captured by Russian forces as a court in Donetsk People's Republic ordered the death penalty for Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Saadun Brahim. Watch: Fierce battle underway in east Ukraine Reports claimed they were accussed of being mercenaries. Ukraine slammed the court's verdict declaring that it was "placing propaganda interests above the law". Russian news agency reported the British citizens had surrendered in Mariupol in April and the Moroccon citizen Brahim had surrendered in Volnovakha in March. The Britons had earlier pleaded with UK PM Boris Johnson to negotiate their release, however, the pro-Russian separatist court sentenced them to death on Wednesday. (With inputs from Agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Captured Britons, Moroccan committed crimes in Donetsk, claims Russia

The outgoing German envoy to Delhi Walter J. Lindner has said that India can't be "finger pointed" for importing Russian oil and that "every country has different history, different position, dependencies". Indian commercial traders are increasingly trying to get cheap Russian oil as western sanctions are imposed on Moscow in the aftermath of its invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to WION's Diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Envoy Lindner said, "We in Europe had a very strong and big dependency from Russian energy, we still have. So, what we are doing, is to try to reduce, reduce, reduce and by end of August we will have zero imports of Russian oil. Coal is gone right now".

He said that India should be "invited all the time to G7". Germany is the chair of the grouping this year and will be hosting the summit from 26 to 28 June 2022 at Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian Alps. Indian PM Modi travels to the G7 summit in Germany later this month. Last month too he was in Berlin for the inter-governmental consultations.

A well-known Indophile, the envoy in the past is&nbsp;a top German diplomat and Germany's foreign secretary to India. As his three&nbsp;and half year stint in India comes to a close, he retires soon.&nbsp;

What is interesting is his first impression of India came from watching the 1971 "Concert for Bangladesh" by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar. The young Walter J. Lindner worked as a truck driver and in McDonald's to collect money to visit India. Asked about his love for India, in his last interview as the envoy, he said, "Now I am leaving as an ambassador, but this travel is by no means over, so it (India) will be destination for me for next 20 years and I will come back." He is a trained musician.&nbsp;

WION: What has been the most challenging part of your India tenure?

Walter J. Lindner: I think the last three and a half years for everyone, not only diplomats, journalists, everyone has been very different because you know I arrived in spring 2019 and we had normal diplomatic life, we had the chancellor here, members of the parliament and interaction with many people but then came Covid and it took away 2 years of interacting with people. It was lockdown, you could not fly, you could not meet people.&nbsp;

2 years were gone and then we had Ukraine and which always dominated discussions. This is kind of a very peculiar 3 and half year period. We started well with the chancellor coming here and we ended 3 and half years well with your PM coming to Germany and coming to Germany again in a few weeks. So I think, things have started to be normal again, at least normalisation is starting and so I am looking for my successor.

WION: The Indian PM is expected to visit Germany for the G7. How do you see Indian PM Modi's presence and what will be the key priority for the summit?

Walter J. Lindner: I think it is very important that India is there, and already for a few years, India has been a permanent invitee there. It is important, given the 1.3 billion people in the country, the importance of India, it is just fair that it is there. It adds to an extra point of view because G7 are mostly the industrialised countries, we have a big country like India from the south, it adds to a totally different aspect.&nbsp;

A lot of focus will be on the Ukraine crisis. If you are in Europe, this is dominating the talk. PMs know it, it has been the case in many meetings. This will be dominating, also the post covid situation how do we deal with pandemics, how do we make things better in the future and how do we deal with renewable energy, green economy issue because after we have the restart of the economies. Then we have terrorism and global developments.

WION: Do you think India should become a permanent member of the G7 in the near future?

Walter J. Lindner: I think first, India should be a permanent member of the Security Council because that is where it belongs. G7 is a particular group of countries which are developed and high developing countries, so I think this is not a question.&nbsp;

The important thing is at the security council it should be a permanent member and should be invited all the time to the G7 and then it will be the president of the G20 next year. This is very important because whatever is discussed at the G7 has an impact on the G20 so if the two presidents, Germany now and India next are in sync then next year I think it will be very helpful for the international development.

WION: You mentioned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. How do you see India's position, particularly India importing cheap Russian crude oil?

Walter J. Lindner: Every country has a different history, different positions, and dependencies. We in Europe had a very strong and big dependency on Russian energy, (which) we still have. So, what we are doing, is to try to reduce, reduce, reduce and by end of August, we will have zero imports of Russian oil.&nbsp;

Coal is gone right now and then by end of next year, we will have zero imports of Russian gas. So, we do a lot there, but India has much less import from Russia, and I think we should not finger point India, but rather emphasise that we have reduced to zero our European dependency on Russian energy and then other nations in the world will do the same.

WION: You are an Indophile, you love India can you tell me about how it all started...

Walter J. Lindner: It started 45 years ago during the hippie time when we in Europe considered India as a country where you have spiritual attraction and where you have people totally dedicated to life values and while in the west, we were more into making money and economy progress. This was the philosophy 40 years ago.&nbsp;

We had authors Hermann Hesse, his book Siddhartha and then solidarity concerts which led us European, or western youth to find India as the travel destination. So, I have worked as a taxi driver, truck driver, and at Mcdonald's just to get money to travel to India.&nbsp;

40 years ago, I visited India and experienced it for myself. Now I am leaving as an ambassador, but this travel is by no means over, so it will be a destination for me for the next 20 years and I will come back.

WION: And what happens to Amby, the famous red ambassador car you travelled around in Delhi...and your non-diplomatic way of reaching out?

Walter J. Lindner: Amby, as much as I love her, she belongs to India. I would not bring her to the snow of Germany or ice roads. It will remain here but as for what will be her fate in future, I will talk to her and see if my successor gets along well with her. If he does and agrees, he might accompany her. Her will and wish. We must ask if she wants to retire in a cool place here but I think we need to respect her will.

WION: How do you think global geopolitics will change because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine?

Walter J. Lindner: Back in the 90s when the wall came down, there was a period of 10-20 years...we have now reached a status where things are going better. We have the global development goals, the end of history, no more cold war, Gorbachev, Bill Clinton...we thought things were moving in the right direction. They were there for a while, but nobody expected Putin to initiate this incredible brutal war. Now the consequence of this is not good, the peace we had in the early years of the 2000s--we were investing money into development, cultural projects, and rather not into the military.&nbsp;

Consequently, now many nations will spend much more money on the military, and this money is needed for other things which we must finance; (like) climate change, and development. So, this kind of militarisation of international politics is not a good development.

WION: And you think China can follow in Russia's steps?

Walter J. Lindner: Well, I don't want to mention a particular country but what is important to tell Putin is that this is not your success story for you. You made a big mistake. Other nations, I don't want to name them, think twice-- if they think in future, that well, we (will) follow a model like Putin, invade an innocent nation and get away with it. If we show Putin, you can't do this, we show it to countries which might think they can (also) do this.

The outgoing German envoy to Delhi Walter J. Lindner has said that India can't be "finger pointed" for importing Russian oil and that "every country has different history, different position, dependencies".

