Russia will pay an ‘immediate price for its atrocities in Bucha,’ US president Joe Biden warns
Related video: Russian tank opens fire on civilian cyclist in Bucha
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Russians to stand up against Vladimir Putin and demand an end to the war in Europe, which has raged on for six weeks now.
“…if for peace, if you feel even a little bit of shame for what the Russian troops are doing in Ukraine, then now is a key moment for such citizens of Russia: you have to demand — exactly demand — an end to the war,” the Ukrainian wartime leader said in his video address.
“Nazism has no future, mass killings have no future. Everyone in Russia who will not demand an end to this shameful war and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine has no future,” Mr Zelensky said.
This comes at a time the besieged country is bracing for a tough battle on the industrial eastern front as Russian troops are likely to increase their offensive across the Donbas region.
Local authorities are asking people to evacuate in time.
And, drone footage taken from the exclusion zone around Chernobyl nuclear power plant has confirmed reports that Russian troops dug trenches close to the site.
UN Assembly to vote on suspending Russia from rights council
The UN General Assembly is set to vote today on a US-led resolution seeking Russia’s suspension from the global human rights body — UN Human Rights Council — following reports of Russia’s atrocities against civilians, leaving hundreds dead, as its troops retreated from the region.
“We believe that the members of the Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, and we believe that Russia needs to be held accountable,” US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.
“Russia’s participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce,” the US envoy said as it demanded removal of Russia from the 47-member council.
Visuals from Ukraine’s Bucha town showed streets strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians, sparking a wave of global anger.
Arpan Rai7 April 2022 06:45
Noam Chomsky says Ukraine will be further devastated: ‘It’s monstrous’
Renowned linguist and political philosopher Noam Chomsky has warned that Ukraine will suffer further devastation in the ongoing war.
“It’s monstrous for Ukraine…Why did he do it? There are two ways of looking at this question. One way, the fashionable way in the west, is to plumb the recesses of Putin’s twisted mind and try to determine what’s happening in his deep psyche,” Mr Chomsky told The New Statesman.
“The other way would be to look at the facts: for example, that in September 2021 the United States came out with a strong policy statement, calling for enhanced military cooperation with Ukraine, further sending of advanced military weapons, all part of the enhancement programme of Ukraine joining Nato,” the political and social analyst said.
He added: “You can take your choice, we don’t know which is right. What we do know is that Ukraine will be further devastated. And we may move on to terminal nuclear war if we do not pursue the opportunities that exist for a negotiated settlement.”
Arpan Rai7 April 2022 06:15
‘No time for false comfort’ as Truss meets with Nato counterparts over Ukraine
There is “no time for false comfort” over a dampening in the Russian offensive in Ukraine, foreign Secretary Liz Truss said as she is expected to push the coalition to keep up pressure on Moscow.
Ms Truss said that the new UK sanctions were announced on Wednesday against Russian banks and oligarchs were among the toughest yet.
Ministers from Nato countries are set to meet in Brussels on Thursday, followed by a press conference with Mr Stoltenberg.
Geraldine Scott has the full report here:
Arpan Rai7 April 2022 05:59
Lone Ukrainian tank filmed taking on Russian armoured convoy
A lone Ukrainian tank was captured ambushing several Russian armoured vehicles less than 50 miles from Kyiv in a dramatic drone footage.
Seen manoeuvring into position between buildings and firing on the Russian vehicles, the T-64 tank manages to set one of the Russian vehicles alight, which quickly prompted return fire from Vladimir Putin’s troops.
Holly Bancroft has the full report here:
Arpan Rai7 April 2022 05:29
US Senate to consider legislation on ending trade relations with Russia
A legislation on ending normal trade relations with Russia and to ban its oil imports is up for discussion in the US Senate on Thursday.
If cleared, the trade suspension measures will allow Joe Biden to charge higher tariffs on Russian imports.
The bill seeking a ban on Russian oil would make way for restrictions Mr Biden has already rolled out via executive action.
Russian president Vladimir Putin should be held accountable for war crimes against Ukraine, senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said.
