- Moscow will confiscate EU assets if Brussels ‘steals’ frozen Russian funds, Putin ally says Reuters.com
- Russian parliament speaker threatens to confiscate European assets in Russia Yahoo News
- Moscow to retaliate in kind if EU uses profits from frozen Russia assets: Putin ally POLITICO Europe
- Moscow Will Confiscate EU Assets If Brussels ‘Steals’ Frozen Russian Funds, Putin Ally Threatens Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
- EU leaders endorse plan to use frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine, but fight not over Yahoo News
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Tag Archives: Brussels
Brussels urged to rein in Ukraine’s ‘unrealistic’ EU hopes
EU member states have warned Brussels against giving Ukraine an unrealistic expectation of rapidly joining the bloc, ahead of a summit in Kyiv where Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing for progress on accession and reconstruction.
Zelenskyy is due to host his EU counterparts Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel this week, where he is expected to lobby for the country’s EU membership, the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction and a legal mechanism to prosecute Russians for war crimes.
Senior diplomats from EU capitals are concerned that unfeasible Ukrainian expectations — including EU accession by 2026 — have been encouraged rather than tempered by Brussels’ top officials.
“No political leader wants to be on the wrong side of history . . . Nobody wants to be blamed for not doing enough,” said one senior EU diplomat. “So they tell them it’s all possible.”
In response to Russia’s invasion last February, the EU scrambled to support Ukraine through military, humanitarian and financial packages, including sanctions against Russia that have hit the bloc’s own economies. The EU also took the unprecedented step of making Ukraine an official membership candidate, despite it falling short of the standard requirements.
But while some central and eastern European member states have championed Ukraine’s demands, other northern and western capitals worry about how its large, poor population and vast agricultural sector could be integrated with the EU.
France’s president Emmanuel Macron has been notably cautious about the speed of Ukraine’s accession, warning in May, before the country was formally made a candidate, that the process could take “several decades”.
The EU’s leadership has struck an optimistic tone. European Commission president von der Leyen said on a visit to Kyiv in September that the “accession process is well on track”. “It’s impressive to see the speed, the determination, the preciseness with which you are progressing,” she added.
European Council president Michel said this month that “no effort” should be spared to “turn this promise into a reality as fast as we can”. “Ukraine is the EU and the EU is Ukraine,” he told Ukraine’s parliament.
That rhetoric has created expectations in Kyiv that it deserves special privileges and a rapid entry into the bloc. Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal has said he envisages a two-year timetable.
“There is not going to be a fast-track path for Ukraine’s EU membership,” said a second EU diplomat. “There is a risk that rhetoric clashes with reality.”
Multiple member state officials told the Financial Times the commission needed to make clear to Ukraine that there were huge hurdles ahead of beginning formal accession negotiations, which themselves can take a decade or more.
“That gap [between promises and reality] has been growing for some time. And we are getting to the point where it’s too wide,” said a third EU diplomat. “They appear to believe that they can just become a member tomorrow. And that’s obviously not the case.”
Von der Leyen and other commissioners will meet Ukrainian government officials as part of the trip, with the commission president and Michel, who represents the 27 member states, due to hold a summit with Zelenskyy on Friday.
“We have all noted the reform momentum that is ongoing in Ukraine,” said one senior EU official ahead of the meetings, pointing for example to work on the rule of law and anti-corruption efforts. The discussions in Kyiv will highlight the need for further reforms, while also touching on economic co-operation and reducing trade barriers with the EU.
Michel and von der Leyen have also been prominent in calling for member states to explore ways to use the proceeds of Russian central bank assets frozen in European banks in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
“Von der Leyen and Michel might be outcompeting each other on who can show themselves to be more pro-Ukrainian,” said one of the EU diplomats.
The cost of reconstruction and recovery was estimated at nearly €350bn by Ukraine, Brussels and the World Bank last September, and the price tag has only mounted since then as weekly Russian missile and drone attacks have damaged critical infrastructure.
But those calls to deploy the assets have been made despite big questions within the commission itself over how feasible such a route would be.
Didier Reynders, the EU justice commissioner, told the FT this week that the idea of using Russian government assets was “a very complex issue”. “I would say not only on the legal side but also for the good functioning of the monetary system,” he said.
