World will hold Russia accountable for unprovoked attack on Ukraine.(photo: @mod_russia )
The preparations for a new prisoner swap between the two countries are underway, he added…reports Asian Lite News
As many as 2,598 Ukrainians taken captive in the Russia-Ukraine war have been released as a result of prisoner exchanges.
So far, Ukraine has carried out 48 prisoner exchanges with Russia since the beginning of the conflict, Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence, was quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency as saying.
Yusov described the process of prisoner swaps between Ukraine and Russia as an “unprecedented situation” as it is being carried out during an active phase of the conflict, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Interfax-Ukraine.
According to Yosov, the Geneva Conventions do not directly provide for exchanges during the active phase of hostilities, and they provide for the return of prisoners of war after the end of hostilities.
The preparations for a new prisoner swap between the two countries are underway, he added.
The meeting, he said, is a continuation of the dialogue that was started at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima between the leaders of Ukraine, the Group of Seven countries, and the Global South…reports Asian Lite News
Hailed by the developing countries as a key leader of the Global South, India could be playing a major role in the implementation of a ‘peace formula’ to end the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
At the initiative of Kyiv, a meeting of diplomats from the Western countries, along with representatives of India – the current chair of G20 – Brazil, and South Africa, was held in Copenhagen over the weekend to find a concrete settlement to end the ongoing war which has claimed thousands of lives on both sides since February 2022.
Citing a German TV channel report, Russian state-owned news agency Tass said that the June 24 meeting in Denmark’s capital took place “in the strictest secrecy” and that the official negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine may take place as early as July.
“The TV channel (ARD) noted that the goal of the West was to enlist the support of these BRICS countries, which still remain neutral in the situation around Ukraine,” it said.
It is believed that US President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who was earlier scheduled to travel to Copenhagen, attended the meeting virtually.
India’s participation through Sanjay Verma – Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs – in the key gathering in the Danish capital comes on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima on May 20 and Andriy Yermak, one of Zelensky’s key aides, dialing National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval earlier this month.
After the Copenhagen meeting, Yermak wrote on his Telegram channel that consultations on key peace principles were held with national security and political advisers from Brazil, Great Britain, Denmark, EU, Italy, India, Canada, Germany, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, USA, Turkey, Ukraine, France, and Japan.
The meeting, he said, is a continuation of the dialogue that was started at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima between the leaders of Ukraine, the Group of Seven countries, and the Global South.
The Ukrainian delegation consisted of a team from Zelensky’s office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The participation of a significant number of countries of the Global South demonstrates that significant positive changes are taking place in the relations between our countries and a qualitatively new level of mutual relations. I am grateful for the support of our Western allies,” wrote Yermak.
Kyiv is also planning to hold a ‘Global Peace Summit’ which could take place after the NATO Summit in Lithuania on July 11-12.
Yermak, who is the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, said that the security and political advisers of participating countries agreed that the consultation format was a good platform to continue work and can be further developed by holding a Global Peace Summit in the future.
“I was informed of sites that could become a potential venue for the Global Peace Summit. I first proposed Ukraine as the most desirable option for us. By the way, many countries have already expressed their readiness to host this summit, including such international venues as the UN General Assembly,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
In March, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen offered to host the summit, which he said would need efforts from some countries, including India.
“If Ukraine finds that the time has come to have such a meeting, that would be fantastic. And then Denmark would obviously like to host the meeting… It is necessary to build interest and involvement from countries like India, Brazil, and China,” said Rasmussen.
Interestingly, just a week ahead of the Copenhagen meeting, Yermak dialled NSA Ajit Doval to discuss preparations for the ‘Global Peace Summit’ and follow up on the discussions held between PM Modi and the Ukrainian President – the first meeting between the two leaders after the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict – in Hiroshima in May.
“The main topic of the conversation was the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula, in particular the consolidation of international support for the Ukrainian peace plan and the possibility of India joining the implementation of its individual points,” said Zelensky’s office in a statement released after the telephone conversation on June 13.
Yermak also noted the need to involve the widest possible range of countries, in particular the Global South, to participate in the event.
