Europe should detain Putin, give him to ICC if he visits, Blinken says
European countries should detain Vladimir Putin and turn him over to the International Criminal Court if the Russian president visits their countries, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers Wednesday.
Blinken’s remarks, made in response to a line of questioning, follow the court’s decision last week to issue an arrest warrant for Putin that accuses him of being personally responsible for the abductions of children from Ukraine — the first time the global court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
“Would you encourage our European allies to turn him over?” Republican Sen. Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina asked Blinken during a budget hearing.
“Anyone who is a party to the court and has obligations should fulfill their obligations,” Blinken said.
Read the full story here.
European countries should detain Vladimir Putin and turn him over to the International Criminal Court if the Russian president visits their countries, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers Wednesday.
Blinken’s remarks, made in response to a line of questioning, follow the court’s decision last week to issue an arrest warrant for Putin that accuses him of being personally responsible for the abductions of children from Ukraine — the first time the global court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
“Would you encourage our European allies to turn him over?” Republican Sen. Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina asked Blinken during a budget hearing.
“Anyone who is a party to the court and has obligations should fulfill their obligations,” Blinken said.
Read the full story here.
Analysis: Xi’s Russia trip marks the arrival of a more ambitious ‘Global China’
Whatever the talk of a “no-limits” friendship, it’s the business deals that count. On the second day of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia, the two countries agreed to a set of proposals that would expand their natural gas trade as well as other economic ties. The proposed deals represent something of a lifeline for Russian President Vladimir Putin, isolated from the West because of sanctions imposed on Russia after his decision to wage a full-blown war across the border in Ukraine.
At the center of discussions in Moscow is a new planned pipeline, dubbed Power of Siberia 2, that could supply China with about 50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually.
Read the full story here.
Whatever the talk of a “no-limits” friendship, it’s the business deals that count. On the second day of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia, the two countries agreed to a set of proposals that would expand their natural gas trade as well as other economic ties. The proposed deals represent something of a lifeline for Russian President Vladimir Putin, isolated from the West because of sanctions imposed on Russia after his decision to wage a full-blown war across the border in Ukraine.
At the center of discussions in Moscow is a new planned pipeline, dubbed Power of Siberia 2, that could supply China with about 50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping departed Russia on Wednesday, wrapping up a three-day trip that underscored Beijing and Moscow’s desire to reshape the global order against Western power.
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky made a visit to the front line in Bakhmut, where Russian forces have almost encircled Ukrainian troops, cutting off major transport and supply lines.
- China’s 12-point proposal does not address the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied areas of Ukraine and is vague about key issues such as Ukraine’s sovereignty.
- Kyiv has asked Beijing to endorse a Ukrainian peace formula to end the conflict, Zelensky told reporters alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was in Kyiv on Tuesday.
- Drone attacks hit Kyiv overnight, killing seven and injuring at least nine people in dormitories and an educational institution, according to the Kiev regional police chief Andrii Nebytov on Telegram.
More live updates here.
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping departed Russia on Wednesday, wrapping up a three-day trip that underscored Beijing and Moscow’s desire to reshape the global order against Western power.
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky made a visit to the front line in Bakhmut, where Russian forces have almost encircled Ukrainian troops, cutting off major transport and supply lines.
- China’s 12-point proposal does not address the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied areas of Ukraine and is vague about key issues such as Ukraine’s sovereignty.
- Kyiv has asked Beijing to endorse a Ukrainian peace formula to end the conflict, Zelensky told reporters alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was in Kyiv on Tuesday.
- Drone attacks hit Kyiv overnight, killing seven and injuring at least nine people in dormitories and an educational institution, according to the Kiev regional police chief Andrii Nebytov on Telegram.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels for a two-day summit, which will include continued E.U. support for Ukraine, measures to increase “collective pressure” on Russia, and decisions on sending more ammunition to Kyiv. The United Nations’ Secretary-General, António Guterres, will also attend.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu handed out medals to the two fighter pilots responsible for dumping fuel and then hitting a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea, according to the Tass state news agency.
- Russian missiles struck two high-rise residential buildings Wednesday in the Zaporizhzhia region, killing one person and injuring 34 others, Ukrainian authorities said.
- Nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is in a “precarious state,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday. The only remaining backup power line at the plant, now occupied by Russian forces, has been disconnected since March 1.
More live updates here.
- European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels for a two-day summit, which will include continued E.U. support for Ukraine, measures to increase “collective pressure” on Russia, and decisions on sending more ammunition to Kyiv. The United Nations’ Secretary-General, António Guterres, will also attend.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu handed out medals to the two fighter pilots responsible for dumping fuel and then hitting a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea, according to the Tass state news agency.