The outgoing German envoy to Delhi Walter J. Lindner has said that India can't be "finger pointed" for importing Russian oil and that "every country has different history, different position, dependencies". Indian commercial traders are increasingly trying to get cheap Russian oil as western sanctions are imposed on Moscow in the aftermath of its invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to WION's Diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Envoy Lindner said, "We in Europe had a very strong and big dependency from Russian energy, we still have. So, what we are doing, is to try to reduce, reduce, reduce and by end of August we will have zero imports of Russian oil. Coal is gone right now". He said that India should be "invited all the time to G7". Germany is the chair of the grouping this year and will be hosting the summit from 26 to 28 June 2022 at Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian Alps. Indian PM Modi travels to the G7 summit in Germany later this month. Last month too he was in Berlin for the inter-governmental consultations. A well-known Indophile, the envoy in the past is a top German diplomat and Germany's foreign secretary to India. As his three and half year stint in India comes to a close, he retires soon. What is interesting is his first impression of India came from watching the 1971 "Concert for Bangladesh" by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar. The young Walter J. Lindner worked as a truck driver and in McDonald's to collect money to visit India. Asked about his love for India, in his last interview as the envoy, he said, "Now I am leaving as an ambassador, but this travel is by no means over, so it (India) will be destination for me for next 20 years and I will come back." He is a trained musician. WION: What has been the most challenging part of your India tenure? Walter J. Lindner: I think the last three and a half years for everyone, not only diplomats, journalists, everyone has been very different because you know I arrived in spring 2019 and we had normal diplomatic life, we had the chancellor here, members of the parliament and interaction with many people but then came Covid and it took away 2 years of interacting with people. It was lockdown, you could not fly, you could not meet people. 2 years were gone and then we had Ukraine and which always dominated discussions. This is kind of a very peculiar 3 and half year period. We started well with the chancellor coming here and we ended 3 and half years well with your PM coming to Germany and coming to Germany again in a few weeks. So I think, things have started to be normal again, at least normalisation is starting and so I am looking for my successor. WION: The Indian PM is expected to visit Germany for the G7. How do you see Indian PM Modi's presence and what will be the key priority for the summit? Walter J. Lindner: I think it is very important that India is there, and already for a few years, India has been a permanent invitee there. It is important, given the 1.3 billion people in the country, the importance of India, it is just fair that it is there. It adds to an extra point of view because G7 are mostly the industrialised countries, we have a big country like India from the south, it adds to a totally different aspect. A lot of focus will be on the Ukraine crisis. If you are in Europe, this is dominating the talk. PMs know it, it has been the case in many meetings. This will be dominating, also the post covid situation how do we deal with pandemics, how do we make things better in the future and how do we deal with renewable energy, green economy issue because after we have the restart of the economies. Then we have terrorism and global developments. WION: Do you think India should become a permanent member of the G7 in the near future? Walter J. Lindner: I think first, India should be a permanent member of the Security Council because that is where it belongs. G7 is a particular group of countries which are developed and high developing countries, so I think this is not a question. The important thing is at the security council it should be a permanent member and should be invited all the time to the G7 and then it will be the president of the G20 next year. This is very important because whatever is discussed at the G7 has an impact on the G20 so if the two presidents, Germany now and India next are in sync then next year I think it will be very helpful for the international development. WION: You mentioned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. How do you see India's position, particularly India importing cheap Russian crude oil? Walter J. Lindner: Every country has a different history, different positions, and dependencies. We in Europe had a very strong and big dependency on Russian energy, (which) we still have. So, what we are doing, is to try to reduce, reduce, reduce and by end of August, we will have zero imports of Russian oil. Coal is gone right now and then by end of next year, we will have zero imports of Russian gas. So, we do a lot there, but India has much less import from Russia, and I think we should not finger point India, but rather emphasise that we have reduced to zero our European dependency on Russian energy and then other nations in the world will do the same. WION: You are an Indophile, you love India can you tell me about how it all started... Walter J. Lindner: It started 45 years ago during the hippie time when we in Europe considered India as a country where you have spiritual attraction and where you have people totally dedicated to life values and while in the west, we were more into making money and economy progress. This was the philosophy 40 years ago. We had authors Hermann Hesse, his book Siddhartha and then solidarity concerts which led us European, or western youth to find India as the travel destination. So, I have worked as a taxi driver, truck driver, and at Mcdonald's just to get money to travel to India. 40 years ago, I visited India and experienced it for myself. Now I am leaving as an ambassador, but this travel is by no means over, so it will be a destination for me for the next 20 years and I will come back. WION: And what happens to Amby, the famous red ambassador car you travelled around in Delhi...and your non-diplomatic way of reaching out? Walter J. Lindner: Amby, as much as I love her, she belongs to India. I would not bring her to the snow of Germany or ice roads. It will remain here but as for what will be her fate in future, I will talk to her and see if my successor gets along well with her. If he does and agrees, he might accompany her. Her will and wish. We must ask if she wants to retire in a cool place here but I think we need to respect her will. WION: How do you think global geopolitics will change because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Walter J. Lindner: Back in the 90s when the wall came down, there was a period of 10-20 years...we have now reached a status where things are going better. We have the global development goals, the end of history, no more cold war, Gorbachev, Bill Clinton...we thought things were moving in the right direction. They were there for a while, but nobody expected Putin to initiate this incredible brutal war. Now the consequence of this is not good, the peace we had in the early years of the 2000s--we were investing money into development, cultural projects, and rather not into the military. Consequently, now many nations will spend much more money on the military, and this money is needed for other things which we must finance; (like) climate change, and development. So, this kind of militarisation of international politics is not a good development. WION: And you think China can follow in Russia's steps? Walter J. Lindner: Well, I don't want to mention a particular country but what is important to tell Putin is that this is not your success story for you. You made a big mistake. Other nations, I don't want to name them, think twice-- if they think in future, that well, we (will) follow a model like Putin, invade an innocent nation and get away with it. If we show Putin, you can't do this, we show it to countries which might think they can (also) do this.

Can't 'finger point' India, says German Envoy Lindner on Russian oil import

In a joint news conference with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday (June 1) that Russia's war in Ukraine was expected to go on for "many months". Blinken said that as "best we can assess right now, we are still looking at many months of conflict".&nbsp;

During the presser, he said, "That could be over tomorrow if Russia chose to end the aggression. We don't see any signs of that right now."&nbsp;

"As long as this goes on, we want to make sure that Ukraine has in hand what it needs to defend itself and we want to make sure that Russia is feeling strong pressure from as many countries as possible to end the aggression," he added.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/will-himars-the-high-precision-missile-system-that-us-is-sending-to-ukraine-be-a-game-changer-484167">Will HIMARS, the high precision missile system that US is sending to Ukraine, be a game-changer?</a>

He said this in context to the recent US arms supplies to war-torn Ukraine. The United States announced that it is sending advanced missile systems to Ukraine. The new weapon is the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;EU’s partial ban on Russian oil: How will it affect Russia?

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The move has been criticised by Russia but Blinken said during the press conference that Ukraine had promised not to use new long-range missiles to strike inside of Russia.&nbsp;

He said that the Ukrainians have given "assurances" that they will not use these systems against targets on Russian territory. Blinken added that there is a "strong trust bond" between Ukraine and the United States, as well as with allies and partners.&nbsp;

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In a joint news conference with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday (June 1) that Russia's war in Ukraine was expected to go on for "many months".

In a joint news conference with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday (June 1) that Russia's war in Ukraine was expected to go on for "many months". Blinken said that as "best we can assess right now, we are still looking at many months of conflict". During the presser, he said, "That could be over tomorrow if Russia chose to end the aggression. We don't see any signs of that right now." "As long as this goes on, we want to make sure that Ukraine has in hand what it needs to defend itself and we want to make sure that Russia is feeling strong pressure from as many countries as possible to end the aggression," he added. IN PICS | Will HIMARS, the high precision missile system that US is sending to Ukraine, be a game-changer? He said this in context to the recent US arms supplies to war-torn Ukraine. The United States announced that it is sending advanced missile systems to Ukraine. The new weapon is the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system. WATCH | EU’s partial ban on Russian oil: How will it affect Russia? × ALSO READ | Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan halts talks with Greece as tensions flare again The move has been criticised by Russia but Blinken said during the press conference that Ukraine had promised not to use new long-range missiles to strike inside of Russia. He said that the Ukrainians have given "assurances" that they will not use these systems against targets on Russian territory. Blinken added that there is a "strong trust bond" between Ukraine and the United States, as well as with allies and partners. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Antony Blinken expects 'many months' of Russia-Ukraine war

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. Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, a French journalist was killed on Monday (May 30) when shelling struck a vehicle evacuating civilians from eastern Ukraine. French officials confirmed the news and called for an investigation. In a statement, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who was in Ukraine on Monday said, "France demands that a probe be carried out as soon as possible and in transparency on the circumstances of this drama." "I have spoken with the government of Lugansk and asked President [Volodymyr] Zelensky for an inquiry, and they assured me of their help and support," she added. ALSO READ | Joe Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia News agency Reuters reported citing BFM television news channel, where the 32-year-old journalist worked. The media outlet revealed that journo Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was on his second reporting trip for the French television channel in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter: "Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was in Ukraine to show the reality of the war. Onboard a humanitarian bus with civilians forced to flee to escape Russian bombs, he was mortally wounded." Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesman for the Ukrainian foreign ministry, said on Twitter: "We strongly condemn this killing. The list of Russian crimes against media workers in Ukraine keeps expanding." ALSO READ | Iran's enriched uranium 18 times over limit, warns IAEA WATCH | Discussions on oil embargo: European Union holds two-day summit in Brussels × News agency AFP reported that he was near Severodonetsk, a city in Ukraine's east. Of late, the city has been pounded by Russian troops. BFM said its journalist had been hit by shrapnel from the bombing. "This tragic event reminds us of the dangers faced by all journalists who have been risking their lives to describe this conflict for more than three months now," BFM said in a statement. "Frederic wasn't a hothead. He weighed every moment of his mission" and "judged it was secure enough to go along", the broadcaster's chief Marc-Olivier Fogiel said on air. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Russia-Ukraine war: French journalist killed in Ukraine, Paris demands investigation

As the member countries of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meet in Tokyo, Japan, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war remains a key point of focus.&nbsp;

However,&nbsp;even as the four QUAD members; Australia, India, Japan and the United States, contemplate the months-long aggression, the fact remains that to date India is yet to take any action against Russia.