The EU is also divided over the format of a potential tribunal to investigate and seek to prosecute Russians for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Twitter reportedly disbands Brussels office, leading to compliance concern | Twitter
Twitter has disbanded its entire Brussels office, according to media reports, raising questions about the social media company’s compliance with new EU laws to control big tech.
Julia Mozer and Dario La Nasa, who were in charge of Twitter’s digital policy in Europe, left the company last week, the Financial Times reported.
The pair had survived an initial cull when Elon Musk laid off thousands of employees following his takeover last month. It is unclear whether Mozer and La Nasa were made redundant or chose to leave in response to Musk’s ultimatum to commit to working long “extremely hardcore” hours or quit.
Neither was it clear whether Twitter was closing its office in the European capital, one of the world’s largest centres of tech regulation.
Questions to Twitter’s press office went unanswered, while Moser and La Nasa did not immediately respond to messages.
In the first round of layoffs, Twitter sacked about half its 7,500 workforce, dissolving entire teams, including human rights, machine learning and algorithmic ethics. Among the thousands who lost their jobs was the head of the Brussels office, Stephen Turner. He tweeted on 14 November: “After 6 years I am officially retired from Twitter. From starting the office in Brussels to building an awesome team it has been an amazing ride.”
The collapse of the small Brussels team has raised questions about the company’s ability to enforce new rules intended to rein in the power of big tech and restrict hate speech. EU officials are said to have many contacts based in Dublin, where Twitter has its European headquarters, although that office has also faced 50% cuts. “I can confirm that we have active and ongoing contacts with Twitter (and other platforms) on different topics,” a European Commission spokesperson said.
Senior officials have expressed confidence that the departures at the Brussels office do not threaten Twitter’s ability to comply with key EU laws affecting large tech companies.
The news came as the commission revealed that Twitter – along with most other tech companies – had become slower in responding to hate speech reports. In 2016, large social media companies agreed to a code of conduct with the EU executive, pledging to assess most notifications of hate speech in less than 24 hours. In a seven-week period this year, Twitter assessed only 54% of notifications within 24 hours, as part of a general performance decline by most signatories to the code.
The company will also have to grapple with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, a landmark law intended to curb the dominance of large platforms that came into force this month.
Brussels stabbing attack kills officer, local police say
CNN
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A stabbing attack in Brussels which led to the death of least one police officer is “suspected to be terror-related,” authorities said on Thursday.
“It is suspected to be terror-related. It has naturally to be confirmed by the inquiry,” the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s spokesperson Eric Van Duyse told CNN.
The incident on Thursday night saw a police patrol attacked by a person with a knife. “Other policemen came as backup and use their guns to shoot the attacker as to control the person,” a spokesperson of the North Brussels police force told CNN by email.
“The injured were brought to the hospital. The first investigative duties are ongoing,” the spokesperson added.
The attacker was shot in the leg, said prosecutor’s spokesperson Eric Van Der Sypt.
The attack took place at around 7:30 p.m. local time at Rue d’Aerschot in the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek, according to Van Duyse.
Lawmakers sent their condolences to the family of the slain police officer following news of the attack.
Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo expressed his condolences, saying his thoughts go out to the family and friends of the deceased officer.
“Our police officers risk life and limb every day to keep our society safe. Unfortunately, that is once again apparent today,” he said in a tweet.
Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden described the incident as “terrible drama and heartbreaking news.”
“My thoughts are first and foremost with the next of kin, the members of the police zone, and the entire police organization,” she tweeted.
Brussels Mayor Philippe Close called it “unbearable drama” in Brussels.
“We stand in solidarity with the police forces. The police protect us and must be protected,” he said.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said she was “shocked” at the murder of the police officer in the line of duty.
“The Belgian Police have worked so closely with (European Parliament) over the years that this feels personal for us. All our thoughts are with them, their loved ones and everyone in Belgium,” she wrote on Twitter.
Belgium has seen several terror attacks in the last decade.
In 2017, ISIS claimed responsibility for a knife attack on soldiers in Brussels. The soldiers were slightly wounded in the incident, but one managed to shoot the attacker, who later died in the hospital.
In June of that year, a suspect was fatally shot at a Brussels transit station after a failed bombing that authorities called a terrorist attack. In March 2016, coordinated attacks at the Brussels airport and a metro station left 31 people dead and more than 300 injured.
