Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- The new U.S. assistance to Ukraine announced in Kyiv by President Biden will comprise a $450 million military aid package to Ukraine and $10 million to support the country’s energy infrastructure, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
- Britain’s Defense Ministry said Russia is likely to claim that its forces captured Bakhmut “regardless of the reality on the ground” to align with the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine this week.
- A much-anticipated major Russian offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region is underway, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War.
- Reactions at home to Biden’s surprise stop in Kyiv rippled across social media Monday. His visit drew praise among Democrats, while some Republicans criticized it, seeking to cast the trip to the war-torn country as Biden ignoring domestic problems.
More live updates here.
- The new U.S. assistance to Ukraine announced in Kyiv by President Biden will comprise a $450 million military aid package to Ukraine and $10 million to support the country’s energy infrastructure, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
- Britain’s Defense Ministry said Russia is likely to claim that its forces captured Bakhmut “regardless of the reality on the ground” to align with the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine this week.
- A much-anticipated major Russian offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region is underway, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War.
- Reactions at home to Biden’s surprise stop in Kyiv rippled across social media Monday. His visit drew praise among Democrats, while some Republicans criticized it, seeking to cast the trip to the war-torn country as Biden ignoring domestic problems.
More live updates here.
Cloak-and-dagger moves allow Biden to sneak into Ukraine’s war zone
WARSAW — As President Biden stepped out of a golden-domed church during his unannounced, high-stakes trip to Kyiv — a city under regular bombardment from Russian forces — an air-raid siren abruptly went off, signaling that a Russian military jet armed with missiles had taken off from its home territory.
The plane ultimately did not pose a threat to Biden’s location; U.S. officials had tried to reduce the risks by taking the extraordinary step of informing Moscow of Biden’s planned visit ahead of time. But the shrill alarm was a reminder of the peril of an American president visiting a war-besieged capital in a region where military groups and mercenaries are not known for following the rules.
Among the striking features of the whirlwind visit was Biden’s use of a train that had been set aside for him to get in and out of Ukraine, a necessity given the dangers of traversing Ukrainian airspace.
Read the full story here.
WARSAW — As President Biden stepped out of a golden-domed church during his unannounced, high-stakes trip to Kyiv — a city under regular bombardment from Russian forces — an air-raid siren abruptly went off, signaling that a Russian military jet armed with missiles had taken off from its home territory.
The plane ultimately did not pose a threat to Biden’s location; U.S. officials had tried to reduce the risks by taking the extraordinary step of informing Moscow of Biden’s planned visit ahead of time. But the shrill alarm was a reminder of the peril of an American president visiting a war-besieged capital in a region where military groups and mercenaries are not known for following the rules.
Among the striking features of the whirlwind visit was Biden’s use of a train that had been set aside for him to get in and out of Ukraine, a necessity given the dangers of traversing Ukrainian airspace.
Read the full story here.
One-year mark of Ukraine invasion looms large over Biden’s Poland trip
WARSAW — President Biden is in Poland ahead of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, seeking to applaud the global coalition that has helped thwart Russia’s military ambitions and also shoring up an alliance threatened by shifting political winds and fatigue with the war effort.
Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks here Tuesday ahead of the Feb. 24 anniversary of Russia’s invasion, stressing that the United States will stand with Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” a White House spokesman said.
Biden’s speech will follow his surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday.
Read the full story here.
WARSAW — President Biden is in Poland ahead of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, seeking to applaud the global coalition that has helped thwart Russia’s military ambitions and also shoring up an alliance threatened by shifting political winds and fatigue with the war effort.
Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks here Tuesday ahead of the Feb. 24 anniversary of Russia’s invasion, stressing that the United States will stand with Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” a White House spokesman said.
Biden’s speech will follow his surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday.
Read the full story here.
Putin says Russia will suspend role in New START, major nuclear accord with U.S.
President Vladimir Putin announced in a state of the nation address Tuesday that Moscow is “suspending” its participation in the New START nuclear nonproliferation agreement, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia.
Putin said Russia will not “withdraw” completely from the treaty, which has been extended to run through Feb. 4, 2026, but he said that Russia would not allow NATO countries to inspect its nuclear arsenal. He accused the alliance of helping Ukraine conduct drone strikes on Russian air bases that host strategic bombers that are part of the country’s strategic deterrence.
The 2011 treaty placed “verifiable limits” on the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads deployed by the countries.
Read the full story here.
President Vladimir Putin announced in a state of the nation address Tuesday that Moscow is “suspending” its participation in the New START nuclear nonproliferation agreement, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia.