In Hiroshima, as Zelensky briefed him on the current situation, PM Modi had once again conveyed India’s clear support for dialogue and diplomacy to find a way forward and said that for a resolution of the situation, India and he personally would do everything within the means.
Countries across the Caribbean, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean continue to count on India as reliable partner after New Delhi maintained that, as the trajectory of the Ukrainian conflict unfolds, the entire global south has suffered substantial collateral damage.
At the recent Forum for India–Pacific Island Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit held at Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Island leaders insisted that they are “victims of global powerplay” and called on PM Modi to amplify their concerns at the bigger forums.
“You are the voice that can offer our issues at the highest as advanced economies discuss matters relating to economy, commerce, trade, and geopolitics,” said PNG Prime Minister James Marape.
“We want you to be an advocate for us. As you sit in those meetings and continue to fight for the rights of small emerging nations and emerging economies,” added Marape stressing that he is speaking for other “small brother and sister nations” of the Pacific.
India’s efforts to drive South-South cooperation and build a truly multipolar world order which is more responsive to the aspirations of developing countries will only increase in the coming weeks as it hosts the G20 Leaders’ Summit for the first time in September.
In its latest update, the General Staff said the Russians also carried out 25 air strikes on Sunday…reports Asian Lite News
The Ukrainian military has claimed that nearly 200 Russian soldiers were killed and a variety of equipment had also been destroyed in the past one day.
Although the claim was not officially verified, the military went on to say that in the last 48 hours, the frontlines across the war-torn nation witnessed heavy combat, with more than 20 engagements occurring in areas in the Donetsk region — chiefly Lyman, Marinka and Bakhmut, CNN reported.
In its latest update, the General Staff said the Russians also carried out 25 air strikes on Sunday.
There had been heavy Russian artillery and mortar fire in the Kupyansk area of Kharkiv, where the Russians have been trying to break through for over a month, the military added.
The General Staff insisted all Russian efforts to take territory had been foiled.
Across the Donetsk frontlines, the fighting was characterised by exchanges of indirect fire, but with little movement.
However, the Ukrainians say they are on the front foot around Bakhmut.
“(Troops) hold the initiative, continue assault operations and push the enemy back. Over the last day, the Ukrainian forces advanced 600 to 1,000 meters on the southern and northern flanks around Bakhmut,” CNN quoted Serhii Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of the Armed Forces, as saying.
In the south, where Ukrainian forces have attempted to break through Russian lines, the General Staff said a Russian effort to regain lost positions in the area of Novodarivka had also failed.
Russian artillery continued to strike about 30 settlements along the frontlines in the Zaporizhzhia region, it added.
In Kherson, Nataliya Humenyuk, a spokesperson for Ukrainian forces in the south, said the Russians struggled to regain positions on the east bank of the river Dnipro, which was flooded by the June 6 damage to the dam at Nova Kakhovka.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street)
Sunak said Johnson had asked him to over-rule advice from the House of Lords appointments commission…reports Asian Lite News
Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson traded recriminations over the latter’s resignation honours list on Monday, as MPs prepared to publish what is expected to be a highly critical report about the former prime minister’s conduct.
Sunak accused Johnson of asking him to wave through a long list of allies to the House of Lords, prompting the former prime minister to say the current premier was “talking rubbish”.
The war of words came as MPs on the cross-party House of Commons privileges committee met to finalise their report into whether Johnson deliberately misled parliament about the partygate scandal.
Sunak rounded on Johnson after the latter on Friday announced he was quitting the Commons, with the former premier claiming the committee was engaged in a “political hit job” despite not having a “shred of evidence” against him.
Johnson made his shock move shortly after his resignations honours list was published, which contained peerages and other gongs for many of his allies.
Sunak said Johnson had asked him to over-rule advice from the House of Lords appointments commission, which vets nominations for peerages.
“When it comes to honours and Boris Johnson, Boris Johnson asked me to do something that I wasn’t prepared to do because I didn’t think it was right, either to over-rule the… committee or make promises to people,” said Sunak.
The Lords appointments commission has confirmed it rejected eight proposed candidates for peerages made by Johnson.
Downing Street has denied claims by Johnson’s allies that Sunak broke a promise to wave through the former’s entire resignation honours list.
