Kharkiv is bombarded; high-stakes talks end with plans to continue
WASHINGTON POST coverage of the war in Ukraine
Meanwhile, three areas of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, came under heavy daylight shelling while civilians who had been under curfew ventured out to grocery stores and pharmacies. At least 11 people were reported killed and dozens hospitalized, according to the head of the regional government, in some of the heaviest shelling and street fighting since the invasion began. Both Kharkiv and Kyiv, the capital, remained in Ukrainian hands as Russia faced more resistance than it was expecting, according to the Pentagon.
The first talks between Russia and Ukraine over the invasion ended with agreement to continue talking in coming days. After almost five hours of talks in Belarus, the head of the Russian delegation, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, said further discussion would be held in coming days after both sides consulted with their presidents. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said “the parties identified a number of priority topics on which specific solutions were outlined.”
Here’s what to know
Twitter will start labeling posts linking to Russian state media
Twitter announced Monday it would begin adding labels to tweets containing content from Russian state media websites, as major tech companies come under increased pressure to ban content from outlets connected with the Kremlin.
The labels, which include an orange exclamation point, will be automatically applied to any tweet that includes a link from designated Russian state-affiliated media websites. The company will also stop recommending tweets with these links and block them from appearing in “Top Search.”
Twitter has been labeling state media accounts for years, but most state media links are being shared by individuals rather than the outlets’ official accounts, which prompted the shift according to the company. Since the invasion last week, Twitter says it has recorded more than 45,000 tweets a day from individuals sharing these links.
“As people look for credible information on Twitter regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we understand and take our role seriously,” Yoel Roth, head of site integrity at Twitter, tweeted on Monday. “Our product should make it easy to understand who’s behind the content you see, and what their motivations and intentions are.”
Twitter plans to start appending labels to state-backed media outlets from other countries in the coming weeks. Twitter has appended labels to tweets for more than two years, in efforts to alert users to manipulated media or posts that violate its policies about elections and covid-19.
Facebook, Google and YouTube over the weekend announced plans to stop Russian state-media outlets from monetizing. Twitter stopped advertising from Russian state outlets Sputnik and RT in 2017, following Russia’s social media disinformation operations in the 2016 election. It stopped all state-backed media advertising in 2019. On Monday, Microsoft said it would “take new steps to reduce the exposure of Russian state propaganda” by making it harder for people to find RT and Sputnik on its Bing search engine, removing apps from its store and banning advertisements from those outlets.
Russia looks to encircle Kyiv, raising concerns of siege tactics, Pentagon says
The Russian military is attempting to encircle Kyiv, a senior U.S. defense official said Monday, raising the question of whether Russian forces are adopting siege tactics to attack the Ukrainian capital.
The indications come as Russian forces advanced from the south of Kyiv while continuing slow progress from the north. Russian forces advanced about five kilometers in the north over the previous day, the senior defense official said, leaving them about 25 kilometers outside Kyiv’s city center. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence.
Satellite images over the past few days show miles-long convoys of Russian troops barreling toward Kyiv.
Russia has used siege tactics elsewhere, including the northern city of Chernihiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the senior defense official said. Images from the battlefield make it clear that the Russians are striking civilian targets, though the Pentagon did not weigh in on whether those were deliberate attacks.
The senior defense official said there are signs that the Russians have introduced the Wagner Group, a private Russian paramilitary organization, to the war. While the Pentagon has seen reports of Russian mercenaries hunting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Defense Department has not seen signs of them.
As of Monday, Russia has committed just under 75 percent of the combat power it staged at the Ukrainian border before invading, up from about two-thirds on Sunday, the senior defense official said. Russia has launched 380 missiles at Ukraine since the invasion began, up from 320 on Sunday, the person added.
Airspace over Ukraine continues to be contested, the official said, in contradiction to U.S. assessments before the war that the Russians would dominate the skies within a day or two of an invasion. Russia continues to target Ukrainian air defense weapons.
Protests against Russian military break out in Russian-controlled zone
Ukrainians confronted Russian troops in the southern port city of Berdyansk on Monday, telling the military to “go home” in videos verified by The Washington Post.
More than a dozen armed Russian soldiers wearing white arm bands were seen standing on the steps of the city council building. Military vehicles were parked on the street between the building and a public square, where a small group of protesters had gathered.
Facebook live feeds showed the crowd grew over the course of a few hours, eventually packing the area. Residents came carrying the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag and chanted “Berdyansk is Ukraine.”
In another clip, Russian troop members climbed into military vehicles while surrounded by shouting civilians. Another soldier appeared to make calming gestures toward the crowd.
Russian troops entered Berdyansk on Sunday, according to a public Facebook post from Oleksandr Svidlo, the acting mayor of the city. Svidlo issued a statement Monday defiantly saying that city authorities had not handed authority over to the Russians. The flag of Ukraine was seen still hanging from the local government building in videos.
Russian ships will be denied access to U.K. ports
LONDON — Britain moved Monday to ban Russian ships from its ports as part of its latest package of sanctions after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he has asked all U.K. ports “not to provide access” to any Russian ship.
“Given Putin’s action in Ukraine I’ve made clear these vessels are NOT welcome here with prohibiting legislation to follow,” he wrote on Twitter.
Shapps announced last week that Britain was banning Russian private jets from its airspace, including those owned by Russian oligarchs, many of whom call London — sometimes dubbed “Londongrad” — home. But loopholes have meant that aircraft registered elsewhere and operated by intermediary companies were exempt from the rules.
This latest announcement does not appear to allow for loopholes for oligarchs’ yachts or other sailing vessels. Shapps said he urged ports to deny access to boats believed to be registered, owned, controlled, chartered or operated by “any person connected with Russia.” He said officials will help identify Russian ships before they arrive at British ports.
A Russian-owned vessel was due to arrive in Orkney, Scotland, on Tuesday. It had been unclear whether the tanker, the NS Champion, would be allowed to dock. It belongs to shipping company Sovcomflot, which is majority-owned by the Russian state.
Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, hailed the announcement. “This is good. I had a constructive conversation with Grant Shapps [yesterday] evening in light of the planned docking of a Russian vessel in Orkney, and I welcome this step while legislation for longer term takes effect,” Sturgeon wrote on Twitter.
FIFA suspends Russia from playing international soccer indefinitely
FIFA, international soccer’s global governing body, suspended Russian teams from playing international soccer until further notice, according to a statement issued by the organization. This decision, made in accordance with the executive committee of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), aligns with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board’s recommendation Monday that international federations and organizations should not allow or invite Russian or Belarusian athletes or officials to participate in events.
A day after announcing a number of initial measures to penalize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, FIFA took its punishment of Russia a step further on Monday.
The suspension, rather than a ban, leaves the door open for Russia to return to World Cup qualifying play if the situation in Ukraine improves significantly before the March qualifying games.
Russia was scheduled to play Poland in a semifinal match on March 24, with the winner of that game facing either the Czech Republic or Sweden for one of Europe’s final three spots in the World Cup. All three teams announced earlier this week that they would boycott games against Russia.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” the FIFA statement read. “Both Presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”
Oil giant Shell says it intends to ‘exit’ its ventures with Russia’s Gazprom
Oil giant Shell said Monday that it intends to dump its joint ventures with Russian gas giant Gazprom over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It’s the third major oil company to announce that it planned to exit Russia over the war in Ukraine. On Sunday, Britain’s BP and Norway’s Equinor both announced they were ending investments in Russia’s oil industry.