Putin said Russia will not “withdraw” completely from the treaty, which has been extended to run through Feb. 4, 2026, but he said that Russia would not allow NATO countries to inspect its nuclear arsenal. He accused the alliance of helping Ukraine conduct drone strikes on Russian air bases that host strategic bombers that are part of the country’s strategic deterrence.
The 2011 treaty placed “verifiable limits” on the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads deployed by the countries.
Read the full story here.
Biden, in Poland, to slam Russia’s brutality in Ukraine; Putin speech attacks West
WARSAW — President Biden will soon speak in Warsaw and will reiterate a global commitment to Ukraine as the war reaches its first anniversary.
Senior administration officials say they don’t view the remarks as a direct response to a speech that Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered early Tuesday. “It will be broader in tone and in detail,” Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said on a call with reporters in the morning. “We did not set this speech up as a head to head.”
Follow our live updates and watch the speech live here.
WARSAW — President Biden will soon speak in Warsaw and will reiterate a global commitment to Ukraine as the war reaches its first anniversary.
Senior administration officials say they don’t view the remarks as a direct response to a speech that Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered early Tuesday. “It will be broader in tone and in detail,” Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said on a call with reporters in the morning. “We did not set this speech up as a head to head.”
Follow our live updates and watch the speech live here.
What is New START and why is Russia ‘suspending’ its role in the treaty?
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow is “suspending” its participation in New START, the only remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia.
“Our relations have degraded, and that’s completely and utterly the U.S.'s fault,” Putin said during his annual state of the nation address. He added: “If the U.S. conducts tests, then so will we. Nobody should have any illusions that global strategic parity can be destroyed.”
The announcement sparked alarm among Western officials, who warned about the disintegration of the global arms-control architecture.
Here’s what to know about the New START accord.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow is “suspending” its participation in New START, the only remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia.
“Our relations have degraded, and that’s completely and utterly the U.S.'s fault,” Putin said during his annual state of the nation address. He added: “If the U.S. conducts tests, then so will we. Nobody should have any illusions that global strategic parity can be destroyed.”
The announcement sparked alarm among Western officials, who warned about the disintegration of the global arms-control architecture.
Here’s what to know about the New START accord.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- President Biden delivered on Tuesday a wide-ranging speech in Warsaw ahead of the Feb. 24 anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He began with a declaration of support for Ukraine: “Kyiv stands strong.”
- Putin announced Tuesday that Russia would suspend its participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as New START, the last nuclear nonproliferation accord it has with the United States. Putin’s state of the nation address to Russia’s parliament was also an attack on the West, which Putin accused of exacerbating the conflict by providing weapons to Ukraine.
- NATO is “increasingly concerned that China may be planning to provide lethal support for Russia’s war,” the alliance’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said in an address alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, in Brussels.
More live updates here.
- President Biden delivered on Tuesday a wide-ranging speech in Warsaw ahead of the Feb. 24 anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He began with a declaration of support for Ukraine: “Kyiv stands strong.”
- Putin announced Tuesday that Russia would suspend its participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as New START, the last nuclear nonproliferation accord it has with the United States. Putin’s state of the nation address to Russia’s parliament was also an attack on the West, which Putin accused of exacerbating the conflict by providing weapons to Ukraine.
- NATO is “increasingly concerned that China may be planning to provide lethal support for Russia’s war,” the alliance’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said in an address alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, in Brussels.
More live updates here.
Putin assures Russia he will win the war, then suspends nuclear arms deal
In the last minutes of a nearly two-hour speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday artfully dropped one bombshell into an otherwise lackluster state-of-the-nation address — suspending Russian participation in New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control accord between Moscow and Washington.
Putin said he was not canceling the treaty, which runs through Feb. 4, 2026, but would not accede to U.S. demands to resume the regular inspections and meetings mandated by the agreement, which limits the number intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The move seemed intended to pressure Washington to curtail its plans to provide more advanced weapons to Ukraine by reminding the United States and NATO allies of the central reason they have avoided direct involvement in the war: Putin controls the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and has created real uncertainty about his threshold for using it.
Read more about Putin's speech here.
In the last minutes of a nearly two-hour speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday artfully dropped one bombshell into an otherwise lackluster state-of-the-nation address — suspending Russian participation in New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control accord between Moscow and Washington.
