Tag: Russia

Desperate And Reprehensible: US condemns Attacks On Kyiv

By LokMarg

The United States on Monday condemned early morning drone strikes on Kyiv as it rebuked Russia for “reprehensible” attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

“More desperate and reprehensible Russian attacks this morning against civilians and civilian infrastructure. We admire the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people. We will stand with you for as long as it takes,” the US embassy in Ukraine tweeted.
Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv was rocked by multiple explosions early on Monday in an attack by “Kamikaze” drones, according to a Ukrainian official. Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office of Ukraine, said kamikaze drones targeted the city.

“The Russians think it will help them, but these actions look like desperation,” Yermak said in a statement, blaming Russia for the attack, CNN reported.

Several residential buildings were damaged in the attack. In a Telegram message, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the “drone attack” caused a “fire in a non-residential building.”

Kyiv says Moscow has used Iranian-supplied drones in the strikes against major Ukrainian cities in recent weeks and pleaded with Western countries to step up their assistance in the face of the new challenge, CNN reported.

On Monday, at least three explosions were heard in Kyiv at around 6.45 am (local time). One of the blasts was in the Shevchenkivskyi district in the center of the Ukrainian capital. In order to tackle the situation, emergency services have been sent on-site.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has only escalated after a truck recently exploded on the Crimea road bridge, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire. Three people were killed in the blast, which also led to the partial collapse of two spans of the road bridge.

The Crimean Bridge was opened in 2018 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, four years after Moscow annexed Crimea, and was designed to link the peninsula to Russia’s transport network.

The 19-kilometer bridge, which runs across the Kerch Strait and connects Crimea with mainland Russia, consists of a railway and vehicle sections. It became fully operational in 2020.

Earlier, the transport ministry had said the bridge, which consists of two parallel routes for automobiles and trains, will possibly open to trains by 8 pm Moscow time (1700 GMT) on Saturday. (ANI)

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Kashmir At UNGA Vote On Russia

India Slams Pak’s Remarks On Kashmir At UNGA Vote On Russia

By LokMarg

India on Wednesday gave a befitting response to Pakistan after it raked up the Kashmir issue during the United Nations General Assembly debate on Russia.

In his explanation of the vote at the UNGA concerning the Russia-Ukraine war, Pakistani diplomat Munir Akram brought up the issue of Kashmir, in an attempt to draw parallels between the two situations.
In a strongly worded response, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj said, “We have witnessed, unsurprisingly, yet again, an attempt by one delegation to misuse this forum and make frivolous and pointless remarks against my country.”

The Indian diplomat said such a statement deserves collective contempt from a mindset that repeatedly utters falsehoods.

To set the record straight, Kamboj said, “entire territory of Jammu and Kashmir is and will always be an integral part of India… We call on Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism so our citizens can enjoy their right to life and liberty.”

Earlier, the UNGA adopted a resolution condemning the Russian annexation of the four Ukrainian regions. 143 members voted in favor of the resolution while five voted against it. A total of 35 countries abstained from the resolution, including India.

After abstaining on the UNGA resolution condemning Russia, India on Wednesday expressed deep concern at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including the targeting of civilian infrastructure and deaths of civilians.

The latest resolution, which comes after Russia vetoed a similar proposal in Security Council, condemns Russia’s “attempted illegal annexations” of the four Ukrainian regions following “so-called referendums”.

Delivering her explanation of the vote before the member states, ambassador Kamboj said India has consistently advocated that no solution can be reached at human cost and escalation of hostilities is in no one’s interest.

“We have urged that all efforts be made for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an urgent return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy,” she said. (ANI)

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ICC Issues Arrest Warrant Against Putin Over Alleged War Crimes In Ukraine

Russia won’t Sell Oil At Lower Price: Putin

By LokMarg

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced that Moscow would not sell oil at a lower price cap after the Group of Seven (G7) pledged to put a cap on the price of Russian oil sold across the world.

Speaking at the Russian Energy Week 2022 event at the Russia state-affiliated media – RT, Putin said, “I have to say that Russia will not act against our own benefit, we will not act to decrease our standing by providing oil or gas at lower prices. No, we will not succumb to this. We will not play by the rules others set and will not act to our detriment.”
Western countries are stepping up efforts to strip Russia of its largest source of income ‘oil’.

As the war in Ukraine nears its eighth month with no resolution in sight, the West suspects the Kremlin is bankrolling the invasion with its profits from the continued sale of fossil fuels, which make up over 40 per cent of its budget, reported Euronews.

