Russia has become the world's most sanctioned country, with over 5000 sanctions slapped against it. Brands like McDonald's, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Zara, H&M, Netflix have all suspended operations in Russia. Spotify and Amazon too have hit pause. Palki Sharma brings you the details.

Gravitas: Russia becomes the world's most sanctioned country

Has Joe Biden's oil embargo on Russia fractured western unity? EU-nations say they can't ban Russian oil imports. They say they're too 'dependent' on Moscow for energy supplies. Is Biden's decision then a symbolic move? Here's what Palki Sharma has to say.

Gravitas: Biden's oil ban 'fractures' West's unity

Poland wanted to transfer MIG fighter jets to Ukraine. But the United States rejected the offer. Is the US trying to dictate NATO's response to the war in Ukraine? Palki Sharma tells you

Gravitas: Did America block transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine?

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine is "no longer interested in a NATO membership." In response, Russia said it doesn't want to overthrow the Ukraine government. Is a truce in sight? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Zelensky willing to give up NATO membership bid?

Did Volodymyr Zelensky bet on direct intervention by NATO? Did he over-estimate Ukraine's strategic importance to the West? Palki Sharma explains Zelensky's 3 big miscalculations that gave Russia the upper hand.

Gravitas: Zelensky's three big miscalculations

After days of failed attempts at least 35,000 civilians were successfully evacuated from war-torn cities on Wednesday.

People struggle to flee from conflict zones, at least 35,000 evacuated

Satellite images of Ukraine's port city of Mariupol have emerged and it shows the scale of destruction caused due to the Russian invasion. Mariupol, which was earlier a bustling port city in southern Ukraine, is now full of bombed residential buildings and blasted parks.&nbsp;

The pictures show the damage done to the city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described as “ultimate evidence that genocide of Ukrainians is happening.”

His remarks came after the shelling of a maternity hospital.&nbsp;

Ukraine alleged on Wednesday that Russia bombed a children's hospital in the port city. As per Ukraine, the bombing in the besieged city took place during a supposed ceasefire that was meant to facilitate the escape of hundreds of civilians in the city.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-are-war-crimes-what-are-the-rules-of-war-460670">Also read |&nbsp;What are war crimes? What are the rules of war?</a>

The satellite images have been taken by private company Maxar. The images show destroyed shopping complexes and grocery stores.&nbsp;

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March 9, 2022 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/satelliteimagery?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#satelliteimagery</a> taken at 10:16 a.m. local time show grocery stores and shopping malls that have been destroyed in the western section of the Ukrainian city of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mariupol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mariupol</a>. (Location: 47.101, 37.504) <a href="https://t.co/ElRuyu1rYf">pic.twitter.com/ElRuyu1rYf</a>
— Maxar Technologies (@Maxar) <a href="https://twitter.com/Maxar/status/1501630980930609160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In these before and after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/satellite?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#satellite</a> images of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mariupol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mariupol</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> you can see destruction of homes and building. The latest imagery is from 10:16 a.m. local time on March 9, 2022. (Location: 47.099, 37.662) <a href="https://t.co/J9eXaPg7gl">pic.twitter.com/J9eXaPg7gl</a>
— Maxar Technologies (@Maxar) <a href="https://twitter.com/Maxar/status/1501631264750805000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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When Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked by Reuters for comment on the reported bombing, he said "Russian forces do not fire on civilian targets."

Earlier Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had broken the ceasefire around the southern port, which lies between Russian-backed separatist areas of eastern Ukraine and Crimea, annexed by Moscow from Ukraine in 2014.

"Russia continues holding hostage over 400,000 people in Mariupol, blocks humanitarian aid and evacuation. Indiscriminate shelling continues," he wrote on Twitter. "Almost 3,000 newborn babies lack medicine and food."

(With input from agencies)

Satellite images of Ukraine's port city of Mariupol have emerged and it shows the scale of destruction caused due to the Russian invasion. Mariupol, which was earlier a bustling port city in southern Ukraine, is now full of bombed residential buildings and blasted parks.

Satellite images of Ukraine's port city of Mariupol have emerged and it shows the scale of destruction caused due to the Russian invasion. Mariupol, which was earlier a bustling port city in southern Ukraine, is now full of bombed residential buildings and blasted parks. The pictures show the damage done to the city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described as “ultimate evidence that genocide of Ukrainians is happening.” His remarks came after the shelling of a maternity hospital. Ukraine alleged on Wednesday that Russia bombed a children's hospital in the port city. As per Ukraine, the bombing in the besieged city took place during a supposed ceasefire that was meant to facilitate the escape of hundreds of civilians in the city. Also read | What are war crimes? What are the rules of war? The satellite images have been taken by private company Maxar. The images show destroyed shopping complexes and grocery stores. March 9, 2022 #satelliteimagery taken at 10:16 a.m. local time show grocery stores and shopping malls that have been destroyed in the western section of the Ukrainian city of #Mariupol. (Location: 47.101, 37.504) pic.twitter.com/ElRuyu1rYf — Maxar Technologies (@Maxar) March 9, 2022 × In these before and after #satellite images of #Mariupol, #Ukraine you can see destruction of homes and building. The latest imagery is from 10:16 a.m. local time on March 9, 2022. (Location: 47.099, 37.662) pic.twitter.com/J9eXaPg7gl — Maxar Technologies (@Maxar) March 9, 2022 × When Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked by Reuters for comment on the reported bombing, he said "Russian forces do not fire on civilian targets." Earlier Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had broken the ceasefire around the southern port, which lies between Russian-backed separatist areas of eastern Ukraine and Crimea, annexed by Moscow from Ukraine in 2014. "Russia continues holding hostage over 400,000 people in Mariupol, blocks humanitarian aid and evacuation. Indiscriminate shelling continues," he wrote on Twitter. "Almost 3,000 newborn babies lack medicine and food." (With input from agencies)

Watch: Before and after satellite images show destruction in Ukraine's Mariupol

The Russian and the Ukrainian foreign Ministers have met their Turkish counterparts just a few moments ago. The leaders are all set for high level meeting since Moscow invaded into Ukraine. The Ankara hopes to marks over the turning point in the raging conflict.

Kuleba, Lavrov arrive in Turkey to hold high-level talks amid Russian invasion of Ukraine

Amidst Russia-Ukraine conflict, Syrians came in support of Ukrainian citizens. Few of the Syrian rebels have also shared their stories of struggle.

Syrians empathise with Ukraine: Rebels share their stories of struggle amid Russia-Ukraine war

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been going on for some days now. 35000 people have been evacuated till now from key cities of Ukraine. However, humanitarian corridors worked only for some citizens and still many lives are in danger.

Russia-Ukraine conflict: 35,000 people evacuated from key cities of Ukraine

The United States has rejected Poland's offer to send mig-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via its air base. The US says that the proposal raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance here's what the proposal entails.

US rejects Poland's offer on MIG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine

UK said on Tuesday that it had taken decision to phase out oil imports from Russia by the end of 2022. The decision has been taken in line with new sanctions announced by the US on Russia. The US has put a ban on import of Russian oil.

