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Zelensky accuses Russia of ‘crimes against humanity’ in UN speech

UK PM Rishi Sunak,Volodymyr Zelensky

The recent Russian attacks have damaged almost half of Ukraine’s energy system and millions of people are without power as temperatures drop for winter…reports Asian Lite News

In his address to the UN Security Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of committing “crimes against humanity” after a new barrage of missile strikes have caused widespread power outages across the war-torn nation.

“Russia has long been trying to turn the UN Security Council into a platform for rhetoric. But it was created as the world’s most powerful platform for decisions and actions. Therefore, the Security Council must give a clear assessment of the actions of the terrorist state,” he told the UN body in a video address on Wednesday.

“Ukraine proposes that the Security Council adopt such a resolution condemning all forms of energy terror. I confirm the invitation from Ukraine regarding the mission of UN experts to critical infrastructure facilities of our country that have been or may be hit by Russian missiles.

“It is necessary to give a proper assessment of damage and destruction. It should be stated that these are strikes against the very infrastructure that ensures the lives of tens of millions of people.

“The world should not be held hostage by one international terrorist,” the President added.

The recent Russian attacks have damaged almost half of Ukraine’s energy system and millions of people are without power as temperatures drop for winter.

Blackouts, both scheduled and unscheduled, have become common in many parts of Ukraine, as Russia aims regular waves of missile attacks at parts of the energy infrastructure.

According to the President, at least seven people were killed and more than 20 million others were left without electricity on November 8 when Russia carried out over a 100 missile strikes in what is believed to be Moscow’s biggest wave of missile strikes since the invasion began on February 24.

As a result, nuclear power plants in the country also went off-line.

Later in his nightly video address to the nation, Zelenksy said that due to the missile strikes which even continued on Wednesday, the situation in Kiev remained “very difficult” and efforts would continue through the night to restore electricity.

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EU proposes gas price cap

European Union flags fly outside the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium, on June 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong/IANS)

The market correction mechanism will be triggered when two conditions are met, the Commissioner explained…reports Asian Lite News

A European gas price cap at 275 euros ($283) per megawatt hour (MWh) has been proposed, Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson announced.

“We propose an upper ceiling on the month-ahead TTF (Title Transfer Facility) price in case it exceeds 275 euros per megawatt hour. Beyond that price, transactions will not be able to take place,” Xinhua news agency quoted Simson as saying

The market correction mechanism will be triggered when two conditions are met, the Commissioner explained.

Firstly, when the gas price exceeds 275 euros for two consecutive weeks. Secondly, when the spread between the TTF price and global liquefied natural gas (LNG) price is 58 euros or more for ten consecutive trading days.

When both these conditions are in place, the mechanism will be automatically activated, and will not require any additional procedures or decisions, he added.

Simson told a press conference that this is not a regulatory intervention to set the price on the gas market at an artificially low level; rather, it is a last resort solution to prevent episodes of excessively high prices which are not in line with global price trends.

“This is not a silver bullet that will bring gas prices down. But it provides a powerful tool that we can use when we need it, complementing our more structural efforts to lower prices, namely by controlling our demand and ensuring sufficient gas supply for Europe through joint purchasing and active external energy policy,” she added.

The proposals will be debated by energy ministers from the bloc’s 27 member countries on Thursday.

However, the Association of European Energy Exchanges said that the mechanism poses a serious threat to the region’s security of supply and financial stability, and will do little to achieve the goal of lowering energy costs.

In August, prices on the TTF virtual trading point surged from 220 euros to almost 320 euros per MWh, while global LNG prices were significantly lower.

Since then, gas prices have fallen considerably, to 116 euros currently.

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EU warns of escalation after Serbia, Kosovo fail to solve row

This summer, tensions rose between Serbia and Kosovo over the latter’s decision to oblige Serbian vehicles to use Kosovan license plates…reports Asian Lite News

Serbia and Kosovo have failed to reach an agreement on a long-standing dispute over car license plates, leading to a risk of violence in the coming days, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said.