Putin said he was not canceling the treaty, which runs through Feb. 4, 2026, but would not accede to U.S. demands to resume the regular inspections and meetings mandated by the agreement, which limits the number intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The move seemed intended to pressure Washington to curtail its plans to provide more advanced weapons to Ukraine by reminding the United States and NATO allies of the central reason they have avoided direct involvement in the war: Putin controls the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and has created real uncertainty about his threshold for using it.
Read more about Putin's speech here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Biden is expected to meet leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of countries on NATO’s eastern flank, in Poland on Wednesday. Biden will also meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on the final day of his trip to Warsaw.
- Russia recently notified the U.S. that it would carry out an intercontinental ballistic missile test, U.S. officials said Tuesday night, but no missile appears to have been launched during Biden’s visit to Ukraine.
- Russia on Tuesday called for a special U.N. commission to investigate the explosions that blew up the Nord Stream undersea natural gas pipelines, based largely on an American journalist’s controversial allegation that it was destroyed in a secret U.S. operation. The U.S. has denied involvement.
- At least 8,000 civilians have been killed and at least 13,000 have been injured in the war over the past year, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said Tuesday.
More live updates here.
- Biden is expected to meet leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of countries on NATO’s eastern flank, in Poland on Wednesday. Biden will also meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on the final day of his trip to Warsaw.
- Russia recently notified the U.S. that it would carry out an intercontinental ballistic missile test, U.S. officials said Tuesday night, but no missile appears to have been launched during Biden’s visit to Ukraine.
- Russia on Tuesday called for a special U.N. commission to investigate the explosions that blew up the Nord Stream undersea natural gas pipelines, based largely on an American journalist’s controversial allegation that it was destroyed in a secret U.S. operation. The U.S. has denied involvement.
- At least 8,000 civilians have been killed and at least 13,000 have been injured in the war over the past year, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said Tuesday.
More live updates here.
A year in the trenches has hardened Ukraine’s president
Not long after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, a year ago this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky found himself in a safe room beneath Kyiv’s government complex with the voice of the Belarusian president booming over the phone.
Alexander Lukashenko, one of the Kremlin’s key allies, was inviting a delegation of officials to Minsk to negotiate an end to the war that Russia had launched just three days earlier, according to the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, who was in the room for the call.
Zelensky was incensed at the invitation to another negotiation — recalling talks over the conflict in Ukraine’s east, known as “Minsk 1” and “Minsk 2,” that took place in the Belarusian capital in 2014 and 2015 — in which Kyiv was forced to make concessions to the Kremlin under the threat of battlefield losses.
“There will be no Minsk,” Zelensky said, according to Sybiha. “There will be no Minsk 3.”
Read the full story here.
Not long after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, a year ago this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky found himself in a safe room beneath Kyiv’s government complex with the voice of the Belarusian president booming over the phone.
Alexander Lukashenko, one of the Kremlin’s key allies, was inviting a delegation of officials to Minsk to negotiate an end to the war that Russia had launched just three days earlier, according to the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, who was in the room for the call.
Zelensky was incensed at the invitation to another negotiation — recalling talks over the conflict in Ukraine’s east, known as “Minsk 1” and “Minsk 2,” that took place in the Belarusian capital in 2014 and 2015 — in which Kyiv was forced to make concessions to the Kremlin under the threat of battlefield losses.
“There will be no Minsk,” Zelensky said, according to Sybiha. “There will be no Minsk 3.”
Read the full story here.
Biden and Putin deliver dueling fiery speeches on Ukraine
The leaders of the United States and Russia delivered blistering, contradictory addresses in Eastern Europe on Tuesday, showcasing starkly opposing worldviews as they spoke on the eve of the first anniversary of a Ukraine war that has set the two superpowers increasingly at odds.
President Biden, speaking to an enthusiastic crowd outside Poland’s Royal Castle, urged the world’s nations to recommit to a unified defense of Ukraine, saying global democracy is at stake and accusing Russia of committing crimes against humanity through its “abhorrent” acts against civilians.
A few hours earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing a joint session of the Russian parliament, reiterated his attacks on what he called Ukraine’s “neo-Nazi regime” and, in a dramatic move, announced that Moscow was suspending its participation in New START, the last remaining U.S.-Russia nuclear arms agreement.
Read the full story here.
The leaders of the United States and Russia delivered blistering, contradictory addresses in Eastern Europe on Tuesday, showcasing starkly opposing worldviews as they spoke on the eve of the first anniversary of a Ukraine war that has set the two superpowers increasingly at odds.