"This transition will give the market, businesses and supply chains more than enough time to replace Russian imports -– which make up 8.0 percent of UK demand," Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng tweeted.&nbsp;

The oil sanction does not apply to Russian natural gas, which accounts for some four percent of UK supply. But Kwarteng said he was "exploring options to end this altogether".

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-bans-us-import-of-russian-oil-global-economy-to-face-heat-460356">Joe Biden bans US import of Russian oil, global economy to face heat?</a>

The announcement came in coordination with an embargo on Russian oil announced by US President Joe Biden.

It risks exacerbating a cost-of-living crisis in Britain, with prices of petrol and diesel already surging amid market turmoil following energy-rich Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

But Kwarteng said most of Britain's crude oil imports come from "reliable partners" such as the United States, the Netherlands and Gulf states.&nbsp;

"We'll work with them this year to secure further supplies," he said.

"The market has already begun to ostracise Russian oil, with nearly 70 percent of it currently unable to find a buyer," the business minister added.

Kwarteng announced a new government taskforce on oil to help companies transition away from Russian oil.

British dockers at a facility in northwest England on Saturday refused to unload Russian oil from a tanker, calling for the government to close a "loophole" in sanctions allowing deliveries from foreign-flagged ships.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

UK said on Tuesday that it had taken decision to phase out oil imports from Russia by the end of 2022. The decision has been taken in line with new sanctions announced by the US on Russia.

UK said on Tuesday that it had taken decision to phase out oil imports from Russia by the end of 2022. The decision has been taken in line with new sanctions announced by the US on Russia. The US has put a ban on import of Russian oil. "This transition will give the market, businesses and supply chains more than enough time to replace Russian imports -– which make up 8.0 percent of UK demand," Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng tweeted. The oil sanction does not apply to Russian natural gas, which accounts for some four percent of UK supply. But Kwarteng said he was "exploring options to end this altogether". Also Read | Joe Biden bans US import of Russian oil, global economy to face heat? The announcement came in coordination with an embargo on Russian oil announced by US President Joe Biden. It risks exacerbating a cost-of-living crisis in Britain, with prices of petrol and diesel already surging amid market turmoil following energy-rich Russia's aggression against Ukraine. But Kwarteng said most of Britain's crude oil imports come from "reliable partners" such as the United States, the Netherlands and Gulf states. "We'll work with them this year to secure further supplies," he said. "The market has already begun to ostracise Russian oil, with nearly 70 percent of it currently unable to find a buyer," the business minister added. Kwarteng announced a new government taskforce on oil to help companies transition away from Russian oil. British dockers at a facility in northwest England on Saturday refused to unload Russian oil from a tanker, calling for the government to close a "loophole" in sanctions allowing deliveries from foreign-flagged ships. (With inputs from agencies)

UK to phase out Russian oil by year-end

Amidst the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the term “no-fly zone” has been heard multiple times. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine claiming it would prevent civilian casualties but NATO has rejected the demand. Why?

Can ‘no-fly zone’ help Ukraine against Russia? What NATO, Zelensky, Biden are saying

It has been termed the great exodus as residents of war-torn Ukraine look for a new home amid the continuing Russian invasion. This is the largest humanitarian crisis after World War II, with over 2 million people displaced. Besides Ukrainians, there were thousands of Indian students who were stranded in a country.&nbsp;

One among them was Arnaz Nasreen. The student from Kharkiv National Medical university was preparing for her trip back home on February 24 but was woken up to a message stating her flight was cancelled.

"I still chose to go to the airport to check the status. On my way I got the news that Russia has invaded Ukraine," said the 19-year-old. With the airport sealed off, she had nowhere to go as she had travelled from the northeastern city of Kharkiv to Kyiv, which is in the west, about 500 km away.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/spoke-to-him-5-days-ago-mother-of-indian-student-who-joined-ukraine-militia-tells-wion-460166">‘Spoke to him 5 days ago’, mother of Indian student who joined Ukraine militia tells WION</a>

The situation around her was getting worse. All she could hear was bombardment. Clueless of what to do next, she called home. “I informed my sister about the situation. She contacted my consultant, who directed me to another student’s accommodation in Kyiv.” The temporary safe house did not have a bunker, so they both decided to move to a nearby hostel to take shelter. “We were trying to book a cab when we heard that a Russian tank ran over a car. So, we chose to walk," Nasreen told WION.

“On reaching the hostel, we realised it was a military base used by the Ukrainian Army. There were snipers positioned on the higher floors and through our windows we saw Russian troops being shot down.”

With constant bombing in the vicinity, they had to make sure the food they had lasted longer, as stepping out was not an option. “I didn’t have a sip of water for three days, lunch was a piece of wafer, and bun for dinner.”

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-indian-students-moved-out-from-ukraines-sumy-says-india-460318">All Indian students moved out from Ukraine's Sumy, says India</a>

The news of the Chernobyl power plant being captured led her to leave the hostel. “I thought if anything goes wrong at the power plant, nobody will survive even if we are in bunkers. I asked around if people wanted to find a way to the borders, and some of them agreed.”

“I had been vigilant for a few days I was at the hostel. I noted that at a particular time slot, there was no bombing from either side, so we decided to move out accordingly.”&nbsp;

They planned to take a metro till wherever it goes, and then figure out the next step. “At the station, we were being interrogated; soon I was held at gunpoint and I had to convince the Ukrainian Army about my purpose of being at the location.”

Nasreen said she had no choice but to be strong and that kept her going.&nbsp;

<img alt="Indian students" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="61bb4d6e-1463-4cbe-b4eb-7c538e1f146e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/FNVIHggaMAQdXgy.png" />

<img alt="Indian students" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="69cecb14-29ea-4336-8d92-ea0617468450" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/FNVLhCaaIAMgI_m.png" />

“As we tried to board the train, we were pushed out. At some point, there were people climbing over my shoulders, it was chaotic. I was struggling to get into the train, when one student pulled me in while I was almost hanging out. From there, we reached a place called Uzhhorod.”&nbsp;

She stressed that even if there was discrimination at the train station, the Ukrainian government made sure everybody who reached a safe zone was given enough food and water to sustain their journey.

The journey from Uzhhorod to Slovakia border was the last leg of their turbulent route to evacuation. “It was a 6km walk to the border. We heaved a sigh of relief once we reached there. Across the border, Indian embassy looked after our stay and food. Everything was smooth after crossing the border. However the fact that we made it will take some time to sink in. All along, I worked only on my instinct,” she said as she reached home safely.&nbsp;

Nasreen also mentioned how the journey began with a group of people, and then as they took calls for themselves, they had to unfortunately split. Even though the destination was the same, everybody took a different road to reach.

On returning, Nasreen has been in constant touch with her batchmates and friends, who have been trying to reach the borders for evacuation.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Ukrainian refugees express frustration with UK's visa process

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&nbsp;

It has been termed the great exodus as residents of war-torn Ukraine look for a new home amid the continuing Russian invasion. This is the largest humanitarian crisis after World War II, with over 2 million people displaced.