“After many hours of discussion, from eight o’clock this morning, the two parties did not agree to a solution today,” Borrell said on Monday after hosting eight hours of talks in Brussels with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovan government head Albin Kurti.

The meeting was held to help solve the latest crisis over a phase-out of Serbian license plates in Kosovo.

“I think that there is an important responsibility for the failure of the talks today and for any escalation and violence that might occur on the ground in the following days,” Borrell said.

The EU has submitted a proposal “that could avoid this dangerous situation”, the top EU official said. However, this was accepted by Vucic, but not by the Kosovan leader. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia However, rejects it and considers Kosovo its own province.

This summer, tensions rose between Serbia and Kosovo over the latter’s decision to oblige Serbian vehicles to use Kosovan license plates.

In July, ethnic Serbs blocked roads and erected barricades in Northern Kosovo to protest the move. However, Borrell said the issue “went beyond license plates”.

Hundreds of police officers, judges, prosecutors, and other state workers from the Serb minority quit their jobs earlier this month, he said, which has led to a “security vacuum”.

Borrell stressed that both the Kosovan and Serbian heads of government should show “leadership and commitment”, in order to restore their relations.

ALSO READ-EU attempt to reform controversial Energy Charter Treaty fails

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EU attempt to reform controversial Energy Charter Treaty fails

NASA, Google to help track air pollution at local level.(photo: nasa.gov)

At the core of the present controversy lies the ECT’s obscure system of private arbitration…reports Asian Lite News

The European Union’s attempt to reform the controversial Energy Charter Treaty has fallen apart after four EU countries abstained in a key vote, effectively blocking the whole process.

Signed in 1994, the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) promotes cross-border cooperation in the energy sector and protects investors from unexpected circumstances that might impact their profit expectations.

With 53 signatories, it is considered the most litigated investment agreement in the world.

Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands, who previously announced plans to withdraw from the ECT altogether, chose to abstain during an ambassadors meeting on Friday, fearing the treaty would curtail their climate ambitions, an EU diplomat said.

The move prevented the European Commission from obtaining the necessary mandate to lead the negotiations on behalf of all 27 member states.

As a result, the Commission asked the Energy Charter Conference, the treaty’s governing body, to remove the proposed reform from the agenda of a high-level meeting scheduled to take place on Tuesday in Mongolia.

“On next steps, we will need to discuss with member states, but at this stage, we will not speculate on what will happen,” a Commission spokesperson said on Monday.

At the core of the present controversy lies the ECT’s obscure system of private arbitration.

This allows investors and companies to sue governments and claim compensation over policy changes, such as net-zero goals, that threaten their business ventures and revenues.

As of today, parties that withdraw from the ECT are vulnerable to litigation for 20 years.

Critics say this provision provides disproportionate protection for fossil fuels at a critical time when they need to be phased out to fight the climate crisis.

The value of fossil fuel infrastructure in the EU, the UK and Switzerland covered by the treaty is estimated to be worth €344.6 billion, according to the magazine Investigate Europe.

In a bid to align the treaty with the EU’s green agenda, the European Commission proposed a reformed text that would have reduced the contentious sunset clause to 10 years for old investments and only nine months for new energy projects.

The executive had emphatically defended the reform, arguing member states were better off inside a modernised ECT rather than outside.

But this was not enough to convince the sceptics.

In fact, the four countries who abstained on Friday are not alone: Poland, Luxembourg, Belgium and Austria are contemplating an exit from the decades-old treaty.

Given the ECT’s increasingly negative perception, it is unclear when, how or even if the reform process would be re-launched. A Commission spokesperson refused to provide any estimated timeline.

A senior EU diplomat said “more time” was needed for member states to design a common position.

“I would suggest a deeper reflection on the future and the process ahead,” the diplomat said.

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In 9 months, Russia launched 4,700 missiles on Ukraine

Russian attacks have damaged almost half of Ukraine’s energy system and millions of people are without power as temperatures drop for winter….reports Asian Lite News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia has launched more than 4,700 missiles on his country since Moscow started its ongoing invasion against Kiev on February 24.

In a video address on Sunday, the President said: “Russia has used more than 4,700 missiles in 270 days of the full-scale war. Hundreds of our cities are simply burned.

