Ukraine upsets Russian efforts to occupy Mariupol and claims to have retaken a Kiev suburb, mounting a defence so dogged that it’s stoking fears Russia may escalate offensive, now in its 28th day.
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Zelenskyy slams UN, urges reform in address to Japan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Japan’s parliament that the United Nations has failed over the conflict in his country and reforms are needed, calling for more pressure on Russia.
“Neither the United Nations nor the UN Security Council has functioned. Reforms are needed,” the Ukrainian leader told lawmakers via videolink. “We need a tool to preemptively ensure global security.”
“Existing international organisations are not functioning for this purpose, so we need to develop a new, preemptive tool that can actually stop invasions,” Zelenskyy added.
“Neither the United Nations nor the UN Security Council have functioned. Reforms are needed. We need a tool to preemptively ensure global security.”
Consequences of any Russia-NATO clash would be ‘hard to repair’ – Kremlin
The Kremlin has said any possible contact between the Russian military and NATO forces could have grave consequences, after Poland last week said peacekeepers should be sent to Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Poland’s idea was reckless and extremely dangerous.
“Any possible confrontation between our troops and NATO forces could have clear consequences that would be hard to repair,” Peskov told reporters.
Kiev urges West to supply offensive weapons to fight Russia
Ukraine has repeated a call to Western leaders to supply Kiev with advanced weapons to fight Moscow’s slowly advancing troops, one month after their attack.
“Our armed forces and citizens are holding out with superhuman courage, but we cannot win a war without offensive weapons, without medium-range missiles that can be a means of deterrence,” Ukrainian Presidential advisory Andriy Yermak said during a panel discussion.
“In our case, deterrence, not aggression,” he added.
EU authorises state aid for firms impacted by Ukraine conflict
EU member states have been given the greenlight by Brussels to offer limited subsidies and cheap loans to companies impacted by the conflict in Ukraine and the wave of sanctions against Russia.
“We need to mitigate the economic impact of this war and to support severely impacted companies and sectors,” EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said.
Reuters removes TASS Russian news agency from its content marketplace
Reuters has removed TASS from its business-to-business marketplace for customers, according to a Reuters message to staff, amid growing criticism of how Russia’s state-owned news agency is portraying the conflict in Ukraine.
“We believe making TASS content available on Reuters Connect is not aligned with the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles,” Matthew Keen, interim CEO of Reuters, wrote in an internal memo to staff.
France’s TotalEnergies says unable to end Russian gas purchases
TotalEnergies’ chief executive has said that his company could not stop buying Russian natural gas in retaliation for Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, saying it will force a partial economic shutdown in Europe.
The French energy giant had announced that it would stop buying Russia’s oil and petroleum products by the end of this year, the latest of several multinationals to halt or curtail their operations in the country.
But CEO Patrick Pouyanne said ending its natural gas purchases from Russia would effectively hand over billions of euros to Russian investors. “I know how to replace this oil and diesel fuel,” Pouyanne told RTL radio, but “with gas, I don’t know how to do it.”
Iran’s FM in Syria to discuss Ukraine conflict, ties with Arabs
The foreign ministers of Iran and Syria, two allies of Russia, will discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and other developments during a meeting in Damascus, Syrian regime’s foreign minister has said.
Faisal Mekdad spoke to reporters at Damascus airport shortly after his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, arrived for talks with top Syrian officials.
“We will discuss the huge developments today after Russia’s military operation in Ukraine,” Mekdad said. “We will discuss what is behind that and we will discuss our mutual stances toward these developments.”
Russia recognises troops in Ukraine as combat veterans
The Russian parliament has passed a law extending the status of military veterans to the troops involved in the military operation in Ukraine.
The status comes with various benefits, such as monthly payments, tax breaks, discounts on utilities, preferential access to medical treatment and so on.
Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, passed the law, which marks exactly four weeks since the beginning of the operation in Ukraine, in all three readings at once.