It has been termed the great exodus as residents of war-torn Ukraine look for a new home amid the continuing Russian invasion. This is the largest humanitarian crisis after World War II, with over 2 million people displaced. Besides Ukrainians, there were thousands of Indian students who were stranded in a country. One among them was Arnaz Nasreen. The student from Kharkiv National Medical university was preparing for her trip back home on February 24 but was woken up to a message stating her flight was cancelled. "I still chose to go to the airport to check the status. On my way I got the news that Russia has invaded Ukraine," said the 19-year-old. With the airport sealed off, she had nowhere to go as she had travelled from the northeastern city of Kharkiv to Kyiv, which is in the west, about 500 km away. ALSO READ | ‘Spoke to him 5 days ago’, mother of Indian student who joined Ukraine militia tells WION The situation around her was getting worse. All she could hear was bombardment. Clueless of what to do next, she called home. “I informed my sister about the situation. She contacted my consultant, who directed me to another student’s accommodation in Kyiv.” The temporary safe house did not have a bunker, so they both decided to move to a nearby hostel to take shelter. “We were trying to book a cab when we heard that a Russian tank ran over a car. So, we chose to walk," Nasreen told WION. “On reaching the hostel, we realised it was a military base used by the Ukrainian Army. There were snipers positioned on the higher floors and through our windows we saw Russian troops being shot down.” With constant bombing in the vicinity, they had to make sure the food they had lasted longer, as stepping out was not an option. “I didn’t have a sip of water for three days, lunch was a piece of wafer, and bun for dinner.” ALSO READ | All Indian students moved out from Ukraine's Sumy, says India The news of the Chernobyl power plant being captured led her to leave the hostel. “I thought if anything goes wrong at the power plant, nobody will survive even if we are in bunkers. I asked around if people wanted to find a way to the borders, and some of them agreed.” “I had been vigilant for a few days I was at the hostel. I noted that at a particular time slot, there was no bombing from either side, so we decided to move out accordingly.” They planned to take a metro till wherever it goes, and then figure out the next step. “At the station, we were being interrogated; soon I was held at gunpoint and I had to convince the Ukrainian Army about my purpose of being at the location.” Nasreen said she had no choice but to be strong and that kept her going. “As we tried to board the train, we were pushed out. At some point, there were people climbing over my shoulders, it was chaotic. I was struggling to get into the train, when one student pulled me in while I was almost hanging out. From there, we reached a place called Uzhhorod.” She stressed that even if there was discrimination at the train station, the Ukrainian government made sure everybody who reached a safe zone was given enough food and water to sustain their journey. The journey from Uzhhorod to Slovakia border was the last leg of their turbulent route to evacuation. “It was a 6km walk to the border. We heaved a sigh of relief once we reached there. Across the border, Indian embassy looked after our stay and food. Everything was smooth after crossing the border. However the fact that we made it will take some time to sink in. All along, I worked only on my instinct,” she said as she reached home safely. Nasreen also mentioned how the journey began with a group of people, and then as they took calls for themselves, they had to unfortunately split. Even though the destination was the same, everybody took a different road to reach. On returning, Nasreen has been in constant touch with her batchmates and friends, who have been trying to reach the borders for evacuation. WATCH | Ukrainian refugees express frustration with UK's visa process ×

Escape from Ukraine: No water for 3 days, held at gunpoint, 19-year-old Indian student makes it to safety

Icon of post-soviet era Mcdonald's will temporarily close all 847 of its outlets in Russia including its iconic Pushkin square location. American giant has joined a long list of western firms who have quit Russia putting country in financial isolation.

McDonald's Shuts over 800 restaurants In Russia Over Ukraine crisis

A few years ago, after I gave a talk in a small Polish town, an old man sidled up to the table where I sat. “In what language do you dream?” he asked. “In all the languages I speak,” I answered honestly (I’m basically trilingual). “You are a person,” he replied with a slight note of condemnation, “without identity.”

I smiled. His comment was not unusual: I’d heard a version of it many times in the years since I settled in Poland. There was, apparently, only one proper way of being Polish and only one way of pronouncing Polish words. But there was something he, like other Poles reared with a narrow sense of national identity, didn’t understand. I am from Ukraine — and Ukrainian identity is porous, inclusive, multilayered and, crucially, a work in progress.

If Poles didn’t know that then, they’ll get a chance to find out now. More than a million Ukrainians, under brutal attack from Russia, have crossed the border into Poland. Waiting with their children and old relatives in long, slow lines, they said tearful farewells to their husbands and sons and stepped into a new life. It is a tragic upheaval.

My own experience when I left Ukraine almost 20 years ago, by contrast, was not painful at all. There was no war and I was not a refugee. I realize how lucky I am. But I know what it’s like to leave your home and country behind, and to start anew. And I can say that the departure, however final it seems, is never forever. You carry both within you, always. They are a constant presence, sometimes near, sometimes far, lighting up the path to the future.

I was born in Lviv in 1978. Then in the Soviet Union, the city had belonged to Poland for about 400 years and been a place where Poles, Ukrainians, Jews and Armenians lived side by side. In my youth, I was suffused with this borderland identity and thought of myself as existing at the intersection of cultures, never fully beholden to one. So when the Soviet Union fell, I wasn’t very interested in the new Ukrainian state. Instead, I longed to see Paris, Rome and Madrid, with their churches and museums, even if it meant half-starving, sleeping in parks and hitchhiking.

After my travels, I wanted to settle somewhere — and chose Poland, fulfilling my grandmother’s dream of living in the country. I didn’t even call it emigration: My hometown, after all, was only about 185 miles away. But after Poland joined the European Union in 2004, the border between the two countries, previously so easily passed, was garlanded with barbed wire. To get into the country, Ukrainians had to wait in a special line, much longer than E.U. citizens.

I began to dream about the abolition of the border. If Ukraine joined the European Union, say, I would be able to cherish once more my borderland identity — and things could look a bit like the Second Polish Republic, the interwar state where Poles, Ukrainians and other nationalities lived side by side. It was not, of course, an idyll: The Polish state dealt harshly with minorities, and Ukrainians who wanted to study in their own language or practice their religion faced oppression. Between Ukraine and Poland, there are still many “no-go areas.”

At the time, I didn’t really think of myself as Ukrainian. I was from Lviv, spoke Russian, Polish and Ukrainian, and lived in Poland: That seemed like enough. But as I was dreaming about the border falling between us, the Orange Revolution — a series of protests that expressed not only Ukrainians’ opposition to corruption but also, more profoundly perhaps, their European longings — broke out in Ukraine in 2004. At a solidarity demonstration in Krakow, I found myself, for the first time in my life, holding the blue-and-yellow flag. It was, my friend said, the conception of my Ukrainian identity.