“Thousands of people died. Hundreds of thousands were forcibly deported to Russia. Millions left Ukraine for other countries fleeing war.”

He also said that more than 20 million people were left without electricity on November 8 when Russia carried out over a 100 missile strikes in what is believed to be Moscow’s biggest wave of missile strikes since the invasion began, Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

“Do you know what this missile strike is? It’s more than 20 million people without electricity. Such was the damage to the power system, such was the urgent emergency blackout.

“The reactors at two of our nuclear power plants also shut down due to the damage to the energy sector caused by the missile,” he was quoted as saying.

Russian attacks have damaged almost half of Ukraine’s energy system and millions of people are without power as temperatures drop for winter.

Blackouts, both scheduled and unscheduled, have become common in many parts of Ukraine, as Russia aims regular waves of missile attacks at parts of the energy infrastructure.

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Sunak meets Zelenskyy on surprise Ukraine trip

Britain’s new air-defense package, valued at £50 million, comes as Russia has been pounding Ukraine’s power grid and other key infrastructure from the air, causing widespread blackouts…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised 125 anti-aircraft guns and other air-defense technology as he made an unannounced visit Saturday — his first — to Ukraine’s snow-blanketed war-time capital for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The air-defense package, which Britain valued at £50 million, comes as Russia has been pounding Ukraine’s power grid and other key infrastructure from the air, causing widespread blackouts for millions of Ukrainians as the frigid cold of winter draws near.

The package includes radar and other technology to counter Iran-supplied exploding drones that Russia has used against Ukrainian targets. It comes on top of a delivery of more than 1,000 anti-air missiles that Britain announced earlier this month.

The UK has been one of the staunchest Western supporters of Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion, giving Kyiv £2.3 billion in military aid.

Zelenskyy described the two countries as “the strongest of allies.”

“With friends like you by our side, we are confident in our victory. Both of our nations know what it means to stand up for freedom,” the Ukrainian leader said on Twitter.

“The courage of the Ukrainian people is an inspiration to the world,” Sunak said in comments alongside Zelenskyy in the presidential palace. “In years to come we will tell our grandchildren of your story.”

He pledged that Britain “will stand with you until Ukraine has won the peace and security it needs and deserves and then we will stand with you as you rebuild your great country.”

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who stepped down in July amid a welter of ethics scandals, won wide praise in Ukraine for his backing.

Sunak is keen to reassure Ukraine’s leaders that there will be no change of stance under his leadership, though when he was Treasury chief under Johnson he was considered resistant to demands for higher defense spending.

During his visit to Kyiv, Sunak laid flowers at a memorial for the war dead and lit a candle at a memorial for victims of a deadly Soviet-era famine in Ukraine in the 1930s. He also met first responders at a fire station.

Sunak said it was “deeply humbling” to visit Kyiv “and to have the opportunity to meet those who are doing so much, and paying so high a price, to defend the principles of sovereignty and democracy,”

Zelenskyy said “we discussed the most important issues both for our countries and for global security.”

“Together we are stronger and we will achieve the desired results,” he said on Telegram.

Video that Zelenskyy posted showed him greeting Sunak at a presidential palace as snowflakes fell and the two men holding talks.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, “I am proud of how the UK stood with Ukraine from the very beginning. And I am here today to say the UK and our allies will continue to stand with Ukraine, as it fights to end this barbarous war and deliver a just peace. While Ukraine’s armed forces succeed in pushing back Russian forces on the ground, civilians are being brutally bombarded from the air. We are today providing new air defence, including anti-aircraft guns, radar and anti-drone equipment, and stepping up humanitarian support for the cold, hard winter ahead.”

Recognising that Ukrainians face a very difficult winter, with widespread blackouts of destruction of homes, schools and hospitals, the Prime Minister has also confirmed £12 million for the World Food Programme’s response, as well as £4 million for the International Organisation for Migration. The funding will help provide generators, shelter, water repairs and mobile health clinics. The UK is also sending tens of thousands of extreme cold winter kits for Ukrainian troops.