Brussels stabbing attack kills officer, local police say
CNN
—
A stabbing attack in Brussels which led to the death of least one police officer is “suspected to be terror-related,” authorities said on Thursday.
“It is suspected to be terror-related. It has naturally to be confirmed by the inquiry,” the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s spokesperson Eric Van Duyse told CNN.
The incident on Thursday night saw a police patrol attacked by a person with a knife. “Other policemen came as backup and use their guns to shoot the attacker as to control the person,” a spokesperson of the North Brussels police force told CNN by email.
“The injured were brought to the hospital. The first investigative duties are ongoing,” the spokesperson added.
The attacker was shot in the leg, said prosecutor’s spokesperson Eric Van Der Sypt.
The attack took place at around 7:30 p.m. local time at Rue d’Aerschot in the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek, according to Van Duyse.
Lawmakers sent their condolences to the family of the slain police officer following news of the attack.
Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo expressed his condolences, saying his thoughts go out to the family and friends of the deceased officer.
“Our police officers risk life and limb every day to keep our society safe. Unfortunately, that is once again apparent today,” he said in a tweet.
Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden described the incident as “terrible drama and heartbreaking news.”
“My thoughts are first and foremost with the next of kin, the members of the police zone, and the entire police organization,” she tweeted.
Brussels Mayor Philippe Close called it “unbearable drama” in Brussels.
“We stand in solidarity with the police forces. The police protect us and must be protected,” he said.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said she was “shocked” at the murder of the police officer in the line of duty.
“The Belgian Police have worked so closely with (European Parliament) over the years that this feels personal for us. All our thoughts are with them, their loved ones and everyone in Belgium,” she wrote on Twitter.
Belgium has seen several terror attacks in the last decade.
In 2017, ISIS claimed responsibility for a knife attack on soldiers in Brussels. The soldiers were slightly wounded in the incident, but one managed to shoot the attacker, who later died in the hospital.
In June of that year, a suspect was fatally shot at a Brussels transit station after a failed bombing that authorities called a terrorist attack. In March 2016, coordinated attacks at the Brussels airport and a metro station left 31 people dead and more than 300 injured.
Ukraine expects EU-wide support for candidacy to join bloc
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian official overseeing the country’s push to join the European Union said Wednesday that she’s “100%” certain all 27 EU nations will approve Ukraine’s EU candidacy during a summit this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed similar optimism, calling it a “crucial moment” for Ukraine. Ukraine’s membership bid is the top order of business for EU leaders meeting in Brussels.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said the decision could come as soon as Thursday, when the leaders’ summit starts.
Stefanishyna said the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark had been skeptical about starting accession talks with Ukraine while it is fighting Russia’s invasion but are now supportive. Asked how confident she was that Ukraine would be accepted as an EU candidate, she said: “The day before the summit starts, I can say 100%.”
The EU’s executive arm threw its weight behind Ukraine’s candidacy last week. Stefanishyna described the European Commission’s endorsement as “a game-changer” that had taken the ground out from under “the legs of those most hesitating.”
EU candidate status, which can be granted only if the existing member countries agree unanimously, is the first step toward membership. It does not provide any security guarantees or an automatic right to join the bloc.
Ukraine’s full membership will depend on whether the war-torn country can satisfy political and economic conditions. Potential newcomers need to demonstrate that they meet standards on democratic principles and must absorb 80,000 pages of rules covering everything from trade and immigration to fertilizers and the rule of law.
Stefanishyna told the AP that she think Ukraine could be an EU member within years, not the decades that some European officials have forecast.
“We’re already very much integrated in the European Union,” she said. “We want to be a strong and competitive member state, so it may take from two to 10 years.”
To help candidates, the bloc can provide technical and financial assistance. European officials have said that Ukraine has already implemented about 70% of the EU rules, norms and standards, but have also pointed to corruption and the need for deep political and economic reforms.
In a virtual talk to Canadian university students on Wednesday, Zelenskyy described the Brussels summit as “two decisive days” that he, like Stefanishyna, thinks will result in approval of Ukraine’s EU candidacy.
“That is a very crucial moment for us, for some people in my team are saying this is like going into the light from the darkness,” the Ukrainian president said. “In terms of our army and society, this is a big motivator, a big motivational factor for the unity and victory of the Ukrainian people.”