Shell put the long-term value of its stakes in these ventures at $3 billion.
Among other projects, Shell said it will “exit” a 27.5 percent stake in a natural gas project on Sakhalin Island in eastern Russia.
“We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security,” Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said in an emailed statement. “We cannot — and we will not — stand by.”
He added that Shell is “in discussion with governments around the world” to work through the implications that the move would have on Shell’s business and energy supplies to Europe and other markets.
Ukraine and Russia end talks but agree to continue discussions
MOSCOW — The first talks between Russia and Ukraine over Moscow’s invasion ended with the two nations agreeing to continue discussions in coming days, as Russian forces pounded the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Monday.
Talks went on for almost five hours in southern Belarus near the Ukrainian border, said the head of the Russian delegation, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Medinsky said the two sides “found certain points where we forecast common ground.” He added that further talks would be held in coming days after both sides consulted with their presidents.
It’s unclear whether any discussion of a cease-fire took place. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said only that “the parties identified a number of priority topics on which specific solutions were outlined.”
Hopes for a breakthrough were slim before the talks, with the sides diametrically opposed and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressing doubts Sunday about a resolution.
Ukraine’s goal was an immediate cease-fire and withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, including Crimea and Donbas in the east, Zelensky’s office said on Telegram. The Kremlin declined to express a view Monday.
The Russian delegation, led by Medinsky, included hawkish lawmaker Leonid Slutsky and Russia’s ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov.
Ukraine’s delegation included Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, a close adviser to the president and the deputy foreign minister.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukraine accept the loss of the eastern Donbas region, which he recognized as two independent republics a week ago. Putin has also insisted that Ukraine end its hopes of joining NATO, remove all its weapons and recognize Crimea as part of Russia.
The start of the talks was delayed several times. Wrangling about the location had been going on since Friday, with Ukraine initially ruling out discussions in Belarus because Russia had launched attacks from Belarusian soil.
Lithuanian prime minister says she has been heartened by U.S., NATO response to Russian aggression
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said Monday that she has been heartened by the reaction of the United States and other NATO members to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and downplayed the prospect of Putin later moving against the Baltic states.
“The message is crystal clear: that Article 5 is actually a real thing, and I have no ground to believe that this is not true,” Simonyte said during a Washington Post Live interview, referring to the pillar of NATO that spells out the obligation of members to come to the defense of one another.
Simonyte pointed to Germany’s recent decision to boost its defense spending, calling the move “tectonic” and “game-changing.”
“A week ago, I think nobody would have imagined Germany saying that we are going to increase our defense spending,” Simonyte told Washington Post columnist David Ignatius.
Simonyte said Putin appears to have made several miscalculations, including underestimating how much NATO nations would do to help Ukraine, despite it not being a NATO member.
Were Putin to succeed in taking over Ukraine, his assessment about moving against her country would be far different, Simonyte suggested. Lithuania is a Baltic republic of 2.8 million people that gained independence in 1991 after a half-century under Soviet rule. It joined NATO in 2004.
Simonyte said Putin now appears to be making decisions without the benefit of full information about how things are playing out on the ground.
“He lives in some parallel reality of empirical ambition,” she said.
Simonyte offered praise for President Biden’s leadership in the crisis. Asked what she thought of former president Donald Trump having praised Putin recently, Simonyte said of Putin: “What Putin is doing, it is just murder and nothing else.”
Zelensky asks to join the European Union
Ukraine has asked to join the European Union under a special procedure, according to a video message posted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.
“We appeal to the European Union for the urgent accession of Ukraine [under] a new special procedure,” he says in the video.
“We are grateful to our partners for being with us,” he continued. “But our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing. I’m sure it’s fair. I’m sure we earned it. I’m sure it’s possible.”
Media outlets later shared photographs they said showed Zelensky signing an application for membership.
In recent days, the 27-member bloc has made dramatic moves to back Ukraine and isolate Russia, including financing the sale and delivery of weapons to Kyiv, blocking Russian planes from E.U. skies and tough economic measures.
In an interview with Euronews on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen again voiced support, saying Ukraine is “one of us and we want them in the European Union.”
However, von der Leyen did not offer details on if or how Ukraine might join — nor have other senior officials.
Global markets shudder over growing Russia sanctions
Global markets reeled Monday, with the Dow slumping more than 450 points at the open as investors reckoned with the fallout from fast-growing sanctions penalizing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Stocks declined ahead of another busy week of earnings and economic data as investors kept their focus on the fast-unfolding crisis, with emergency United Nations meetings Monday while delegations from Russia and Ukraine convened for the first time on the Belarusian border. Recent sanctions targeting major Russian banks and companies have enraged Putin, who called the measures “illegitimate” and ordered his nuclear forces to a higher state of alert.
Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow had shed more than 1.4 percent, while the broader S&P 500 index had given up 1.1 percent, wiping out much of the gains from last week’s late rally. The tech-heavy Nasdaq declined nearly 0.7 percent. All three indexes are down 7 percent or more year to date, according to MarketWatch.
IOC urges sports organizations to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus
With pressure intensifying for sports organizations to sanction Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee’s executive board recommended Monday that international federations and organizations “not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials” in competition and to move events from those countries.
The IOC’s executive board said in a statement that it was moving “to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants.”
If that is not possible because of short notice, the IOC urged organizations to “do everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus be allowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus. Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it as individuals or teams, should be accepted only as neutral athletes or neutral teams. No national symbols, colors, flags or anthems should be displayed.”
Most Americans back tougher Russian sanctions but don’t want U.S. military intervention: Poll
An overwhelming majority of Americans support stiffer economic sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine but oppose sending U.S. troops to intervene, according to a new poll by CNN released Monday.
Some 83 percent of poll respondents said they supported the U.S. imposition of tougher sanctions, while 17 percent opposed it. The responses were collected between Feb. 25 and 26 as Western European allies were imposing historic sanctions on Russia — including barring Russia from the global financial messaging system known as SWIFT, a move that would seriously hinder the Russian economy.
The CNN poll demonstrates that American support for economic sanctions against Russia continues to grow. Earlier, 67 percent of Americans favored sanctions by the United States and European allies, while 20 percent opposed them, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted between Feb. 20 and 24.
The CNN poll shows that a smaller majority of Americans want to see the United States do more to stop Russian military action in Ukraine: 62 percent said Washington should do more, while 38 percent said it has already done enough.
A majority of Americans still don’t support direct U.S. military intervention in Ukraine, according to the poll. Fifty-eight percent of respondents were opposed to military action if sanctions fail, while 42 percent were in favor.
The poll indicates that Americans remain lukewarm on President Biden’s handling of the crisis, with 42 percent saying they trust Biden to make the right decisions regarding Ukraine.
Dozens wounded in shelling of Kharkiv, as Russia strikes buildings with suspected cluster munitions
MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials say at least 11 people were killed and more were wounded in the eastern city of Kharkiv on Monday morning after Russia launched rocket strikes, targeting Ukraine’s second-largest city with some of the heaviest shelling and street fighting since the invasion began Thursday. Suspected cluster munitions struck buildings in the city.
Oleh Synehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, said Monday that “dozens are dying” and that at least 11 people were confirmed dead.
