Ukraine War: The vote is to be set for Friday morning.
The Kremlin has rejected an order by the International Court of Justice to suspend their invasion of Ukraine. A Kremlin spokesman said that both Russia and Ukraine had to agree for the ruling to be implemented, but "no consent can be obtained in this case."
Meanwhile, the US, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland have requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting Thursday because of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine, diplomatic sources said.
"Russia is committing war crimes and targeting civilians," the British diplomatic mission to the UN said Wednesday on its Twitter account. "Russia's illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all."
Earlier in the day, Russia asked to again postpone a UN Security Council vote on a resolution it drafted about the "humanitarian" situation in Ukraine.
The vote, first scheduled for Wednesday and then pushed to Thursday afternoon, is to be set for Friday morning -- unless the draft is dropped altogether due to lack of support from Moscow's allies.
Discussions are also underway, according to other diplomatic sources, to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to speak to the United Nations General Assembly.
Here are the LIVE Updates on Ukraine-Russia War:
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Canada offers three years of temporary residency to UkrainiansOttawa announced Thursday it is establishing a new immigration program that will offer Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion a temporary Canadian residence permit for up to three years.
Canada, which has a large Ukrainian diaspora, especially in the center and west of the country, said in a statement that "Ukrainians and their immediate family members of any nationality may stay in Canada as temporary residents for up to three years."
U.S. Senators introduce bill to ban U.S. imports of Russian uranium
U.S. Republican Senators on Thursday introduced a bill to ban U.S. imports of Russian uranium to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
The bill comes as the Biden administration has been weighing sanctions on Russian nuclear power company Rosatom, a major supplier of fuel and technology to power plants around the world.
Russia scraps UN vote on Ukraine resolution over lack of support
Russia canceled a UN Security Council vote on a "humanitarian" resolution on Ukraine, scheduled for Friday, due to a lack of support from its closest allies, diplomats said.
Moscow failed to secure co-sponsorship of the draft text from China and India, suggesting that neither Beijing nor New Delhi were going to support it, an ambassador told AFP on Thursday.
Biden to press Xi to get in line over condemnation of Russia
US President Joe Biden will warn his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday that he will face "costs" if Beijing rescues fellow authoritarian ally Russia from intense Western sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The two leaders' first phone call since a video summit in November will be a chance to air differences as the United States spearheads an unprecedented pressure campaign on Russia, placing China in a geopolitical bind.
UK cuts tax accord with Russia over Ukraine war
Britain said Thursday it is suspending accords on sharing tax information with Russia, the latest in a series of sanctions aiming to squeeze Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
"The UK has suspended all exchange of tax information with Russia and Belarus under the UK's exchange of information agreements," a government statement said.
It said the move "will ensure the UK is not supplying Putin's regime with information that could lead to an increased tax benefit or yield for Russia."
US lawmakers vote to end normal trade ties with Russia
The US House of Representatives voted Thursday to suspend Russia's "most favored nation" trade status, tightening the Western chokehold on Moscow's economy over its deadly invasion of Ukraine.
The Senate is expected quickly to rubber-stamp the legislation -- which also applies to Russian ally Belarus -- allowing President Joe Biden to raise tariffs on imports from both nations.
Blinken: Russian attacks on civilians a 'war crime'
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that he believes Russia is guilty of committing war crimes by attacking civilians in Ukraine.
He also said that Moscow was not making sincere efforts in peace talks with Kyiv, and that President Joe Biden was preparing to issue a warning to China not to send arms to Russia in support of its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine Live: Canada Sanctions Russia Ally Belarus Over Ukraine Attacks From Its Soil
Canada has unveiled fresh sanctions against 22 Belarus defense department officials for allowing Russia to launch attacks on Ukraine from its territory. The announcement, Canada's foreign ministry said in a statement, "sends a clear message to President Putin's accomplices: those who support violations of Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence will be held accountable." (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Red Cross Chief Sees "Glimmer Of Hope" In UkraineRed Cross chief Peter Maurer on Thursday implored Russia and Ukraine to build on rare glimmers of hope and alleviate the suffering for "terrified" civilians caught up in the conflict. The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who is in Kyiv on a five-day visit to Ukraine, said the war triggered by Russia's February 24 invasion had inflicted "vast" devastation and people were frightened for their future. But the ICRC head said the safe passage corridor established on Tuesday to get non-combatants out of the northeastern city of Sumy gave grounds for some optimism.
