Russia Ukraine War Updates: Ukraine thwarts Russian advances; fight rages for Mariupol
Biden plans to announce new sanctions against Russia while he is in Brussels for meetings with NATO and European allies. Several major corporations have been cutting business ties with Russia in recent weeks.
The battle for Ukraine’s cities continues to thunder across its suburbs, with the Ukrainian military saying it forced Russian troops out of a strategically important Kyiv neighborhood, while Russian forces took partial control of three northwest suburbs where there’s been fighting for weeks. A senior US defense official said Tuesday that Russian ground forces were still largely stalled outside the capital city, but Russian ships spent the past 24 hours shelling the already devastated southern port city of Mariupol from offshore. Civilians making the dangerous escape from Mariupol described fleeing through street gun battles and past corpses as Russian forces tried to pound the city into submission. More than 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the war began on February 24, and millions more have been displaced within the country, the United Nations said.
Zelenskyy’s office launches humanitarian aid website to assist people affected by Russia’s war
With United Nations confirming that more than 3.3 million refugees have now fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office has launched a humanitarian aid website helping to find out how to and whom to address the aid.
Ukraine’s local media outlet, The Kyiv Independent, wrote, “President’s Office launches humanitarian aid website. The official website http://help.gov.ua helps to find out how to send and whom to address humanitarian aid. The portal also provides contacts of foreign and Ukrainian humanitarian hubs.”
Belarus could soon join Russia in its war against Ukraine
The US and NATO believe that Belarus could “soon” join Russia in its war against Ukraine, the US and NATO officials said, adding that the country is already taking steps to do so, CNN reported.
It is increasingly “likely” that Belarus will enter the conflict, a NATO military official said on Monday, adding: “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin needs support. Anything would help.”
Russians destroy Chernobyl laboratory
Russian military forces have destroyed a new laboratory at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant that among other things works to improve management of radioactive waste, the Ukrainian state agency responsible for the Chernobyl exclusion zone said Tuesday.
The Russian military seized the decommissioned plant at the beginning of the war. The exclusion zone is the contaminated area around the plant, site of the world’s worst nuclear meltdown in 1986.
The state agency said the laboratory, built at a cost of 6 million euros with support from the European Commission, opened in 2015.
It cannot be business as usual for Russia in international institutions like G-20: US
The US and its allies would consult whether Russia should remain within the G-20 grouping of major economies after its invasion of Ukraine, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said, underlining that it “cannot be business as usual” for Moscow.
“We believe that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in international institutions and in the international community,” US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference when asked about Russia’s membership of G-20.
“But as for particular institutions and particular decisions, we’d like to consult with our Allies, consult with our partners in those institutions before making any further pronouncements,” Sullivan said.
G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation that plays an important role in global economic governance.
Zelenskyy’s office launches humanitarian aid website to assist people affected by Russia’s war
With United Nations confirming that more than 3.3 million refugees have now fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office has launched a humanitarian aid website helping to find out how to and whom to address the aid.
Ukraine’s local media outlet, The Kyiv Independent, wrote, “President’s Office launches humanitarian aid website. The official website http://help.gov.ua helps to find out how to send and whom to address humanitarian aid. The portal also provides contacts of foreign and Ukrainian humanitarian hubs.”
Belarus could soon join Russia in its war against Ukraine
The US and NATO believe that Belarus could “soon” join Russia in its war against Ukraine, the US and NATO officials said, adding that the country is already taking steps to do so, CNN reported.
It is increasingly “likely” that Belarus will enter the conflict, a NATO military official said on Monday, adding: “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin needs support. Anything would help.”
Russian ships shelling port city of Mariupol
Russian ships in the Sea of Azov have been shelling Mariupol from offshore over the last 24 hours, a senior US defence official said Tuesday. The official said that there are about seven Russian ships in that area, including several warships, a minesweeper and a couple landing ships.
By contrast, the official said the US did not see indications that ships in the Black Sea were firing on Odesa, as they had done days ago. The officials said the US assesses that the Russians have about 21 ships in the Black Sea, including about a dozen surface combatant warships and some landing ships that carry troops.
According to the official, Russian ground forces are still largely stalled outside Kyiv – with troops still about 30 kilometers (19 miles) northeast of the city, and 15 kilometers (9 miles) northwest of the city. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to provide the U.S. military assessment.
Ukraine thwarts Russian advances; fight rages for Mariupol
Ukrainian forces fought off continuing Russian efforts to occupy Mariupol and claimed to have retaken a strategic suburb of Kyiv on Tuesday, mounting a defense so dogged that it is stoking fears Russia’s Vladimir Putin will escalate the war to new heights. “Putin’s back is against the wall,” said US President Joe Biden, who is heading to Europe this week to meet with allies. “And the more his back is against the wall, the greater the severity of the tactics he may employ.”
Biden reiterated accusations that Putin is considering resorting to using chemical or biological weapons, though Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has seen no evidence to suggest that such an escalation is imminent.
French energy giant to stop buying Russian oil
French energy giant TotalEnergies said it has decided to halt all its purchases of Russian oil and petroleum products by the end of 2022 at the latest. The French company said in a statement it will “gradually suspend its activities in Russia” amid the “worsening situation” in Ukraine.
Russia represented 17% of the company’s oil and gas production in 2020.
Russia has ‘failed’ to accomplish its objectives in Ukraine: US
Russia has “manifestly failed” to accomplish its three major goals through the country’s “brutal” invasion of Ukraine, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said. On February 24, Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine, three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities.
Sullivan told reporters that Russia intended to accomplish three basic objectives in launching its unprovoked attack against Ukraine: first, to subjugate Ukraine; second, to enhance Russian power and prestige; and third, to divide and weaken the West.
“Russia has thus far manifestly failed to accomplish all three objectives. In fact, it has thus far achieved the opposite,” Sullivan said on Tuesday.
France’s Macron speaks with Putin, Zelenskyy
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday talked with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the terms of a potential cease-fire, according to the French presidency. They reached “no agreement,” the statement said, but Macron “remains convinced of the need to continue his efforts” and he “stands alongside Ukraine.”
The Kremlin confirmed that Putin and Macron had a call in which they exchanged views about the situation in Ukraine, including the talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators. It didn’t give further details.
Biden to announce new Russia sanctions while in Brussels
President Joe Biden plans to announce new sanctions against Russia on Thursday while in Brussels for meetings with NATO and European allies, according to a top national security aide. Biden, who will take part in a special meeting of NATO and address the European Council summit, is also expected to underscore efforts to enforce the avalanche of existing sanctions already announced by the U.S. and allies.
“He will join our partners in imposing further sanctions on Russia and tightening the existing sanctions to crack down on evasion and to ensure robust enforcement,” said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who declined to further preview new sanctions the president will announce.
Biden to attend emergency NATO Summit in Brussels, G7 and address EU leaders
US President Joe Biden would attend an emergency NATO Summit, address European Union leaders and hold meetings with G-7 leaders, his national security advisor has said on the eve of his departure for Brussels and Poland. Biden is scheduled to leave for Europe to show a united front and take stock of the situation in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“He will attend an emergency NATO Summit, joined by the leaders of the other 29 NATO Allies. He will join the G7 leaders. And he will address the 27 leaders of the European Union at a session of the European Council. He will have the opportunity to coordinate on the next phase of military assistance to Ukraine,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference on Tuesday.
News Credit: India TV News