President Biden, speaking to an enthusiastic crowd outside Poland’s Royal Castle, urged the world’s nations to recommit to a unified defense of Ukraine, saying global democracy is at stake and accusing Russia of committing crimes against humanity through its “abhorrent” acts against civilians.
A few hours earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing a joint session of the Russian parliament, reiterated his attacks on what he called Ukraine’s “neo-Nazi regime” and, in a dramatic move, announced that Moscow was suspending its participation in New START, the last remaining U.S.-Russia nuclear arms agreement.
Read the full story here.
A year later, China blames U.S. ‘hegemony’ — not Russia — for war in Ukraine
Ahead of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China has launched a public diplomacy offensive to wrest control of the narrative about its role in the conflict, trying to clear itself of accusations that it has sided with Russia while accusing the U.S. of turning the conflict into a “proxy” war.
Few positions staked out by Chinese officials in speeches and documents are new, but they’ve underscored why Beijing continues to stand by Moscow even as it professes “deep concern” about the conflict: It considers the U.S. — not Russia — the progenitor of global insecurity, including in Ukraine.
Beijing insists it’s neutral in the conflict, but those claims clash with its rhetorical and diplomatic support for Russia.
That was illustrated with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, arriving in Moscow in a show of solidarity with Russia — especially when contrasted with Biden’s unannounced trip to Kyiv.
Read the full story here.
Ahead of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China has launched a public diplomacy offensive to wrest control of the narrative about its role in the conflict, trying to clear itself of accusations that it has sided with Russia while accusing the U.S. of turning the conflict into a “proxy” war.
Few positions staked out by Chinese officials in speeches and documents are new, but they’ve underscored why Beijing continues to stand by Moscow even as it professes “deep concern” about the conflict: It considers the U.S. — not Russia — the progenitor of global insecurity, including in Ukraine.
Beijing insists it’s neutral in the conflict, but those claims clash with its rhetorical and diplomatic support for Russia.
That was illustrated with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, arriving in Moscow in a show of solidarity with Russia — especially when contrasted with Biden’s unannounced trip to Kyiv.
Read the full story here.
Biden seeks to bolster NATO as he wraps up foreign trip
WARSAW — President Biden sought to bolster the countries along NATO’s eastern flank as he concluded a momentous three-day trip to Ukraine and Poland, pledging full support if Russia begins targeting their countries.
Hours before he was scheduled to leave, Biden reiterated that if Russia attacks any of those Eastern European nations, the U.S. would invoke Article 5 of the NATO charter, meaning that each member of the alliance would respond as if its own territory had been attacked.
“Article 5 is a sacred commitment the United States has made,” Biden said before joining a closed-door meeting with leaders of the Bucharest Nine nations. “We will defend every inch of NATO.”
As the war in Ukraine approaches its anniversary, the meeting was meant to reassure vulnerable nations that are near Ukraine and Russia, as well as to send a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the consequences of escalating further.
Read the full story here.
WARSAW — President Biden sought to bolster the countries along NATO’s eastern flank as he concluded a momentous three-day trip to Ukraine and Poland, pledging full support if Russia begins targeting their countries.
Hours before he was scheduled to leave, Biden reiterated that if Russia attacks any of those Eastern European nations, the U.S. would invoke Article 5 of the NATO charter, meaning that each member of the alliance would respond as if its own territory had been attacked.
“Article 5 is a sacred commitment the United States has made,” Biden said before joining a closed-door meeting with leaders of the Bucharest Nine nations. “We will defend every inch of NATO.”
As the war in Ukraine approaches its anniversary, the meeting was meant to reassure vulnerable nations that are near Ukraine and Russia, as well as to send a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the consequences of escalating further.
Read the full story here.
Analysis: Biden in Kyiv and Warsaw is a reminder of who really leads Europe
It was a surprise visit long in the works. In the year since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Biden has seen a stream of his Western counterparts trot through Kyiv, Ukraine, in shows of solidarity and support. But the complex security protocols surrounding a president in an active war zone and fears over escalating conflict with the Kremlin made it difficult for Biden to make the trip — that is, until Monday.
In a week that will mark the grim anniversary of Russia’s onslaught, Biden went to Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He walked the streets as air raid sirens blared in the background. He toured the city’s iconic St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery and paid respect to the casualties. Biden also made more substantive gestures — touting a new half-billion dollar tranche of military aid, the latest installment in a massive outflow of U.S. support.
Read the full story here.
It was a surprise visit long in the works. In the year since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Biden has seen a stream of his Western counterparts trot through Kyiv, Ukraine, in shows of solidarity and support. But the complex security protocols surrounding a president in an active war zone and fears over escalating conflict with the Kremlin made it difficult for Biden to make the trip — that is, until Monday.