Speaking to reporters via video-link, Maurer said he was in Kyiv to make an urgent plea to both sides to bring civilians some respite. "I appeal to the parties to take every chance to build on small steps to alleviate suffering, like the glimmer of hope we saw this week in Sumy," he said, of humanitarians helping thousands escape from harm's way. "This glimpse of humanity is something we sorely need more of," he said. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: UK Minister Orders Inquiry Into Fake Call From "Ukraine PM"
British defence minister Ben Wallace ordered an inquiry today after an imposter claiming to be the Ukrainian prime minister contacted him and asked several "misleading questions". "Today an attempt was made by an imposter claiming to be Ukrainian PM to speak with me. He posed several misleading questions and after becoming suspicious I terminated the call," Wallace said on Twitter. (Reuters)
Ukraine Russia War Live Updates: Britain To Deploy Missile Defence System In Poland Britain will deploy its latest medium-range missile defence system in Poland, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced Thursday in Warsaw. Poland, which borders Ukraine, risks becoming a future target of Russian attacks after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24. The Sky Sabre system will help Poland defend its airspace from Russian weapons. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Russian Invasion Spurs European Demand For US Drones, MissilesEuropean governments have approached the US government and defense contractors with a shopping list of arms including drones, missiles and missile defenses as the Russian invasion of Ukraine drives renewed demand for US weaponry. Germany, which is nearing a deal for 35 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 jet fighters, has inquired about systems to defend against ballistic missiles, sources familiar with the situation said. Meanwhile, Poland urgently wants to purchase sophisticated Reaper drone systems from the United States, a Polish government official said this week. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: 30,000 Civilians Have Fled Ukraine's Mariupol: City HallAuthorities in Ukraine's Mariupol today said around 30,000 people have fled the besieged city and that they were clarifying information on possible victims of the Russian shelling of a theatre sheltering civilians a day earlier. Mariupol's city hall said on Telegram that "around 30,000 people have left on their transport", adding that "80 percent of residential housing was destroyed". It said it was "clarifying information on victims" of the theatre shelling. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: G7 Warns War Criminals In Ukraine "Will Be Held Responsible"
Perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine will be called to account, the Group of Seven most industrialised nations warned today, condemning "the indiscriminate attacks on civilians" by Russian troops since the invasion began on February 24. "Due to President (Vladimir) Putin's unprovoked and shameful war, millions are forced to flee their homes; the destruction of infrastructure, hospitals, theatres and schools is ongoing," the G7 foreign ministers said in a statement. "Those responsible for war crimes, including indiscriminate use of weapons against civilians, will be held responsible," they warned. (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Ukraine's Mariupol Says Casualty Figures At Theatre Is Unclear
Authorities in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol said today it was still not possible to estimate the number of possible casualties from what they said was an air strike on a theatre where hundreds of people were believed to have been sheltering. "Yesterday and today, despite continuous shelling, rubble is being cleared as much as is possible and people are being rescued. Information about victims is still being clarified," the city council said in an online statement about Wednesday's incident. It provided no figures on the number of people rescued. Russia has denied bombing the theatre. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: "Stop This War": Arnold Schwarzenegger's Message To Putin
Ukraine War Updates: Belarus Slammed At UN For Role In Russia's Ukraine Invasion
Diplomats at the UN have voiced outrage over Belarus's widespread human rights violations at home, and also for "enabling" Russia's invasion of Ukraine. At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a wide range of countries decried Minsk's role in supporting Moscow's war against its pro-Western neighbour, which began on February 24. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Ukraine Urges EU Lawmakers To Recognise Putin As "War Criminal"Ukraine's defence minister has called on EU lawmakers to recognise Russian President as a "war criminal" and urged the bloc to step up arms supplies to fight Moscow's forces. The demand came after US President Joe Biden yesterday sparked Kremlin fury by dubbing Putin a "war criminal" for his forces' bombings of Ukrainian cities.