For the next decade or so, it went no further. I have relatives and friends on both sides of the border, and I was regularly here and there. I followed events in Ukraine at a distance, as if wary of what could come from full immersion. I knew some educated, talented young Ukrainians who tried to build the new country. After a couple of years they were broken, burned out and bitterly disappointed by corruption that seemed to be unconquerable. In Poland, meanwhile, I continued to build a life for myself. I married, had children and worked away at my first novel, inspired in part by the colorful Ukrainian revolution.

Then another revolution spilled out onto Kyiv’s streets. Based at the Maidan, the city’s central square, protesters bravely demanded the government reverse its decision to abandon an association agreement with Europe and commit to a pro-Western path. Across five fateful days in February 2014 things turned violent, and peaceful demonstrators — about 100 of them — were killed. This, which became known as the Revolution of Dignity, gave birth to my Ukrainian identity. During those days I started to call myself Ukrainian for the first time.

I was joined by hundreds of thousands of my compatriots, who moved to Poland in the aftermath of the protests and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Taxi drivers, hairdressers, doctors and teachers started to make the harsh rustling sound of the Polish language lingering and melodious. The historical taboos were still there, but so were love affairs, business deals and newborn Ukrainian Polish children. The strict E.U. border was still there, but the spirit of a renewed Second Polish Republic was hovering in the air, too.

Now the mingling and melding of the two countries has reached new levels. From the first day of Russia’s invasion, my mobile phone has been ringing almost without interruption. There was hardly one Polish friend or acquaintance who didn’t express solidarity or wasn’t ready to invite refugees to their home, not one who didn’t want to drive, to feed, to heal, to give, to support. It has been an astounding outpouring of fellow feeling. It was like the fever of a new love: Ukrainians flags were suddenly everywhere.

The border has changed, too. These days Ukrainians can cross it without documents, without Covid tests. They can bring their pets with them. They can make free calls and have free train tickets. When they cross the border, all the doors in Poland are open for them. Poles have even started to translate their cartoons into Ukrainian — to help refugee kids to laugh and relax after nights spent listening to air-raid sirens.

The very meaning of the word “Ukrainian” is changing in Poland. It used to contain such nuances as, for example, “the Easterner” or “the village man” or even “wild man.” Now it sounds different. When the word is uttered, I hear “the brave warrior” and “our brother.” For those leaving their lives behind, under the pressure of bombardment and attack, the fraternal salute seems exactly right. 
&nbsp;

A few years ago, after I gave a talk in a small Polish town, an old man sidled up to the table where I sat. “In what language do you dream?” he asked. “In all the languages I speak,” I answered honestly (I’m basically trilingual).

A few years ago, after I gave a talk in a small Polish town, an old man sidled up to the table where I sat. “In what language do you dream?” he asked. “In all the languages I speak,” I answered honestly (I’m basically trilingual). “You are a person,” he replied with a slight note of condemnation, “without identity.” I smiled. His comment was not unusual: I’d heard a version of it many times in the years since I settled in Poland. There was, apparently, only one proper way of being Polish and only one way of pronouncing Polish words. But there was something he, like other Poles reared with a narrow sense of national identity, didn’t understand. I am from Ukraine — and Ukrainian identity is porous, inclusive, multilayered and, crucially, a work in progress. If Poles didn’t know that then, they’ll get a chance to find out now. More than a million Ukrainians, under brutal attack from Russia, have crossed the border into Poland. Waiting with their children and old relatives in long, slow lines, they said tearful farewells to their husbands and sons and stepped into a new life. It is a tragic upheaval. My own experience when I left Ukraine almost 20 years ago, by contrast, was not painful at all. There was no war and I was not a refugee. I realize how lucky I am. But I know what it’s like to leave your home and country behind, and to start anew. And I can say that the departure, however final it seems, is never forever. You carry both within you, always. They are a constant presence, sometimes near, sometimes far, lighting up the path to the future. I was born in Lviv in 1978. Then in the Soviet Union, the city had belonged to Poland for about 400 years and been a place where Poles, Ukrainians, Jews and Armenians lived side by side. In my youth, I was suffused with this borderland identity and thought of myself as existing at the intersection of cultures, never fully beholden to one. So when the Soviet Union fell, I wasn’t very interested in the new Ukrainian state. Instead, I longed to see Paris, Rome and Madrid, with their churches and museums, even if it meant half-starving, sleeping in parks and hitchhiking. After my travels, I wanted to settle somewhere — and chose Poland, fulfilling my grandmother’s dream of living in the country. I didn’t even call it emigration: My hometown, after all, was only about 185 miles away. But after Poland joined the European Union in 2004, the border between the two countries, previously so easily passed, was garlanded with barbed wire. To get into the country, Ukrainians had to wait in a special line, much longer than E.U. citizens. I began to dream about the abolition of the border. If Ukraine joined the European Union, say, I would be able to cherish once more my borderland identity — and things could look a bit like the Second Polish Republic, the interwar state where Poles, Ukrainians and other nationalities lived side by side. It was not, of course, an idyll: The Polish state dealt harshly with minorities, and Ukrainians who wanted to study in their own language or practice their religion faced oppression. Between Ukraine and Poland, there are still many “no-go areas.” At the time, I didn’t really think of myself as Ukrainian. I was from Lviv, spoke Russian, Polish and Ukrainian, and lived in Poland: That seemed like enough. But as I was dreaming about the border falling between us, the Orange Revolution — a series of protests that expressed not only Ukrainians’ opposition to corruption but also, more profoundly perhaps, their European longings — broke out in Ukraine in 2004. At a solidarity demonstration in Krakow, I found myself, for the first time in my life, holding the blue-and-yellow flag. It was, my friend said, the conception of my Ukrainian identity. For the next decade or so, it went no further. I have relatives and friends on both sides of the border, and I was regularly here and there. I followed events in Ukraine at a distance, as if wary of what could come from full immersion. I knew some educated, talented young Ukrainians who tried to build the new country. After a couple of years they were broken, burned out and bitterly disappointed by corruption that seemed to be unconquerable. In Poland, meanwhile, I continued to build a life for myself. I married, had children and worked away at my first novel, inspired in part by the colorful Ukrainian revolution. Then another revolution spilled out onto Kyiv’s streets. Based at the Maidan, the city’s central square, protesters bravely demanded the government reverse its decision to abandon an association agreement with Europe and commit to a pro-Western path. Across five fateful days in February 2014 things turned violent, and peaceful demonstrators — about 100 of them — were killed. This, which became known as the Revolution of Dignity, gave birth to my Ukrainian identity. During those days I started to call myself Ukrainian for the first time. I was joined by hundreds of thousands of my compatriots, who moved to Poland in the aftermath of the protests and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Taxi drivers, hairdressers, doctors and teachers started to make the harsh rustling sound of the Polish language lingering and melodious. The historical taboos were still there, but so were love affairs, business deals and newborn Ukrainian Polish children. The strict E.U. border was still there, but the spirit of a renewed Second Polish Republic was hovering in the air, too. Now the mingling and melding of the two countries has reached new levels. From the first day of Russia’s invasion, my mobile phone has been ringing almost without interruption. There was hardly one Polish friend or acquaintance who didn’t express solidarity or wasn’t ready to invite refugees to their home, not one who didn’t want to drive, to feed, to heal, to give, to support. It has been an astounding outpouring of fellow feeling. It was like the fever of a new love: Ukrainians flags were suddenly everywhere. The border has changed, too. These days Ukrainians can cross it without documents, without Covid tests. They can bring their pets with them. They can make free calls and have free train tickets. When they cross the border, all the doors in Poland are open for them. Poles have even started to translate their cartoons into Ukrainian — to help refugee kids to laugh and relax after nights spent listening to air-raid sirens. The very meaning of the word “Ukrainian” is changing in Poland. It used to contain such nuances as, for example, “the Easterner” or “the village man” or even “wild man.” Now it sounds different. When the word is uttered, I hear “the brave warrior” and “our brother.” For those leaving their lives behind, under the pressure of bombardment and attack, the fraternal salute seems exactly right.