In a week that will mark the grim anniversary of Russia’s onslaught, Biden went to Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He walked the streets as air raid sirens blared in the background. He toured the city’s iconic St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery and paid respect to the casualties. Biden also made more substantive gestures — touting a new half-billion dollar tranche of military aid, the latest installment in a massive outflow of U.S. support.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Biden met with leaders of the Bucharest Nine, countries on NATO’s eastern flank. “You know better than anyone what’s at stake in this conflict, not just for Ukraine but for the freedom of democracies,” Biden told the assembled leaders.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned B9 leaders that Putin is “not preparing for peace” a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- China-Russia relations had stood the test of an unstable international situation and remained “as stable as Mount Tai” — a Chinese idiom for rock-solid — Wang said Wednesday during his meeting with Putin.
- Russia’s State Duma passed a law Wednesday suspending the country’s participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
- Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said Russia would disappear if it lost its war in Ukraine. “If Russia stops the special military operation without winning, there will be no Russia; it will be torn apart,” he wrote on Wednesday.
More live updates here.
- Biden met with leaders of the Bucharest Nine, countries on NATO’s eastern flank. “You know better than anyone what’s at stake in this conflict, not just for Ukraine but for the freedom of democracies,” Biden told the assembled leaders.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned B9 leaders that Putin is “not preparing for peace” a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- China-Russia relations had stood the test of an unstable international situation and remained “as stable as Mount Tai” — a Chinese idiom for rock-solid — Wang said Wednesday during his meeting with Putin.
- Russia’s State Duma passed a law Wednesday suspending the country’s participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
- Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said Russia would disappear if it lost its war in Ukraine. “If Russia stops the special military operation without winning, there will be no Russia; it will be torn apart,” he wrote on Wednesday.
More live updates here.
Wagner mercenary boss and Russian military chiefs at war — with each other
In the photos, dozens of dead Russian mercenaries were piled up on frozen ground — some half-naked. Images like these might usually appear on Ukrainian Telegram channels, but this time they were posted by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the financier of the infamous Wagner mercenary group, who went public with his most bitter attack yet against Russia’s regular military, claiming his fighters were deprived of ammunition and, as a result, died “in heaps” in Ukraine.
In his state of the nation address Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin omitted any mention of his battlefield defeats and casualties, and instead attempted to relay an image of a united country working to crush a common enemy.
But even as Putin spoke, the fierce personal attacks unleashed publicly by Prighozin exposed what the Russian president refused to admit: His war is flagging, and key players in the Kremlin’s orbit are at each other’s throats.
Read the full story here.
In the photos, dozens of dead Russian mercenaries were piled up on frozen ground — some half-naked. Images like these might usually appear on Ukrainian Telegram channels, but this time they were posted by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the financier of the infamous Wagner mercenary group, who went public with his most bitter attack yet against Russia’s regular military, claiming his fighters were deprived of ammunition and, as a result, died “in heaps” in Ukraine.
In his state of the nation address Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin omitted any mention of his battlefield defeats and casualties, and instead attempted to relay an image of a united country working to crush a common enemy.
But even as Putin spoke, the fierce personal attacks unleashed publicly by Prighozin exposed what the Russian president refused to admit: His war is flagging, and key players in the Kremlin’s orbit are at each other’s throats.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- To mark the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the U.N. General Assembly will vote on a draft resolution that calls on Russia to leave Ukrainian territory and highlights the need for accountability for war crimes.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on all members to vote for the U.N, peace resolution to end the war and preserve his country’s sovereignty.
- In the coming year, Russia will put on combat duty the first launchers equipped with the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, which have the potential to carry a large nuclear payload, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday in an address marking the Defender of the Fatherland Day.
- Ukrainian authorities in Kherson announced additional security measures ahead of the war anniversary, citing a possible escalation. In a Facebook post Wednesday, the administration asked people to switch to remote work and announced patrols at gatherings.
More live updates here.
- To mark the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the U.N. General Assembly will vote on a draft resolution that calls on Russia to leave Ukrainian territory and highlights the need for accountability for war crimes.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on all members to vote for the U.N, peace resolution to end the war and preserve his country’s sovereignty.
- In the coming year, Russia will put on combat duty the first launchers equipped with the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, which have the potential to carry a large nuclear payload, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday in an address marking the Defender of the Fatherland Day.