Putin’s offensive in Ukraine ‘stuck’: Scholz
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s onslaught in Ukraine has stalled despite the daily assaults inflicted by his troops, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said, insisting that Kiev can “count on our help”.
“Putin’s offensive is stuck despite all the destruction that it is bringing day after day,” Scholz said, adding that the Russian leader “must hear the truth” that not only is the offensive destroying Ukraine, “but also Russia’s future”.
Poland says 45 Russian diplomats are suspected spies
Poland’s counter-espionage service ABW has identified 45 Russian diplomats as suspected spies and called on the foreign ministry to expel them, its spokesman has said.
“The internal security agency has drawn up a list of 45 people working in Poland under the cover of diplomatic activities,” ABW spokesman Stanislaw Zaryn told reporters, accusing the suspects of targeting Poland.
He said the list of suspects had been transferred to the foreign ministry, tweeting that “ABW is requesting that they be expelled from Polish territory”.
France sends rescue cars, supplies to Ukraine
French authorities say a convoy of rescue vehicles and emergency equipment is to leave Paris to be provided to Ukraine’s emergency service.
A statement from the French foreign and interior ministries says 100 firefighters and rescue staff will dispatch the vehicles and equipment to Romania, at the border with Ukraine.
They include 11 fire engines, 16 rescue vehicles, and 23 trucks transporting 49 tons of health and emergency equipment.
Sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine may lead to NATO-Russia confrontation: Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said sending peacekeepers to Ukraine may lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and the NATO military alliance.
Poland last week said an international peacekeeping mission should be sent to Ukraine and be given the means to defend itself.
Officials say Russians shell 2 Kiev districts
The Kiev city administration says Russian forces shelled the Ukrainian capital overnight and early morning, damaging buildings in two districts.
Kiev authorities said on Telegram that a shopping mall, some private sector buildings and high-rises came under fire in the districts of Sviatoshynskyi and Shevchenkivskyi.
Four people sustained injuries.
Italy’s Draghi calls on China not to support Russia
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has urged China not to support Russia after its offensive in Ukraine and to join efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.
Speaking to the Italian parliament, Draghi also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not appear to be interested in agreeing a ceasefire that could allow negotiations to end the conflict to succeed.
Hungary rejects sanctions on Russian energy shipments – FM
Hungary does not support any sanctions on Russian energy shipments as it will endanger Hungary’s energy security, foreign minister Peter Szijjarto has said at the United Nations Human Rights Council reiterating Hungary’s stance.
“It is not Hungary’s fault that natural gas and oil from Russia plays a big role in the energy supply of Hungary, Central Europe and all of Europe,” Szijjarto said in a speech broadcast on his Facebook page.
Ukraine asks SWIFT to disconnect Russia’s central bank
The Ukrainian central bank has asked the SWIFT network to switch the Russian central bank off from its financial messaging system.
“We hope for your support and assistance in order to save the lives of thousands of Ukrainians and protect the sovereignty of our country,” Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko said in a statement.
Russian advances in Kiev have slowed down as intense fighting is ongoing in eastern Ukraine, our correspondent says pic.twitter.com/zA2gM50n95
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) March 23, 2022
Ukraine: 15,600 Russian soldiers killed since conflict began
Some 15,600 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the conflict, the Ukrainian military has claimed.
Ukrainian forces have also destroyed 101 Russian aircraft, 124 helicopters, 517 tanks, 1,578 armored carriers, 267 cannons, 80 rocket launcher systems, and 47 air defence systems since February 24, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.
The Russian forces also lost 1,008 vehicles, four light speedboats, 70 fuel vehicles, and 42 UAVs, it added.
China: Russia is ‘important’ G20 member, cannot be expelled by others
Beijing has described Russia as an “important member” of the G20 after Washington raised the prospect of excluding Moscow from the group following its offensive in Ukraine.
“The G20 is the main forum for international economic cooperation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters.