The cap by G7 would prevent Russian cargoes from selling oil that exceeds the still-undefined G7 limit. As a result, Russia would be deprived of a significant portion of the oil revenues that it would otherwise earn without the cap.

According to Russia’s central bank, crude oil exports accounted for Euro113 billion in 2021, on top of the Euro70 billion earned from refined products, such as gasoline and diesel, reported Euronews.

Recently, Saudi Arabia and Russia, acting as leaders of the OPEC Plus energy cartel, agreed to their first large production cut in more than two years in a bid to raise prices, countering efforts by the United States and Europe to choke off the enormous revenue that Moscow reaps from the sale of crude.

President Biden and European leaders have urged more oil production to ease gasoline prices and punish Moscow for its aggression in Ukraine. Putin has been accused of using energy as a weapon against countries opposing its invasion of Ukraine, and the optics of the decision could not be missed, reported The New York Times.

The White House was not happy. “The president is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC Plus to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council, and Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said in a statement.

The cut of two million barrels a day represents about 2 percent of global oil production.

By reducing output, OPEC Plus was also seeking to make a statement to energy markets about the group’s cohesion during the Ukraine war and its willingness to act quickly to defend prices, analysts say.

Out of all sanctions imposed by the bloc, this gradual ban on Russian oil is arguably the most radical decision owing to its potentially disruptive impact on the economies of both Russia and Europe. It was also subject to fraught negotiations between EU countries, reported Euronews.

The West now plans to go beyond national embargoes.

An international price cap “will help deliver a major blow for Russian finances and will both hinder Russia’s ability to fight its unprovoked war in Ukraine and hasten the deterioration of the Russian economy,” said US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

But analysts warn the G7 initiative is untested and ridden with risks and unknowns, many of which escape Western control. A botched implementation, they say, could reverberate on a global scale. (ANI)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin

Putin Threatens Harsh Reprisals After Crimea Bridge Attack

By LokMarg

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday warned of “harsh” reprisals after the Crimea bridge attack on Saturday.

In a television appearance Monday, Putin said Russia had struck military and infrastructure targets across Ukraine following the Crimea bridge blast.
Putin threatened further “harsh” responses that correspond “to the level of threat to the Russian Federation, have no doubt about it,” while accusing Kyiv of “terrorism.”

In what appears to be the heaviest wave of missile and rocket attacks since the opening week of the war, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were rocked by deadly Russian strikes on Monday.

Officials said they targeted critical energy infrastructure and several regions of Ukraine are now suffering power outages.

The Kremlin said today that a huge missile salvo across Ukraine launched by its forces was within the framework of what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the Kerch bridge, a key link between the Russian mainland and Crimea.

Eleven sites of critical infrastructure have been struck in Kyiv and eight other regions of Ukraine, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Some of the regions are experiencing blackouts,” Shmyhal said. “We must be ready for temporary disruptions with power connections and water supply.”

A senior Ukrainian military official has said “generations of Russians will answer” for a wave of explosions that struck multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday.

“The Russians are shameful losers. Did you intend to scare us?” Andrii Yermak, head of President Zelenskyy’s office, said of the attacks.

“There will be a harsh response to every hit. You will be held responsible for every death and suffering. And not only you. Entire generations of Russians will answer,” Yermak said on Telegram.

“We will continue to destroy everyone who comes to Ukraine with weapons. These hits make us even angrier. These hits will only speed up our progress.

“We are not afraid. We are only getting angrier and more accurate,” Yermak added.

Powerful explosions rang across Kyiv on Monday morning, leaving multiple people dead. At the same time, regional authorities also reported missile and rocket attacks in Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk, partly aimed at critical civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the missile strikes targeted Ukraine’s energy facilities and its people.

“They have especially chosen the time and the targets to create the most damage,” he said while standing outside his office in the center of Kyiv.

Moscow wanted to destroy Ukraine’s “energy system,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the Ukrainians shot down 38 incoming projectiles. He urged people to stay in shelters on Monday.

Further south, a Ukrainian official also confirmed that Russian missiles are targeting power infrastructure in the Mykolaiv region.

“They are hitting the infrastructure, trying to leave us without electricity,” Vitalii Kim, head of the Mykolaiv regional military administration, said on Telegram.

After reports of Russian missile attacks across Ukraine on Monday morning, Kyiv’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will not break Ukraine down.”