Arpan Rai7 April 2022 05:22
Mariupol counts its dead, officials say more than 5,000 killed
The number of civilians dead in Ukraine’s Mariupol could be higher than 5,000, the mayor of the city suffering under a brutal Russian siege said on Wednesday.
Mayor Vadym Boichenko said that out of more than 5,000 civilians killed during weeks of Russian attacks including street fighting, at least 210 were children.
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Policemen work to identify civilians who were killed during the Russian occupation in Bucha, Ukraine, on the outskirts of Kyiv, before sending the bodies to the morgue, Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Russian forces bombed hospitals, including one where 50 people burned to death, Mr Boichenko said.
Arpan Rai7 April 2022 04:19
Russia should be kicked out of G20 – US official
Russia should be expelled from the Group of 20 forum of major economies and if Russian officials show up to the platform, the United States will boycott “a number of G20 meetings”, US treasury secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday.
“President Biden’s made it clear, and I certainly agree with him, that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in any of the financial institutions,” Ms Yellen said.
“He’s asked that Russia be removed from the G20, and I’ve made clear to my colleagues in Indonesia that we will not be participating in a number of meetings if the Russians are there,” the top US official said.
The G20 coalition has been a key international platform since 2008 to discuss global issues such as international trade, cross-border debt and, more recently, Covid-19. The club includes countries such as China, India and Saudi Arabia that have refused to directly or indirectly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The US treasury secretary acknowledged that it was unlikely that Russia could be expelled from the International Monetary Fund given its rules.
Arpan Rai7 April 2022 04:03
Blinken says Ukraine will win: “Won’t subjugate themselves to Putin’s will’
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said that Ukraine will ultimately win against Russia’s military invasion but will suffer “tremendous death and destruction”.
On being asked if Ukraine will win, Mr Blinken said: “So ultimately, yes, because what is success, what is victory? It’s holding on to the sovereignty and independence of their country. And there is no scenario by which over time that will not happen.”
However, he added that “it may take time”.
“…and in the meantime, [there will be] tremendous death and destruction. But what is so powerful here is that the Ukrainians have made it very clear that they will not subjugate themselves to Vladimir Putin’s will,” the top US official said.
Ukraine still has a lot of force still left, Mr Blinken said, adding that the country’s citizens “have something else that’s ultimately stronger, and that is a fierce determination and will to defend their country with the support of many countries around the world.”
Arpan Rai7 April 2022 03:50
FBI hijacks Russia’s cyber network
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has hijacked thousands of routers and firewalls from Russian military hackers, US officials said.
This was an unusual operation and a pre-emptive move to stop Russian hackers from “mobilising the compromised devices into a ‘botnet’ – a network of hacked computers that can bombard other servers with rogue traffic.”
“Fortunately, we were able to disrupt this botnet before it could be used,” US attorney general Merrick Garland said.
Arpan Rai7 April 2022 03:49
New sanctions against Russia hardly commensurate with evil in Bucha – Zelensky
Pushing for more pressure on Russia economically, Volodymyr Zelensky said that the fresh slew of sanctions against Russia carry a “spectacular look” but are still not enough.
“Today, western countries announced a new package of sanctions against the Russian federation. New investments in Russia are blocked. Restrictions are applied against several systemic banks in Russia. Personal sanctions are added, as well as other restrictions,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address posted on social media.
This package of sanctions looks impressive, he said. “Still it can hardly be commensurate with the evil that the world saw in Bucha. With the evil that continues in Mariupol, in the shelling of Kharkiv, in Russia’s attempt to launch a new global bloody offensive in Donbas,” the wartime president said.
Calling for more punishments for Moscow, Mr Zelensky said: “We will continue to insist on a complete blockafe of the Russian banking ststem from international finance. We will also continue to insist on one or another format of the democratic world’s refusal to buy Russian oil.”
The social media post accompanying Mr Zelensky’s nightly address read: “If there is no really painful package of sanctions against Russia and if there is no supply of weapons we really need and have applied for many times, it will be considered by Russia as a permission. A permission to go further. A permission to attack. A permission to start a new bloody wave in Donbas.”
Arpan Rai7 April 2022 03:48
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