I left Ukraine 20 years ago. But it never left me

Ukraine alleged on Wednesday that Russia bombed a children's hospital in port city of Mariupol. As per Ukraine, the bombing in the besieged city took place during a supposed ceasefire that was meant to facilitate escape of hundreds thousands of civilions in the city.

Russia had said it would hold fire to let civilians flee Mariupol and other besieged cities on Wednesday. But the city council said the hospital had been hit several times.

"The destruction is colossal," it said in an online post.

President Volodymr Zelenskiy called it an "atrocity".

"Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage," he said on Twitter.

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Mariupol. Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity! How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror? Close the sky right now! Stop the killings! You have power but you seem to be losing humanity. <a href="https://t.co/FoaNdbKH5k">pic.twitter.com/FoaNdbKH5k</a>
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1501579520633102349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked by Reuters for comment on the reported bombing, said: "Russian forces do not fire on civilian targets."

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry posted video footage of what appeared to be the badly damaged building of what it said was the children's and maternity hospital.

The footage showed holes where windows should have been in a three-storey building at the hospital, and huge piles of rubble, some of it smouldering. Officials said they did not yet know any casualty figures. The reports could not immediately be verified.

Earlier Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had broken the ceasefire around the southern port, which lies between Russian-backed separatist areas of eastern Ukraine and Crimea, annexed by Moscow from Ukraine in 2014.

"Russia continues holding hostage over 400,000 people in Mariupol, blocks humanitarian aid and evacuation. Indiscriminate shelling continues," he wrote on Twitter. "Almost 3,000 newborn babies lack medicine and food."

Local officials in other cities said some civilians had left on Wednesday through safe corridors, including out of Sumy in eastern Ukraine and Enerhodar in the south.

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine alleged on Wednesday that Russia bombed a children's hospital in port city of Mariupol. As per Ukraine, the bombing in the besieged city took place during a supposed ceasefire that was meant to facilitate escape of hundreds thousands of civilions in the city.

Ukraine alleged on Wednesday that Russia bombed a children's hospital in port city of Mariupol. As per Ukraine, the bombing in the besieged city took place during a supposed ceasefire that was meant to facilitate escape of hundreds thousands of civilions in the city. Russia had said it would hold fire to let civilians flee Mariupol and other besieged cities on Wednesday. But the city council said the hospital had been hit several times. "The destruction is colossal," it said in an online post. President Volodymr Zelenskiy called it an "atrocity". "Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage," he said on Twitter. Mariupol. Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity! How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror? Close the sky right now! Stop the killings! You have power but you seem to be losing humanity. pic.twitter.com/FoaNdbKH5k — Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 9, 2022 × Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked by Reuters for comment on the reported bombing, said: "Russian forces do not fire on civilian targets." The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry posted video footage of what appeared to be the badly damaged building of what it said was the children's and maternity hospital. The footage showed holes where windows should have been in a three-storey building at the hospital, and huge piles of rubble, some of it smouldering. Officials said they did not yet know any casualty figures. The reports could not immediately be verified. Earlier Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia had broken the ceasefire around the southern port, which lies between Russian-backed separatist areas of eastern Ukraine and Crimea, annexed by Moscow from Ukraine in 2014. "Russia continues holding hostage over 400,000 people in Mariupol, blocks humanitarian aid and evacuation. Indiscriminate shelling continues," he wrote on Twitter. "Almost 3,000 newborn babies lack medicine and food." Local officials in other cities said some civilians had left on Wednesday through safe corridors, including out of Sumy in eastern Ukraine and Enerhodar in the south. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia bombed children's hospital in Mariupol, alleges Ukraine

Just as the travel industry was seeking to climb out of a two-year depression, Russia’s assault on Ukraine has scrambled schedules and given Americans pause as they consider international vacations.

The extent to which travellers will feel the effects of the war depends on where they’re going, though experts say the rising price of oil will likely affect all airline ticket prices, even on domestic routes.

For Americans with international plans, the world map, which recently seemed to be expanding with the relaxation of COVID restrictions in many countries, has shrunk anew. Operators have largely scrapped travel in Russia for the rest of the year, which greatly affects Baltic cruise itineraries where the marquee port of call was St. Petersburg.

All of this comes at the time of year when many Americans plan their summer vacations. Some are hesitating. In a recent survey of about 350 American travellers on the impact of the war, the market research firm MMGY Global found that 47% are waiting to see how things pan out in Ukraine before making Europe plans. The conflict leapfrogged COVID-19 as a factor influencing decision-making, with twice as many respondents citing concern about the war spreading beyond Ukraine as those who fear the pandemic.

So far, travel companies are not seeing mass cancellations as travellers, who may have been conditioned to remain flexible by the pandemic, are sticking to their resolve. Nearly 65% of American adults surveyed by TheVacationer.com, a travel strategy website, said they would accept higher prices, longer transit times or another deterrent in order to travel in 2022.

“We’re not seeing a change in behaviour for now from our American travellers,” said Sarah Casewit, a senior travel curator with Origin, a membership-based travel-planning service, which has seen a rise in Europe bookings in recent weeks.

Whatever inconveniences travellers experience is, of course, nothing compared to the suffering inflicted on Ukrainians. Many travellers want to support Europeans who have been hoping for a robust summer season, but do not want to complicate humanitarian efforts to help war refugees.

Given the unpredictability of the war, travelers will need to remain flexible as flight operations, cruises and tours adjust to the conflict.

Turbulence in the air

No commercial carriers from the United States fly to Russia, and those with code-share and interline agreements with Russian carriers, including Delta and American, have cut them.

But the Federal Aviation Administration’s prohibition on flying over Ukraine, Belarus and much of Russia requires some routes to make costly diversions. For commercial flights departing from the United States, these routes are largely limited to India, which only reopened to tourists in mid-November. United Airlines has temporarily suspended service between San Francisco and Delhi and between Newark and Mumbai, though it is continuing service to Delhi from Chicago and Newark.

Rerouting to avoid Russian airspace on Asia flights by flying lower latitude routes over Alaska adds to the cost of operating those flights, said Robert Mann, an airline consultant, who estimated an extra hour of flight time can add up to $12,000.