- Russian missiles struck two high-rise residential buildings Wednesday in the Zaporizhzhia region, killing one person and injuring 34 others, Ukrainian authorities said.
- Nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is in a “precarious state,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday. The only remaining backup power line at the plant, now occupied by Russian forces, has been disconnected since March 1.
More live updates here.
By embracing Putin, Xi defies the U.S. and exploits a global divide
As Chinese leader Xi Jinping said goodbye to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after his lavish state visit, he borrowed a line from a late-19th-century Chinese general lamenting the changes wrought on the world by Western powers that would eventually bring down the Qing Dynasty.
“This is part of great changes unseen in a century,” Xi said. In Moscow, as he grasped Putin’s hand, he added a second part: “Let’s push it forward together.”
On his three-day visit to Russia that concluded Wednesday, Xi doubled down on Beijing’s message of support for Putin, whom he sees as a necessary, if unpredictable, partner in a bigger plan to thwart U.S. efforts to dominate a unipolar world. In a potential clash between liberal democracies and autocracies, Xi wants to keep Russia, China’s most important and powerful partner, on his side.
Read the full story here.
As Chinese leader Xi Jinping said goodbye to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after his lavish state visit, he borrowed a line from a late-19th-century Chinese general lamenting the changes wrought on the world by Western powers that would eventually bring down the Qing Dynasty.
“This is part of great changes unseen in a century,” Xi said. In Moscow, as he grasped Putin’s hand, he added a second part: “Let’s push it forward together.”
On his three-day visit to Russia that concluded Wednesday, Xi doubled down on Beijing’s message of support for Putin, whom he sees as a necessary, if unpredictable, partner in a bigger plan to thwart U.S. efforts to dominate a unipolar world. In a potential clash between liberal democracies and autocracies, Xi wants to keep Russia, China’s most important and powerful partner, on his side.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine, pumped up by Western weapons, is held back by slow deliveries
KYIV, Ukraine — The United States and its partners are ramping up support for Ukraine’s military — including the Pentagon’s new plan to speed delivery of Abrams battle tanks and a decision by Poland and Slovakia to provide fighter jets — reflecting alarm over recent incremental Russian advances and the Kremlin’s tightening alliances with China and Iran.
But while President Biden has pledged to stand with Kyiv “for as long as it takes,” Ukrainian officials, Western diplomats and analysts warn that the help is simply taking too long. As both sides gird for a spring fighting season that could tilt the outcome of the war, Ukraine still lacks the force strength and weapons to fully expel the Russian invaders from its territory.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — The United States and its partners are ramping up support for Ukraine’s military — including the Pentagon’s new plan to speed delivery of Abrams battle tanks and a decision by Poland and Slovakia to provide fighter jets — reflecting alarm over recent incremental Russian advances and the Kremlin’s tightening alliances with China and Iran.
But while President Biden has pledged to stand with Kyiv “for as long as it takes,” Ukrainian officials, Western diplomats and analysts warn that the help is simply taking too long. As both sides gird for a spring fighting season that could tilt the outcome of the war, Ukraine still lacks the force strength and weapons to fully expel the Russian invaders from its territory.
Read the full story here.
Xi’s delay of Siberia pipeline signals limits to his embrace of Putin
RIGA, Latvia — Russian President Vladimir Putin this week called the Power of Siberia pipeline, which carries Russian gas to China, the “deal of the century.” But Putin’s hopes of swiftly securing a sequel of the century — the giant Power of Siberia 2 — deflated over two days of talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week.
Putin is desperately scouting for hungry new gas markets after Russia lost the bulk of its most important export market, Europe, following his invasion of Ukraine. That loss included Putin’s ill-considered move to cut gas supplies to Germany through a major pipeline last year.
Russian gas giant Gazprom has been pushing the Siberia pipeline plan for years, and all eyes were on the meetings with Xi this week for signs of agreement. It never materialized.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Russian President Vladimir Putin this week called the Power of Siberia pipeline, which carries Russian gas to China, the “deal of the century.” But Putin’s hopes of swiftly securing a sequel of the century — the giant Power of Siberia 2 — deflated over two days of talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week.
Putin is desperately scouting for hungry new gas markets after Russia lost the bulk of its most important export market, Europe, following his invasion of Ukraine. That loss included Putin’s ill-considered move to cut gas supplies to Germany through a major pipeline last year.
Russian gas giant Gazprom has been pushing the Siberia pipeline plan for years, and all eyes were on the meetings with Xi this week for signs of agreement. It never materialized.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels for a two-day summit, which will cover continued E.U. support for Ukraine, measures to increase “collective pressure” on Russia and decisions on sending more ammunition to Kyiv.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky toured the front-line region of Kherson in southern Ukraine on Thursday, his second visit to a battleground area in two days.