He called the attacks in three areas of the predominantly Russian-speaking city that had been considered more friendly to Russia “a war crime.”
“The Russian enemy is shelling entire residential areas of Kharkiv, where there is no critical infrastructure, where there are no positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that the Russians could aim at,” he said in a message on Telegram.
Mark Hiznay, associate director of the arms division at Human Rights Watch, told The Washington Post that Russian forces had used Smerch cluster munition rockets — which disperse submunitions or bomblets — in the attack, according to footage he reviewed.
“This attack clearly illustrates the inherently indiscriminate nature of cluster munitions and should be unequivocally condemned,” he said.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and open-source group Bellingcat have identified the use of cluster munitions in other Russian attacks in Ukraine over the past couple of days in what analysts say is a worrying sign that Russia may be turning to even more deadly military tactics.
After criticism, Switzerland joins E.U. sanctions
PARIS — Switzerland on Monday announced that it will join the European Union in sanctioning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, filling a key gap in Western resolve against the Kremlin following widespread criticism of the Swiss government.
The Swiss had for days held off on following the E.U. and the United States, citing the nation’s long-standing role as a neutral and diplomacy-focused country that has often acted as a mediator in conflicts.
Switzerland’s government now says it will implement the measures already agreed on by the European Union last Wednesday and Friday. As a result, Swiss authorities will take action against the same entities that are being targeted by its European neighbors.
“The assets of the persons and companies listed in the annex to the ordinance are frozen with immediate effect,” the government said in a statement. Switzerland will also close its airspace to flights from Russia or with Russian markings and bar five oligarchs close to Russian President Vladimir Putin from entering the country. Authorities did not provide their names.
Switzerland will also directly sanction Putin and other members of the Russian government. The United States, the European Union and Britain had announced last week that they were targeting assets of Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
“The attack of Russia against an independent, European country — Ukraine — is an attack on sovereignty, freedom, democracy, the civil population and the institutions of a free country,” Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said Monday.
E.U. and domestic pressure on the Swiss government had mounted for days. On Friday, an E.U. spokesman said the bloc expects Switzerland “to follow suit in standing up for defending the principles on which our communities and countries are based.”
Switzerland is not a member of the E.U., a bloc of 27 nations. The country’s status in the geographical center of Europe but on its political sidelines has long allowed its banks to uphold ties to entities and individuals whose businesses would probably run into obstacles elsewhere.
Video shows smoke rising above Chernihiv
Video posted to Instagram on Monday and verified by Storyful showed smoke billowing over Chernihiv after reports that a shopping mall had been hit.
The recording, taken at a residence less than a mile from the shopping center, shows smoke rising over a densely populated area in the northern Ukrainian city.
In a Twitter post, Ukrainian Emergency Services said the Russians shelled the area on Monday.
Russia closes its airspace to 36 nations
Russia has now banned flights from three dozen countries, including numerous European nations and Canada, a move that comes after a growing number of nations, including the entire E.U. bloc, closed their airspace to Russian aircraft.
The bans were announced by the Russian aviation agency, the Associated Press reports, a response to the coordinated pushback by nations in Europe and beyond against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The agency said planes from banned countries could enter Russian airspace if they receive special permits.
E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday that E.U. airspace would be closed to Russian-owned, Russian-registered or Russian-controlled aircraft.
“They won’t be able to land in, take off or overfly the territory of the E.U.,” she said. “Including the private jets of oligarchs.”
Lavrov skips Swiss U.N. meetings due to European ban on Russian flights
Russian Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov has canceled a planned trip to Switzerland to attend meetings of the United Nations Human Rights Council and the U.N. Conference on Disarmament, the Russian diplomatic mission in Geneva said Monday.
The cancellation was a result of the “unprecedented” ban that many European countries have imposed on Russian flights and flight operators in their airspace, the statement said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday that the airspace of the 27 European Union member states will be closed to Russian-owned, registered or controlled aircraft, as part of a set of sanctions imposed on Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine.
Switzerland on Monday joined other European countries in banning Russian aircraft from its airspace, although Swiss President Ignazio Cassis noted that diplomatic flights were exempt. The country’s national carrier, Swiss International Air Lines, told Reuters earlier it was “currently not using Russian airspace for overflights” due to uncertain regulations and had canceled a flight from Zurich to Moscow scheduled for Monday.
Few details were available about Lavrov’s planned trip or the reasons for its cancellation. When asked about it Monday afternoon, the E.U. high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, said Lavrov could have traveled to Geneva because of the exception to the airspace ban for diplomatic flights.
“We didn’t take the step of forbidding Mr. Lavrov from traveling to Geneva for diplomatic reasons,” Borrell told journalists at a news conference. “If it’s for holidays, no.”
Geneva on Monday morning hosted the opening of the 49th regular session of the U.N. Human Rights Council. According to the United Nations, the meeting included “an emergency debate on the situation in Ukraine,” in which representatives of Ukraine and Russia “spoke as countries concerned.”
Two videos show Kharkiv under heavy bombardment
Videos posted on Monday, verified by The Washington Post, showed explosions in a northeastern neighborhood of Kharkiv as Russian and Ukrainian delegations began talks.
In two clips of the attack, flashes of light appear in rapid succession as columns of smoke rise from the ground. A woman observing the barrage can be heard crying in the background of one of the videos.
In a Facebook post, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, said the attacks left dozens dead and hundreds wounded.
Smerch cluster munition rockets were used in the attack, according to Mark Hiznay, associate director of the arms division at Human Rights Watch, who reviewed the videos at The Post’s request.
Antiwar voices in China emerge over Ukraine crisis
With petitions, poetry and one-man protests, a small but increasingly bold contingent of Chinese residents has spoken out against Moscow’s incursions against Ukraine directly contradicting their own government’s firm support of its Russian partner.
While such voices have been nearly drowned out by a deafening chorus of pro-Russian and anti-Western sentiment, their opinions show opposition to China’s new tilt toward Russia as it seeks to shore up the alliance to counter Western influence.
The overwhelming pro-Russian sentiment, as well as the few pro-Ukrainian voices, underline the delicate position that Chinese leaders are in as they try to navigate a geopolitical landscape where Beijing has little experience. China has been walking a fine line between maintaining solidarity with Moscow while not directly endorsing the attack — an approach that has earned it criticism from other countries as well as Chinese citizens.
In photos: More than half a million people flee Ukraine
By train, bus, car and on foot, more than 500,000 people have fled Ukraine, the United Nations refugee agency said Monday. Since Russia’s attack began last week, shattered and exhausted families are seeking safety in neighboring countries such as Poland and Hungary.
Some people boarded trains and buses without even having a clear destination in mind — they just wanted out of key cities and apartment buildings being bombarded by Russian shelling.
They carried their children, suitcases and their beloved pets, while others said emotional goodbyes to the husbands, fathers, partners and other loved ones they were leaving behind, who said they were staying in Ukraine to fight for their country, for freedom and for Europe.
Photos captured by Washington Post photographers and others showed crowded platforms and chaos at key transport hubs. Some people slept on floors, while others soothed screaming children.
As Ukrainian officials ask foreigners to join their fight, some governments appear to be on board
Ukrainian officials have asked European citizens of all stripes to join their fight against Russia — and some nations are responding approvingly to the call.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his officials over the weekend announced a new volunteer force for foreign fighters, called the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, and urged volunteers to join through their local Ukrainian embassies. Zelensky said “anyone who wants to join the defense of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals.”