Those aren’t the only additional expenses that will be passed on through higher ticket prices. The rising cost of oil, expected to rise even more after the Biden administration banned Russian oil imports, is contributing to higher airfares.

But for now, interest in Europe remains high among flyers. The airfare app Hopper found prices on Europe-bound flights from the U.S. have risen 16% since mid-February, from $660 to $763 round trip, which it attributes to post-omicron travel enthusiasm and the usual seasonal cycle of rising prices.

Chelsea Randall and Jacob Meziani became digital nomads during the pandemic — they both work in information technology — living in 16 cities in North America in the past year. In April, the engaged couple plan to move to Europe for several months, first traveling to Portugal and then Poland where they plan to visit Meziani’s family in Lublin, about four hours from the Russian border.

“We are going to stall a little bit, maybe a week or two, to see how it looks for surrounding countries to Ukraine since we don’t know what will happen with refugees,” he said. “If it stays the same as it is, we will book and get trip insurance or an Airbnb with a later cancellation date that can be more flexible.”

Cruises changing course

Cruise lines were counting on 2022 as their comeback year. But those that operate in and around Russia are quickly changing their routes.

From boutique lines such as Silversea to big-ship specialists such as Carnival, cruise lines have canceled Russian port visits. Princess Cruise Lines is modifying 24 itineraries initially scheduled to visit St. Petersburg.

“Some spend three full days there, longer than any other city in Europe,” said Samuel Spencer, the general manager of Ocean &amp; River Cruises Travel, an agency based in Calgary, who describes the city’s attractions, such as the State Hermitage Museum and Peterhof Palace, as unmatched. “It’s a major blow.”

Nonetheless, lines are working to secure substitute ports. Oceania Cruises, which is also canceling Russian stops in Murmansk, Archangel, Vladivostok and the Solovetsky Islands, plans to add additional overnights in Copenhagen and Stockholm in place of St. Petersburg.

Outside of Russia and Ukraine, where Viking canceled its river sailings, river cruise companies largely remain committed to their European schedules.

“As we have yet to set sail for the 2022 cruise season, we have no current plans to cancel or adjust Eastern European cruises at this time,” said Pam Hoffee, the managing director of Avalon Waterways, which does not operate in Russia, in a statement.

As with pandemic-inspired travel cancellations, domestic destinations may benefit. Bookings at American Queen Voyages, which offers cruises on American rivers and lakes, shot up 30% in the past two weeks, which it attributed to travelers choosing domestic over European travel.

“The biggest impact I have seen are those that have a cruise booked who do not want their money to go to Russia,” said Victoria Hardison-Sterry, a Florida-based travel adviser with Lakeshore Travel who had one client switch from a Baltic cruise in 2023 to an Alaska cruise. “My clients have been outspoken about not adding to the Russian economy.”

Others are worried about traveling in neighbouring regions that may be flooded by war refugees, and where the presence of tourists would be a hindrance.

In about six weeks, Spencer is slated to take a group on an AmaWaterways cruise through southeastern Europe, including traveling through Romania and ending in Budapest. “Clients were initially reassured that the route was 1,200 to 1,500 kilometers away from the Russia-Ukraine border, but that situation has changed as cities far inland have been targeted by Russia,” he said, noting Budapest is only a few hours from Ukraine. For now, the trip is on, though Spencer is following the news closely. “We travel to support local economies and interact with the cultures, but if they’re dealing with an exodus from Ukraine, we don’t want to be a burden.”

Ensemble Travel Group, a travel adviser consortium, is taking about 150 of its agents on a river cruise in Europe in April. The travelers plan to pack blankets and hygiene kits to donate to a nonprofit helping refugees while they are in Budapest with the goal of doing “something meaningful to help those impacted by this horrible situation,” said Todd Hutzulak, Ensemble’s executive director of marketing, whose grandfather is from Kyiv.

Redirecting tours

Perhaps no sector of the travel industry has been more affected than tour operators that had trips scheduled in Russia and, to a lesser extent, its neighbours.

Companies including smarTours, Kensington Tours and G Adventures have canceled upcoming trips there. Smithsonian Journeys canceled or rerouted all 2022 trips that visited Russia and said cancellations in Europe have been less than 1% since the war began. Ride and Seek, a bike tour company, plans to continue to operate its Paris-to-St.-Petersburg tour, adjusted to ride to the Russian border, then retreat to Tallinn, Estonia, for the final evening.

“Traditionally, Russia is an emerging market for us that’s growing,” said Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of G Adventures, which canceled a dozen tours in the country including its popular trans-Siberian train trips.

The company’s trips in border countries like Mongolia, the former Soviet republics of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and Turkey remain on the books. The conflict so far has not triggered mass cancellations.

“In regular times, clients would have said, ‘I’m not going to travel,’ but people have gone two years not traveling,” he said. “There’s a push and pull thing going on.”

Many travelers, newly unbound by COVID-19 restrictions, are sticking to their bucket-list plans. The tour company Atlas Obscura said Romania, which borders Ukraine, was among the top-selling trips in the past week.

“After two years spent close to home, our travellers are planning ambitious, far-flung trips,” wrote Mike Parker, the general manager of the company’s travel division, in an email.

Mir Corporation, a Seattle-based tour company that specialises in travel to Russia and the region — and whose name translates from Russian as “peace” and “world” — has had to cancel a “significant” number of its trips, according to Annie Lucas, the vice president. Meanwhile, trips to the southern Caucasus region, Central Asia and the Middle East are on.

“People are hesitant, of course,” she said in a call from Tbilisi, Georgia, where she travels frequently. “We are hoping the strengthening of US and European efforts will lead to cease-fire negotiations to end this senseless suffering.”

Just as the travel industry was seeking to climb out of a two-year depression, Russia’s assault on Ukraine has scrambled schedules and given Americans pause as they consider international vacations.