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he spoke with Zelenskyy on Wednesday and guaranteed him that Belgium would support Ukraine’s candidate status.
“Considerable efforts will be needed, especially in the fight against corruption and the establishment of an effective rule of law,” De Cross said. “But I am convinced that it is precisely the (post-war) reconstruction of Ukraine that will provide opportunities to take important steps forward.”
In other developments:
— Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said a Ukrainian photojournalist and a soldier accompanying him appear to have been “coldly executed” during the first weeks of the war as they searched in Russian-occupied woods for a missing camera drone. The group sent investigators to the woods north of the capital, Kyiv, where the bodies of Maks Levin and serviceman Oleksiy Chernyshov were found April 1. The group said its team counted 14 bullet holes in the burned hulk of their car and found litter seemingly left by Russian soldiers.
— Russian forces have captured three villages in the heavily contested eastern region of Ukraine, a local official said. Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the villages are near Lysychansk, the last city in his province still fully under Ukrainian control. The Russians have also taken a strategic coal village, Toshkivka, enabling them to intensify attacks, Haidai said.
— The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Russian forces killed up to 500 Ukrainian servicemen in strikes Tuesday against a shipbuilding plant in Mykolaiv. The ministry also said Ukrainian forces evacuated up to 30 wounded and eight dead American and British fighters from near Mykolaivka, a town in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian officials have not confirmed those claims; instead, they reported more Russian shelling of Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv. Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk said in some battles, for every artillery shell Ukrainian forces fire, the Russian army fires at least six.
— Satellite images of Snake Island appear to show damage from a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-occupied island in the Black Sea. The Maxar Technologies images taken Tuesday show three new scorched areas that were not there four days earlier. Russia and Ukraine offer conflicting accounts of the attack. The Ukrainian military’s southern command said it inflicted “significant losses” on Russian troops in an attack using “various forces and methods of destruction,” while the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses successfully repelled the Ukrainian assault. Russian forces captured the small rocky island in the first days of the war and have used it to strengthen their control over the northwestern part of the sea.
— Russian officials said a drone strike caused a fire at an oil refinery in southwestern Russia on Wednesday. The blaze engulfed a piece of machinery at the Novoshakhtinsk plant in the Rostov-on-Don region. Authorities said dozens of firefighters quickly contained the fire and no one was hurt. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the strike.
— Turkey’s defense ministry said Wednesday that a Turkish ship was allowed to leave the Russian-occupied Azov Sea port of Mariupol following talks between Turkish and Russian defense ministry officials. A ministry statement said a Turkish freighter, Azov Concord, was the first foreign ship to be allowed to leave Mariupol. The ministry did not say what the freighter was carrying. The war has halted critical grain exports by sea. Turkish and Russian military delegations met in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss a possible deal for the shipment of Ukraine’s grain through the Black Sea.
— French armed forces conducted a surprise military exercise in Estonia, deploying more than 100 paratroopers in the Baltic country that neighbors Russia, the French defense ministry said Wednesday. The airborne operation, dubbed “Thunder Lynx,” enabled, at short notice, the dropping of about 100 French paratroopers “over an area secured by Estonian soldiers,” the statement said. The exercise in Estonia, a NATO member, was executed as an act of “strategic solidarity” during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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Sam Petrequin in Brussels, Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Renault says electric-hydrogen concept will have 497-mile range
Details of Renault’s Scénic Vision concept car were presented to the public on May 19, 2022. The firm’s idea of developing a passenger vehicle that uses hydrogen technology is not unique.
Benjamin Girette | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Renault has released details of an electric-hydrogen hybrid concept car, with the French automaker describing hydrogen technology as being “one of the options to make electric vehicles more convenient.”
The design for Renault’s Scenic Vision incorporates a hydrogen engine, electric motor, battery, fuel cell and a hydrogen tank. The 2.5 kilogram tank is located at the vehicle’s front and, Renault said, would take around five minutes to fill.
According to a document published on Thursday that outlined the concept, the Scenic Vision’s 40 kilowatt hour battery is recyclable and will be produced at a facility in France by 2024.
In a statement, Gilles Vidal, who is director of design at Renault, said the concept “prefigures the exterior design of the new Scénic 100% electric model for 2024.” The company said the electric-hydrogen powertrain was “part of a longer-term vision, beyond 2030.”