“I wasn’t prepared to do that because I didn’t think that was right,” Sunak said at the Tech Week conference in London.
“And if people don’t like that, then tough. When I got this job I said I was going to do things differently because I was going to change politics.”
Johnson hit back angrily at Sunak, saying he had not asked for the Lords appointments commission to be overruled.
He appeared to suggest he wanted the commission to re-vet some of his nominees for peerages, saying: “To honour these peerages it was not necessary to over-rule [the commission] — but simply to ask them to renew their vetting, which was a mere formality.”
Meanwhile the Commons privileges committee is poised to release its report about Johnson’s conduct as soon as Tuesday.
The committee is expected to accuse Johnson of misleading the Commons when he said while prime minister that he did not know about parties held in Number 10 during Covid-19 restrictions.
MPs on the committee have been given additional security, amid accusations by Johnson that they have behaved like a “kangaroo court”.
Michael Gove, levelling-up secretary, told the BBC: “I do deprecate the fact [the MPs on the committee] are now in a position where, as reported, they have had to seek and have been granted additional security. I extend my sympathy to them and their families.”
Two former MPs who had expected to receive peerages from Johnson — Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams — have announced they are also quitting the Commons, prompting three parliamentary by-elections.
Johnson and Adams have formally triggered the mechanism to step down from parliament, shifting the impetus to the government to decide when to call the by-elections.
Labour is confident of winning Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, where he had a majority of 7,210 at the last general election.
But Adams’ Selby and Ainsty seat in Yorkshire will be harder for Labour: the Tories have a 20,137 majority.
The Liberal Democrats are focusing their efforts on winning Dorries’ Mid Bedfordshire constituency, where the Conservatives have a 24,664 majority.
Speculation has intensified at Westminster about the prospect of Johnson attempting to return to the Commons at the next general election, after he said on Friday he was leaving parliament “for now”.
Senior Tory figures expressed split views about whether Johnson should be allowed to stand again as a Conservative parliamentary candidate after quitting.
One minister said: “He’s just resigned from his seat which has a 7,000-plus majority. What right does he have to seek another?”
However, one Conservative official said it would be highly unusual to block Johnson from joining the Tory parliamentary candidates’ list and “would cause yet another drama” in the party.
South Sudanese troops arrive in Congo under EAC regional force mandate.(Photo:Twitter)
Turkish president offers to mediate between warring parties in Sudan as toll crosses 400…reports Asian Lite News
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to mediate between the warring parties in Sudan to hold peace talks.
Erdogan held separate phone talks with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan and commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
Erdogan told the Sudanese leaders that Türkiye has sincerely supported the transition process in Sudan since the very beginning, the statement said.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Photo: Twitter@RTErdogan)
Ankara will continue to stand with the brotherly Sudanese state and nation during this period as well, he said, adding that Türkiye is ready to provide any kind of support, including hosting potential mediation initiatives.
He also asked the Sudanese leaders to do their best to protect the safety and properties of Turkish citizens and institutions in Sudan.
The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, which broke out on Saturday, has reportedly killed hundreds of people and injured thousands of others.
Evacuation from Sudan
Saudi Foreign Ministry announced the evacuation of Saudi citizens and other nationals from Sudan as fierce fighting continues in the country.
A total of 158 people, including Saudi nationals and people from other countries, have been evacuated from Sudan and transferred to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah ports by boat, the Saudi state television said.
The move came when armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital Khartoum enters the second week.
The Sudanese army on Saturday said its General Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan received calls from leaders of a number of countries requesting the evacuation of their nationals and diplomats.
“Al-Burhan agreed to provide the necessary assistance to secure this,” the army said in a statement.
Sexual violence
UN Women has voiced concern over the dire impact of Sudan’s ongoing violent conflict on women and girls and called for immediate action against sexual violence.
“UN Women joins our partners in expressing our grave concern over the continued conflict in Sudan. As in all crises, this will surely have dire and disproportionate impacts on the lives of Sudanese women and girls,” UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said in a statement.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan and remain committed to supporting them,” she added.