Why is it that India hasn't openly condemned Moscow's actions or imposed any sanctions on the aggressor?

India has long-standing ties with the former Soviet nation Russia - especially in the defence sector.

Watch |&nbsp;QUAD Summit 2022: Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered a human catastrophe, says Biden

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During a visit to the US in April, India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that India would like to be a 'good friend' to Western countries but that the country doesn't want to be weakened and needed to ensure its security.

Experts believe that this means that the South-Asian nation plans to continue its long-standing reliance on Russia.

How dependent is India on Russia?

The country's rivalry with its next-door neighbour Pakistan has long influenced its status as one of the world's largest buyers of weapons. China's growing power in the region has added to India's worries.

BBC reports that since 1992 almost two-thirds of Indian military equipment has come from Russia. As per estimates by a US-based research group &nbsp;Stimson Center, Russian weapons could account for as much as 85 per cent of New Delhi's weapon systems.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/quad-summit-2022-new-initiatives-include-sharing-of-space-data-481665" hreflang="en">Quad Summit 2022: New initiatives include sharing of space data</a>

It is to be noted that while India has attempted to diversify its weapon supplies, purchasing from France, Israel, UK and US, Moscow remains a major supplier.

But despite the ties India now shares with these nations, it is yet to join in the international condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Among the QUAD members, the United States has been at the forefront in condemning Moscow and imposing manyfold sanctions, something that Japan and Australia have been quick to join.

India has long practised nonalignment. Even as its close relationship with the United States on one hand and Russia on the other&nbsp;puts it in an uncomfortable position, India is maintaining its status-quo.&nbsp;

The nation has successfully avoided being entangled in conflicts amid superpowers and maintaining its sovereignty.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rogozin-proposes-russian-names-for-disputed-kuril-islands-ahead-of-quad-summit-481655" hreflang="en">Rogozin proposes Russian names for disputed Kuril Islands ahead of Quad Summit</a>

This is not to say that India has sat by quietly as the war in Ukraine continues. Even though it hasn't outright condemned Moscow, the nation has made some pointed comments.

As part of India's statements on Ukraine at the UN Security Council, the country's permanent representative to the United States, T S Tirumurti on February 27 referred to maintaining respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations as the key principles of global order.&nbsp;

This sentiment was also echoed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during telephonic conversations with Ukraine's land neighbours the Slovak Republic and Romania.

However, as Russia and China grow closer, it remains to be seen if India changes its foreign policy.

(With inputs from agencies)

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As the member countries of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meet in Tokyo, Japan, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war remains a key point of focus. However, even as the four QUAD members; Australia, India, Japan and the United States, contemplate the months-long aggression, the fact remains that to date India is yet to take any action against Russia.

As the member countries of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meet in Tokyo, Japan, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war remains a key point of focus. However, even as the four QUAD members; Australia, India, Japan and the United States, contemplate the months-long aggression, the fact remains that to date India is yet to take any action against Russia. Why is it that India hasn't openly condemned Moscow's actions or imposed any sanctions on the aggressor? India has long-standing ties with the former Soviet nation Russia - especially in the defence sector. Watch | QUAD Summit 2022: Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered a human catastrophe, says Biden During a visit to the US in April, India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that India would like to be a 'good friend' to Western countries but that the country doesn't want to be weakened and needed to ensure its security. Experts believe that this means that the South-Asian nation plans to continue its long-standing reliance on Russia. How dependent is India on Russia? The country's rivalry with its next-door neighbour Pakistan has long influenced its status as one of the world's largest buyers of weapons. China's growing power in the region has added to India's worries. BBC reports that since 1992 almost two-thirds of Indian military equipment has come from Russia. As per estimates by a US-based research group Stimson Center, Russian weapons could account for as much as 85 per cent of New Delhi's weapon systems. Also read | Quad Summit 2022: New initiatives include sharing of space data It is to be noted that while India has attempted to diversify its weapon supplies, purchasing from France, Israel, UK and US, Moscow remains a major supplier. But despite the ties India now shares with these nations, it is yet to join in the international condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Among the QUAD members, the United States has been at the forefront in condemning Moscow and imposing manyfold sanctions, something that Japan and Australia have been quick to join. India has long practised nonalignment. Even as its close relationship with the United States on one hand and Russia on the other puts it in an uncomfortable position, India is maintaining its status-quo. The nation has successfully avoided being entangled in conflicts amid superpowers and maintaining its sovereignty. Also read | Rogozin proposes Russian names for disputed Kuril Islands ahead of Quad Summit This is not to say that India has sat by quietly as the war in Ukraine continues. Even though it hasn't outright condemned Moscow, the nation has made some pointed comments. As part of India's statements on Ukraine at the UN Security Council, the country's permanent representative to the United States, T S Tirumurti on February 27 referred to maintaining respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations as the key principles of global order. This sentiment was also echoed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during telephonic conversations with Ukraine's land neighbours the Slovak Republic and Romania. However, as Russia and China grow closer, it remains to be seen if India changes its foreign policy. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India is the only member of the Quad that hasn't imposed sanctions on Russia. This is why

As the battle continues in Ukraine, Russian forces are preparing for the victory day on May 9 and experts have predicted a declaration of all-out war on Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin will celebrate the World War 2 Soviet victory over Nazi Germany with a traditional victory day parade.

Russia to celebrate Victory Day, observers speculate 'All-Out' war on Ukraine

The Ukraine Army said on Tuesday that Russia had launched a "powerful assault" on the Azovstal steel plant even as the UN claimed at least 101 civilians were evacuated from Mariupol city.

Russia had said it was targeting the Azovstal steel plant with artillery and planes. Reports claimed earlier that at least 1000 Ukrainian troops including several&nbsp;civilians were trapped at the strategic steel factory as Russia continues to bombard the city.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russian-foreign-ministers-remark-on-adolf-hitlers-ancestry-sparks-diplomatic-row-with-israel-475962">Also Read in Pics:&nbsp;Hitler's 'Jewish' blood: An old conspiracy theory</a>

Mariupol has been low on food, electricity and water due to weeks of Russian bombing. President Volodymyr Zelensky had said earlier that at least hundred civilians were evacuated from the steel plant.

Russia's defence ministry said its forces along with "Donetsk People's Republic are beginning to destroy firing positions" of Ukrainian troops.

Watch:&nbsp;US says Russia plans to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukraine-conflict-us-says-russia-plans-to-annex-ukraines-donetsk-luhansk-476006/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly told French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the West should halt military supply to Ukraine.

"The Russian side is still open to dialogue," Putin told Macron even as the French president asserted that the global food chain was under threat due to the war in Ukraine.

Amid the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis said he would like to meet the Russian president and that he "was willing to go to Moscow". However, the Pope said he hadn't received a response after relaying the message to the Russian leader.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Watch WION LIVE Here

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The Ukraine Army said on Tuesday that Russia had launched a "powerful assault" on the Azovstal steel plant even as the UN claimed at least 101 civilians were evacuated from Mariupol city.

The Ukraine Army said on Tuesday that Russia had launched a "powerful assault" on the Azovstal steel plant even as the UN claimed at least 101 civilians were evacuated from Mariupol city. Russia had said it was targeting the Azovstal steel plant with artillery and planes. Reports claimed earlier that at least 1000 Ukrainian troops including several civilians were trapped at the strategic steel factory as Russia continues to bombard the city. Also Read in Pics: Hitler's 'Jewish' blood: An old conspiracy theory Mariupol has been low on food, electricity and water due to weeks of Russian bombing. President Volodymyr Zelensky had said earlier that at least hundred civilians were evacuated from the steel plant. Russia's defence ministry said its forces along with "Donetsk People's Republic are beginning to destroy firing positions" of Ukrainian troops. Watch: US says Russia plans to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly told French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the West should halt military supply to Ukraine. "The Russian side is still open to dialogue," Putin told Macron even as the French president asserted that the global food chain was under threat due to the war in Ukraine. Amid the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis said he would like to meet the Russian president and that he "was willing to go to Moscow". However, the Pope said he hadn't received a response after relaying the message to the Russian leader. (With inputs from Agencies) Watch WION LIVE Here

Russia attacks Azovstal steel plant with artillery and planes

Plants need nutrients to grow. Agriculture relies heavily on chemical fertilisers to provide these nutrients. But what if we tell you we can use pee instead?