Working with the Government of Ukraine, the UK has identified an initial eight construction projects to be supported by UK Export Finance, helping to repair Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and lay the foundations for economic recovery. The projects include six bridges and two housing projects, including a development in Bucha for some 2,250 residents.

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Putin, Erdogan discuss gas hub, grain export deal

MOSCOW, March 5, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow, Russia, on March 5, 2020. Russia and Turkey agreed Thursday on a ceasefire in the de-escalation zone in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan which lasted for about six hours. (Sputnik/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

Turkish President Recep Erdogan supports the initiative proposed by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in October of establishing a major natural gas hub in Turkey, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation to discuss the prospects of creating a gas hub in Turkey and the extension of the Black Sea grain export deal.

Erdogan supports the initiative proposed by Putin in October of establishing a major natural gas hub in Turkey, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the Kremlin.

While Russia and Ukraine have agreed to prolong the deal on the export of grain and fertilizers from Black Sea ports for 120 days, Putin and Erdogan underscored the importance of implementing this package agreement comprehensively and completely, the statement said.

The leaders also noted the development of trade and economic ties between Russia and Turkey, and praised the steady implementation of joint projects, including those in the nuclear power industry, the statement said.

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Students take to Brussels streets against high cost of living

The country’s statistical office said that inflation in Belgium rose to 12.27 per cent in October, its highest level since June 1975….reports Asian Lite News

An estimated 150 students held a demonstration in Brussels to denounce the high cost of living and to urge the Belgian government to provide greater support.

“We came to demonstrate because it is becoming very difficult to be a student, to be able to pay for our studies,” Emilia Hoxhaj, president of the Federation of Francophone Students (FEF) and a student at the University of Mons, told Xinhua news agency on Thursday.

“Our rents are increasing, our bills are becoming unpayable and above all, we also find it difficult to buy food in supermarkets, where everything is becoming far too expensive.”

Jonathan Mongala, an economic sciences student at the Free University of Brussels (ULB), said he had to take on part-time jobs to pay for his studies and food, and as a result, he had less time to study.

Florian Gillard, also a ULB student, was was campaigning for the remuneration of interns.

“Students do a lot of internships and they’re free work. This is not normal. Whether it is in the hospital sector, where interns compensate for a lack of public funding for hospitals, or whether it is free work in companies, it is not acceptable, we must be paid,” he said.

The measures taken by the government to address the cost-of-living crisis are insufficient, the FEF argues.

“Eighty thousand students are in a precarious situation, and more than a third of them do not receive scholarships,” another student said.

“The scholarship of 1,000 euros ($1,030) per year is insufficient.”

The FEF has five specific demands: it wants affordable student housing; student canteens with hot meals at the symbolic price of one euro; an increase in scholarship value; a 12-euro public transport ticket for all students; and sufficient school premises that are open and accessible during the winter.

Before the current crisis, one student in three lived in poverty in Belgium, and this proportion will only increase without strong, structural measures, the FEF argues.

The country’s statistical office said that inflation in Belgium rose to 12.27 per cent in October, its highest level since June 1975.

The high inflation rate is mainly due to the high energy prices.

Food inflation stood at 12.30 per cent.

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‘10 mn in Ukraine without power after Russia strikes’

UK PM Rishi Sunak,Volodymyr Zelensky

The President also said that earlier in the day, Ukrainian forces managed to shoot down six Russian cruise missiles and five drones….reports Asian Lite News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that some 10 million people across the war-torn country have been left without electricity following a fresh wave of Russian missile strikes.

In his night video address to the nation on Thursday, the President said: “Currently, more than 10 million Ukrainians are without electricity. Most of them are in the Vinnytsia, Odesa, Sumy and Kiev regions. We are doing everything to normalise the supply.”

Zelensky went on to say that dozens of people were injured as a result of a missile attack on Thursday in Dnipro, adding that “everyone is being provided with aid”.

“In Zaporizhzhia, the clearance of the rubble of a residential building, which was destroyed by Russian shelling at night, continues… The list of the dead includes seven people. Unfortunately, this number may increase,” he said.