In statements and votes, officials in various European nations have allowed or appeared to encourage their nationals to fight on behalf of Ukraine — a move Ed Arnold, a research fellow for European security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute think tank, characterized as a “catchy” but impractical political line.
On Monday, lawmakers in Latvia voted unanimously to allow Latvian citizens to fight in Ukraine, according to Reuters. And in Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Sunday that fighting in Ukraine is “a choice that anyone can make.”
“This goes for all Ukrainians who live here, but also for others who think they can contribute directly to the conflict,” Frederiksen said during a news conference. “There is nothing at first sight that would legally prevent someone from going to Ukraine to participate in the conflict, on the Ukrainian side.”
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told the BBC on Sunday that she supported people in Britain who might want to travel to Ukraine to join the fight, adding that Ukrainians were fighting for freedom, “not just for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe.”
But on Monday, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was asked about her comments on Sky News and said there are “better ways” for civilians to “contribute to the security of Ukraine.”
While he agreed with Truss that Ukraine is defending democracy, Wallace said, traveling to Ukraine can be dangerous for people with no military background.
“If you’re keen to help and you’re a United Kingdom citizen, come and join our armed forces,” he said.
Jennifer Hassan contributed to this report.
Former college basketball standout blames his Ukrainian pro team for stranding him
Maurice “Mo” Creek, a former college standout at Indiana and George Washington, said Sunday he was “stuck” in Ukraine, where he has been playing professionally since January.
“Every day I’m on the phone with my agent, trying to get out of here as soon as possible,” Creek told Fox News. “Hopefully, I can get to one of these borders and get out of here.”
In an interview Sunday with basketballnews.com, Creek told former NBA player Etan Thomas that he was speaking from a bomb shelter in the basement of his apartment complex, where some neighbors had turned wooden pallets into makeshift beds.
“I’ve been going back and forth between my apartment and the bomb shelter that they put me in to be safe, because the war is going on around our area,” the 31-year-old said. “So we just have to be as safe as possible, keep our heads held low.”
Israel to support U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Russia
TEL AVIV — Israel announced Monday that it will support a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Russia for invading Ukraine after having refused an earlier American request to vote against Russia in a similar U.N. forum.
“Israel has been and will be on the right side of history,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in a briefing with journalists. “Our organizing principle is clear: We are taking care of Israelis, we are taking care of Jews, and our hearts are with the people of Ukraine.”
Israel last week rejected a U.S. request to co-sponsor the U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Russia. The General Assembly vote is expected Monday or Tuesday, Lapid said.
Since the Russian invasion last week, Israel has increasingly expressed support for Ukraine but has stopped short of publicly criticizing Russia. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said that Israel is maintaining a “measured and responsible policy.”
Russia has a large military presence in Syria on Israel’s northern border and is a strategic ally with Iran, Israel’s primary rival in the region. Lapid said that the United States was and is Israel’s most important ally and that the United States “understood” Israel’s sensitive security position: the Russian presence in Syria and the sizable Jewish and Israeli community remaining in Ukraine.
He added that Israel will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Israel will airlift 100 tons of water purification kits, medical equipment, drugs, tents, blankets, sleeping bags and other equipment Monday evening to Poland, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fled. It is the first of three planes scheduled to leave for Ukraine on Monday and Tuesday.
In recent days, thousands of Israelis have taken to the street to condemn the Russian invasion and call on Israel to do more to help Ukraine. On Monday morning, a small demonstration outside the Knesset called on Bennett to sell Iron Dome antimissile defense systems to Ukraine. The sale was blocked by Israel, expressing concerns that it would damage its relations with Russia, according to a recent report on the Israeli news site Ynet.
State Department suspends operations at U.S. Embassy in Belarus
The U.S. State Department has suspended operations at its embassy in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, and has approved the “voluntary departure” of non-emergency employees and their families from its embassy in Moscow, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Monday.
“We took these steps due to security and safety issues stemming from the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine,” the statement said. It said the government’s main priority is to secure the safety of U.S. citizens — including government workers and their dependents serving globally.
A significant factor in the State Department’s decision to suspend operations was preparations by Belarus to send troops into Ukraine to support the Russian invasion, a U.S. official said.
Blinken said the State Department often “adjusts its posture at embassies and consulates throughout the world in line with its mission, the local security environment, and the health situation.”
The announcement comes a day after Blinken described Russia’s attack as “a war of choice” and called on countries to unite in issuing sweeping sanctions.
The war in Ukraine isn’t working out the way Russia intended
The war in Ukraine isn’t going Russia’s way.
Videos posted on social media show whole columns of tanks and armored vehicles have been wiped out. Others have been stopped in their tracks by ordinary Ukrainians standing on the street to block their advance.
Lightly armed units propelled deep into the country without support have been surrounded and their soldiers captured or killed. Warplanes have been shot out of the skies, and helicopters have been downed, according to Ukrainian and U.S. military officials.
Logistics supply chains have failed, leaving troops stranded on roadsides to be captured because their vehicles ran out of fuel.
Most critically, Russia has proved unable to secure air superiority over the tiny Ukrainian air force — despite having the second-largest air force in the world, Pentagon officials say. Its troops have yet to take control of any significant city or meaningful chunk of territory, a senior U.S. defense official said Sunday.
U.S., European allies freeze ‘Putin’s war chest’ as Russia careens toward economic crisis
The U.S. government and its European allies put into effect on Monday sweeping new penalties aimed at crippling Russia’s economy, as the West escalates its financial war against the Kremlin over its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s economy was already showing signs of severe distress before the new measures were implemented, with crowds of Russians rushing to withdraw cash from ATMs and the value of the nation’s currency plunging dramatically.
Overnight, European leaders imposed new measures that effectively cut Russia off from its financial reserves. The U.S. Treasury Department followed suit with similar steps Monday morning. Under the new regime, all people in the United States and European Union are banned from trading with Russia’s central bank. The sanctions also apply to Russia’s Finance Ministry and its sovereign wealth fund, to prevent the Kremlin from using loopholes to continue to access the reserves.
Kremlin accuses Europe of ‘hostile’ actions as Russian economy reels
MOSCOW — The Kremlin accused Europe on Monday of taking “hostile measures” against Russia, a reference to sweeping sanctions and moves to send military equipment to Ukraine, as Russia’s military confirmed that the nation’s nuclear forces have been placed on high alert.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov linked the decision to place forces on high alert to British Foreign Minister Liz Truss’s comments earlier supporting the right of citizens to go to Ukraine to fight in what she described a battle “for democracy.”
Truss said Ukrainians were fighting for freedom “not just for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe.”
“Statements were made by various representatives at various levels on possible altercations or even collisions and clashes between NATO and Russia,” Peskov told reporters. “We believe that such statements are absolutely unacceptable,” he said, referencing Truss.
He declined to comment on the risk of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.
Peskov said the European Union, “if we call a spade a spade, has taken hostile measures against us.” He called the personal sanctions by Washington and the European Union against Putin absurd and shortsighted.
He said Russia’s response would be “rational,” but he did not indicate whether individual leaders would be targeted.
Peskov said Russia’s response would meet its national interests. He added that Putin holds no major assets and is “quite indifferent” to the sanctions against him.
