Monday’s talks, which lasted for nearly five hours, took place in Belarus near the Russian and the Ukrainian borders. The next round will take place on the border between Belarus and Poland in the coming days…reports Asian Lite News
Moscow and Kiev have found certain points that could be agreed upon during the ceasefire talks hosted by Belarus, and will return for consultations before the next round, both delegations told reporters after the talks ended on Monday, RT reported.
The main purpose of the talks was to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine, said Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The two sides have identified a number of priority topics, on which “certain solutions have been outlined”, he added.
The two delegations found points on which common positions could be reached, confirmed Vladimir Medinsky, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, RT reported.
Monday’s talks, which lasted for nearly five hours, took place in Belarus near the Russian and the Ukrainian borders. The next round will take place on the border between Belarus and Poland in the coming days, Medinsky said.
Ukraine’s delegation was led by Defence Minister Alexey Reznikov, and its main demand was an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of all Russian troops from the country.
Zelensky said on Sunday that he didn’t really believe the negotiations would succeed, but thought they held “a chance, however small, to de-escalate the situation.”
While the talks were ongoing, Zelensky sent a formal request for Ukraine’s EU membership to Brussels.
Meanwhile, Russia has put its nuclear deterrent forces on highest alert amid NATO moves to send weapons to Kiev.
High-level delegations from both sides arrived at the venue on the banks of the Pripyat River to attempt a negotiated settlement in the ongoing crisis….reports Asian Lite News
Negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two countries began in the Gomel region of Belarus here on Monday.
High-level delegations from both sides arrived at the venue on the banks of the Pripyat River to attempt a negotiated settlement in the ongoing crisis.
According to the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian delegation includes the Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, the head of the parliament faction of the Servant of the People party, and a deputy foreign minister. The Russian delegation is led by former Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky.
“Immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from Ukraine will be the key issues at the talks,” the office of the Ukrainian president informed.
⚡Conversações entre as delegações russas 🇷🇺 e ucraniana 🇺🇦 tiveram início em Belarus 🇧🇾, na fronteira entre a Ucrânia e a #Belarus. Ministro #Makei deu as boas-vindas às delegações em nome do Chefe do Estado 🇧🇾: "Você pode se sentir perfeitamente seguro. É nosso dever sagrado". pic.twitter.com/jc4L7YLQYg
“Since [there are] dead Ukrainian citizens, dead Ukrainian soldiers every hour of the conflict, we are certainly interested in reaching some agreements as quickly as possible. These agreements must be, of course, in the interests of both parties,” Medinsky said before the beginning of the meeting.
The Ukrainian side had refused to negotiate in Belarus earlier on Sunday, even as the Russian delegation arrived in the country. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked for negotiation in any other country but Belarus saying, “At the moment, we’re saying no to Minsk. Other cities can be a place to meet. Of course, we want peace, we want to meet, we want the war to end. Warsaw, Bratislava, Budapest, Istanbul, Baku, we have suggested all that to Russia. And any other city will do… in a country, from whose territory the rockets are not flying. This is the only way that the talks can be honest and can really put an end to the war.”
Later on the same day, the Ukrainian side agreed to send a delegation to Belarus after Belorussian President Alexander Lukashenko had a phone call with President Zelenskyy.
Earlier today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus tweeted the pictures of the venue saying, “In Belarus, everything is ready to host Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Waiting for delegations to arrive.”
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted on Sunday to call for an emergency special session of the 193-member UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. The meeting of the UNGA is scheduled to be held today at 8:30 PM IST.
The UNSC too is scheduled to convene later in the day (1:30 AM IST on Tuesday).
Russia has been facing immense criticism, especially from the western countries over its recent actions in Ukraine. A number of countries including the US, UK, France and Germany among others have applied fresh rounds of sanctions on Russia. (ANI)
According to the latest development, a Ukrainian delegation arrived at the place for talks with the Russian side in the Gomel region in Belarus on Monday…reports Asian Lite News
The next 24 hours will be crucial for Ukraine’s fight with Russia, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday during a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Johnson said he would do all he could to help ensure defensive aid from Britain and other allies reached Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported citing the National News Agency of Ukraine (Ukrinform).
Meanwhile, the regional government said that the city Berdyansk in southern Ukraine had been seized by Russian troops on Monday morning.
The Ukrainian army on Monday informed that the situation in Kiev was still under its control.