"It's not simply a war. It's state terror. The regular army of the aggressor is conscientiously annihilating the civil population," Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told EU legislators via videolink. "I'm appealing to all European Parliamentary members to recognize that Putin is a war criminal, as has been done in the United States." (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Moscow Says It Regrets Suspension Of Russian-European Mars MissionMoscow regrets the "bitter" decision by the European Space Agency to suspend a Russian-European mission to land a rover on Mars over the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive, Russia's space chief said Thursday. "This is a very bitter (decision) for all the enthusiasts of space," Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos, said on Telegram, calling it a "shame". He added that Moscow will "conduct this research expedition on our own". (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Turkey's Erdogan Offers To Host Putin, Ukraine's Zelensky For Talks
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan offered in a phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin today to host him and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky for talks, according to his office. The statement said Erdogan told Putin that agreement on certain issues could require a meeting between the leaders. Erdogan also said a lasting ceasefire could lead the way to a long-term solution, it said. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: Russia's Chechen Leader Says Volunteers Headed To UkraineA thousand Chechen volunteers are on their way to fight for Russia in Ukraine, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said Thursday. Kadyrov, whose security forces have been accused of numerous abuses, said on Telegram that one of his relatives, Apty Alaudinov, "is leading a thousand volunteers from the Chechen republic heading to take part in the special operation of denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine". (AFP)
Ukraine Live News: India Calls For Diplomacy, Dialogue To Address Ukraine Crisis
India has called for diplomacy and dialogue to address the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi today. His remarks came during the weekly briefing of MEA where he reiterated India's stand on the Ukraine situation. "We have been clear and consistent, we feel that the only way out is through diplomacy and dialogue which has been emphasised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his conversation with President Putin and President Zelensky," he stated. (ANI)
Ukraine Wants Security Guarantees From Turkey As Part Of Any Russia Peace DealUkraine wants Turkey to be among countries offering security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal with Russia to end the war, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Thursday after meeting Turkey's foreign minister. Speaking at a briefing after the talks in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, Kuleba said Turkey was also helping to set up direct talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Reuters)
Ukraine War: At Least 21 Dead After Russian Shelling Of East Ukraine Town: Officials
At least 21 dead after Russian shelling of east Ukraine town: local officials (AFP)
Ukraine War Live: Kremlin Says Many In Russia Showing Themselves To Be Traitors
The Kremlin said today that many people in Russia were showing themselves to be "traitors" and pointed to those who were resigning from their jobs and leaving the country. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made the comments a day after President Vladimir Putin delivered a stark warning to Russian "traitors" who he said the West wanted to use as a "fifth column" to destroy the country. "In such difficult times... many people show their true colours. Very many people are showing themselves, as we say in Russian, to be traitors," Peskov told reporters on a conference call. (Reuters)
Ukraine Live: UK Says There Is "Very Very Strong Evidence" Putin Behind War CrimesBritain said today there was "very, very strong evidence" of war crimes being committed in Ukraine and that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind them, but it stopped short of calling him a war criminal. US President Joe Biden yesterday called Putin a war criminal in comments the Kremlin said were "unforgivable".
Asked if Britain was prepared to echo those remarks, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told BBC radio: "There's very, very strong evidence that war crimes have been committed and that Vladimir Putin is behind them." "It is ultimately a matter for the International Criminal Court to decide who is or isn't a war criminal, and for us to bring the evidence."
(Reuters)
Ukraine Live Updates: Russia Pretending To Negotiate In Ukraine Talks, Says France
Russia is pretending to negotiate with Ukraine, while pursuing the invasion of its neighbour in line with a brutal strategy it has used elsewhere, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Thursday. "Unfortunately we're still facing the same Russian logic -- making maximalist demands, wanting Ukraine to surrender and intensifying siege warfare," Le Drian told newspaper Le Parisien. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Russia Says It Made Debt Interest Payment, Avoiding Default
Russia's finance ministry said today it had carried out interest payments on two foreign bonds following fears Moscow may default on its debt after facing unprecedented Western sanctions over Ukraine. "The payment order...worth $117.2 million due on March 15 was sent to a correspondent bank account on March 14 and was executed," the ministry said in a statement. (AFP)
Ukraine War News: Ukraine Asks Japan For Satellite Data Amid War, Says Report
Ukraine is asking Japan for high-quality satellite imagery to help it fend off Russian troops, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Thursday. Japanese governments and private companies operate satellites that have the ability to capture detailed images day and night, and through clouds and other obstructions in the atmosphere. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: HRW Urges Ukraine To Stop Parading Russian Prisoners