Yes, urine might be the solution to all our problems. Before we talk about how it can help let's see why a shift from chemical fertilisers is necessary.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are essential for plants and hence agriculture.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/knock-knock-whos-therealiens-when-humanity-tried-to-talk-to-the-little-green-men-475713">Knock! Knock! Who's there?...Aliens: When humanity tried to talk to the little green men</a>

For almost a century we have relied on synthetic nitrogen to help boost agricultural production, successfully we might add.

However, synthetic nutrients like nitrogen harm the environment. When used in large quantities, these chemicals seep into waterways, ponds and rivers, giving rise to algae and essentially choking the aquatic life.&nbsp;

Chemical fertilisers also contribute to climate change by creating greenhouse gas emissions.

The nutrients that plants need; nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are present in human pee. As per Engineer Fabien Esculier, OCAPI research programme, we ingest these via food and excrete them through pee.

Watch |&nbsp;Tingle trees undergo prescribed burns, botanists ask 400-year-old trees to be preserved

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tingle-trees-undergo-prescribed-burns-botanists-ask-400-year-old-trees-to-be-preserved-475592/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

But a major challenge is to overcome public squeamishness over the use of human excrement for fertilising the food we eat.

As per AFP, a study on this subject found that different nations reacted differently. While China, France, and Uganda were more open to the idea, Portugal and Uganda were hesitant.

If urine is to be used, huge quantities of it would be needed and processed.&nbsp;

Earlier urban excrement along with animal manure was transported to fields before being replaced by chemical fertilisers.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-in-10-women-left-job-due-to-menopausal-symptoms-in-uk-finds-survey-475718">One in 10 women left job due to menopausal symptoms in UK, finds survey</a>

Separating urine at the source would be necessary and as Tove Larsen, a researcher at Switzerland's Eawag aquatic research institute put it; unsightly and impractical, plus the smell will be an issue.&nbsp;

Swiss company Laufen and Eawag are developing a new model to solve this problem.

With the prices of synthetic fertilisers currently soaring because of shortages caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, pee may be the viable and eco-friendly solution to farming we need.

Watch WION LIVE HERE:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

(With inputs from agencies)

Plants need nutrients to grow. Agriculture relies heavily on chemical fertilisers to provide these nutrients. But what if we tell you we can use pee instead? Yes, urine might be the solution to all our problems.

Plants need nutrients to grow. Agriculture relies heavily on chemical fertilisers to provide these nutrients. But what if we tell you we can use pee instead? Yes, urine might be the solution to all our problems. Before we talk about how it can help let's see why a shift from chemical fertilisers is necessary. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are essential for plants and hence agriculture. Also read | Knock! Knock! Who's there?...Aliens: When humanity tried to talk to the little green men For almost a century we have relied on synthetic nitrogen to help boost agricultural production, successfully we might add. However, synthetic nutrients like nitrogen harm the environment. When used in large quantities, these chemicals seep into waterways, ponds and rivers, giving rise to algae and essentially choking the aquatic life. Chemical fertilisers also contribute to climate change by creating greenhouse gas emissions. The nutrients that plants need; nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are present in human pee. As per Engineer Fabien Esculier, OCAPI research programme, we ingest these via food and excrete them through pee. Watch | Tingle trees undergo prescribed burns, botanists ask 400-year-old trees to be preserved But a major challenge is to overcome public squeamishness over the use of human excrement for fertilising the food we eat. As per AFP, a study on this subject found that different nations reacted differently. While China, France, and Uganda were more open to the idea, Portugal and Uganda were hesitant. If urine is to be used, huge quantities of it would be needed and processed. Earlier urban excrement along with animal manure was transported to fields before being replaced by chemical fertilisers. Also read | One in 10 women left job due to menopausal symptoms in UK, finds survey Separating urine at the source would be necessary and as Tove Larsen, a researcher at Switzerland's Eawag aquatic research institute put it; unsightly and impractical, plus the smell will be an issue. Swiss company Laufen and Eawag are developing a new model to solve this problem. With the prices of synthetic fertilisers currently soaring because of shortages caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, pee may be the viable and eco-friendly solution to farming we need. Watch WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies)

If it could help feed the planet, would you be open to eating vegetables fertilised with human pee?

The Russia-Ukraine war has entered its third month. All hopes were put behind the peace talks but even that seems to be faltering at this point. Even after multiple meetings, Ukraine and Russia are not able to come on the same page, they both have starkly different demands

Russia-Ukraine conflict: No consensus amid peace talks

The last decade looked like a good one for authoritarian regimes and a challenging one for democratic ones. Cybertools, drones, facial recognition technology and social networks seemed to make efficient authoritarians even more efficient and democracies increasingly ungovernable.

The West lost self-confidence — and both Russian and Chinese leaders rubbed it in, putting out the word that these chaotic democratic systems were a spent force.

And then a totally unexpected thing happened: Russia and China each overreached.

Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and, to his surprise, invited an indirect war with NATO and the West. China insisted that it was smart enough to have its own local solution to a pandemic, leaving millions of Chinese under-protected or unprotected and, in effect, inviting war with one of Mother Nature’s most contagious viruses — the omicron mutation of SARS-CoV-2. It has now led China to lock down all of Shanghai and parts of 44 other cities — some 370 million people.

In short, both Moscow and Beijing find themselves suddenly contending with much more powerful and relentless forces and systems than they ever anticipated. And the battles are exposing — to the whole world and to their own people — the weaknesses of their own systems. So much so that the world now has to worry about instability in both countries.

Be afraid.

Russia is a key supplier of wheat, fertilizer, oil and natural gas for the world. And China is the origin of, or a crucial link in, thousands of global manufacturing supply chains. If Russia is locked out and China is locked down for a prolonged period, every corner of the planet will be affected. And that is no longer a remote possibility.

Let’s start with Putin. He lulled himself into thinking that because his army had smashed a bunch of ragtag military opponents in Syria, Georgia, Crimea and Chechnya, it could quickly devour a country of 44 million people — Ukraine — that over the last decade had been moving to join the West and was tacitly being armed and trained by NATO.

It’s been a military and economic debacle for Russia so far. But just as important, it has exposed precisely how much Putin’s “system” is built on both lying upward — everyone telling superiors what they want to hear, all the way up to Putin — and drilling downward, tapping Russia’s natural resources, enriching a few Russians, rather than unleashing the country’s human resources and empowering the many.

Putin’s Russia is basically built on oil, lies and corruption, and that is not a resilient system.

You could see it right from the eve of the war when Putin conducted a nationally televised meeting of his top national security advisers, and none other than Sergei Naryshkin, chief of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, appeared confused over which lie Putin wanted to be told.

Putin said the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk should be allowed to become independent states, and then he polled these advisers for confirmation. But Naryshkin seemed to think Putin wanted to be told that the two provinces should be annexed to Russia. As Naryshkin stammered over the wrong answer, Putin, without a hint of irony, twice snapped at him to “speak directly” — as if that were possible anymore in Putin’s Russia. Only after Naryshkin gave Putin the lie he obviously wanted to be told did Putin snarl, “You can sit down now.”

How many Russian military officers watching that humiliation were ready to tell Putin the truth about Ukraine once the war started going badly? When the Russian military was up against foes in Georgia, Syria, Crimea and Chechnya, Russia could just indiscriminately bomb its way out of any problem. But now that Putin’s military has found itself in a war with Ukraine’s highly motivated army and its homegrown weapons industry, backed with some of NATO’s best precision weapons and training, the rot has really started to show. Russia’s tank and logistic forces were mauled into multiple junkyards of burning hulks in western Ukraine.