The President also said that earlier in the day, Ukrainian forces managed to shoot down six Russian cruise missiles and five drones.

In yet another appeal to allies and partners, Zelensky said that “only full protection of the Ukrainian sky will protect both Ukraine and Europe from many possible escalations of Russian aggression and will definitely encourage Russia to truly end the war”.

Meanwhile, state-owned energy firm Naftogaz said its gas-producing facilities in the east of Ukraine had been subjected to a “massive attack”, without giving additional details.

Ukraine was subjected to another wide-ranging assault on Tuesday when dozens of long-range missiles pounded the country in what was believed to be the most intense barrage since the start of the war on February 24, reports the BBC.

Many of the missiles fired by Russia on Tuesday were intercepted, but those that struck infrastructure targets managed to further deplete Ukraine’s power reserves.

A police officer maintaining order in Medyka, Poland, Feb. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Chen/IANS)

Ukrainian experts to participate in probe into missile strike in Poland

Zelensky said that experts from his country will participate in a probe into an incident involving a missile that hit Poland earlier this week resulting in the deaths of two civilians.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), we received confirmation that our specialists will participate in the investigation. Until the investigation is completed, we cannot say for sure which missiles or their parts fell on Polish territory,” Xinhua news agency quoted the President as saying on Thursday.

On Tuesday, about 100 missiles were fired by Russia against Ukraine, Zelensky said, voicing his belief that some of those missiles could have crossed the Ukrainian-Polish border.

“We have seen pictures of funnel diameter. It could not be only the remnants of anti-missile systems,” he said.

On Wednesday, Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), said that Kiev requested access to the site of the explosions in Poland for representatives of the Defence Ministry and the State Service for Emergencies.

Zelensky’s announcement comes as investigations continue into the blast on Tuesday night on a farm in Przewodow, 6 km from Poland’s border with Ukraine.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ukrainian air defence systems were activated after Russia launched what is believed to be its biggest wave of missile strikes in the nine months since the invasion on February 24.

In response to the incident, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that it was an accident, adding that Warsaw did not consider the incident an attack on the country since the fallen missile was probably fired by Ukrainian Air Defence Forces.

On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the missile was probably Ukrainian.

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EU to train up to 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers

Brussels: Flags of the European Union fly outside the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, May 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong/IANS)

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the EU’s decision to establish the training mission for Ukraine’s armed forces and told reporters in Brussels that it would complement what NATO countries already do…reports Asian Lite News

The European Union has ramped up its support to Ukraine by launching a military assistance mission for Ukrainian troops, more than eight months after Russia invaded Ukraine.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday that this mission is a direct response to Ukraine’s request for such support and said that “up to 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in different European member states” as a part of the mission.

“It is going to be a big effort in order to renew, increase, improve the capacities of the Ukrainian army,” Borrell said, adding that it would be operational in less than three months.

The mission will be led by Frenchman Vice Admiral Hervé Bléjean, and EU defence ministers also agreed to allot a fund worth 16 million euros ($16.5m) under the European Peace Facility (EPF) – an EU financial instrument to prevent conflicts and build peace – to support the mission for 24 months.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the EU’s decision to establish the training mission for Ukraine’s armed forces and told reporters in Brussels that it would complement what NATO countries already do.

“But it is important we provide more training because Ukrainians are fighting a bloody battle which is very challenging,” he told reporters at an EU defence ministers meeting in Brussels.

Both France and Germany have repeatedly been criticised by Ukraine for not sending enough weapons. Nedelcu said this EU military training assistance mission with France and Germany playing a key role, is a way for them to make up for that criticism.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels before an EU defence ministers meeting, German defence minister Christine Lambrecht said that “up to 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in Germany until June 2023, and a repair centre will be established in Slovakia.”

As the war grinds on with Russian missiles continuing to hit Ukraine’s key cities, EU foreign policy chief Borrell also highlighted that while the EU will continue supplying arms to Ukraine, it is also important for the bloc to think of its own arms stock and defence capabilities.

“European armies have to share, they have to be interoperable, they have to go together as much as possible to replenish their stocks,” he told reporters.

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