- Ukrainian authorities in Kherson announced additional security measures ahead of the war anniversary, citing a possible escalation. In a Facebook post Wednesday, the administration asked people to switch to remote work and announced patrols at gatherings.
More live updates here.
A global divide on the Ukraine war is deepening
JOHANNESBURG — Clement Manyathela, who hosts a popular and influential talk show on South Africa’s Radio 702, remembers the outrage he felt when Russian troops first surged into Ukraine. He had believed Russia’s insistence that it wasn’t planning to attack and felt cheated when war broke out.
“We were lied to,” he said.
But as the fighting continued, he, and many of those who call in to his show, began to ask questions: Why had President Vladimir Putin deemed it necessary to invade? Was NATO fueling the fire by sending so many weapons to Ukraine? How could the United States expect others around the world to support its policies when it had also invaded countries?
“When America went into Iraq, when America went into Libya, they had their own justifications that we didn’t believe, and now they’re trying to turn the world against Russia. This is unacceptable, too,” Manyathela said.
Read the full story here.
JOHANNESBURG — Clement Manyathela, who hosts a popular and influential talk show on South Africa’s Radio 702, remembers the outrage he felt when Russian troops first surged into Ukraine. He had believed Russia’s insistence that it wasn’t planning to attack and felt cheated when war broke out.
“We were lied to,” he said.
But as the fighting continued, he, and many of those who call in to his show, began to ask questions: Why had President Vladimir Putin deemed it necessary to invade? Was NATO fueling the fire by sending so many weapons to Ukraine? How could the United States expect others around the world to support its policies when it had also invaded countries?
“When America went into Iraq, when America went into Libya, they had their own justifications that we didn’t believe, and now they’re trying to turn the world against Russia. This is unacceptable, too,” Manyathela said.
Read the full story here.
Yellen at G-20 says oil price cap is working and denting Russian revenue
NEW DELHI — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said Thursday that U.S. and European Union moves to cap the price on Russian oil have significantly reduced the Kremlin’s revenue.
Speaking in India’s tech capital Bangalore at the onset of the Group of 20 wealthiest nations finance ministers meeting, she said that the price caps on purchases of Russian oil had slashed its oil revenue by nearly 60 percent.
“We’ve continued to see emerging markets negotiate deep discounts on Russian oil which keeps oil in the global market but sharply reduces the Kremlin’s take,” she said.
Yellen pledged an additional $10 billion in economic support to Ukraine, besides the $45 billion assistance approved by Congress in December. She also expressed optimism that the International Monetary Fund would “move swiftly” toward a robust, new financial assistance program for Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
NEW DELHI — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said Thursday that U.S. and European Union moves to cap the price on Russian oil have significantly reduced the Kremlin’s revenue.
Speaking in India’s tech capital Bangalore at the onset of the Group of 20 wealthiest nations finance ministers meeting, she said that the price caps on purchases of Russian oil had slashed its oil revenue by nearly 60 percent.
“We’ve continued to see emerging markets negotiate deep discounts on Russian oil which keeps oil in the global market but sharply reduces the Kremlin’s take,” she said.
Yellen pledged an additional $10 billion in economic support to Ukraine, besides the $45 billion assistance approved by Congress in December. She also expressed optimism that the International Monetary Fund would “move swiftly” toward a robust, new financial assistance program for Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
Russia, blaming U.S. sabotage, calls for U.N. probe of Nord Stream
Russia called Tuesday for a special United Nations commission to investigate the explosions that blew up the Nord Stream undersea natural gas pipelines in September, based largely on an American journalist’s controversial allegation that a U.S. covert operation was responsible for the attack.
The United States said the accusation was “completely false,” and it accused Russia of trying to distract attention from criticism around the first anniversary of its unprovoked Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine and ongoing attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
The exchanges took place at the U.N. Security Council, which has become the world’s only public forum for direct, and often antagonistic, contacts between Washington and Moscow. On the 15-member council, only China offered full support for Russia’s call for a special U.N. inquiry.
Read the full story here.
Russia called Tuesday for a special United Nations commission to investigate the explosions that blew up the Nord Stream undersea natural gas pipelines in September, based largely on an American journalist’s controversial allegation that a U.S. covert operation was responsible for the attack.
The United States said the accusation was “completely false,” and it accused Russia of trying to distract attention from criticism around the first anniversary of its unprovoked Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine and ongoing attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
The exchanges took place at the U.N. Security Council, which has become the world’s only public forum for direct, and often antagonistic, contacts between Washington and Moscow. On the 15-member council, only China offered full support for Russia’s call for a special U.N. inquiry.
Read the full story here.