The broad idea is that the Scenic Vision’s hydrogen fuel cell would help extend the vehicle’s range during longer trips. “In 2030 and beyond, once the network of hydrogen stations is large enough, you will be able to drive up to 800 km [a little over 497 miles] … without stopping to charge the battery,” Renault said.
Described by the International Energy Agency as a “versatile energy carrier,” hydrogen has a diverse range of applications and can be deployed in a wide range of industries.
It can be produced in a number of ways. One method includes using electrolysis, with an electric current splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen.
If the electricity used in this process comes from a renewable source such as wind or solar then some call it green or renewable hydrogen.
It’s envisaged that Renault’s hybrid would use green hydrogen, although the vast majority of hydrogen generation is currently based on fossil fuels.
Renault’s electric-hydrogen concept illustrates how car companies are looking to find ways to develop low and zero emission offerings that can compete with the range of gasoline and diesel vehicles.
“Several systems to complement electric motors are being explored today to address the requirements associated with long-distance driving,” Renault said. “Hydrogen technology is one of the options to make electric vehicles more convenient.”
In the field of hydrogen mobility, the Renault Group has already set up a joint venture with Plug Power called Hyvia. Among other things, it is focused on hydrogen fuel cells in light commercial vehicles and the rollout of hydrogen charging facilities.
Renault’s idea of developing a passenger vehicle that uses hydrogen technology is not unique.
Toyota, for instance, started working on the development of fuel-cell vehicles — where hydrogen from a tank mixes with oxygen, producing electricity — back in 1992. In 2014, the Japanese business launched the Mirai, a hydrogen fuel cell sedan.
Other major companies like Hyundai and BMW are also looking at hydrogen, as well as smaller concerns such as U.K.-based Riversimple.
While the above companies are looking at the potential of hydrogen, some high-profile figures in the automotive sector are not so sure. In Feb. 2021, Herbert Diess, the CEO of Germany’s Volkswagen Group, weighed in on the subject. “It’s time for politicians to accept science,” he tweeted.
“Green hydrogen is needed for steel, chemical, aero … and should not end up in cars. Far too expensive, inefficient, slow and difficult to roll out and transport. After all: no #hydrogen cars in sight.”
Despite Thursday’s unveiling of the Scenic Vision concept, even Renault CEO Luca de Meo would appear to be cautious when it comes to talking about hydrogen’s prospects, according to comments published by Autocar.
Elsewhere, in Feb. 2020 Brussels-based campaign group Transport and Environment hammered home just how much competition hydrogen would face in the transportation sector.
T&E made the point that green hydrogen wouldn’t only have to “compete with grey and blue hydrogen,” which are produced using fossil fuels. “It will compete with petrol, diesel, marine fuel oil, kerosene and, of course, electricity,” T&E said.
“Wherever batteries are a practical solution — cars; vans; urban, regional and perhaps long-haul trucks; ferries — hydrogen will face an uphill struggle because of its lower efficiency and, as a result, much higher fuel costs.”
US, EU announce new partnership to undercut Russian energy
BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States and European Union on Friday announced a new partnership to reduce the continent’s reliance on Russian energy, a step top officials characterized as the start of a years-long initiative to further isolate Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. President Joe Biden asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin uses energy to “coerce and manipulate his neighbors” and uses the profits from its sale to “drive his war machine.”
Biden said the partnership he announced jointly with a top European Union official will turn that dynamic on its head by reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian energy sources, as well reducing the continent’s demand for gas overall.
The president said such a step is not “only the right thing to do from a moral standpoint” but “it’s going to put us on a stronger strategic footing.”
Under the plan, the U.S. and other nations will increase liquified natural gas exports to Europe by 15 billion cubic meters this year, though U.S. officials were unable to say exactly which countries will provide the extra energy this year. Even larger shipments would be delivered in the future. .
At the same time, they will try to keep their climate goals on track by powering gas infrastructure with clean energy and reducing methane leaks that can worsen global warming.
Although the initiative will likely require new facilities for importing liquified natural gas, the partnership is also geared toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels in the long run through energy efficiency and alternative sources of energy, according to the White House.
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU’s executive arm, said it is important for Europe to shift away from Russia and toward energy suppliers that are trustworthy, friendly and reliable.