Human Rights Watch is urging Ukraine to stop posting videos of captured Russian prisoners under duress, saying such treatment violated Kyiv's international obligations. Ukraine has paraded captured Russian soldiers before the media at news conferences in Kyiv, and these images have been spread via official accounts on social media and messaging apps. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live Updates: Russia Ally Uzbekistan Calls For Swift Halt To Ukraine WarUzbekistan, a Central Asian republic with close ties to Russia, called today for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and said it would not recognise Moscow-backed separatist statelets there. In the strongest anti-war statement to come from Russia's former Soviet allies so far, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov told parliament that while Tashkent wanted to maintain good relations with both Moscow and Kyiv, it opposed the war. "First, Uzbekistan is seriously concerned by the situation around Ukraine," he said. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: Ukraine President Says 1991 Borders Must Be Recognised
Ukraine's president has not altered his position that the international borders in place when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 must continue to be recognised, a presidential adviser said today. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said repeatedly since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 that he will not compromise on his country's "territorial integrity." "His main position has not changed," Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Zelenskiy, said on national television. "We will never give up our national interests." (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live Updates: UN Agency To Give Protective Gear To Ukraine Journalists
The UN's cultural agency said today it would provide bulletproof vests and helmets to journalists working in Ukraine after the deaths of several reporters covering Russia's invasion. UNESCO will also organise online training courses for working in combat zones and first aid. It is also trying to provide in-person training soon for journalists in Lviv, the western city where many media organisations have moved as the capital Kyiv is besieged. "Journalists and media workers are risking their lives in Ukraine to provide life-saving information to local populations and inform the world of the reality of this war," UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said in a statement. (AFP)
Ukraine Live: Russia Says Air Defence Systems For Ukraine Would Destabilise Situation
Russia's foreign ministry said today that giving Ukraine air defence systems, as requested by Ukraine's president in the US Congress a day earlier, would be a destabilising factor that would not bring peace to the country. "Such deliveries ... would be a destabilising factor which will definitely not bring peace to Ukraine," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing. "In the long term, they could have much more dangerous consequences," she added. (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live: Russia Says Talks With Ukraine Continue, No Deal Yet
The Kremlin said today that Russia was putting colossal energy into talks on a possible peace deal with Ukraine that could swiftly stop the Russian military operation there. "Our delegation is putting in colossal effort and demonstrates more readiness towards them than the other side," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Agreeing such a document, the observance of all its parameters and their implementation could very quickly stop what is happening." (Reuters)
Ukraine War Live News: Russia Rejects Top UN Court Order To Halt Ukraine OffensiveThe Kremlin has rejected an order by the UN's top court for Russia to suspend the military offensive in Ukraine, a day after judges in The Hague announced their ruling. "We cannot take this decision into account," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He added that both parties -- Russia and Ukraine -- had to agree for the ruling to be implemented. "No consent can be obtained in this case," Peskov said. (AFP)
Russia's Gameplan For Ukraine: Where It Has FailedNowhere in Ukraine has Russia's invasion gone to plan, but a combination of geography, better troops, shorter supply lines and weaker opposition means Moscow's campaign has progressed enough in the south to show what President Vladimir Putin at least intended.
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Just In| Volodymyr Zelensky tells German MPs Russia building new 'Wall' against freedom: news agency AFP
German MPs Give Zelensky Standing Ovation Before Video Address- German deputies gave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a standing ovation Thursday ahead of a video address he was due to give before the Bundestag lower house.
- One day after a searing appeal for help before the US Congress, Zelensky was expected to ask Berlin for further military and financial assistance.
Russia Will Put Its Enemies Such As US In "Their Place": Ex-President Dmitry Medvedev- Russia has the might to put enemies led by the United States in their place and Moscow will foil the West's Russophobic plot to tear Russia apart, one of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies said on Thursday.
- Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russia's security council, said the United States had stoked "disgusting" Russophobia in an attempt to force Russia on its knees and then rip it apart.
- "It will not work - Russia has the might to put all of our brash enemies in their place," Medvedev said.
One killed in new Kyiv strike: rescuers- One person was killed and three injured when debris from a downed rocket hit a Kyiv apartment block Thursday, as Russian forces press in on the capital, emergency services said.
- Russian troops trying to encircle Kyiv have launched early morning strikes on the city for several successive days, putting traumatised residents further on edge.
- Rescuers evacuated 30 people from the 16-storey building in eastern Darnitsky district after it was struck at 5:02 am (0302 GMT), the State Emergency Services of Ukraine said.