Bahous noted that reports of sexual and gender-based violence “are already surfacing”, fearing that “they will only grow more frequent”, reports Xinhua news agency
“The resilience of Sudanese women is a source of hope, their role in the pursuit of peace essential, their strength as humanitarian workers, carers and protectors an inspiration. We must heed their calls for a ceasefire and peace and commit to supporting them in everything they do,” she said.
“UN Women calls on all parties to ensure that no woman or girl is affected by these crimes, and on all actors to spare no effort to mitigate the increased risk.”
Bahous joined UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in urging immediate ceasefire in Sudan during Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, so as to allow for “the continued delivery of essential humanitarian assistance and a return to dialogue”.
The continued clashes between Sudan’s Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that first erupted on April 15, have so far killed more than 400 people and about 3,500 others.
A day before the UN Women’s appeal, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) had warned that the heavy fighting is putting tens of thousands of pregnant women in danger, making it too perilous to venture outside their homes to seek urgent medical care.
UNFPA estimates that there are 219,000 pregnant women in the capital city of Khartoum, the epicentre of the violence, with 24,000 of them expected to give birth in the coming weeks.
The conflict has not spared Sudan’s healthcare system. At least 20 hospitals have been forced to shut down in Khartoum because of the violence.
A further 12 hospitals across the country are still operating but could soon close as they struggle with power and water cuts and a lack of staff, it said.
Doctors, nurses and hospital staff are unable to travel to work and vital humanitarian aid is not getting through because of roadblocks and ongoing fighting, leaving medical facilities understaffed, overwhelmed, and running low on critical medical supplies.
If the violence does not stop, there is a danger that the health system will collapse and pregnant women and their unborn children will die, warned UNFPA.
The agency said it is also concerned about the 3.1 million women and girls who are facing increased risks of life-threatening gender-based violence as protection services are interrupted by the clashes.
Serbian Ministry of Construction has disputed that the company was authorized to remove the monument…reports Asian Lite News
Outrage in Serbia after a Chinese construction company building a highway destroyed a war memorial monument honouring Serbian soldiers of world war I and II, Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported. Only pieces of statues of fallen World I and II fighters remain now.
A Chinese construction company working on a highway project tore down the towering statues of fighters near the village of Negrisori. A plaque with the names of almost 150 fallen soldiers was also destroyed. The demolition of a monument in Serbia honouring the fallen soldiers of World Wars I and II has caused anger among veteran groups and local residents. Nikola Calovic, a Negrisori resident said, “I can’t believe someone destroyed a monument to people who gave their lives to this country. I will personally, in my name, file a criminal complaint with the competent prosecutor’s office,” as per the news report.
Dragomir Zivanovic, a Negisori resident, said, “I was literally in tears because this was something inexplicable. I have no comment adequate for this kind of act. I was born here and grew up here. I mean that is a sin, a sin against the ancestors, against the people who gave their lives,” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported.
Meanwhile, Lucani Mayor Milivoje Dolovic said, “That monument was located on the route of the highway and the Chinese contractor had permission from the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments from Kraljevo to remove it.” Meanwhile, the Serbian Ministry of Construction has disputed that the company was authorized to remove the monument.
As per the news report, the Highway Builder, China Communications Construction Company, has landed in trouble before also. Earlier, the World Bank had imposed sanctions against sanctions over fraud in the Philippines. (ANI)
It is noteworthy that on February 24 – the day of the start of the military operation in Ukraine, President Putin personally did not comment on it – the Russians did not hear his appeal to the nation, writes Sergei Strokan
One-year anniversary of Russian military operation in Ukraine, started Feb. 24, 2022, has a long global echo with an avalanche of statements on the interim results of the ongoing conflict — the largest and the most dangerous after World War II.
The sides of the confrontation — Russia, Ukraine and the Western powers behind it, in their forecasts are modelling the future scenarios while showing guts, and verve and zest to fight to victory.
While Moscow believes in a gloomy future for Ukraine, predicting its collapse, President Biden and European leaders assure that political, economic, financial, humanitarian and military assistance to Kiev will continue as long as necessary.
Against this background, another talk of the day — Chinese peace plan, consisting of 12 points, published on the anniversary of the Russian operation in Ukraine, was already rejected by the West.
It is noteworthy that on February 24 – the day of the start of the military operation in Ukraine, President Putin personally did not comment on it – the Russians did not hear his appeal to the nation.