“We aim to reduce this dependence on Russian fossil fuels and get rid of it,” she said.
Russian energy is a key source of income and political leverage for Moscow. Almost 40% of the European Union’s natural gas comes from Russia to heat homes, generate electricity and power industry.
Biden was leaving Brussels after the announcement and heading to Rzeszów in Poland, where U.S. troops are based roughly an hour’s drive from the Ukrainian border.
He will be briefed on the humanitarian response to the refugees streaming out of Ukraine and those still suffering inside the country. He also will meet with U.S. service members from the 82nd Airborne Division, who serve alongside Polish troops.
Biden is then expected to fly to Warsaw for talks Saturday with Polish President Andrzej Duda and an address to the Polish people before he departs for Washington.
While in Brussels, Biden participated in a trio of summits hosted by NATO, the Group of Seven industrialized nations and the European Union, all on Thursday. The extraordinary series of meetings reflects heightened concerns about the war in Ukraine, which has entered its second month.
Although Ukraine has resisted the Russian invasion much more successfully than initially expected, the conflict has become a grueling and bloody affair, with thousands of casualties on each side and millions of refugees fleeing the country.
Western leaders are also concerned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use chemical or even nuclear weapons to regain momentum in the war.
Getting more liquefied natural gas to Europe could be difficult, even though the U.S. has been dramatically increasing its exports in recent years. Many export facilities are already operating at capacity, and most new terminals are still only in the planning stages.
Most U.S. shipments already go to Europe, according to the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas, an industry lobbying group. Although much of the supply is already contracted out to buyers, there are still opportunities to shift its destination.
“The U.S. is in a unique position because it has flexible LNG that can be rerouted to Europe or to Asia, depending on who’s willing to pay that price,” said Emily McClain, gas markets analyst at Rystad.
Even if the U.S. can ship more gas to Europe, the continent may struggle to receive it. Import terminals are located in coastal areas, where there are fewer pipeline connections for distributing it.
And if all Europe’s facilities were operating at capacity, the amount of gas would likely be only about two-thirds of what Russia delivers through pipelines.
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Bussewitz reported from New York. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine
Support for Ukraine increases the chances of Russia wanting a ceasefire, says ex-NATO policy planner
The odds of Russia and Ukraine reaching a ceasefire depend on the balance of power between the two sides, according to Fabrice Pothier, former head of policy planning for NATO secretary generals.
“The more support we will provide to [Ukrainian] President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian forces, the more likely Russia is to call for a durable ceasefire because Russia will see that they are not prevailing at all on the military terrain,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Friday.
However, Moscow hasn’t reached that point yet, said Pothier, who is now CEO of political consultancy Rasmussen Global.
Russia is digging in its heels at the moment, he said. “Unless we are willing to double down in our support to Zelenskyy and in our sanctions, I don’t see why President Putin will stop where he is now,” said Pothier.
— Abigail Ng
Zelenskyy urges the EU to grant Ukraine membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seen on a screen as he delivers a speech in front of the Assembly of the European Parliament on March 1, 2022 in Brussels, Belgium.
Thierry Monasse | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the European Council to let his country into the bloc in a Thursday address.
“You and I are preparing Ukraine’s membership in the European Union. Finally. Here I ask you — do not be late. Please,” he said, according to a video posted on his official Telegram channel.
Earlier in the speech, Zelenskyy thanked the EU for its support in imposing sanctions on Russia, but said those measures came “a little late.”
He added that over the past month of fighting, the EU saw “who is worth what” and has seen that Ukraine should be allowed to join the group “in the near future.”
— Abigail Ng
Ukraine strikes ‘high value’ logistics targets
In this image from 2018, the Russian warship Orsk passes through Turkey’s Dardanelles Strait. Military vehicles and a large hoist are visible on deck.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The Ukrainian military has launched strikes against “high value targets in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine,” including ammunition depots and a landing ship, the U.K. Ministry of Defence said on Thursday evening.
In its latest intelligence update, the ministry said it expects Ukrainians to continue targeting logistics-related targets held by Russian invaders.
“This will force the Russian military to priortise the defence of their supply chain and deprive them of much needed resupply for forces,” the Defence Ministry said.