He also denied that Russia’s attacks were striking Ukrainian civilian neighborhoods and claimed that civilian casualties were caused by far-right Ukrainian nationalist groups using civilians as human shields, a claim for which he produced no evidence.
Asked about Ukrainians who blame Russia for attacks on civilians, Peskov said they were victims of Kyiv’s propaganda. “From my experience, I can say that, indeed, even those who are now hiding in the basements and so on very often become victims of military nationalistic formations, which really use them as a shield. These people do not know the actual situation and are becoming victims of Ukrainian spin doctors,” Peskov said.
Japan imposes sanctions on Belarus, central bank of Russia
Japan has issued another round of sanctions targeting individuals and organizations from Belarus, which is poised to send troops into Ukraine, and the central bank of Russia by limiting transactions, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Monday night. Among the Belarusian individuals targeted by the new sanctions is President Alexander Lukashenko.
Japan also said Monday it would allow Ukrainian refugees and Russians opposing the invasion into the country and renew visas of Ukrainians in Japan who need to stay. It is joining the West in cutting off Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system, which could hobble Russia’s ability to do business outside of its borders. Japan will also impose restrictions on exports to Belarus.
Tokyo has announced new sanctions on a near daily basis since last Wednesday, joining its Western allies in squeezing Russia economically for its actions in Ukraine. Previously, Kishida announced Japan would freeze the assets of Russian government officials, including Putin. Kishida also announced Japan will provide $100 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Japan has already pledged another $100 million in emergency loans to support Ukraine.
Kishida said he spoke to Zelensky on Monday to express support for Ukraine. Kishida will join an upcoming call with President Biden and Western allies to discuss further sanctions and measures, and how to support Ukraine.
“Japan is with Ukraine, and share our heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Russian aggression, and our firm support for the sovereignty and territory of Ukraine,” Kishida said. “Japan is with the people of Ukraine who are trying to protect their sovereignty and territory, their homeland and their families.”
Kishida said Japanese officials are looking into whether Russia was involved in a cyberattack on Toyota Motor, which was forced to shut down its plants after the attack brought its parts supply management system to a halt, Nikkei Asia reported.
High-stakes talks on Ukraine crisis begin in southern Belarus
MOSCOW — As casualties in Russia’s invasion mounted and tensions between the Kremlin and NATO escalated dangerously, Russian and Ukrainian delegations began to hold talks Monday in southern Belarus near the Ukrainian border, according to the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Belarusian state media.
Zelensky’s office said on the Telegram app that his delegation includes Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, a close adviser to the president and the deputy foreign minister. “The key issue of the negotiations is an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of troops from the territory of Ukraine,” Zelensky’s office said.
The Kremlin said it was willing to talk — on the condition that Ukraine “demilitarize and denazify,” making it clear it expected Ukraine’s capitulation. A Russian delegation member, lawmaker Leonid Slutsky, said Sunday that Russia was “quite uncompromising in our position” and expected swift agreement from Ukraine.
Along with accepting the loss of the eastern Donbas region, recognized as two independent states by Russian President Vladimir Putin a week ago, Putin has demanded that Ukraine end its hopes of joining NATO, remove all its weapons and recognize Crimea as part of Russia.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei addressed delegates at the opening of the session, according to the official Belarusian news agency BelTA. He brought greetings from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who hoped “that during the talks between Russia and Ukraine, it will be possible to find a solution to all the crisis issues. All Belarusians are praying for you. We are waiting for results.”
The planned start of the talks was delayed several times for logistical reasons related to the travel of the Ukrainian delegation, according to the leader of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky. The Ukrainian delegation was flying to the talks on a helicopter provided by Poland, according to BelTA. “We are interested in reaching some kind of agreement as soon as possible,” Medinsky said.
A day earlier, Zelensky expressed pessimism about the talks, saying he did “not really believe in the outcome of this meeting.” But he said it was important that, as president, he tried to stop the war.
The talks are being held as Russia’s ruble is crashing and uncertainty is growing about the rapidly unfolding impact on its economy. Putin cited Western sanctions and “aggressive” statements Sunday when he put his nuclear forces on alert.
Stern reported from Mukachevo, Ukraine.
Ukraine holds off Russian advances toward major cities for another night
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces continued to stymie Russia’s advance toward major cities Monday, allowing local governments to resume some level of normal activity, at least temporarily. Russian forces remained about 19 miles north of Kyiv, according to the British government. Ukrainian forces have managed to hold on to the airfield at Hostomel, a key strategic priority for the Russian advance.
The British Defense Ministry said heavy fighting continued around the cities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv but that both cities remained in Ukrainian hands. It credited “staunch Ukrainian resistance” for the slow pace of the Russian campaign, which had been predicted to take the capital within days.
Ukrainian officials hailed their success so far but said they expect the fight to continue, as delegations from Ukraine and Russia prepared to meet in Belarus. “The Russian occupiers have reduced the pace of the offensive but are still trying to develop success in some areas in the offensive against Ukraine,” the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday.
Kyiv’s municipal government reported a relatively calm night Sunday and early Monday, with the exception of isolated skirmishes that it blamed on Russian “sabotage and reconnaissance groups.”
The city advised residents to stay home unless they urgently need to buy food or visit a pharmacy, but it also said grocery stores and the transit system would open for business Monday. Trains were running about every 40 minutes on Kyiv’s main subway line. Two other lines remained largely shuttered.
Kyiv streets remained largely empty Monday, but some civilians who had spent the last 36 hours indoors seized the chance to venture outside. Long lines stretched down the blocks surrounding pharmacies, grocery stores and kiosks selling cigarettes as civilians tried to stock up on supplies. More than 150 lined up for bread at one location.
Shortly after noon, an air raid siren went off downtown, forcing pedestrians to shelter in a parking garage that has been converted into a bunker equipped with makeshift beds set up for residents living nearby.
Men with yellow armbands marking them as members of Kyiv’s territorial defense force patrolled outside key buildings, holding AK-47 assault rifles. Nearby, two women in running gear jogged through a normally busy area, their Jack Russell terrier skipping behind them.
Officials warned residents heading out that they would find a city getting on its war footing. “You’ll see fortifications, tank traps, and other defensive structures that have appeared on the streets of Kyiv,” the statement said.
Residents continued to leave major population centers for safer locations in the western parts of Ukraine or in neighboring countries. In Kyiv, officials have set up a humanitarian relief center in the central rail station to facilitate crowds boarding trains and offering assistance to those staying. The center, staffed by more than 60 volunteers who speak multiple languages, features two warming centers, a field kitchen and psychological counseling, according to Ukrainian media.
In Kharkiv, there were long lines at grocery stores Monday morning, with dozens of people waiting to enter one store. But few cars or pedestrians were to be seen, as artillery explosions could be heard close to downtown. Vehicles leaving the city were moving smoothly, although some drivers were speeding and seemed to be near panic. One man was heard yelling at other drivers to go faster.
Military checkpoints have been set up on main routes, where the evidence of recent shelling was obvious. Ukrainian militias also patrolled in the area. At one gas station, armed fighters surrounded and pointed their weapons at a car carrying foreign journalists. After a few tense moments, they allowed to group to drive on.
Khurshudyan reported from Kharkiv, Ukraine, and Hendrix from Jerusalem. David L. Stern in Mukachevo, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
500,000 have fled Ukraine, U.N. refugee agency says
More than 500,000 people have fled Ukraine, the United Nations refugee agency said Monday.