Three days before that the military operation in Ukraine was the key topic of Vladimir Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly, which was delivered on February 21. Putin’s main idea was that there was no way to avoid the conflict — Russia had no choice but to start acting.
“The threat was growing, and every day. The incoming information left no doubt that by February 2022 everything was ready for another bloody punitive action of Ukraine in the Donbas region,” he said, addressing parliamentarians and representatives of the Russian political and business elite.
The next day, speaking at a rally-concert at the Moscow Luzhniki sports complex, Vladimir Putin elaborated on that. He thanked Russian servicemen, who, according to him, are fighting heroically and whom «the whole country supports today.
Next day, on February 23, the President was laying a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow.
President Putin’s messages were followed on February 24 by Russia’s Deputy Secretary of the Security Council, ex-President Dmitry Medvedev. In his Telegram channel, he expressed confidence that victory would be achieved.
“We will return our territories and reliably protect our people who suffered during the years of genocide and shelling. After that, difficult and nervous negotiations will begin — de facto with representatives of the West who are not interested in ending the conflict and are trying to weaken Russia as much as possible,” Dmitry Medvedev wrote.
After the adoption of the would-be agreement, according to Dmitry Medvedev, an equally difficult stage will begin.
“We are prepared for exhausting months and years of confrontation, hysteria and rudeness on the part of those who will manage a fragment of what remains of Ukraine. That is why it is so important to achieve all the goals of a special military operation. We have to push the borders as far as possible, even if it will be the borders of Poland, to eliminate threat. We have to wipe out neo-Nazism to the ground,” Dmitry Medvedev wrote.
However, the West is showing no less determination. The leaders of the European Union countries made their own special statement on the first anniversary of the military operation in Ukraine.
“The European Union will continue to provide Ukraine with political, economic, financial, humanitarian and military assistance. We will also support the restoration of Ukraine, for which we will strive to use frozen and blocked Russian assets in accordance with European and international law,” the leaders of the European Union said.
“Together with our international partners, we will do everything so that Ukraine wins, international norms are respected, peace and territorial integrity of Ukraine in its nationally recognized borders are restored, so that Ukraine is rebuilt and justice is done. We will not rest until that day,” the European Union promised.
Sweden, which chairs the Council of the European Union, announced: the European Union and its members allocated about €67 billion over the year to support Ukraine, €37.8 billion went to economic aid, €17 billion to help refugees, €12 billion to military support.
Against this background, on February 24, the Pentagon announced the provision of a new $2 billion package of military assistance to Ukraine. It includes ammunition for HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems and 155 mm artillery shells.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told CNN how Washington is helping Kiev: “We train and equip several mechanized brigades of Ukraine. We need to add artillery to this.” Lloyd Austin said hinting that this “will allow the Ukrainians to change the dynamics on the battlefield by launching their offensive may be in Spring.
The US military department reported: the United States allocated more than $32 billion in military aid to Kiev during the year of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
There were also upbeat statements by the leaders of other Western countries. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Kiev, where he announced: “Poland, as the country that was the first to build a coalition to transfer tanks to Ukraine, wants to symbolically transfer the first four Polish Leopard 2A4.” Kiev expects to receive from 12 states up to 140 tanks as the first batch..
Assistance to Kiev is traditionally accompanied by increased pressure on Moscow. On February 24, President Biden signed a decree raising tariffs on some Russian goods imported into the United States, adding to previous attempts to deprive Russia of privileges in international trade. The new measures will lead to an increase in tariffs on more than 100 Russian metals, minerals and chemical products worth approximately $2.8 billion for Russia.
However, the imposed at 200% duties on aluminum should not have a significant impact on Russia. The American market is not a key one for Russia’s company Rusal, the largest metal producer outside of China. The potential loss of the American market could cost Rusal 3% of net profit ($3.2 billion in 2021).
In addition, the US Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on 22 individuals and 83 legal entities, including more than 10 financial institutions. The US State Department has also imposed visa restrictions on over 1.2 thousand Russian military personnel. Ministers, officials, and governors also fell under the new sanctions. Meanwhile, the European Union continues to coordinate the tenth package of sanctions, which had previously encountered difficulties.