- Ukraine needs $411 billion for reconstruction efforts, according to a new estimate from the World Bank on Thursday.
- Lawmakers in Sweden formally voted to allow the country to join NATO.
- Russia awarded medals to the two fighter pilots who dumped fuel on and then hit the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.
- Prince William, heir to the British throne, made a surprise visit to troops in Poland, according to Kensington Palace.
More live updates here.
- European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels for a two-day summit, which will cover continued E.U. support for Ukraine, measures to increase “collective pressure” on Russia and decisions on sending more ammunition to Kyiv.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky toured the front-line region of Kherson in southern Ukraine on Thursday, his second visit to a battleground area in two days.
- Ukraine needs $411 billion for reconstruction efforts, according to a new estimate from the World Bank on Thursday.
- Lawmakers in Sweden formally voted to allow the country to join NATO.
- Russia awarded medals to the two fighter pilots who dumped fuel on and then hit the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.
- Prince William, heir to the British throne, made a surprise visit to troops in Poland, according to Kensington Palace.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- President Zelensky traveled to Kherson, extending his tour of the country’s front line after a trip to Bakhmut a day previously. More than 50 villages in Kherson had been “almost completely destroyed,” he said.
- European Union leaders the same day reiterated their economic and military support of Ukraine, promising to jointly deliver 1 million artillery rounds over the next year. They said they will also provide missiles, upon Kyiv’s request.
- President Biden is expected to discuss support for Ukraine with Canadian President Justin Trudeau during meetings Friday. Canada has committed around $730 million in military assistance to Ukraine, its government says.
- Ukraine’s victory over Russia “will be gained already this year” if there are “no delays or stagnation” in defense cooperation, Zelensky told the European Council on Thursday.
- Spain will deliver six German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine next week, its defense minister said Thursday.
More live updates here.
- President Zelensky traveled to Kherson, extending his tour of the country’s front line after a trip to Bakhmut a day previously. More than 50 villages in Kherson had been “almost completely destroyed,” he said.
- European Union leaders the same day reiterated their economic and military support of Ukraine, promising to jointly deliver 1 million artillery rounds over the next year. They said they will also provide missiles, upon Kyiv’s request.
- President Biden is expected to discuss support for Ukraine with Canadian President Justin Trudeau during meetings Friday. Canada has committed around $730 million in military assistance to Ukraine, its government says.
- Ukraine’s victory over Russia “will be gained already this year” if there are “no delays or stagnation” in defense cooperation, Zelensky told the European Council on Thursday.
- Spain will deliver six German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine next week, its defense minister said Thursday.
More live updates here.
Russia is using old oil tankers to bypass export sanctions, risking spills
Russia is using a fleet of older, poorly insured tankers to sidestep Western sanctions on its fossil fuels, raising fears of a potentially catastrophic accident or oil spill as the Kremlin works to finance its invasion of Ukraine, policymakers and environmental advocates said.
The worries have been especially acute among countries on the Baltic Sea, a shallow body of water that is a northern route for Russian oil shipments. Navigation there can be a challenge, especially for crews unaccustomed to its icy winter conditions. After restrictions on Russian oil exports were imposed in December, old oil tankers with no record of previously sailing through that route started appearing in the narrow Gulf of Finland that leads to St. Petersburg, Finnish officials said.
Read the full story here.
Russia is using a fleet of older, poorly insured tankers to sidestep Western sanctions on its fossil fuels, raising fears of a potentially catastrophic accident or oil spill as the Kremlin works to finance its invasion of Ukraine, policymakers and environmental advocates said.
The worries have been especially acute among countries on the Baltic Sea, a shallow body of water that is a northern route for Russian oil shipments. Navigation there can be a challenge, especially for crews unaccustomed to its icy winter conditions. After restrictions on Russian oil exports were imposed in December, old oil tankers with no record of previously sailing through that route started appearing in the narrow Gulf of Finland that leads to St. Petersburg, Finnish officials said.
Read the full story here.
Russia is shipping very old tanks west, signaling shortage in Ukraine
Open-source researchers have found evidence that Moscow is dusting off Stalin-era tanks — some first deployed more than 70 years ago — and shipping them west, possibly a sign that battlefield losses have led to a shortage of armor for Moscow’s forces on the front in Ukraine.
According to photographs obtained by the Tbilisi, Georgia-based Conflict Intelligence Team, T-54 and T-55 tanks from the 1940s were spotted aboard a train departing from Arsenyev in the Primorsky Krai region of Russia’s Far East, heading west. Russia’s 1295th Central Tanks and Repair Storage Base is in Arsenyev.