“Putin’s only tactic is a terror on peaceful Ukrainian cities, but he will not break Ukraine down. This is also his response to all appeasers who want to talk with him about peace: Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles,” Kuleba tweeted.

Amid multiple explosions in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities early Monday, Zelenskyy said Russia was trying to annihilate Ukraine.

The series of Russian missiles launched at Ukraine on Monday morning was aimed at “critical infrastructure to destroy the country’s energy supply,” according to a Ukrainian government official.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, also warned Ukrainians to be prepared for blackouts.

“Power facilities from Lviv to Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv to Khmelnytskyi region, Dnipro and Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Sumy region, Kharkiv region, Zhytomyr region, Kirovohrad, and the entire south are targeted,” Tymoshenko said on Telegram.

“This may affect the stability of the energy supply, so we need to be prepared for the consequences of such shelling, up to rolling blackouts,” he added.

The Ukrainian State Emergency Service said there is no electricity supply in five regions — Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Ternopil — and power supply has been partially disrupted in the rest of the country.

Meanwhile, the G7 group of nations will hold an emergency meeting via video conference on Tuesday, the office of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed to CNN. Scholz is the current G7 president under its rotating leadership.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he would address the meeting. “My speech is scheduled, in which I’ll tell about the terrorist attacks by [the Russian Federation], he said on Twitter.

The G7 consists of the seven leaders from some of the world’s largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Russia was indefinitely suspended from the group — then the G8 — in 2014 after its illegal annexation of Crimea.

At least 10 people have died and 60 are injured in Ukraine after a wave of Russian attacks across the country on Monday morning, police spokesperson Maryana Reva said in an interview on Ukrainian TV.

Multiple European political figures roundly condemned Russia’s spate of attacks on Ukrainian cities on Monday.

“Deeply shocked by Russia’s attacks on civilians in #Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine. Such acts have no place in (the) 21st century. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms,” the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell said. “We stand with Ukraine. Additional military support from the EU is on its way,” Borrell tweeted Monday.

“Again, Putin is massively terrorizing innocent civilians in Kyiv and other cities in [Ukraine]. (The Netherlands) condemns these heinous acts. Putin does not seem to understand that the will of the Ukrainian people is unbreakable. Ukraine remains determined, and we continue to support Ukraine,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted.

Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tweeted that the “bombardment of Kyiv and of civilian targets in many other cities is a reprehensible act by Russia. It is an unacceptable escalation of violence that strengthens Belgium’s resolve in supporting the people of Ukraine and their brave fight for a free and sovereign nation.”

“Shocking images are coming once again from Ukraine this morning! I strongly condemn Russian missile attacks against civilian targets and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. The only intention behind these attacks is to terrorize the civilian population. Stay strong Ukrainians!” tweeted Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger tweeted that he condemns “today’s cowardly attacks of Russian forces on #civilians and civilian infrastructure in #Ukraine.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna also tweeted to condemn the attacks. “I condemn in the strongest terms today’s indiscriminate Russian strikes against Ukrainian cities. Intentionally targeting civilian populations is a war crime,” she said.

And Italy also reiterated its “unwavering and steadfast support for Ukraine, its people, and its resilience.”

The Italian foreign ministry said it was “horrified by the cowardly missile attacks which hit the center of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.” (ANI)

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Russia Appoints New General To Command Forces In Ukraine War

By LokMarg

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu on Saturday appointed Army General Sergey Surovikin to command the joint group of forces involved in the Ukraine war.

“Army General Sergey Surovikin has been appointed to command the joint group of forces in the area of the special military operation in Ukraine based on the Russian defense minister’s decision,” reported TASS quoting Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashekov telling reporters.

He earlier served as Commander of Russia’s Eastern Military District and led Russian troops in Syria, reported TASS.

Notably, Russia recently annexed four regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

The war between Russia and Ukraine appears to be entering a new phase after Kyiv dealt a big blow to Moscow’s grip after it recaptured 2,400 square kilometers of territory in the Kherson region in the south of the country “since the beginning of the full-scale war,” a senior Ukrainian official said Friday, reported CNN.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president’s office said six settlements had been liberated in the Kherson district as well as 61 in the Beryslav district.

Tymoshenko said the evacuation of civilians continued amid massive destruction to critical infrastructure in towns like Arkhanhelske, Vysokopillia, and Osokorivka, all of which saw weeks of heavy fighting and indirect fire. Demining is in progress, he added.