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi tweeted that a half-million people have left for neighboring countries.
Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said during the opening session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva that 102 civilians have been reported killed in the conflict but that she feared the real death toll was “considerably higher.”
“Most of these civilians were killed by explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems and airstrikes,” she said.
In opening remarks, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Yevheniia Filipenko, said Russia’s invasion was “unprovoked and unjustified.”
“It was not just an attack on Ukraine, it was an attack on every U.N. member state, on the United Nations and on the principles that this organization was created to defend,” Filipenko said.
During Monday’s meeting, Ukraine urgently called for an emergency debate on the crisis later this week, a motion that passed with 29 votes in favor (including the United States), five against (including Russia and China) and 13 abstentions.
Russia’s central bank doubles key interest rate after West steps up sanctions
MOSCOW — Russia’s central bank raised its key interest rate from 9.5 percent to 20 percent on Monday, a significant hike designed to shore up the ruble as Western countries expand sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian ruble plunged after several nations, including the United States, moved over the weekend to block the Kremlin’s access to its sizable foreign currency reserves in the West and cut off some Russian banks from the SWIFT financial messaging system.
The ruble fell nearly 30 percent in early Asian trading, trading as low as 119 per U.S. dollar.
In a statement, the Bank of Russia said the hike, one of the largest one-time increases in recent memory, was due to a drastic change in “external conditions for the Russian economy.”
Outpouring of support for Ukraine in Japan and other Asian countries
SEOUL — In the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, the most severe nuclear accident since Chernobyl, Japan turned to Ukraine for its long expertise with radiation monitoring and coping with unthinkable tragedy. And now, Japanese residents are reciprocating with an outpouring of support in the form of protests and donations.
This weekend, as the Japanese government dramatically ramped up sanctions on Russia in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, the Japanese people responded, too. With the help of Japanese social media influencers and celebrities spreading news about Ukraine and calls for action going viral on social media, Japanese residents have shown up for Ukrainians in droves.
Solidarity for Ukraine could be found in many Asian countries, with symbolic protests in several capitals and Singapore and South Korea joining the sanctions against Russia. People in Myanmar and Hong Kong also recognized the Ukrainians’ struggle as similar to their own fight against oppression.
Why Kharkiv, a city known for its poets, has become a key battleground in Ukraine
KHARKIV, Ukraine — For Ukrainians, Kharkiv is a city known for poetry, art, trade, industry, scientific discovery — and now as a linchpin in the fight for Ukraine’s future.
A mere 25 miles from Russia, Ukraine’s second-largest city has faced some of the fiercest battles since Russian troops, tanks and warplanes pushed across the border Thursday. In the fog of war, there is no official casualty count for Kharkiv, where playgrounds and apartment buildings have been hit.
Russian forces briefly took control Sunday of the city of 1.5 million people, only to be expelled by Ukrainian fighters hours later in what has been an unexpectedly strong show of resistance marking the initial phase of Russia’s invasion.
But Moscow is unlikely to abandon its assault on Kharkiv, a predominantly Russian-speaking city that has become central to Russia’s advance beyond the east, especially as it faces setbacks in taking the capital, Kyiv.
South Korea tightens export controls against Russia, joins SWIFT ban
SEOUL — South Korea is tightening export controls against Russia as part of international moves to impose economic costs on the country over Moscow’s decision to invade Ukraine.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said the country is banning exports of strategic items while reviewing possible measures for nonstrategic items. Seoul will also join in blocking Russian banks from the SWIFT global payment system, the ministry said, along with the United States, Europe and Japan.
“The South Korean government condemned Russia’s armed invasion of Ukraine and, as a responsible member of the international community, decided to actively participate in the international community’s efforts including economic sanctions in order for a peaceful resolution of the situation,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Korean government will pursue the additional release of its strategic oil reserves to address disruptions in international energy markets, according to the statement.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday told his aides to “participate in international sanctions against Russia while arranging firm solutions to possible problems that emerge due to the sanctions,” according to spokesman Park Kyung-mi. Moon also called on aides to take steps to boost humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
‘A pretty tricky day to celebrate’: At the SAG Awards, celebrities share support for Ukraine
At the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night, celebrities from Lady Gaga to Ariana DeBose shared support for Ukraine, while Andrew Garfield noted it was “a pretty tricky day to celebrate.”
“It’s weird, it’s definitely odd that we are dressing up in this moment,” he told Laverne Cox, host of E!’s red carpet, adding that everyone was “keeping what’s happening in Ukraine in our hearts.”
Cox, who started the pre-show by saying she was praying for the safety of “our friends in Ukraine,” agreed. “Hopefully this can be an escape, too; hopefully our work and our art can be an escape for people in these very trying times,” she said. Elsewhere, Tyler Perry and Michael Douglas attached blue and yellow ribbons to their suits to show solidarity with the colors of the Ukrainian flag, and Lisa Ann Walter wore blue and yellow flowers on her dress.
After the show began, Brian Cox took the microphone when “Succession” won for best ensemble in a drama series, and he praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “wonderful comic performer.” (Zelensky was a comic actor before he became president.) Cox urged the Hollywood stars to support Russian actors who are against the invasion and face consequences for speaking up. “They are told under pain of high treason that they cannot say a word about Ukraine, and I think that is pretty awful,” he said. “And I think we should all stand together.”
Michael Keaton also called out Zelensky in his acceptance speech for “Dopesick”: “I will tell you, we have a fellow actor in Zelensky who deserves some credit tonight for fighting the fight.”
U.S. rushes to arm Ukraine, but for years it stalled on providing weapons
The current rush by the West to send weapons to Ukraine is in stark contrast to years of hesitancy that often had as much to do with domestic U.S. and allied politics, and concerns about their own relations with Moscow, than with an assessment of the Russian threat to Ukraine.
Russia’s launch last week of a full-scale invasion, with land, air and sea attacks on Ukrainian cities and military installations, has been met with what U.S. officials have described as a surprisingly robust defense. Officials in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, claim they have destroyed hundreds of Russian vehicles, including an entire column of T-72 tanks in the northeast Ukrainian town of Glukhov, near the Russian border.
Ukraine has pleaded for more help, including additional Javelin antitank weapons, and Stinger antiaircraft missiles. The Kremlin has gone “beyond all bounds and crossed all the red lines,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov beseeched Congress last week on YouTube. “It is not going to stop if we will not stop it.”
President Biden has authorized nearly $1 billion in military assistance over the past year for Ukraine, including $350 million in weapons such as antitank and antiaircraft missiles last week, and $200 million in drawdowns from U.S. arms stocks approved in December.
While the administration has moved quickly since Russian troops began massing on the border in December, its response was sluggish to earlier Russian deployments in April. Before the Russians finally moved into Ukraine in force on Thursday, Republican lawmakers and pundits accused Biden of appeasement in trying to secure a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Russia would never have dared to invade, several charged, if Biden hadn’t shown weakness by withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
Financial hub Singapore, in rare move, imposes sanctions on Russia
Singapore will join the United States and the European Union in imposing “appropriate sanctions and restrictions” on Russia, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said in Parliament on Monday — a rare move for the financial center that for years has been a hub for global private wealth.
The city-state is also a major producer of semiconductors and technology upon which Russia relies.