And it is impossible to exaggerate how incompetent the Russian navy had to be to allow the command warship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva missile cruiser, to be so badly damaged, reportedly by two Ukrainian-made anti-ship cruise missiles, called Neptunes, that the Moskva sank into the sea off Ukraine last week — the biggest loss of a naval ship in battle in 40 years.

For the Russian flagship in charge of coordinating all of the air defences for the flotilla, and itself carrying 64 S-300F Rif air defence missiles, to be taken out by enemy anti-ship missiles had to have been the result of a cascade of systems failures in detection and response to an attack.

Moreover, Neptune missiles are not necessarily “ship killers.” They were more likely designed to be “mission killers” — to disable the radar and electronics of sophisticated ships like the Moskva — not specifically sink them.

So I pity the commander who had to tell Putin that Russia’s meanest, monstrous warship in the Black Sea, rumored to have been his favourite, had been sunk by a Ukrainian missile fired in war for the first time.

China is a much more serious country than Russia: It is not built on oil, lies and corruption (though it has plenty of the latter), but on the hard work and manufacturing talents of its people, directed by a top-down, iron-fisted but eager-to-learn-from-abroad Chinese Communist Party. At least, eager in the past to learn, but less so lately.

China’s economic success, and the sense of pride it has generated, seems to have lulled its leadership into thinking it could basically go it alone against a pandemic. By producing its own vaccines, rather than importing better ones from the West, and by repurposing its highly efficient system of authoritarian surveillance and control to curb travel, do mass testing and quarantine any individuals or neighborhoods where COVID-19 appeared, China bet on a “zero COVID” policy. If it could get through the pandemic with fewer deaths and a more open economy, it would be another signal to the world — a big signal — that Chinese communism was superior to American democracy.

But Beijing, while scoffing at the West, became shockingly negligent about vaccinating its own elderly. That did not matter as much when China was able to stem the spread of earlier variants of the coronavirus with tight population controls. But now it matters, because China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines appear not nearly as effective against omicron as the mRNA vaccines made in the West, although they still are effective at reducing hospitalization and death. In China today, more than 130 million people “aged 60 and above are either unvaccinated or have received fewer than three doses,” putting them “in greater danger of developing severe COVID symptoms or dying if they contract the virus,” The Financial Times recently reported, citing a University of Hong Kong study.

This has led Beijing to opt for that total lockdown of Shanghai, which has been so poorly managed that residents have reportedly had to scramble for food.

Dr. David L. Katz, a U.S. public health and preventive medicine expert who wrote one of the most prescient early guest essays in this newspaper about managing COVID at the onset, explained to me that the problem with having the kind of draconian lockdown policy that China maintained is that you are guaranteeing that your population develops little native immunity from having acquired and survived the virus. So, Katz said, if the virus mutates globally, as it did with omicron, and you have “a less than effective vaccine, virtually no natural immunity in the population, and millions of elderly unvaccinated, you’re in a bad place and there is no easy way out.”

You can’t fool around with or propagandize away Mother Nature; she’s merciless.

The moral of this story? High-coercion authoritarian systems are low-information systems — so they often drive blind more than they realize. And even when the truth filters up, or reality in the form of a more powerful foe or Mother Nature slams them in the face so hard it can’t be ignored, their leaders find it hard to change course because their claims to the right to be presidents-for-life rest on their claims to infallibility. And that is why Russia and China are both now struggling.

I am worried sick about our own democratic system. But as long as we can still vote out incompetent leaders and maintain information ecosystems that will expose systemic lying and defy censorship, we can adapt in an age of rapid change — and that is the single most important competitive advantage a country can have today.

The last decade looked like a good one for authoritarian regimes and a challenging one for democratic ones. Cybertools, drones, facial recognition technology and social networks seemed to make efficient authoritarians even more efficient and democracies increasingly ungovernable.

The last decade looked like a good one for authoritarian regimes and a challenging one for democratic ones. Cybertools, drones, facial recognition technology and social networks seemed to make efficient authoritarians even more efficient and democracies increasingly ungovernable. The West lost self-confidence — and both Russian and Chinese leaders rubbed it in, putting out the word that these chaotic democratic systems were a spent force. And then a totally unexpected thing happened: Russia and China each overreached. Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and, to his surprise, invited an indirect war with NATO and the West. China insisted that it was smart enough to have its own local solution to a pandemic, leaving millions of Chinese under-protected or unprotected and, in effect, inviting war with one of Mother Nature’s most contagious viruses — the omicron mutation of SARS-CoV-2. It has now led China to lock down all of Shanghai and parts of 44 other cities — some 370 million people. In short, both Moscow and Beijing find themselves suddenly contending with much more powerful and relentless forces and systems than they ever anticipated. And the battles are exposing — to the whole world and to their own people — the weaknesses of their own systems. So much so that the world now has to worry about instability in both countries. Be afraid. Russia is a key supplier of wheat, fertilizer, oil and natural gas for the world. And China is the origin of, or a crucial link in, thousands of global manufacturing supply chains. If Russia is locked out and China is locked down for a prolonged period, every corner of the planet will be affected. And that is no longer a remote possibility. Let’s start with Putin. He lulled himself into thinking that because his army had smashed a bunch of ragtag military opponents in Syria, Georgia, Crimea and Chechnya, it could quickly devour a country of 44 million people — Ukraine — that over the last decade had been moving to join the West and was tacitly being armed and trained by NATO. It’s been a military and economic debacle for Russia so far. But just as important, it has exposed precisely how much Putin’s “system” is built on both lying upward — everyone telling superiors what they want to hear, all the way up to Putin — and drilling downward, tapping Russia’s natural resources, enriching a few Russians, rather than unleashing the country’s human resources and empowering the many. Putin’s Russia is basically built on oil, lies and corruption, and that is not a resilient system. You could see it right from the eve of the war when Putin conducted a nationally televised meeting of his top national security advisers, and none other than Sergei Naryshkin, chief of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, appeared confused over which lie Putin wanted to be told. Putin said the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk should be allowed to become independent states, and then he polled these advisers for confirmation. But Naryshkin seemed to think Putin wanted to be told that the two provinces should be annexed to Russia. As Naryshkin stammered over the wrong answer, Putin, without a hint of irony, twice snapped at him to “speak directly” — as if that were possible anymore in Putin’s Russia. Only after Naryshkin gave Putin the lie he obviously wanted to be told did Putin snarl, “You can sit down now.” How many Russian military officers watching that humiliation were ready to tell Putin the truth about Ukraine once the war started going badly? When the Russian military was up against foes in Georgia, Syria, Crimea and Chechnya, Russia could just indiscriminately bomb its way out of any problem. But now that Putin’s military has found itself in a war with Ukraine’s highly motivated army and its homegrown weapons industry, backed with some of NATO’s best precision weapons and training, the rot has really started to show. Russia’s tank and logistic forces were mauled into multiple junkyards of burning hulks in western Ukraine. And it is impossible to exaggerate how incompetent the Russian navy had to be to allow the command warship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva missile cruiser, to be so badly damaged, reportedly by two Ukrainian-made anti-ship cruise missiles, called Neptunes, that the Moskva sank into the sea off Ukraine last week — the biggest loss of a naval ship in battle in 40 years. For the Russian flagship in charge of coordinating all of the air defences for the flotilla, and itself carrying 64 S-300F Rif air defence missiles, to be taken out by enemy anti-ship missiles had to have been the result of a cascade of systems failures in detection and response to an attack. Moreover, Neptune missiles are not necessarily “ship killers.” They were more likely designed to be “mission killers” — to disable the radar and electronics of sophisticated ships like the Moskva — not specifically sink them. So I pity the commander who had to tell Putin that Russia’s meanest, monstrous warship in the Black Sea, rumored to have been his favourite, had been sunk by a Ukrainian missile fired in war for the first time. China is a much more serious country than Russia: It is not built on oil, lies and corruption (though it has plenty of the latter), but on the hard work and manufacturing talents of its people, directed by a top-down, iron-fisted but eager-to-learn-from-abroad Chinese Communist Party. At least, eager in the past to learn, but less so lately. China’s economic success, and the sense of pride it has generated, seems to have lulled its leadership into thinking it could basically go it alone against a pandemic. By producing its own vaccines, rather than importing better ones from the West, and by repurposing its highly efficient system of authoritarian surveillance and control to curb travel, do mass testing and quarantine any individuals or neighborhoods where COVID-19 appeared, China bet on a “zero COVID” policy. If it could get through the pandemic with fewer deaths and a more open economy, it would be another signal to the world — a big signal — that Chinese communism was superior to American democracy. But Beijing, while scoffing at the West, became shockingly negligent about vaccinating its own elderly. That did not matter as much when China was able to stem the spread of earlier variants of the coronavirus with tight population controls. But now it matters, because China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines appear not nearly as effective against omicron as the mRNA vaccines made in the West, although they still are effective at reducing hospitalization and death. In China today, more than 130 million people “aged 60 and above are either unvaccinated or have received fewer than three doses,” putting them “in greater danger of developing severe COVID symptoms or dying if they contract the virus,” The Financial Times recently reported, citing a University of Hong Kong study. This has led Beijing to opt for that total lockdown of Shanghai, which has been so poorly managed that residents have reportedly had to scramble for food. Dr. David L. Katz, a U.S. public health and preventive medicine expert who wrote one of the most prescient early guest essays in this newspaper about managing COVID at the onset, explained to me that the problem with having the kind of draconian lockdown policy that China maintained is that you are guaranteeing that your population develops little native immunity from having acquired and survived the virus. So, Katz said, if the virus mutates globally, as it did with omicron, and you have “a less than effective vaccine, virtually no natural immunity in the population, and millions of elderly unvaccinated, you’re in a bad place and there is no easy way out.” You can’t fool around with or propagandize away Mother Nature; she’s merciless. The moral of this story? High-coercion authoritarian systems are low-information systems — so they often drive blind more than they realize. And even when the truth filters up, or reality in the form of a more powerful foe or Mother Nature slams them in the face so hard it can’t be ignored, their leaders find it hard to change course because their claims to the right to be presidents-for-life rest on their claims to infallibility. And that is why Russia and China are both now struggling. I am worried sick about our own democratic system. But as long as we can still vote out incompetent leaders and maintain information ecosystems that will expose systemic lying and defy censorship, we can adapt in an age of rapid change — and that is the single most important competitive advantage a country can have today.