Ukrainian forces have been making steady progress in Kherson since beginning an offensive at the end of last month, and their successes have sparked rare criticism of Moscow’s war effort among pro-Russian figures.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his forces’ counteroffensive in his evening address on Tuesday. “The Ukrainian army is making a rather fast and powerful advance in the south of our country in the course of the ongoing defensive operation,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address.

“Our warriors do not stop. And it is only a matter of time before we will expel the occupier from all our land.” (ANI)

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Key Bridge Between Russia and Crimea

Key Bridge Between Russia and Crimea Hit By Car Bomb

By LokMarg

A key bridge that connects the Crimean Peninsula with mainland Russia was gutted in a fire sparked by a car bomb, authorities in Moscow said on Saturday.

Russia’s RIA state news agency said that a fuel tank was on fire on the Kerch Bridge, while Ukraine media reported an explosion. Visuals from the bridge showed some carriages of a train on the Kerch bridge in Crimea being engulfed in a fire.

Traffic has been suspended on the road-and-rail bridge.

“An object believed to be a fuel storage tank has caught fire on the Crimean Bridge, but the viaduct’s navigable arches sustained no damage, an aide to the head of Crimea, Oleg Kryuchkov, said as cited by the Russian news agency TASS.

Meanwhile, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee of Russia said on Saturday that the bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula with mainland Russia was damaged in a blast, which occurred shortly after 6 am local time, causing a partial collapse of the road on the vehicle section. It also triggered a blaze on a freight train on the parallel rail section, with seven fuel tanks catching fire, according to RT.

A ferry service across the Kerch Strait will be launched later today, Crimea’s Head Sergey Aksyonov said TASS reported.

The bridge was opened in 2018 by President Vladimir Putin, four years after Moscow annexed Crimea, and was designed to link the peninsula to Russia’s transport network.

The 19-kilometer (11.8 miles) bridge, which runs across the Kerch Strait and connects Crimea with mainland Russia, consists of a railway and vehicle sections. It became fully operational in 2020.

As per some media reports, the Crimean bridge is a key target for Ukrainian forces who have been attacking Russian logistics.

Notably, Russia recently annexed four regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

The war between Russia and Ukraine appears to be entering a new phase after Kyiv dealt a big blow to Moscow’s grip after it recaptured 2,400 square kilometers of territory in the Kherson region in the south of the country “since the beginning of the full-scale war,” a senior Ukrainian official said Friday, reported CNN.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president’s office said six settlements had been liberated in the Kherson district as well as 61 in the Beryslav district.

Tymoshenko said the evacuation of civilians continued amid massive destruction to critical infrastructure in towns like Arkhanhelske, Vysokopillia, and Osokorivka, all of which saw weeks of heavy fighting and indirect fire. Demining is in progress, he added.

Ukrainian forces have been making steady progress in Kherson since beginning an offensive at the end of last month, and their successes have sparked rare criticism of Moscow’s war effort among pro-Russian figures.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his forces’ counteroffensive in his evening address on Tuesday.

“The Ukrainian army is making a rather fast and powerful advance in the south of our country in the course of the ongoing defensive operation,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address.

“Our warriors do not stop. And it is only a matter of time before we will expel the occupier from all our land.” (ANI)

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Participation In Ukraine Grain Deal

Putin Hails Citizens In Annexed Ukraine Territories For Siding With Russia

By LokMarg

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the millions of ordinary citizens, whose culture has been “destroyed”, carried the “love for their historical homeland in their hearts” and in the heat of the battle, “heroically” came to the referendum and made their choice to be with Russia.

Putin made the remarks at the “People’s Choice: Together Forever” concert rally from Red Square which was organized on Friday, the same day when Putin formally announced the annexation of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Lugansk.

The Russian President took part in the rally in support of the accession of the DPR, LPR, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to Russia. He called the day a “special, momentous and, without exaggeration, historic day, a day of truth and justice.”

Speaking in retrospect, Putin said that he cannot help but go back to the time when the Soviet Union was formed and when Russia was creating “modern Ukraine.”

“It was Russia that created modern Ukraine, giving it significant swathes of land, historical lands of Russia, along with the people, who no one asked about where and how they want to live, how they see the future of their children, and in which country. The same thing happened when the Soviet Union broke apart. The elites decided everything among themselves, and no one asked millions of ordinary citizens anything,” he said as per the Kremlin press release.

He asserted that only now, only “modern Russia” has given the residents of the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Donetsk People’s Republic, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson the “right to choose.”