“Russia is an important member, and no member has the right to expel another country.”
Russia says it will retaliate if Poland expels its diplomats
Russia will retaliate if its diplomats are expelled from Poland, the RIA news agency cited the foreign ministry as saying.
Moments earlier, Poland’s special services said they had asked the foreign ministry to expel 45 people working for Russia under the cover of diplomatic work.
Russia accuses US of hindering Ukraine talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the United States of wanting to hinder Moscow’s talks with Ukraine aimed at ending the almost month-long conflict.
“The talks are tough, the Ukrainian side constantly changes its position. It’s hard to avoid the impression that our American colleagues are holding their hand,” Lavrov told students in Moscow, claiming the US “apparently wants to keep us in a state of military action as long as possible”.
There are increasing concerns among world powers that Russia might use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/9YsHr5fF79
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) March 22, 2022
Russia struck Ukrainian arms depot near Rivne with long-range weapons
Russia’s Defence Ministry has said Russian forces hit a Ukrainian arms depot outside the country’s northwestern city of Rivne, destroying an arsenal of weapons and equipment.
The ministry said it had struck the depot using high-precision, long-range weapons fired from the sea.
The report could not independently be verified.
Russians destroyed Chernihiv bridge – governor
Russian forces have bombed and destroyed a bridge in the encircled city of Chernihiv, the region’s governor, Viacheslav Chaus, has said.
The destroyed bridge had been used for evacuating civilians and delivering humanitarian aid. It crossed the Desna River and connected the city to Ukraine’s capital, Kiev.
Chernihiv authorities have said that the encircled city has no water or electricity and called the situation there a humanitarian disaster.
Putin ally says the US is trying to destroy Russia
One of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s closest allies has said that the United States aims to humiliate, divide and ultimately destroy Russia, and vows the country will never allow that to happen.
Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said such a plan – if ever achieved – could have catastrophic results for the world.
“Russia will never allow such a development,” he said in a message posted on Telegram.
Ukraine will be receiving Switchblade drones from the US as military aid. Here is a look at what these so-called ‘kamikaze’ drones are pic.twitter.com/4HatzK86k5
— TRT World (@trtworld) March 23, 2022
Ukraine prosecutor’s office says 121 children killed in conflict
The conflict in Ukraine has killed 121 children so far, the office of the prosecutor general has said in a message on the Telegram app, adding that the number of wounded children stood at 167.
The details could not immediately be verified.
Local ceasefire agreed for Ukraine’s Luhansk region
The governor of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine has said agreement had been reached on a local ceasefire to evacuate civilians trapped by fighting.
Governor Serhiy Gaidai said on the Telegram messaging app that the ceasefire would come into force at 0700 GMT (9AM).
Lavrov to meet Red Cross chief for Ukraine discussions
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, in Moscow on Thursday, the foreign ministry has said.
Maurer will be in Moscow for talks on the Ukraine conflict, an ICRC spokesperson said.
“The agenda of the meeting envisages discussion of the key areas of the ICRC’s work in the field of humanitarian response,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Nine humanitarian corridors agreed – Ukrainian deputy PM
An agreement has been reached to try to evacuate civilians trapped in Ukrainian towns and cities through nine “humanitarian corridors”, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said.
Signalling no agreement had been reached with Russia to establish a safe corridor from the heart of Mariupol, she said people wishing to leave the besieged port city would find transport in nearby Berdyansk.
300,000 people in Kherson facing ‘humanitarian catastrophe’
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has warned that hundreds of thousands of people stranded in the city of Kherson are running low on supplies, which are at dangerously low levels, due to a blockade by Russian troops.
“Kherson’s 300k citizens face a humanitarian catastrophe owing to the Russian army’s blockade. Food and medical supplies have almost run out, yet Russia refuses to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians,” ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on his social media account.
“Russia’s barbaric tactics must be stopped before it is too late!” he added.