According to the latest development, a Ukrainian delegation arrived at the place for talks with the Russian side in the Gomel region in Belarus on Monday, Sputnik reported.
China said that “it has always disapproved of willfully invoking of UN Charter Chapter VII that authorizes the use of force and sanctions in UNSC resolutions.”…reports Asian Lite News
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, after talks with various foreign diplomats on Friday expounded China’s basic position on the Ukraine crisis.
On Friday, Wang Yi had phone conversations with UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, and French Diplomatic Advisor to President Emmanuel Bonne.
According to the statement, China said that “it has always disapproved of willfully invoking of UN Charter Chapter VII that authorizes the use of force and sanctions in UNSC resolutions.”
The sides exchanged their views with a focus on the situation in Ukraine. Wang Yi expounded China’s basic position on the Ukraine issue where he said that it “firmly believes that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected and protected and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter abided by in real earnest.”
In a statement, the country said that it advocates “common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.”
“China believes that the security of one country should not come at the expense of the security of other countries, still less should regional security be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs,” it added in its statement.
“Russia’s legitimate security demands ought to be taken seriously and properly addressed,” the statement read. It urged all parties to exercise the “necessary restraint to prevent the current situation in Ukraine from getting worse or even getting out of control.”
“The life and property safety of civilians should be effectively guaranteed, and large-scale humanitarian crises, in particular, must be prevented,” China said in a statement.
:The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine has published pictures of the border service facilities in the Kyiv region that were shot by Russian troops on Thursday Feb. 24, 2022 not long after Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine.(Photo:IANS/Twitter)
Moreover, China, in its statement, “encouraged diplomatic efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis.”
Two days ago, Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had discussed Moscow’s recognition of the people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The discussions took place between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, reported Sputnik.
The foreign ministers expressed a shared opinion that Kiev’s refusal, “encouraged by the United States and its allies,” to implement the Minsk agreements, approved by the UN Security Council, caused the current crisis. (ANI)
“We have to collectively raise the cost Russia has to pay,” he added, portraying the current conflict as a “very dangerous and sad moment” for the world.”said Ambassador Colin Crooks …reports Asian Lite News
Britain’s top envoy here has made an emphatic call for South Korea and other partner countries to “collectively raise the cost” for Russia’s “unacceptable” invasion of Ukraine this week, welcoming Seoul’s decision to join anti-Moscow sanctions.
In an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Thursday, Ambassador Colin Crooks commented on Russia’s multi-pronged attack on the pro-West neighbour, lambasting it as “terrible acts.”
“We have to show President (Vladimir) Putin and his regime that these activities are completely unacceptable,” Crooks said in his first media interview since his arrival here earlier this month for the ambassadorship, Yonhap news agency reported.
“We have to collectively raise the cost Russia has to pay,” he added, portraying the current conflict as a “very dangerous and sad moment” for the world.
Britain has closely been consulting with several other nations, including South Korea, to coordinate joint responses and sanctions against Russia, according to the ambassador.
“We are working with all of our partners around the world, freedom-loving countries like Korea, to uphold the rights of Ukraine like any other country,” he said.
His remarks came after Seoul announced a plan to join international sanctions against Russia.
Fluent in Korean, Crooks is the first British ambassador who served in both Koreas, which are still technically at war. The 1950-53 Korean War ended only with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
Crooks is known for his regular Twitter posts about life in one of the world’s most secretive states during his stint in Pyongyang from December 2018 to May 2020. He is the last British national to set foot in the North as it imposed stringent border controls due to Covid-19.
The diplomat now looks forward to playing a role in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula by sharing his experience of growing up in Northern Ireland, which suffered an ethno-nationalist conflict from the late 1960s to 1998.
“The situation in North Korea is obviously very different, but there are some points that I think are the same,” he said. “There is a need for dialogue, a need for tolerance, a need for negotiation.”
Touching on his time in Pyongyang, Crooks recounted his encounters with North Koreans yearning for a “brighter future around the corner” following a whirlwind of summit diplomacy surrounding the two Koreas, the United States and China in 2018.
That hope, however, faded after the Hanoi summit between former US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un collapsed without a deal in February 2019, he said.
“I think that the North Korean regime missed a huge opportunity at Hanoi. They had an opportunity there to do a deal which would have guaranteed their security and their prosperity,” he said. “Instead, they mishandled the Hanoi summit.”