Just as the travel industry was seeking to climb out of a two-year depression, Russia’s assault on Ukraine has scrambled schedules and given Americans pause as they consider international vacations. The extent to which travellers will feel the effects of the war depends on where they’re going, though experts say the rising price of oil will likely affect all airline ticket prices, even on domestic routes. For Americans with international plans, the world map, which recently seemed to be expanding with the relaxation of COVID restrictions in many countries, has shrunk anew. Operators have largely scrapped travel in Russia for the rest of the year, which greatly affects Baltic cruise itineraries where the marquee port of call was St. Petersburg. All of this comes at the time of year when many Americans plan their summer vacations. Some are hesitating. In a recent survey of about 350 American travellers on the impact of the war, the market research firm MMGY Global found that 47% are waiting to see how things pan out in Ukraine before making Europe plans. The conflict leapfrogged COVID-19 as a factor influencing decision-making, with twice as many respondents citing concern about the war spreading beyond Ukraine as those who fear the pandemic. So far, travel companies are not seeing mass cancellations as travellers, who may have been conditioned to remain flexible by the pandemic, are sticking to their resolve. Nearly 65% of American adults surveyed by TheVacationer.com, a travel strategy website, said they would accept higher prices, longer transit times or another deterrent in order to travel in 2022. “We’re not seeing a change in behaviour for now from our American travellers,” said Sarah Casewit, a senior travel curator with Origin, a membership-based travel-planning service, which has seen a rise in Europe bookings in recent weeks. Whatever inconveniences travellers experience is, of course, nothing compared to the suffering inflicted on Ukrainians. Many travellers want to support Europeans who have been hoping for a robust summer season, but do not want to complicate humanitarian efforts to help war refugees. Given the unpredictability of the war, travelers will need to remain flexible as flight operations, cruises and tours adjust to the conflict. Turbulence in the air No commercial carriers from the United States fly to Russia, and those with code-share and interline agreements with Russian carriers, including Delta and American, have cut them. But the Federal Aviation Administration’s prohibition on flying over Ukraine, Belarus and much of Russia requires some routes to make costly diversions. For commercial flights departing from the United States, these routes are largely limited to India, which only reopened to tourists in mid-November. United Airlines has temporarily suspended service between San Francisco and Delhi and between Newark and Mumbai, though it is continuing service to Delhi from Chicago and Newark. Rerouting to avoid Russian airspace on Asia flights by flying lower latitude routes over Alaska adds to the cost of operating those flights, said Robert Mann, an airline consultant, who estimated an extra hour of flight time can add up to $12,000. Those aren’t the only additional expenses that will be passed on through higher ticket prices. The rising cost of oil, expected to rise even more after the Biden administration banned Russian oil imports, is contributing to higher airfares. But for now, interest in Europe remains high among flyers. The airfare app Hopper found prices on Europe-bound flights from the U.S. have risen 16% since mid-February, from $660 to $763 round trip, which it attributes to post-omicron travel enthusiasm and the usual seasonal cycle of rising prices. Chelsea Randall and Jacob Meziani became digital nomads during the pandemic — they both work in information technology — living in 16 cities in North America in the past year. In April, the engaged couple plan to move to Europe for several months, first traveling to Portugal and then Poland where they plan to visit Meziani’s family in Lublin, about four hours from the Russian border. “We are going to stall a little bit, maybe a week or two, to see how it looks for surrounding countries to Ukraine since we don’t know what will happen with refugees,” he said. “If it stays the same as it is, we will book and get trip insurance or an Airbnb with a later cancellation date that can be more flexible.” Cruises changing course Cruise lines were counting on 2022 as their comeback year. But those that operate in and around Russia are quickly changing their routes. From boutique lines such as Silversea to big-ship specialists such as Carnival, cruise lines have canceled Russian port visits. Princess Cruise Lines is modifying 24 itineraries initially scheduled to visit St. Petersburg. “Some spend three full days there, longer than any other city in Europe,” said Samuel Spencer, the general manager of Ocean & River Cruises Travel, an agency based in Calgary, who describes the city’s attractions, such as the State Hermitage Museum and Peterhof Palace, as unmatched. “It’s a major blow.” Nonetheless, lines are working to secure substitute ports. Oceania Cruises, which is also canceling Russian stops in Murmansk, Archangel, Vladivostok and the Solovetsky Islands, plans to add additional overnights in Copenhagen and Stockholm in place of St. Petersburg. Outside of Russia and Ukraine, where Viking canceled its river sailings, river cruise companies largely remain committed to their European schedules. “As we have yet to set sail for the 2022 cruise season, we have no current plans to cancel or adjust Eastern European cruises at this time,” said Pam Hoffee, the managing director of Avalon Waterways, which does not operate in Russia, in a statement. As with pandemic-inspired travel cancellations, domestic destinations may benefit. Bookings at American Queen Voyages, which offers cruises on American rivers and lakes, shot up 30% in the past two weeks, which it attributed to travelers choosing domestic over European travel. “The biggest impact I have seen are those that have a cruise booked who do not want their money to go to Russia,” said Victoria Hardison-Sterry, a Florida-based travel adviser with Lakeshore Travel who had one client switch from a Baltic cruise in 2023 to an Alaska cruise. “My clients have been outspoken about not adding to the Russian economy.” Others are worried about traveling in neighbouring regions that may be flooded by war refugees, and where the presence of tourists would be a hindrance. In about six weeks, Spencer is slated to take a group on an AmaWaterways cruise through southeastern Europe, including traveling through Romania and ending in Budapest. “Clients were initially reassured that the route was 1,200 to 1,500 kilometers away from the Russia-Ukraine border, but that situation has changed as cities far inland have been targeted by Russia,” he said, noting Budapest is only a few hours from Ukraine. For now, the trip is on, though Spencer is following the news closely. “We travel to support local economies and interact with the cultures, but if they’re dealing with an exodus from Ukraine, we don’t want to be a burden.” Ensemble Travel Group, a travel adviser consortium, is taking about 150 of its agents on a river cruise in Europe in April. The travelers plan to pack blankets and hygiene kits to donate to a nonprofit helping refugees while they are in Budapest with the goal of doing “something meaningful to help those impacted by this horrible situation,” said Todd Hutzulak, Ensemble’s executive director of marketing, whose grandfather is from Kyiv. Redirecting tours Perhaps no sector of the travel industry has been more affected than tour operators that had trips scheduled in Russia and, to a lesser extent, its neighbours. Companies including smarTours, Kensington Tours and G Adventures have canceled upcoming trips there. Smithsonian Journeys canceled or rerouted all 2022 trips that visited Russia and said cancellations in Europe have been less than 1% since the war began. Ride and Seek, a bike tour company, plans to continue to operate its Paris-to-St.-Petersburg tour, adjusted to ride to the Russian border, then retreat to Tallinn, Estonia, for the final evening. “Traditionally, Russia is an emerging market for us that’s growing,” said Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of G Adventures, which canceled a dozen tours in the country including its popular trans-Siberian train trips. The company’s trips in border countries like Mongolia, the former Soviet republics of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and Turkey remain on the books. The conflict so far has not triggered mass cancellations. “In regular times, clients would have said, ‘I’m not going to travel,’ but people have gone two years not traveling,” he said. “There’s a push and pull thing going on.” Many travelers, newly unbound by COVID-19 restrictions, are sticking to their bucket-list plans. The tour company Atlas Obscura said Romania, which borders Ukraine, was among the top-selling trips in the past week. “After two years spent close to home, our travellers are planning ambitious, far-flung trips,” wrote Mike Parker, the general manager of the company’s travel division, in an email. Mir Corporation, a Seattle-based tour company that specialises in travel to Russia and the region — and whose name translates from Russian as “peace” and “world” — has had to cancel a “significant” number of its trips, according to Annie Lucas, the vice president. Meanwhile, trips to the southern Caucasus region, Central Asia and the Middle East are on. “People are hesitant, of course,” she said in a call from Tbilisi, Georgia, where she travels frequently. “We are hoping the strengthening of US and European efforts will lead to cease-fire negotiations to end this senseless suffering.”