Ukraine says Russia seized relief workers in Mariupol convoy
Ukrainian leaders have accused Russia of seizing 15 rescue workers and drivers from a humanitarian convoy trying to get desperately needed food and other supplies into the bloodied port city of Mariupol, which also came under naval attack after weeks of air and land strikes.
Deputy PM Iryna Vereshchuk said the Russians seized 11 bus drivers and four rescue workers along with their vehicles. She said their fate was unknown. The figures couldn’t immediately be confirmed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking in his nightly video address to his nation, accused Russian forces of blocking the aid convoy despite agreeing to the route ahead of time.
Ukraine hopes China will play ‘more prominent’ role to end conflict
A senior Ukrainian official has said that his country hopes China, as an important global actor, will play a more notable role to bring an end to the conflict.
“Kiev is hopeful that Beijing will play a more prominent role in bringing this war to an end,” Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said on his Twitter account.
“We look forward to (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and (Chinese President) Xi Jinping talk,” he noted, adding the leading countries worldwide should agree on deterring Russia, including China.
Eastern Europe is scrambling to provide millions of Ukrainian refugees, who are fleeing the conflict, with care, schools and jobs even as authorities report daily number of people crossing borders is easing pic.twitter.com/FZffL03Klj
— TRT World (@trtworld) March 22, 2022
Russia’s ambassador in Indonesia says Putin plans to attend G20 summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to attend a G20 summit being hosted by Indonesia later this year, Russia’s ambassador in Jakarta has said, following calls by some members for the country to be barred from the group.
“Not only G20, many organisations are trying to expel Russia….the reaction of the West is absolutely disproportional,” ambassador Lyudmila Vorobieva told a news conference.
The United States and its Western allies are assessing whether Russia should remain within the Group of Twenty (G20) grouping of major economies following its attack on Ukraine, sources involved in the discussions said.
Ukraine: 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 has said.
The Russian military seized the decommissioned plant at the beginning of the conflict. The exclusion zone is the contaminated area around the plant, site of the world’s worst nuclear meltdown in 1986.
The laboratory contained “highly active samples and samples of radionuclides that are now in the hands of the enemy, which we hope will harm itself and not the civilised world,” the agency said in its statement. Radionuclides are unstable atoms of chemical elements that release radiation. Ukraine’s nuclear regulatory agency has said that radiation monitors around the plant had stopped working.
Russian troops used stun grenades and gunfire to disperse a crowd of protesters in Ukraine’s Kherson city, according to Ukrainian armed forces
Kherson was the first major city to fall into the hands of Russian forces after they attacked Ukraine on February 24 pic.twitter.com/M9ouaJC0Bf
— TRT World (@trtworld) March 22, 2022
Votes near for UN humanitarian resolutions
The United Nations will now face three resolutions on the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine after Russia decided to call for a vote on its Security Council resolution which makes no mention of the Russian offensive against its smaller neighbor.
The General Assembly is also scheduled to consider two rival resolutions — one that makes clear Russia is responsible for the humanitarian crisis, one that doesn’t.
France and Mexico decided to seek a humanitarian resolution in the 193-member General Assembly after Russia signalled it would veto the measure in the Security Council. The measure makes clear the aid crisis is a result of Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
A rival South African draft resolution that makes no mention of Russia’s aggression circulated on Monday. It was sent to the assembly on Tuesday, and could also be put to a vote on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says Russia talks tough, sometimes confrontational
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said peace talks with Russia to end the conflict were tough and sometimes confrontational but added “step by step we are moving forward.”
In an early morning video address, Zelenskyy also said 100,000 people were living in the besieged city of Mariupol in inhuman conditions.
“As of today, there are about 100,000 people in the city in inhuman conditions, completely blockaded, without food, without water, without medicines, subject to constant shelling, constant bombardment,” he said.
For live updates from Tuesday (March 22), click here
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
Live blog: Ukraine leader slams UN over inaction, calls for reform
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