Despite Pyongyang’s reluctance to re-engage since then, Crooks said Seoul should leave open the door for dialogue and Britain is ready to leverage its diplomatic capacity to play a bridging role between the two Koreas.
But in the meantime, international sanctions on the North should be in place as part of engagement efforts toward the ultimate goal of the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, he said.
“Sanctions are a part of the negotiation and part of the discussion. And this all has to do with a framework of denuclearisation,” he said. “I can’t see that the lifting of sanctions right now would help.”
South Korean President Moon
Crooks expressed concern over human rights in North Korea due to pandemic-driven restrictions that have aggravated its already weak economy.
The envoy wanted to see the North cooperate with the UN to receive Covid vaccines and address challenges in medical infrastructure to vaccinate its people and get ready for reopening its economy.
“Their tight border closure has come at a very heavy cost to North Korean people and their economy,” he said. “I worry about the humanitarian situation in North Korea.”
Peace efforts aside, Crooks looks forward to contributing to deepening economic relations between South Korea and Britain given South Korea was among the first countries to sign a new free trade deal with Britain following London’s exit from the European Union in 2020.
The ambassador said he wants the two countries to further expand trade and investment in various areas, including digital technology, green growth, offshore wind power and service sectors.
Having served in the Korean embassy in the late 1990s, Crooks was impressed by South Korea’s transformation to a “more confident” country with a vibrant economy, advanced technologies and popular culture loved by the world.
During his service here, the ambassador wants to contribute to improving the two countries’ people-to-people ties through his active public diplomacy, and Twitter will be intrinsic to that endeavour, he said.
“Coming back to South Korea was my long-held dream,” a smiling Crooks said in fluent Korean. “It’s my second home.”
Russia’s invasion so far has played out largely as the Biden administration said it would back in December, with nearly 2,00,000 troops striking from several sides of Ukraine….reports Asian Lite News
The United States had released many intelligence findings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine for last few months.
The White House had released details of Russian troop buildups and warned repeatedly that a major assault was imminent. In the end, Putin attacked anyway.
According to a report from Associated Press, critics of US intelligence — including Russian officials who dismissed invasion allegations as fantasy — had been pointing to past failures like the false identification of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
But Russia’s invasion so far has played out largely as the Biden administration said it would back in December, with nearly 2,00,000 troops striking from several sides of Ukraine.
Lawmakers from both political parties on Thursday said the accurate predictions were a credit to the often-criticised US intelligence community, it was reported.
But whether the White House’s unprecedented public campaign delayed or limited Putin’s plans could be debated for years. And some say both Washington and Kyiv could have done more with the information the two governments had beforehand.
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for months tried to publicly downplay American warnings of an imminent major outbreak, noting that Ukraine remained locked in an eight-year war over the eastern Donbas region fighting Russian-backed separatists. Zelenskyy did not call up military reservists until Wednesday, when he also announced a 30-day state of emergency., it was reported.
According to the report, A Ukrainian government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Kyiv was convinced about two weeks ago that Russia would invade. But the government publicly tamped down concerns about an invasion to limit damage to Ukraine’s economy and panic in the country, the official said.
Any mass mobilisation of Ukrainian forces could have given additional pretext to Putin, who repeatedly and falsely claimed Ukraine was planning to attack separatist-held parts of the Donbas, it was reported.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has made yet another plea to Western allies to help Ukraine and stop Russia’s brutal assault, BBC reported.
“This morning we are defending our state alone. Like yesterday, the world’s most powerful forces are watching from afar,” Zelensky said in his address to the nation this morning.
“Was Russia convinced by yesterday’s sanctions? We hear in our sky and see on our earth that this was not enough”, BBC reported.
The Ukrainian leader has confirmed the multiple missile strikes reported pre-dawn Friday. Zelensky said the strikes began at 4 a.m. on Friday local time.
He added that Russia’s strikes had targetted both military and civilian sites. Russia has previously said it’s not aiming strikes at civilians, the report said.
The capital Kyiv has seen blasts this morning, including what appears to be a strike that hit a residential building.
“I repeat my plea from last night: Stop the military operation. Bring the troops back to Russia,” Guterres said the following day….reports Asian Lite News
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday repeated his plea to Russian President Vladimir Putin, made the previous night, to halt the assault on Ukraine and withdraw his troops.
He said that the war is wrong and unacceptable under the UN’s charter but it is still possible to change course and reverse the decision.