The move came as Singapore Airlines announced it would suspend flights to and from Moscow until further notice for undefined “operational reasons.” The ban will affect two flights.
Balakrishnan told lawmakers that the Southeast Asian nation “intends to act in concert with many other like-minded countries to impose appropriate sanctions and restrictions against Russia.” Singapore, he noted, was one of the co-sponsors of a draft U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which was vetoed by Russia.
Bilahari Kausikan, a former Singaporean ambassador to Russia, said the latest measures marked one of the first occasions since 1978 that Singapore has imposed sanctions without Security Council endorsement.
The specifics will be announced at a later date but will include export controls on items that can be used to aid in war against Ukraine, as well as restrictions on certain Russian banks and transactions, the foreign minister said.
Singapore is among the few countries in Southeast Asia that quickly and decisively condemned the Russian invasion. Only two, Singapore and Timor-Leste, were among the co-sponsors of the Security Council resolution that was vetoed by Russia. Ukraine’s ambassador to Singapore said earlier that the two countries were “on the same page” when it came to protecting international order.
Balakrishnan acknowledged the measures will have “some cost and implications” on Singaporean businesses.
Singapore has refrained from imposing sanctions on other human rights violators around the world, including its regional neighbor Myanmar, which was slapped with punishing Western sanctions in the wake of a military coup last year.
“However, unless we as a country stand up for principles that are the very foundation for the independence and sovereignty of smaller nations, our own right to exist and prosper as a nation may similarly be called into question one day,” Balakrishnan added.
Analysis: Putin’s invasion of Ukraine could be backfiring
Even as he puts his nuclear forces on high alert and his troops close in on Kyiv, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reason to worry: His war on Ukraine appears to be backfiring.
Unmasked as an unpredictable, even existential threat in the view of governments around the world, Putin has emerged as a dangerous symbol of tyranny, stoking the biggest European defense reassessment in decades. A reinvigorated NATO is emerging. Resurgent Western unity — wounded under former president Donald Trump — has enabled sanctions on Moscow that are some of the harshest ever imposed. With Germany suddenly off the fence in what is shaping up to be a historic realignment against Moscow, Putin faces new, as opposed to neutralized, security challenges in Russia’s backyard.
Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has called Putin his “best friend,” welcomed him to Beijing. But reportedly taken aback by the speed, scope and force of Russia’s assault on Ukraine, Beijing is proving a more reluctant ally than Putin might have hoped, with Xi urging Putin to settle the conflict at the negotiating table. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine will meet near the Belarus border for their first talks since Russia launched its invasion Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Putin’s supportive oligarchs live in a shrinking world — their foreign mansions, super yachts and billions under threat of seizure. “Russian-owned, Russian-registered or Russian-controlled aircraft” are banned from E.U. airspace. Amid stirring images of the Russian bombardment — and the rise of Zelensky as a global cause celebre — foreign leaders who had cozied up to Putin before the invasion are suffering repercussions at home.
With Russian nuclear forces on alert, Ukraine crisis enters more dangerous phase
President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put Russian nuclear forces on alert thrust the crisis over Ukraine into a more volatile phase on Sunday, fueling the potential for deadly miscalculation as the West’s campaign of economic reprisal increases the chances the Russian leader could see his survival and that of the Russian state at risk.
U.S. officials were scrambling in the hours following Putin’s order, issued as Russian troops face stiff resistance in the fourth day of their invasion of Ukraine, to decode what the enigmatic leader’s decision meant in practice. Experts said it was the first time the Kremlin, which has the world’s biggest nuclear stockpile, had made such an announcement since the Russian Federation was established in 1991.
Putin described the move as a response to what he called “aggressive statements” from the West and its escalating package of economic retaliation. The sanctions, including new steps unveiled Saturday that would cut off Russia’s financial institutions from the global economy and cripple its central bank, have already sent the ruble tumbling to a record low, raising questions about how Russia’s economy can hold on.
Biden administration officials condemned Putin’s order as a warning over Ukraine, where Putin has depicted his invasion as a security imperative rather than a signal of his intent to employ a nuclear device. They noted that Russia, just last month, was one of the nations signed on to a declaration saying that atomic war could not be won and should never be fought.
“This is just an attempt, an escalatory attempt, to justify further action on their part,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told MSNBC. “We have the ability, of course, to defend ourselves, as does NATO. But I think we all need to be very clear-eyed and call this out for what it is.”
Facebook, Twitter contended with service disruptions in Russia throughout the weekend
Facebook’s services, which include WhatsApp and Instagram, continued to be blocked or slowed down over the weekend in Russia, causing users there to switch to Telegram, according to reports by locals.
Netblocks, a civil society group that monitors Internet traffic worldwide, reported late Sunday that Facebook’s content servers have been severely restricted by Russian Internet providers, making it so that content either no longer loads or loads extremely slowly, the group said. People can use special software to bypass some of the restrictions, Netblocks said, but most people do not have access to such software.
Twitter’s services were also restricted, Netblocks said.
Facebook’s president for global affairs, Nick Clegg, tweeted Sunday that the Russian government was already “throttling our platform” to prevent people from using the company’s services to “protest and organize against the war and as a source of independent information.”
Indian students stranded in Ukraine plead for help as government steps up evacuation efforts
NEW DELHI — Indian students stranded in Ukraine are posting desperate appeals for evacuation on social media as the government steps up efforts to bring them back via neighboring countries like Romania, Hungary and Poland.
Hundreds have reached Ukraine’s borders on foot, in inclement weather, without many supplies. A video posted by New Delhi Television reportedly shot by a student at the Romanian border shows dozens of people stuck in freezing temperatures.
Another video shared by the Economic Times shows students at the Polish border seeking to enter.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting on the crisis Monday, and four ministers are likely to head to Ukraine’s neighboring countries to step up and coordinate evacuation efforts, New Delhi Television reported.
On Sunday, India abstained from voting on a resolution calling for a U.N. General Assembly session on the invasion of Ukraine. Last week, India was one of three countries, including China and the United Arab Emirates, to abstain from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the invasion, in a bid to strike a balance between its alliance with Russia, its largest arms supplier.
Opposition parties criticized Modi and the ruling party for focusing on state election campaigns even as students were stuck in bunkers in areas where fighting has intensified in Ukraine, including Kharkiv.
About 18,000 Indian students are enrolled in Ukrainian universities, primarily studying medicine and engineering, according to the Indian Embassy in Kyiv. So far, five evacuation flights have brought back hundreds of students.
“We are running out of food and water,” a student stuck in a college hostel in the Mykolaiv region told the News Minute.
Another student, who spoke to the Indian Express, described spending two nights at the Polish border before moving to a nearby shelter home. “There is no response from the Indian Embassy yet,” the student said.
“We are surrounded from all sides,” a female student says in a viral video on social media.
In tears, she says she is stuck in Kyiv and is not safe.
“Please send someone by air to help us.”
Chinese Embassy says it is contacting citizens, but evacuation plans on hold
China’s embassy in Kyiv said it is starting to check key information of Chinese citizens in Ukraine, even as evacuation plans remain on hold until conditions are safer.
As of Friday afternoon, 6,580 people had registered with the Chinese Embassy for evacuation from Ukraine, according to China’s Changjiang Daily newspaper. Those whose file was missing key information such as passport number or location would receive a call, the embassy said in a statement on its website on Sunday.