Against this background, China tried to take the position of mediator between these two poles — the Russian and the Western —, unveiling its peace plan for Ukraine, which consists of 12 points.
These points look like this:
to respect the sovereignty of all countries, as required by the UN Charter;
to abandon the “Cold War mentality”, preventing the “formation of camp confrontations”;
to cease fire, since “there are no winners in wars”;
to start peace talks, which remain the only real way out of the crisis;
to resolve the humanitarian crisis, including by creating corridors for civilians and increasing humanitarian assistance;
to protect civilians and prisoners of war, in particular to create “more favorable conditions” for exchanges of the latter;
to maintain the safety of nuclear power plants;
to reduce strategic risks by refraining from the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons “by any country under any circumstances”;
to guarantee the implementation of the agreement on the transportation of grain across the Black Sea signed by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN in 2022;
to abandon unilateral sanctions, since their application “not only does not solve problems, but creates new ones”;
to ensure the stability of production and supply chains, thereby protecting the world economy;
to promote post-war reconstruction in the conflict zone.
“The sterility of the Chinese peace plan can be laughable or be met with irony, but given the weight of China, everyone will at least appeal to it. This is exactly what Beijing needs — the effect of presence without any actions or, God forbid, obligations,” Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in—chief of Russia in Global Politics magazine, chairman of the Presidium of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, wrote on the Telegram channel.
Ukraine war.(photo:Instagram)
“The Chinese peace plan for Ukraine resembles a diplomatic non-alcoholic beer or champagne. The drink has a bright beautiful color in the glass, with mushrooming bubbles coming out of it, but this drink has no taste, and gives you no kick,” Vladimir Sotnikov, a leading researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told India Narrative.
The publication of the Chinese plan was preceded by a visit to Moscow by the highest-ranking Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, who met with Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian Foreign Ministry supported the Chinese initiative.
However, it was immediately followed by negative comments of Western leaders which can be summarized in one thesis: China cannot be an impartial mediator in the conflict over Ukraine.
Therefore, Chinese peace plan for Ukraine is a no-starter.
(Sergei Strokan is a veteran journalist, writer and columnist of the Kommersant publishing house based in Moscow. The views expressed are personal and exclusive to India Narrative)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits recaptured city of Izyum.(photo:Instagram)
Zelensky’s rallying call comes amid warnings that Russia could be planning an attack to coincide with the anniversary…reports Asian Lite News
As the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine marked a year on Friday, President of the war-torn nation Volodymyr Zelensky in a defiant statement said that “this is a year of our invincibility… this will be the year of our victory”.
In a social media post along with a short video showing the devastation caused by the year-long war, the President said: “On February 24, millions of us made a choice. Not a white flag, but a blue and yellow flag. Not fleeing, but facing. Facing the enemy. Resistance and struggle.
“It was a year of pain, sorrow, faith and unity. And this is a year of our invincibility. We know that this will be the year of our victory!”
Zelensky’s rallying call comes amid warnings that Russia could be planning an attack to coincide with the anniversary.
On Thursday night, there were strikes reported in the regions of Kramatorsk and Kherson, where the city’s main pipeline was damaged, reports the BBC.
On this day last year at 2.30 a.m., Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a “special military operation” in Ukraine during a televised speech.
At 3.27 a.m., the first explosions are heard in the capital Kiev, and more blasts are reported across the country as Ukrainians wake up to war
About an hour later, Zelensky confirmed reports of nationwide missile strikes following which the NATO activated its defence plans, that included more than 100 jets on standby and 120 allied ships at sea, from the Arctic to the Mediterranean
At noon that day, the then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, addresses the nation, saying: “Our worst fears have come true and all our warnings have proved tragically accurate. President Putin of Russia has unleashed war… without any provocation and any credible excuse.”
Later that night, Zelensky called for general mobilisation and imposed martial law. He had also announced that 137 Ukrainians had died on the first day of the assault.
Since then, tens of thousands of people have died, entire cities have been destroyed and millions have fled Ukraine.
The UNHCR estimates more than 6.5 million Ukrainians are internally displaced and over 7.8 million refugees have left the country.