Putin announced the start of full-scale militarily operations in Ukraine at the same time Guterres was making his plea for restraint during an emergency meeting of the Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York late on Wednesday night.
“I repeat my plea from last night: Stop the military operation. Bring the troops back to Russia,” Guterres said the following day.
“We are seeing Russian military operations inside the sovereign territory of Ukraine on a scale that Europe has not seen in decades,” he told reporters as he spoke of scenes of “fear, anguish and terror in every corner of Ukraine,” and warned of a rising death toll.
“Day after day, I have been clear that such unilateral measures conflict directly with the United Nations Charter,” Guterres said.
Quoting directly from that charter, he added: “All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.”
The Russian military offensive repudiates the principles to which every member of the UN has committed, he said.
“It is wrong. It is against the charter. It is unacceptable. But it is not irreversible. (In) line with the charter, it’s not too late to save this generation from the scourge of war.”
Decisions made in the coming days will shape the world and directly affect the lives of millions upon millions of people, Guterres added.
The organization is allocating $20 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of Ukrainians, he said.
“We and our humanitarian partners are committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine in their time of need,” said the UN chief.
“United Nations staff are working on both sides of the contact line, always guided by the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, humanity and independence.
“We are providing lifesaving humanitarian relief to people in need, regardless of who or where they are. The protection of civilians must be priority number one. International humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld.”
An official said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was reported, although this has not yet been corroborated…reports Asian Lite News
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it is following the situation in Ukraine ‘with grave concern’ and appealed for maximum restraint to avoid any action that may put Ukraine’s nuclear facilities at risk, Daily Mail reported.
Ukrainian presidential advisor Myhailo Podolyak said: “After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe.”
It comes after Russian forces seized control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant after a ‘fierce’ battle, with the condition of nuclear storage facilities ‘unknown’, sparking fears of a radiation leak that could cause fallout in Europe, the report said.
Video revealed Russian tanks and armoured vehicles standing in front of the destroyed reactor, which sits just 60 miles north of the capital Kyiv.
An official said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was reported, although this has not yet been corroborated, Daily Mail reported.
Speaking after the latest developments, US President Joe Biden announced more sanctions against Russia but admitted that he had not expected previous threats of financial penalties to deter Vladimir Putin.
He also resisted calls to send in US troops to Ukraine, saying he has no plans to speak to the Russian leader who he accuses of trying to rebuild a Soviet empire
Around 50 Russian troops were killed in Ukraine’s “retaliation” to Moscow’s military operations, Ukrainian forces…reports Asian Lite News
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have said that they managed to stop Russian troops in northern Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, but heavy fighting is underway in Kharkiv, located in northeast part of the country, where the “enemy” has suffered casualties.
Around 50 Russian troops were killed in Ukraine’s “retaliation” to Moscow’s military operations, Ukrainian forces said on Thursday in a post on the General Staff’s verified Facebook page, claiming that they have shot down six Russian Air Force planes, and two choppers as well as destroying two tanks.
The forces, in a statement, said they regained full control on Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, although the situation in Kherson in the south is said to be critical, where Ukrainian forces are trying to push back the Russian troops.
Meanwhile, more than 50 Ukrainian soldiers had also been reportedly killed and dozens had been wounded in the operations.
Urging citizens to stay calm, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that all military units are in their position
Ukraine is also conscripting reservists into the regular military as it braces for a possible invasion by its neighbour, Russia….reports Asian Lite Newsa
Ukraine has urged its citizens living in Russia to leave the country immediately, BBC reported.
Up to three million Ukrainians are believed to be living in Russia and many have family in both countries.
In addition, a state of emergency is to be declared in Ukraine, lasting 30 days, the country’s top security official said.
Ukraine is also conscripting reservists into the regular military as it braces for a possible invasion by its neighbour, Russia.
Western countries and their allies have imposed sanctions on Russian banks and MPs, as the crisis escalates. But critics, among them the UK’s Labour Party, say the measures so far are not strong enough.
It’s not clear if any new Russian troops have yet been sent into the two regions, which are run by Moscow-backed separatists.
A state of emergency across the whole country is set to be declared, following a recommendation from Ukraine’s security council. This will last 30 days, but is subject to approval by the Ukrainian parliament – expected later on Wednesday, BBC reported.
Ukraine military has also called up a first wave of reservists – aged 18 to 60 – to join the regular armed forces.