Putin that even though shelling was going on in Lugansk they remained in the line to the polling station to defend their choice. “The elections were going on in Lugansk, and people were standing in line in the street waiting to get into the polling station. The artillery shelling began. A shell landed nearby, not far away, but no one left the line to the polling station. Amazing!”

For decades, he pointed out, “they have been trying to eradicate historical consciousness from these people, to destroy their traditions, to forbid them from speaking their native language, and to ban culture – nothing of that came to pass.”

“These people carried the love for their historical homeland in their hearts and passed it along to their children. That is why we are saying that Russia is not just opening the doors of its native home to our brothers and sisters; it is opening its heart to them. Welcome home!”

Putin gave the credit of Friday’s “triumph” to heroic “soldiers and officers, Donbass militia and volunteers.”

“You and I are here today on Red Square, but they are not here at the parade. They are in the heat of the battle, heroically defending the choice that the people made several days ago. I know what I am talking about. Heroically is the word.”

As a sign of support and gratitude, and in recognition of their “service, their heroism and self-sacrifice”, Putin proposed sending from Red Square, a signal of his “support, respect and admiration for their sacrifice and heroism” and gave them a triple “Hurrah.”

Take a deep breath and go at my command on the count of three, Putin said, “One, two, three, go: Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!”

Calling the people of the regions “brothers and sisters” Putin assured that Russia “will do everything it can” to ensure security and to improve safety in these territories for these people.

“We will do everything to revive the economy, to rebuild infrastructure, to build new schools and other educational institutions, hospitals and outpatient clinics. We are now stronger because we are together. The truth is on our side, and the truth means strength, which means victory. Victory will be ours!”

After Putin’s formal announcement of annexation of the said four regions, western leaders condemned it, termed it “illegal” and vowed that they will “never recognize” these areas. (ANI)

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There Are Four New Regions Of Russia: Putin

By LokMarg

In a big move, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday formally announced the annexation of four regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia and claimed that “this is the will of millions of people,” media reports said.

“There are four new regions of Russia,” Putin said in a lengthy speech declaring the annexation of Ukrainian territories in the St George’s Hall at a Kremlin ceremony. The speech was filled with highly critical rhetoric about Ukraine and its Western allies, reported Al Jazeera.
Putin said the residents in the four annexed regions will now be Russia’s “citizens forever”.

While denying seeking revival of the Soviet Union by the said annexation, Putin accused Western states – which have imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Moreover, in a strong statement, Putin also added that Russia would now defend its new territory “with all the means at its disposal.”

Defending its decision to go ahead with the referendum and announce the annexation of the region, the Russian President argued it was the “integral right” of people in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia to join Russia, reported Al Jazeera.

Speaking further, Putin claimed that the people in eastern Ukraine made up of Donetsk and Luhansk – had been “victims of inhumane terrorist attacks conducted by the Kyiv regime”.

He also called the result of the referendum “the will of millions of people.”

In a major move by Russia, President Vladimir Putin had signed a decree recognizing the so-called “independence” of the Ukrainian regions Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Moreover, the UN Security Council is set to vote Friday on a resolution that would seek to condemn Russia for its referenda in four regions under Russian control but claimed by Ukraine, media reports said.

The US-sponsored resolution would call on all countries not to recognize the change in the status of the four regions, CNN reported. The resolution, which is also backed by Albania, would reaffirm the UN commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said any annexation of a state’s territory by another state resulting from a “threat or use of force” is a violation of the UN charter and international law.

“In this moment of peril, I must underscore my duty as Secretary-General to uphold the @UNCharter. The charter is clear. Any annexation of a state’s territory by another state resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the Principles of the Charter & international law,” Guterres tweeted.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of the annexation of Ukrainian territories and called it illegal under international law, media reports said. Describing Russia’s move as an act of ‘land grab’, the top US diplomat said that the US will never recognize the annexation by Moscow.

“The Kremlin’s sham referenda are a futile effort to mask what amounts to a further attempt at a land grab in Ukraine,” Blinken said in a statement. (ANI)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin

Putin Signs Independence Decree Of Zaporizhia, Kherson

By LokMarg

In a major move by Russia, President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree recognizing the so-called “independence” of the Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, media reports said.