China and Russia are giving authoritarianism a bad name

Germany confiscates Russian Oligarch Alisher Usmanov's superyacht worth $600 million as a part of the trenches of sanctions against Russia by the West

Germany seizes Russian Oligarch's superyacht worth $600 million

In face of the global energy shortage that the world is experiencing due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced that its member countries will be releasing a whopping 120 million barrels of crude oil reserves over a period of six months.

As per IEA the "unanimous" agreement to release the stock was reached by the organisation's 31 members on April 1. As per a Reuters report, about half of the 120 million barrels will be contributed by the United States.

Also read |&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>

This is the largest stock release in the history of organisation and was confirmed by the Governing Board of the IEA as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Earlier IEA had released 62.7 million barrels of crude oil on March 1st and this recently announced release is the second release of reserves since the conflict in Ukraine started on February 24th.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/white-house-says-india-imports-only-1-2-of-russias-total-energy-imports-468628">White House says India imports only 1-2% of Russia's total energy imports</a>

The release of crude reserves aims to drive down the rising fuel prices around the globe.

However, experts and analysts have warned that even with the emergency reserve releases oil supply remains tight.

India, which is one of the largest importers of oil has announced that it is evaluating ways to support IEA's move.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Petrol, Diesel prices soar in India

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-petrol-diesel-prices-soar-in-india-468944/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"In the interest of collaborating with like minded countries on these positive initiatives, Government of India is examining what it can do to support these actions."&nbsp;

Before the Russian attack on Ukraine, IEA members held a collective emergency stockpile of 1.5 billion barrels of crude.

(With inputs from agencies)

In face of the global energy shortage that the world is experiencing due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced that its member countries will be releasing a whopping 120 million barrels of crude oil reserves over a period of six months.

In face of the global energy shortage that the world is experiencing due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced that its member countries will be releasing a whopping 120 million barrels of crude oil reserves over a period of six months. As per IEA the "unanimous" agreement to release the stock was reached by the organisation's 31 members on April 1. As per a Reuters report, about half of the 120 million barrels will be contributed by the United States. Also read | White House says US ready to become India's 'reliable supplier' to counter Russia dependence This is the largest stock release in the history of organisation and was confirmed by the Governing Board of the IEA as reported by Xinhua news agency. Earlier IEA had released 62.7 million barrels of crude oil on March 1st and this recently announced release is the second release of reserves since the conflict in Ukraine started on February 24th. Also read | White House says India imports only 1-2% of Russia's total energy imports The release of crude reserves aims to drive down the rising fuel prices around the globe. However, experts and analysts have warned that even with the emergency reserve releases oil supply remains tight. India, which is one of the largest importers of oil has announced that it is evaluating ways to support IEA's move. Watch | Gravitas: Petrol, Diesel prices soar in India "In the interest of collaborating with like minded countries on these positive initiatives, Government of India is examining what it can do to support these actions." Before the Russian attack on Ukraine, IEA members held a collective emergency stockpile of 1.5 billion barrels of crude. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid global energy crisis, IEA to release 120 million barrels of crude, India supports decision

La Ciotat Shipyards, located in a tranquil area of the French Riviera, is preparing bills for mooring costs for the towering white superyacht Amore Vero but is unsure who to send them to.

Reuters reports that the towering 86-metre (282-foot) yacht according to the France finance ministry belongs to a business owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies Igor Sechin, the head of Russian state oil major Rosneft. Sechin is one of the many individuals facing sanctions in lieu of the&nbsp;Russian attack on Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ukraine-russia-conflict-here-are-the-top-russian-oligarchs-hit-with-eu-sanctions-458882">Ukraine-Russia conflict: Here are the top Russian oligarchs hit with EU sanctions</a>

France has legally seized the Amore Vero, according to Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, a move that grants the state custody of the yacht while leaving the costs to the owner.

According to two companies that service the yacht, authorities have not informed third parties of the vessel's status, leaving it unclear who is responsible for its upkeep. An executive at La Ciotat Shipyards said the company was worried about how it would be paid as debts piled up.

Crew&nbsp;wages, repairs, fuel, food, insurance, berth fees, and onshore utilities can all add up to 10 per cent&nbsp;of the value of the largest superyachts, and it might amount to millions of dollars per month for some vessels.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-inflation-hits-fresh-record-at-611-per-cent-468289" hreflang="en">Russia-Ukraine crisis causes Turkish inflation to hit fresh record of 61.1 per cent</a>

The financial riches of oligarchs is mostly unaffected in the European Union, but European states have restricted or seized physical assets, including houses and at least 11 superyachts.

The situation surrounding&nbsp;Amore Vero highlights the challenges authorities encounter as they target the assets of Putin's supporters.

Frozen assets in Italy are handled by a publicly nominated administrator, with the state property agency covering maintenance costs. The owner must reimburse them later, or the state can sell the item to recuperate its costs.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukrainian Crisis: Kharkiv becomes the worst-affected city in the country

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-ukrainian-crisis-kharkiv-becomes-the-worst-affected-city-in-the-country-468343/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In France and Spain, the owner is still responsible for the running costs of a 'frozen' or confiscated boat. However, with the sanctions these owners face, they are often unable to make payments due to bank account blocks.

Another concern for governments, according to Giannis Markogiannis, a Greek lawyer specialising in international yachting law, insurance, and taxation, is that yachts may be held wrongfully.

Giannis&nbsp;noted that if the ownership of a confiscated yacht could not be linked to a person on the sanctions list, it had to be released, leaving the state accountable for any deterioration in condition or damage that occurred during its immobilisation. Owners may potentially file a lawsuit for lost charter earnings or suspension of use.

"We're continuing to invoice," said Alice Boisseau, communications officer for La Ciotat Shipyards to Reuters. However, when asked who would pay the bill, she said they didn't know.

(With inputs from agencies)

La Ciotat Shipyards, located in a tranquil area of the French Riviera, is preparing bills for mooring costs for the towering white superyacht Amore Vero but is unsure who to send them to.