For 12 months, Ukraine’s armed forces have mounted a resilient defence, defying expectations in Moscow that the invasion would be completed in days, CNN reported.
Russian tanks never reached Kiev’s city centre; instead, they were pushed out of northern Ukraine, and stifled in grinding battles in the east and south.
The central bank, led by Christine Lagarde, is widely tipped to approve another hike in a bid to make spending more expensive…reports Asian Lite News
Inflation in the euro zone receded for the third month in a row in January, according to preliminary data from Eurostat released on Wednesday.
Inflation in the twenty countries using the single currency is projected to have slipped to 8.5% year-on-year in January from 9.2 % in December. The first decline was seen in November although it was still above the 10% threshold after reaching a record-high the month before.
Energy continued to be the biggest driver of inflation last month with a year-on-year bump of 17.2% but prices have significantly lowered in recent months.
This is attributed to milder-than-user temperatures in the autumn and early winter, well-stocked gas storages and energy-saving plans across the 27-country bloc which have seen gas prices slip to levels not seen since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly a year ago.
Still, inflation remains four times above the 2% target set by the European Central Bank and whose governing body is to convene in Frankfurt on Thursday to decide whether to operate yet another interest rate hike to tackle the issue.
The central bank, led by Christine Lagarde, is widely tipped to approve another hike in a bid to make spending more expensive.
Despite the overall fall, two countries actually saw inflation increase.
The rates in Estonia and Latvia are projected to have risen to 18.8% and 21.6% respectively, up from 17.5% and 20.7% in December. Fellow Baltic state, Lithuania, has the third highest rate at 18.4%, down from 20.0% the month before.
The Baltics are particularly vulnerable to volatility in energy prices because of their previous exposure to Russian supplies, which they cut after Moscow launched its war in Ukraine. But the three small countries already had high inflation before the invasion due to supply-and-demand issues linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Spain (5.8%), Malta (6.7%) and Cyprus (6.8%) have the lowest rates across the bloc.
Like energy, prices for non-industrial food and services are forecast to have receded slightly but those of food, alcohol and tobacco actually increased with the annual inflation rate seen at 14.1% compared to 13.8% in December.
Core inflation, which excludes energy and food prices because of their volatility and is therefore seen as a more accurate depiction of the state of the economy, is stable month-on-month at 5.2%.
Romania followed closely behind, with a further 110,000 children living in poverty…reports Asian Lite News
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising inflation have pushed some four million children into poverty across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, according to the United Nations children agency.
“Children are bearing the heaviest burden of the economic crisis caused by the war in Ukraine,” UNICEF said on Monday.
The conflict “and rising inflation have driven an additional four million children across Eastern Europe and Central Asia into poverty, a 19 percent increase since 2021”, it said.
UNICEF drew its conclusions from a study of data from 22 countries.
Russian and Ukrainian children have been most affected since Moscow attacked its neighbour in February.
“Russia accounts for nearly three-quarters of the total increase in the number of children living in poverty due to the Ukraine war and a cost-of-living crisis across the region, with an additional 2.8 million children now living in households below the poverty line,” UNICEF found.
The blow to Russia’s economy from Western sanctions has combined with its large population to produce the outsize effect.
“Ukraine is home to half a million additional children living in poverty, the second largest share,” UNICEF added.
Romania followed closely behind, with a further 110,000 children living in poverty.
“Children all over the region are being swept up in this war’s terrible wake,” said UNICEF regional director for Europe and Central Asia, Afshan Khan.
“If we don’t support these children and families now, the steep rise in child poverty will almost certainly result in lost lives, lost learning, and lost futures.”
The poorer a family is, the greater the proportion of its income it must spend on food and fuel, leaving less for children’s healthcare and education, the agency explained.
They are also “more at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse”.
This could well translate into an additional 4,500 children dying before their first birthdays, and an additional 117,000 children dropping out of school this year alone, UNICEF said.
It called for a range of measures to tackle the issue, including providing universal cash benefits for children and protecting social spending, especially for the most vulnerable children and families.
“Austerity measures will hurt children most of all – plunging even more children into poverty and making it harder for families who are already struggling,” said Khan. “We have to protect and expand social support for vulnerable families before the situation gets any worse.”