The decree will be followed by Russia formally proclaiming the annexation of Ukrainian territory by hosting a ceremony in Moscow, reported Al Jazeera. “I order the recognition of the state sovereignty and independence” of Zaporizhia and Kherson in southern Ukraine, reported Al Jazeera citing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The two regions are set to be incorporated into Russia along with the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk at a ceremony in the Kremlin on Friday. This comes after, as the West calls it, a sham referendum.”

In the referendum in the Russian-occupied regions, Russia said that it has received a majority in its favour. Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in the month of February and soon after recognised the ‘independence’ of Donetsk and Luhansk in the same month.

Moreover, the UN Security Council is set to vote Friday on a resolution that would seek to condemn Russia for its referenda in four regions under Russian control but claimed by Ukraine, media reports said.

The US-sponsored resolution would call on all countries not to recognise the change in the status of the four regions, CNN reported. The resolution, which is also backed by Albania, would reaffirm the UN commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said any annexation of a state’s territory by another state resulting from a “threat or use of force” is a violation of the UN charter and international law.

“In this moment of peril, I must underscore my duty as Secretary-General to uphold the @UNCharter. The charter is clear. Any annexation of a state’s territory by another state resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the Principles of the Charter & international law,” Guterres tweeted.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of the annexation of Ukrainian territories and called it illegal under international laws, media reports said. Describing Russia’s move as an act of ‘land grab’, the top US diplomat said that the US will never recognise the annexation by Moscow.

“The Kremlin’s sham referenda are a futile effort to mask what amounts to a further attempt at a land grab in Ukraine,” Blinken said in a statement.

Earlier, Kremlin said that Russia will hold a signing ceremony on Friday to incorporate the annexed four occupied regions of Ukraine.

“Tomorrow in the Georgian Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace at 15:00 [1200 GMT] a signing ceremony will take place on the incorporation of the new territories into Russia,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. (ANI)

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Russia Annex

Russia To Formally Annex Four Ukraine Regions Tomorrow

By LokMarg

Russia will hold a signing ceremony on Friday to incorporate the annexed four occupied regions of Ukraine at Kremlin, Moscow’s President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“Tomorrow in the Georgian Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace at 15:00 [1200 GMT] a signing ceremony will take place on the incorporation of the new territories into Russia,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
He further added that Putin will make a speech at this event.

The referendum by the Russian authorities on the annexation of occupied territories of Ukraine was largely seen as a “sham referendum” and has been widely criticised by various countries.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany will never accept the results of “sham” referendums on joining Russia in occupied regions of Ukraine.

According to Al Jazeera, Scholz made these remarks in conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Scholz reaffirmed Germany’s stance saying that the country’s support to Ukraine remains unwavering.

Meanwhile, Canada also said that they will not recognize Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. “Canada does not and will not ever recognize the results of these sham referendums or Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.

Serbia, too, will not recognize the results of referendums held in four regions of Ukraine partly occupied by Russian forces, President Aleksandar Vucic has said, as per the portal.

“Serbia … will not recognize that [referendums] as it adheres to international law, the United Nations Charter and UN resolutions,” Vucic said as quoted by Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, Russia’s President Putin signed a decree on Thursday authorizing the government to ban some Western trucks from crossing Russian territory.

The ban, which applies to vehicles carrying goods, comes into force immediately and applies to countries with similar restrictions against Russia due to their invasion of Ukraine, according to Al Jazeera.

Looking at the escalation on the Russian side in Ukraine, European Commission on Wednesday proposed a new package of sanctions against Russia which includes a “new listing of individuals and entities as well as new trade bans on Russian products depriving the country’s economy of 7 billion euros in revenues.”

The announcement of fresh sanctions was done at a press conference by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “Russia has escalated the invasion of Ukraine to a new level and we are determined to make the Kremlin pay the price for this further escalation,” she tweeted and mentioned sanctioning “more products that can’t be exported to Russia, in particular key technologies needed for its war machine.”

Proposing a new package of “biting sanctions” against Russia, von der Leyen said that Russia should not benefit from European brainpower and expertise. EU Commission proposed “additional bans on providing European services” that include “prohibition for EU nationals to sit on governing bodies of Russian state-owned companies.”

Furthermore, she said that there must be a legal basis for an oil price cap. “Some developing countries still need some Russian oil supplies, at low prices. This cap will help reduce Russia’s revenues and keep global energy markets stable.”

“We are stepping up our efforts to crackdown on circumvention of sanctions. Therefore, we are adding a new category to be able to list individuals if they circumvent our sanctions. This will have a major deterring effect,” she tweeted. (ANI)

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