La Ciotat Shipyards, located in a tranquil area of the French Riviera, is preparing bills for mooring costs for the towering white superyacht Amore Vero but is unsure who to send them to. Reuters reports that the towering 86-metre (282-foot) yacht according to the France finance ministry belongs to a business owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies Igor Sechin, the head of Russian state oil major Rosneft. Sechin is one of the many individuals facing sanctions in lieu of the Russian attack on Ukraine. Also read | Ukraine-Russia conflict: Here are the top Russian oligarchs hit with EU sanctions France has legally seized the Amore Vero, according to Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, a move that grants the state custody of the yacht while leaving the costs to the owner. According to two companies that service the yacht, authorities have not informed third parties of the vessel's status, leaving it unclear who is responsible for its upkeep. An executive at La Ciotat Shipyards said the company was worried about how it would be paid as debts piled up. Crew wages, repairs, fuel, food, insurance, berth fees, and onshore utilities can all add up to 10 per cent of the value of the largest superyachts, and it might amount to millions of dollars per month for some vessels. Also read | Russia-Ukraine crisis causes Turkish inflation to hit fresh record of 61.1 per cent The financial riches of oligarchs is mostly unaffected in the European Union, but European states have restricted or seized physical assets, including houses and at least 11 superyachts. The situation surrounding Amore Vero highlights the challenges authorities encounter as they target the assets of Putin's supporters. Frozen assets in Italy are handled by a publicly nominated administrator, with the state property agency covering maintenance costs. The owner must reimburse them later, or the state can sell the item to recuperate its costs. Watch | Russia-Ukrainian Crisis: Kharkiv becomes the worst-affected city in the country In France and Spain, the owner is still responsible for the running costs of a 'frozen' or confiscated boat. However, with the sanctions these owners face, they are often unable to make payments due to bank account blocks. Another concern for governments, according to Giannis Markogiannis, a Greek lawyer specialising in international yachting law, insurance, and taxation, is that yachts may be held wrongfully. Giannis noted that if the ownership of a confiscated yacht could not be linked to a person on the sanctions list, it had to be released, leaving the state accountable for any deterioration in condition or damage that occurred during its immobilisation. Owners may potentially file a lawsuit for lost charter earnings or suspension of use. "We're continuing to invoice," said Alice Boisseau, communications officer for La Ciotat Shipyards to Reuters. However, when asked who would pay the bill, she said they didn't know. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine: Upkeep of yachts seized from Putin's allies rack up millions in bills, who will bear the cost?

Ukraine and Russia are currently involved in peace talks with Moscow promising to cut back military activity. However, former Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko believes Russia cannot be trusted.

Poroshenko served as Ukraine's president from 2014 to 2019. He led Ukraine through the first phase of the war when Russia occupied Crimea. Three years after leaving office, Poroshenko has taken on a different role - the role of a soldier. Since the invasion, Ukraine's former president has been out on the streets of Kyiv dressed in military fatigue and equipped with a weapon.

WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma spoke exclusively with Poroshenko even as he was on duty in battle fatigue on the streets of Kyiv.

WION: You have been on the frontlines since the invasion began. How are you doing? Are you safe?

Petro Poroshenko: Me, together with the Ukrainian people are soldiers now. We are doing our best to stop the Russian aggression and to throw him out from Ukrainian soil and to defend and protect our people. Now, you can hear the Russian artillery fire right now. 
&nbsp; 
WION: Tell us about where you are standing at the moment - you say this site has become a symbol for Ukraine, tell us more about it and what is it like living through the war?

Poroshenko: &nbsp;This is the very famous trading centre near Kiev, Retroville, and the civilian housing district. Less than 10 km from here we have Russian tanks. We have fighting there as our troops are freeing Iripine from Russian occupants.&nbsp;

They have erased several areas that were symbol of new Ukraine, great architecture, the residential area which is completeley destroyed. And nobody can explain why they are here. But we are protecting our land, our people, our future, and we thank the world for solidarity with us. and this is why we will definitely win.

WION: As president you led the first war with Russia...Did you ever think that a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine was possible?

Poroshenko: When I was elected president, Crimea was already occupied, Donbass was already occupied. And believe me, this was not a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it was a war. The volume of the operations was very big and I am proud that we stopped the Russian troops then, we released two-thirds of occupied Donbass. We protected the country through very different means, from army to diplomatic means.&nbsp;

I am very proud that since 2014, we created a new country and brought the Army together including Ukrainian volunteers and created a new municipality structure because of decentralisation and that is why we surprised the world. Because Putin promised that within 36 hours he would capture Kyiv. Tomorrow would be five disastrous weeks of war for Russia. For five weeks the Ukrainian Army and people have been fighting against, as they said the second biggest army in the world.

We surprised the world. We demonstrated that the Ukrainian Army is a unique unit. All the countries are against Russia. Because this is not possible, a compromise. They want us dead, the Russians want to erase Ukraine from the world map but we simply want to live. That's why it's not possible to have a compromise.&nbsp;

I am proud of the last eight years and I am proud of my country including my president. The Army, the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian cultural and religious sphere that helped us to unite the nation.

WION: Mr Poroshenko are you safe?

Poroshenko: Nobody is safe in Kyiv but here it is definitely not safe but we have lived in these conditions for 35 days.

WION: We appreciate your courage sir to do this interview in such difficult conditions is no mean feat. In the past, you have called Russia's President Vladimir Putin "a crazy maniac". What message would you like to send to him today?

Poroshenko: I haven't changed my mind. It is impossible to explain why he is doing this. He is inadequate, unpredictable, crazy. He should be behind bars of the international criminal court

WION: What do you make of the actions of the west so far? do you believe their reluctance to act against Russian energy supplies has extended this war?

Poroshenko: I think the world has surprised Putin. I don't think Putin expected the world would be so united. We need global solidarity and several things - we need the land-lease act to supply Ukraine with everything from nutrition to ammunition. We need closed skies against Russian planes. We also need sanctions and embargo against Russia.

I would like to ask India. We definitely insist that we should stop paying to Russia money for financing the war in Ukraine because every single billion-dollar Russia will receive for their oil, they will receive $1 billion dollars a day which means more than 300 Russian tanks rolling into Ukraine for one day. We definitely welcome the decision of the United States, UK, EU and Germany to significantly decrease gas consumption and oil consumption.

It is my request to India, they say the oil is extremely cheap and it is possible to buy $25 a barrel and you buy a small portion but for one or two days of your consumption - please stop. This is the victim Ukraine asking your government. Please stop buying Russian oil.

WION: You say India is buying oil from Russia but what will you say to Europe which has bought billions of dollars worth of gas from Russia since the beginning of the invasion. Is that not a betrayal?

Poroshenko: My request to the European Union member states is exactly the same. As a former president to my friends. We need a full embargo on Russian oil and gas whether it is the European Union or India or any other nation in the world including China. It was exactly my request to the European Union.

WION: What message would you like to send to India's current prime minister Narendra Modi?

Poroshenko: Dear prime minister if you will have an opportunity and demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine, we request you to stop buying Russian oil and please be the guest of Ukraine. Could you make a visit to Kiev? It will be of great symbolic importance, think about it. This is a decisive step. This will demonstrate your leadership for Ukraine dear prime minister.

This is also a disastrous humanitarian crisis. If you could send medicines for Ukrainians it would be great. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Ukraine and Russia are currently involved in peace talks with Moscow promising to cut back military activity. However, former Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko believes Russia cannot be trusted.