The researchers could not confirm that the tanks were being sent for use in combat on the front in Ukraine. Both Russia, which occupies about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, and Ukraine are short on weapons and ammunition, and they are relying on extensive stocks of old weapons.
Read the full story here.
Open-source researchers have found evidence that Moscow is dusting off Stalin-era tanks — some first deployed more than 70 years ago — and shipping them west, possibly a sign that battlefield losses have led to a shortage of armor for Moscow’s forces on the front in Ukraine.
According to photographs obtained by the Tbilisi, Georgia-based Conflict Intelligence Team, T-54 and T-55 tanks from the 1940s were spotted aboard a train departing from Arsenyev in the Primorsky Krai region of Russia’s Far East, heading west. Russia’s 1295th Central Tanks and Repair Storage Base is in Arsenyev.
The researchers could not confirm that the tanks were being sent for use in combat on the front in Ukraine. Both Russia, which occupies about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, and Ukraine are short on weapons and ammunition, and they are relying on extensive stocks of old weapons.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- After a visit to the embattled southern region of Kherson, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 50 villages there have been “completely destroyed” by Russia, with more than 90 percent of buildings in some locations ruined.
- Ukraine’s victory over Russia could occur “this year,” Zelensky told the European Council by video link Thursday, provided there are “no delays or stagnation” in defense cooperation.
- The International Criminal Court signed an agreement to establish a country office in Ukraine, a week after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of sending Ukrainian children to Russia.
- U.N. human rights monitors have found evidence of dozens of summary killings of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war, as well as other potential war crimes.
More live updates here.
- After a visit to the embattled southern region of Kherson, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 50 villages there have been “completely destroyed” by Russia, with more than 90 percent of buildings in some locations ruined.
- Ukraine’s victory over Russia could occur “this year,” Zelensky told the European Council by video link Thursday, provided there are “no delays or stagnation” in defense cooperation.
- The International Criminal Court signed an agreement to establish a country office in Ukraine, a week after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of sending Ukrainian children to Russia.
- U.N. human rights monitors have found evidence of dozens of summary killings of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war, as well as other potential war crimes.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- U.N. human rights monitors said the vast majority of the human rights violations they documented were committed by Russian forces. Russia committed 621 cases of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions of civilians, while Ukraine committed 91, they said.
- The Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenary group killed at least 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war, the mission said. Four other Ukrainian prisoners were summarily executed by Russians.
- Ukraine summarily executed up to 25 Russian prisoners of war and persons hors de combat, Matilda Bogner said, referring to those out of combat due to injury or other ailments.
More live updates here.
- U.N. human rights monitors said the vast majority of the human rights violations they documented were committed by Russian forces. Russia committed 621 cases of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions of civilians, while Ukraine committed 91, they said.
- The Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenary group killed at least 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war, the mission said. Four other Ukrainian prisoners were summarily executed by Russians.
- Ukraine summarily executed up to 25 Russian prisoners of war and persons hors de combat, Matilda Bogner said, referring to those out of combat due to injury or other ailments.
More live updates here.
Between Avdiivka and Bakhmut, Ukrainian forces fight Russia on tough terrain
NIU-YORK, Ukraine — The Russian jet cut a path through the tributaries of the Donbas hills, flying low to avoid detection, just as a Ukrainian soldier juggled three unruly kittens in his meaty palms.
It was half of a litter, explained the soldier, who goes by the call sign Yarik, as their mother prowled the edge of a dugout. Within minutes, the enemy Su-25 fired a missile, striking a position about 300 meters away with a thunderous crack.
“Bunker! Bunker! Bunker!” the soldiers shouted, sending humans and felines alike seeking cover in the shadowy earthen shelter with a pine log roof. After a few minutes with no follow-on attacks heard, the men, from Ukraine’s 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, filtered back to the edge of the trench line, where younger troops instructed an older soldier how to use a vape pen. He asked about the flavor he was struggling to identify.
Read the full story here.
NIU-YORK, Ukraine — The Russian jet cut a path through the tributaries of the Donbas hills, flying low to avoid detection, just as a Ukrainian soldier juggled three unruly kittens in his meaty palms.
It was half of a litter, explained the soldier, who goes by the call sign Yarik, as their mother prowled the edge of a dugout. Within minutes, the enemy Su-25 fired a missile, striking a position about 300 meters away with a thunderous crack.
“Bunker! Bunker! Bunker!” the soldiers shouted, sending humans and felines alike seeking cover in the shadowy earthen shelter with a pine log roof. After a few minutes with no follow-on attacks heard, the men, from Ukraine’s 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, filtered back to the edge of the trench line, where younger troops instructed an older soldier how to use a vape pen. He asked about the flavor he was struggling to identify.
Read the full story here.