In A Chilling And Televised Threat, Putin's Big Warning- Vladimir Putin warned he would cleanse Russia of the "scum and traitors" he accuses of working covertly for the U.S. and its allies.
- Facing economic meltdown three weeks into his invasion of Ukraine, the Russian leader lashed out at domestic critics. He accused the West of wanting to destroy Russia in a televised video conference with dark undertones.
- "Any people, and particularly the Russian people, will always be able to tell apart the patriots from the scum and traitors and spit them out like a midge that accidentally flew into their mouths," Putin said.
- He went further: "I am convinced that this natural and necessary self-cleansing of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion and readiness to meet any challenge."
UK military intelligence says Russia's invasion of Ukraine has largely stalled- Russia's invasion of Ukraine has largely stalled on all fronts, with Russian forces suffering heavy losses and making minimal progress on land, sea or air in recent days, British military intelligence said on Thursday.
- "Ukrainian resistance remains staunch and well-coordinated," The Ministry of Defence said. "The vast majority of Ukrainian territory, including all major cities, remains in Ukrainian hands."
Theatre bombed in Ukraine, Biden slams 'war criminal' Putin- Ukraine accused Russia Thursday of bombing a theatre that was sheltering more than 1,000 civilians in the city of Mariupol, after US President Joe Biden branded Vladimir Putin a "war criminal".
- The latest assaults on civilians across Ukraine came as President Volodymyr Zelensky made a searing appeal for help to the US, which responded by pledging $1 billion in new weapons to fight Russia's invading army.
- Officials across Ukraine are struggling to count the civilian dead -- with authorities saying 103 children have been killed since the invasion began -- who have been targeted in homes, hospitals, ambulances and food queues.
- In the port city of Mariupol -- where more than 2,000 people have died so far -- a Russian bomb hit the Drama Theatre, which city council officials said had been housing over 1,000 people.
- "The only word to describe what has happened today is genocide, genocide of our nation, our Ukrainian people," the city's mayor Vadim Boychenko said in a video message on Telegram.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 'Servant of the People' series returns to Netflix- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's series 'Servant of the People', which inspired him to enter into politics, is back for streaming on Netflix in the US.
- According to The Hollywood Reporter, the satirical series originally streamed on Netflix from 2017 to 2021.
- 'Servant of the People' follows a teacher (Zelenskyy) who unexpectedly becomes president after a rant against corruption goes viral on social media.
- The show ran for three seasons and ended when Zelenskyy decided to run for President of Ukraine in 2019 under the banner of a new political party floated by him 'Servant of the People'.
- After much demand from the public due to ongoing Russia's military operations in Ukraine and the heroism of Zelenskyy in defending his country, Netflix is currently streaming the series for its US subscribers.
- Russia launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24 which was condemned by the Western nations.
- Zelenskyy, recently addressed the US Congress, virtually.
'More than a thousand' were sheltering in bombed Ukraine theatre: local official- Ukraine claimed Wednesday that Russia had destroyed a theatre harbouring more than a thousand people in the besieged port city of Mariupol, with the toll as yet unknown.
- "Today, the invaders destroyed the Drama Theatre. A place, where more than a thousand people found refuge. We will never forgive this," the Mariupol local council said in a Telegram post.
Video: High-Precision Russian Missiles Destroy Ukraine TargetsRussia's Defence Ministry has released a video of a precision airstrike at a Ukrainian military facility. The latest video adds to a large volume of content - official releases and witness accounts - from the war in the east European nation that both sides use to boost morale of their forces.
US Isn't Accepting More Ukrainian Refugees. Here's WhyMore than 3 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, according to United Nations data, but the United States has only admitted several hundred Ukrainian refugees so far, leaving some critics questioning U.S. government policy.
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In World Court, Indian Judge Votes Against Russia For Invading Ukraine- The UN's top court on Wednesday ordered Russia to suspend its invasion of Ukraine, saying it was "profoundly concerned" by Moscow's use of force. "The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend military operations that it commenced on 24 February on the territory of Ukraine," pending the final decision in the case, presiding judge Joan Donoghue told the International Court of Justice, or ICJ.
- "The court is profoundly concerned about the use of force by the Russian Federation which raises very serious issues in international law," Justice Donoghue told a hearing in The Hague.
- Kyiv dragged Moscow to the UN's top court days after Russia's attack on February 24.
- India's judge at the ICJ, Justice Dalveer Bhandari, also voted against Russia.