Ukraine and Russia are currently involved in peace talks with Moscow promising to cut back military activity. However, former Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko believes Russia cannot be trusted. Poroshenko served as Ukraine's president from 2014 to 2019. He led Ukraine through the first phase of the war when Russia occupied Crimea. Three years after leaving office, Poroshenko has taken on a different role - the role of a soldier. Since the invasion, Ukraine's former president has been out on the streets of Kyiv dressed in military fatigue and equipped with a weapon. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma spoke exclusively with Poroshenko even as he was on duty in battle fatigue on the streets of Kyiv. WION: You have been on the frontlines since the invasion began. How are you doing? Are you safe? Petro Poroshenko: Me, together with the Ukrainian people are soldiers now. We are doing our best to stop the Russian aggression and to throw him out from Ukrainian soil and to defend and protect our people. Now, you can hear the Russian artillery fire right now. WION: Tell us about where you are standing at the moment - you say this site has become a symbol for Ukraine, tell us more about it and what is it like living through the war? Poroshenko: This is the very famous trading centre near Kiev, Retroville, and the civilian housing district. Less than 10 km from here we have Russian tanks. We have fighting there as our troops are freeing Iripine from Russian occupants. They have erased several areas that were symbol of new Ukraine, great architecture, the residential area which is completeley destroyed. And nobody can explain why they are here. But we are protecting our land, our people, our future, and we thank the world for solidarity with us. and this is why we will definitely win. WION: As president you led the first war with Russia...Did you ever think that a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine was possible? Poroshenko: When I was elected president, Crimea was already occupied, Donbass was already occupied. And believe me, this was not a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it was a war. The volume of the operations was very big and I am proud that we stopped the Russian troops then, we released two-thirds of occupied Donbass. We protected the country through very different means, from army to diplomatic means. I am very proud that since 2014, we created a new country and brought the Army together including Ukrainian volunteers and created a new municipality structure because of decentralisation and that is why we surprised the world. Because Putin promised that within 36 hours he would capture Kyiv. Tomorrow would be five disastrous weeks of war for Russia. For five weeks the Ukrainian Army and people have been fighting against, as they said the second biggest army in the world. We surprised the world. We demonstrated that the Ukrainian Army is a unique unit. All the countries are against Russia. Because this is not possible, a compromise. They want us dead, the Russians want to erase Ukraine from the world map but we simply want to live. That's why it's not possible to have a compromise. I am proud of the last eight years and I am proud of my country including my president. The Army, the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian cultural and religious sphere that helped us to unite the nation. WION: Mr Poroshenko are you safe? Poroshenko: Nobody is safe in Kyiv but here it is definitely not safe but we have lived in these conditions for 35 days. WION: We appreciate your courage sir to do this interview in such difficult conditions is no mean feat. In the past, you have called Russia's President Vladimir Putin "a crazy maniac". What message would you like to send to him today? Poroshenko: I haven't changed my mind. It is impossible to explain why he is doing this. He is inadequate, unpredictable, crazy. He should be behind bars of the international criminal court WION: What do you make of the actions of the west so far? do you believe their reluctance to act against Russian energy supplies has extended this war? Poroshenko: I think the world has surprised Putin. I don't think Putin expected the world would be so united. We need global solidarity and several things - we need the land-lease act to supply Ukraine with everything from nutrition to ammunition. We need closed skies against Russian planes. We also need sanctions and embargo against Russia. I would like to ask India. We definitely insist that we should stop paying to Russia money for financing the war in Ukraine because every single billion-dollar Russia will receive for their oil, they will receive $1 billion dollars a day which means more than 300 Russian tanks rolling into Ukraine for one day. We definitely welcome the decision of the United States, UK, EU and Germany to significantly decrease gas consumption and oil consumption. It is my request to India, they say the oil is extremely cheap and it is possible to buy $25 a barrel and you buy a small portion but for one or two days of your consumption - please stop. This is the victim Ukraine asking your government. Please stop buying Russian oil. WION: You say India is buying oil from Russia but what will you say to Europe which has bought billions of dollars worth of gas from Russia since the beginning of the invasion. Is that not a betrayal? Poroshenko: My request to the European Union member states is exactly the same. As a former president to my friends. We need a full embargo on Russian oil and gas whether it is the European Union or India or any other nation in the world including China. It was exactly my request to the European Union. WION: What message would you like to send to India's current prime minister Narendra Modi? Poroshenko: Dear prime minister if you will have an opportunity and demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine, we request you to stop buying Russian oil and please be the guest of Ukraine. Could you make a visit to Kiev? It will be of great symbolic importance, think about it. This is a decisive step. This will demonstrate your leadership for Ukraine dear prime minister. This is also a disastrous humanitarian crisis. If you could send medicines for Ukrainians it would be great. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Watch | Russia-Ukraine | Exclusive: Putin should be behind bars, ex-Ukraine president tells WION

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will be in Delhi from March 31 to April 1.

The Russian foreign minister will hold&nbsp;talks with EAM Jaishankar on April 1 which will be the main day of his engagement in the Indian capital. On the agenda will be many things, including trading under the rupee-ruble mechanism that the Indian finance ministry is looking into amid Western sanctions on Moscow.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/retaliatory-visa-measures-russia-set-to-restrict-entry-of-nationals-from-unfriendly-countries-466435">Also Read: Russia set to restrict entry of nationals from 'unfriendly' countries</a>

The Russian foreign minister will be in Delhi on a day when UK's foreign secretary Elizabeth Truss will be in the Indian capital to&nbsp;hold&nbsp;talks with EAM Jaishankar.

The ministry of external affairs in a statement said, "Truss will hold bilateral consultations with external affairs minister, Dr S. Jaishankar on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest."&nbsp;

Truss will also participate in the inaugural edition of the India-UK Strategic Futures Forum, a track 1.5 dialogue between the two countries hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs and Policy Exchange, UK.

Lavrov's visit will be the first high-level visit by a Russian official to India since February 24 when the invasion began. The invasion has changed the global geopolitical calculus with the West and Russia at loggerheads.

New Delhi has been engaged by both sides amid the war&nbsp;even as it has been able to display its strategic autonomy. At the United Nations, India abstained from voting&nbsp;on the Ukraine-Russia resolutions on the West-backed resolutions or more recently on the Russia-backed resolution on Ukraine even as it has been calling for direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

EAM Jaishankar in the Parliament said, "We have expressed deep concern at the worsening situation and called for an immediate cessation of violence and end to all hostilities."

Both Indian and Russian foreign ministers had spoken to each other on February 24 and since then there has been Russian outreach to Delhi in many ways, including Russian FM Lavrov&nbsp;meeting envoys of BRICS countries including Indian envoy Pavan Kapoor.

Last week, Russian deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko had met the Indian envoy to Russia Kapoor to brief​ him on the situation in Ukraine. Rudenko has been part of the Russian delegation that held talks with the Ukraine side.

Later this year PM Modi is expected to travel to Russia for the annual India-Russia summit.

Russian President Putin had travelled to Delhi on December 6 for&nbsp;the annual summit. The second&nbsp;2+2 foreign and defence ministers' meet will also take place in Russia this year.&nbsp;India's&nbsp;external affairs minister and defence minister&nbsp;Rajnath Singh will be travelling to Russia for the dialogue. The Russian foreign minister's expected travel comes even as India and US will be holding 2+2 foreign and defence ministers meet in the second&nbsp;week of April. 
&nbsp;

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will be in Delhi from March 31 to April 1. The Russian foreign minister will hold talks with EAM Jaishankar on April 1 which will be the main day of his engagement in the Indian capital.

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will be in Delhi from March 31 to April 1. The Russian foreign minister will hold talks with EAM Jaishankar on April 1 which will be the main day of his engagement in the Indian capital. On the agenda will be many things, including trading under the rupee-ruble mechanism that the Indian finance ministry is looking into amid Western sanctions on Moscow. Also Read: Russia set to restrict entry of nationals from 'unfriendly' countries The Russian foreign minister will be in Delhi on a day when UK's foreign secretary Elizabeth Truss will be in the Indian capital to hold talks with EAM Jaishankar. The ministry of external affairs in a statement said, "Truss will hold bilateral consultations with external affairs minister, Dr S. Jaishankar on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest." Truss will also participate in the inaugural edition of the India-UK Strategic Futures Forum, a track 1.5 dialogue between the two countries hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs and Policy Exchange, UK. Lavrov's visit will be the first high-level visit by a Russian official to India since February 24 when the invasion began. The invasion has changed the global geopolitical calculus with the West and Russia at loggerheads. New Delhi has been engaged by both sides amid the war even as it has been able to display its strategic autonomy. At the United Nations, India abstained from voting on the Ukraine-Russia resolutions on the West-backed resolutions or more recently on the Russia-backed resolution on Ukraine even as it has been calling for direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv. EAM Jaishankar in the Parliament said, "We have expressed deep concern at the worsening situation and called for an immediate cessation of violence and end to all hostilities." Both Indian and Russian foreign ministers had spoken to each other on February 24 and since then there has been Russian outreach to Delhi in many ways, including Russian FM Lavrov meeting envoys of BRICS countries including Indian envoy Pavan Kapoor. Last week, Russian deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko had met the Indian envoy to Russia Kapoor to brief him on the situation in Ukraine. Rudenko has been part of the Russian delegation that held talks with the Ukraine side. Later this year PM Modi is expected to travel to Russia for the annual India-Russia summit. Russian President Putin had travelled to Delhi on December 6 for the annual summit. The second 2+2 foreign and defence ministers' meet will also take place in Russia this year. India's external affairs minister and defence minister Rajnath Singh will be travelling to Russia for the dialogue. The Russian foreign minister's expected travel comes even as India and US will be holding 2+2 foreign and defence ministers meet in the second week of April.

Ukraine war: Russian foreign minister Lavrov to visit India on March 31

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