Changed itineraries, higher fares: How the war in Ukraine is affecting travel

Several Caribbean countries are cancelling programs by making use of which peple from Russia and Belarus could buy citizenships for large sums, said AFP. These measures are being taken as a step to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine.

The Caribbean countries that are taking these steps are Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda.

Under these Citizenship by investment programs (CBI) people can obtain passports by paying the government at least $100,000 or by investing around $200,000 in government-run real estate development projects.

On the tiny island of Dominica in the eastern Caribbean, for instance, in an email to officials tasked with recruiting rich investors from the coordinator of the program, Emmanuel Nanthan, said scheme is suspended effective immediately "in light of the current conflict in Ukraine" but also to preserve "the credibility" of the program.

In Saint Lucia, "our banking system no longer allows transfers of funds from Russia," the CBI service there said.

"However we will deal with fund transfer requests from bank accounts outside Russia," it added.

Charmaine Donovan, who runs the CBI service in Antigua and Barbuda, said it has been suspended there, too, for people from Russia and its ally Belarus. 
"It is a matter of remaining consistent with the foreign policy position of Antigua and Barbuda," said Donovan.

Caribbean island states were among 141 UN member countries that have condemned the Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbor Ukraine starting on February 24.

The regional grouping called the Caribbean Community (Caricom) met this month in Belize and also condemned the attack unanimously, but it did not approve any joint sanctions, leaving this up to individual members.

In 2020 the prime minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, said the CBI program there had brought in the equivalent of $440 million in revenue. 
He said the money was used to pay off debt but also to build housing that is more resistant to extreme weather stemming from climate change.

(With inputs from agencies)

Several Caribbean countries are cancelling programs by making use of which peple from Russia and Belarus could buy citizenships for large sums, said AFP. These measures are being taken as a step to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine.

Several Caribbean countries are cancelling programs by making use of which peple from Russia and Belarus could buy citizenships for large sums, said AFP. These measures are being taken as a step to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine. The Caribbean countries that are taking these steps are Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda. Under these Citizenship by investment programs (CBI) people can obtain passports by paying the government at least $100,000 or by investing around $200,000 in government-run real estate development projects. On the tiny island of Dominica in the eastern Caribbean, for instance, in an email to officials tasked with recruiting rich investors from the coordinator of the program, Emmanuel Nanthan, said scheme is suspended effective immediately "in light of the current conflict in Ukraine" but also to preserve "the credibility" of the program. In Saint Lucia, "our banking system no longer allows transfers of funds from Russia," the CBI service there said. "However we will deal with fund transfer requests from bank accounts outside Russia," it added. Charmaine Donovan, who runs the CBI service in Antigua and Barbuda, said it has been suspended there, too, for people from Russia and its ally Belarus. "It is a matter of remaining consistent with the foreign policy position of Antigua and Barbuda," said Donovan. Caribbean island states were among 141 UN member countries that have condemned the Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbor Ukraine starting on February 24. The regional grouping called the Caribbean Community (Caricom) met this month in Belize and also condemned the attack unanimously, but it did not approve any joint sanctions, leaving this up to individual members. In 2020 the prime minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, said the CBI program there had brought in the equivalent of $440 million in revenue. He said the money was used to pay off debt but also to build housing that is more resistant to extreme weather stemming from climate change. (With inputs from agencies)

Caribbean countries junk program allowing Russians to buy citizenship

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina praised her Indian counterpart on Wednesday for rescuing nine of her country's residents from war-torn Ukraine.

Since Russia attacked Ukraine two weeks ago, India has rescued trapped individuals, especially students, from numerous other countries, including Pakistan, Nepal, and Tunisia, as part of its 'Operation Ganga' evacuation effort.

Earlier in the day, ANI posted a video of a Pakistani student thanking the Indian government for removing her from the conflict-torn country.&nbsp;

According to ANI, the girl, Asma Shafique, was rescued by Indian officials and is currently on her way to western Ukraine, according to reports.

According to the reports, she will be reunited with her family soon.

The girl can be heard in the video thanking the Indian consulate in Kyiv as well as Modi for his help.&nbsp;

"I want to thank the Indian embassy in Kyiv for supporting us all the way here as we were stuck in a very difficult situation, and I also want to thank the Prime Minister of India for supporting us. I hope we get home safely because of the Indian embassy," she said.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Pakistan's Asma Shafique thanks the Indian embassy in Kyiv and Prime Minister Modi for evacuating her. 
 
Shas been rescued by Indian authorities and is enroute to Western <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> for further evacuation out of the country. She will be reunited with her family soon:Sources <a href="https://t.co/9hiBWGKvNp">pic.twitter.com/9hiBWGKvNp</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1501378896003883012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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On Sunday, Indian PM Modi said that "the fact that India was able to evacuate its citizens during the war in Ukraine demonstrates the country's growing global significance,".&nbsp;

"You have seen how, under Operation Ganga, India is bringing its citizens safely out of the war zone. Many big countries are facing difficulties in doing so. But it is due to India’s increasing influence that we have brought thousands of students back to their motherland," Modi said

(With inputs from agencies)

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina praised her Indian counterpart on Wednesday for rescuing nine of her country's residents from war-torn Ukraine. Since Russia attacked Ukraine two weeks ago, India has rescued trapped individuals, especially students, from numerous other countries, including Pakistan, Nepal, and Tunisia, as part of its 'Operation Ganga' evacuation effort.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina praised her Indian counterpart on Wednesday for rescuing nine of her country's residents from war-torn Ukraine. Since Russia attacked Ukraine two weeks ago, India has rescued trapped individuals, especially students, from numerous other countries, including Pakistan, Nepal, and Tunisia, as part of its 'Operation Ganga' evacuation effort. Earlier in the day, ANI posted a video of a Pakistani student thanking the Indian government for removing her from the conflict-torn country. According to ANI, the girl, Asma Shafique, was rescued by Indian officials and is currently on her way to western Ukraine, according to reports. According to the reports, she will be reunited with her family soon. The girl can be heard in the video thanking the Indian consulate in Kyiv as well as Modi for his help. "I want to thank the Indian embassy in Kyiv for supporting us all the way here as we were stuck in a very difficult situation, and I also want to thank the Prime Minister of India for supporting us. I hope we get home safely because of the Indian embassy," she said. #WATCH | Pakistan's Asma Shafique thanks the Indian embassy in Kyiv and Prime Minister Modi for evacuating her. Shas been rescued by Indian authorities and is enroute to Western #Ukraine for further evacuation out of the country. She will be reunited with her family soon:Sources pic.twitter.com/9hiBWGKvNp — ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2022 × On Sunday, Indian PM Modi said that "the fact that India was able to evacuate its citizens during the war in Ukraine demonstrates the country's growing global significance,". "You have seen how, under Operation Ganga, India is bringing its citizens safely out of the war zone. Many big countries are facing difficulties in doing so. But it is due to India’s increasing influence that we have brought thousands of students back to their motherland," Modi said (With inputs from agencies)

Operation Ganga: Sheikh Hasina thanks PM Modi for rescuing Bangladeshis from war-hit Ukraine

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