China’s ambassador to the Ukraine, Fan Xianrong, posted a lengthy message early Sunday to reject rumors that he had left the country. He said that the embassy could not evacuate Chinese citizens immediately because it could not guarantee their safety, but that it would do so as soon as possible.
“We must wait until it is safe to go,” he wrote. “But our waiting is not passive. We will do it whenever conditions are available, and whichever way is the safest.”
China’s state-run Global Times reported that some Chinese nationals in Ukraine were trying to drive out of the country but were stuck in long traffic jams. The Chinese Embassy was also trying to help some Chinese-operated factories and farms in the Ukraine to protect their property, Global Times reported.
Video: Volunteers in London sort through thousands of donations for Ukrainians fleeing to Poland
Londoners donated diapers, sleeping bags, first aid necessities and more for Ukrainians fleeing to Poland. Volunteers sorted the donations in Balham, South London, on Feb. 27.
Belarus moves to allow nuclear weapons on its soil
Belarus approved the amendment of its constitution in a referendum on Sunday, according to Russian state media, ditching the Kremlin-aligned state’s nonnuclear status and clearing the way for Russian nuclear weapons to be placed on Belarusian soil.
The Belarusian election commission said 65 percent of people who participated in the referendum voted in favor of the move, according to Russian media, as President Alexander Lukashenko maintains a tight grip over the country.
Franak Viacorka, a senior adviser to exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, questioned the legitimacy of the vote, writing on Twitter that the vote count was according to Lukashenko’s “criminal clique.” The country’s last presidential vote, which pitted Tikhanovskaya against Lukashenko, was widely regarded as fraudulent.
The passage of the amendment had been expected and comes as Belarus is preparing to send soldiers to Ukraine in support of the Russian invasion, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive development. The official said the deployment could start as soon as Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday put Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces on alert — a move that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield condemned as an attempt to “escalate this war in a manner that is totally unacceptable.”
Facebook takes down Russian disinformation operation in Ukraine
Facebook said late Sunday that it has disrupted a Russian disinformation operation targeting Ukraine, one of the first official confirmations of such a campaign since the invasion of Ukraine last week.
The small operation, Facebook said, ran a handful of websites masquerading as independent news outlets and published claims that the West has betrayed Ukraine and that Ukraine is a failed state. The accounts had fewer than 4,500 followers on Facebook and Instagram combined.
Facebook, which recently changed its name to Meta, also said it took action against a hacking group that in recent days attempted to compromise the accounts of prominent Ukrainians.
The hacking group Ghostwriter, the company said, had successfully targeted Ukrainian military personnel, journalists and public officials. The hacking group typically targets people by sending malicious links to their emails and hoping they will click on them, allowing the group to take over their social media profiles.
The company said it detected attempts to get the compromised social media accounts to post YouTube videos portraying Ukrainian troops as weak and surrendering to Russia, including a video claiming to show Ukrainian soldiers coming out of a forest while flying a white flag of surrender.
Google disables live traffic data in Ukraine amid safety concerns
Alphabet-owned Google said it has temporarily disabled live traffic and crowd-size features in Google Maps in Ukraine, amid fears for the safety of local communities.
Google spokeswoman Alex Krasov confirmed the development, which was first reported by Reuters. She said the company had “taken the action for the safety of local communities in the country, after consulting with sources including regional authorities.”
Traffic data is still available for drivers in the area using the Google Maps app to navigate, Krasov said. But live traffic information and Google’s “busy area” feature that shows how crowded places such as restaurants and stores are won’t be visible on a general map of the area.
Google Maps is a key tool for following the invasion of Ukraine, helping researchers track troops and civilians seek shelter.
Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif., documented how he and his team of researchers realized an invasion was underway hours before the news became public by combining Google Maps traffic information with a radar image that showed Russian armored troops near Ukraine’s border.
But concerns have also surfaced in recent days about location data potentially being used to pinpoint large gatherings, and posts have sprung up on social media with instructions on how to turn off geolocation features.
Google Maps and other map applications track cellphone locations in real time. The company earlier declined to confirm whether its Maps app showed any SOS alerts in Ukraine, or whether it shows a list of bomb shelters in the country. But it does give information about subway stations, some of which are being used as shelters.
Belarus preparing to join Russian invasion of Ukraine, U.S. official says
Belarus is preparing to send soldiers into Ukraine in support of the Russian invasion in a deployment that could begin as soon as Monday, a U.S. administration official said Sunday evening.
The decision would mark a significant escalation in Belarus’s role in the conflict and complicate upcoming diplomatic talks between Ukraine and Russia, which are poised to take place on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border.
“It’s very clear Minsk is now an extension of the Kremlin,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive security development.
The Kyiv Independent first reported on Belarus’s troop preparations, noting that an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft is expected to carry Belarusian paratroopers into Ukraine.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The agreement for talks between Kyiv and Moscow was announced Sunday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“We will be happy if the result of these negotiations is peace and the end of the war,” said Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, reading a statement to reporters. “But I emphasize again, we will not give up. We will not capitulate. We will not give away an inch of our territory.”
Norway’s state oil company joins BP in saying it will leave Russia
Norway’s state-controlled oil company, Equinor, said it will leave its joint ventures in Russia over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, marking another big Western company breaking ties.
The news came hours after British oil giant BP said it was dumping its $14 billion stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft, also to protest the invasion of Ukraine.
“We are all deeply troubled by the invasion of Ukraine, which represents a terrible setback for the world, and we are thinking of all those who are suffering because of the military action,” Anders Opedal, president and CEO of Equinor, said in a statement.
The company, 67 percent of whose shares are owned by the Norwegian government, valued its long-term holdings in Russia at $1.2 billion. It said it will “start the process of exiting our joint ventures in a manner that is consistent with our values.” Its ventures include part of an exploration and production company in eastern Siberia.
Long lines, acts of kindness, uncertainty: Scenes from the Ukraine-Poland border
PRZEMYŚL, Poland — Less than a week ago, the supermarket parking lot was just that — an expanse of cars in this sleepy river town a few miles from the Ukrainian border.
By Sunday, bus after bus filled with Ukrainians and others fleeing the besieged country arrived here, where they were met by crowds that had converged from all over Europe to greet the refugees with hot tea, borscht and offers of transport to all corners of a continent shocked by Russia’s invasion.
The exodus continues to grow all along Ukraine’s 1,600-mile western border: More than 400,000 people have fled in the four days since the war began, said Matt Saltmarsh, a spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency. E.U. Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said Sunday that the European Union may grant temporary asylum to Ukrainians for up to three years. The plan could move ahead this week.
Thousands more people in Ukraine are ready to escape but are stuck in seemingly endless waits at border posts where they hope to cross into Poland’s industrial southeast, or over the Carpathian Mountains into Slovakia and Hungary, or across the delta of the Danube into Romania.
Immigration authorities in the five countries to Ukraine’s west have been overwhelmed, and many trying to flee have waited for days. Those with cars sleep in them. Those on foot will themselves to stay awake, unable to rest in the subfreezing overnight temperatures and fearful of losing their place in the miles-long lines. It’s a journey so arduous that some simply give up and decide to risk staying in Ukraine.
With people now beginning to arrive at these borders from the capital Kyiv, as well as Ukraine’s east — the area hit worst by Russia’s attacks — the number languishing is set to rise dramatically.
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