Ukrainian officials said on Thursday that they sank the Orsk, a large Russian amphibious vessel, off Berdyansk, Ukraine, earlier this week.
Russian military authorities had expected the Orsk to boost their logistics capabilities in the Berdyansk port, according to comments from an officer of the Russian Black Sea Fleet which were translated by NBC News.
Berdyansk is about 40 miles (64 km) west of the Black Sea city of Mariupol, which Russians are destroying with artillery.
A Russian embassy contacted for comment did not immediately respond to CNBC.
Moscow’s inability to adequately resupply its troops, combined with fierce Ukrainian resistance, have largely brought Russian advances to a halt in the month-old war.
— Ted Kemp
Humanitarian crisis grows for thousands trapped in Mariupol
People stand in a long queue during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a damaged store of wholesaler Metro in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine.
People stand in a long queue during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a damaged store of wholesaler Metro in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 24, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
People push carts after receiving humanitarian aid in a damaged store of wholesaler Metro in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 24, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
People stand in a long queue during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a damaged store of wholesaler Metro in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 24, 2022.
Pavel Klimov | Reuters
People stand in a long queue during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a damaged store of wholesaler Metro in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 24, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
People stand in a long queue during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a damaged store of wholesaler Metro in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 24, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
People stand in a long queue during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a damaged store of wholesaler Metro in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 24, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
Service members of pro-Russian troops drive armoured vehicles past local residents in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 24, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
Civilians are being evacuated along humanitarian corridors from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol under the control of Russian military and pro-Russian separatists, on March 24, 2022.
Stringer | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A child holds a bread as civilians are being evacuated along humanitarian corridors from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol under the control of Russian military and pro-Russian separatists, on March 24, 2022.
Leon Klein | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Ukraine to feature heavily in Blinken travel to Middle East, North Africa
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a news conference about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at the State Department in Washington, March 17, 2022.
Saul Loeb | Pool | Reuter
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East and North Africa starting on Saturday in a trip that will be heavily dominated by discussion of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Blinken is set to visit Israel, the West Bank, Morocco, and Algeria from Saturday to Wednesday, the State Department announced on Thursday, in a trip that will focus on Iran and the conflict in Ukraine.
“Both of those are going to be really at the top of the agenda,” top U.S. diplomat for Near Eastern affairs Yael Lempert told reporters.
Lempert said that Blinken will discuss Israel’s role as mediator between Russia and Ukraine during his visit over the weekend.
— Reuters
Biden says U.S. would ‘respond’ to Russia if Putin uses chemical or biological weapons
Russian soldiers wear chemical protection suits as they stand next to a military fueler on the base of a prime mover of Russian Topol intercontinental ballistic missile during a training session at the Serpukhov’s military missile forces research institute some 100km outside Moscow on April 6, 2010. T
Natalia Kolesnikova | AFP | Getty Images
U.S. President Joe Biden said NATO would respond “in kind” if Russia uses weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine.
“We will respond if he uses it,” Biden said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The nature of the response depends on the nature of the use.”
The president spoke after a marathon of summit meetings with the European Union, G-7 partners and NATO allies.
Biden also said he would support an effort to expel Russia from the G-20 group of economies.
— Christina Wilkie
At least 977 killed and 1,549 injured in Ukraine, UN says
A children walks in front of a damaged school in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine, on March 23, 2022.
Fadel Senna | AFP | Getty Images
Russian forces have killed at least 977 civilians since it began its invasion of Ukraine, according to the United Nations.
At least an additional 1,594 people have been injured, including 64 children, from Feb. 24 through March 22, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
The majority of deaths recorded have been caused by the use of explosive weapons with a “wide impact area,” the office said. That includes shelling from heavy artillery and airstrikes.
The agency said it believes the actual number of casualties are “considerably higher,” since information from areas with intense fighting is delayed and some reports are being corroborated.
– Amanda Macias
EU leaders send a message to China to stop Putin
Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi shakes hands with France’s President Emmanuel Macronat NATO Headquarters in Brussels on March 24, 2022.
John Thys | Afp | Getty Images
EU leaders had one message for Beijing as they gathered in Brussels to discuss new sanctions against Russia: Stop President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to CNBC Thursday, Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi said: “China is [the] most important country, they can be crucial in the peace process, they have lots of leverage, a lot of leverage, and so we are all waiting.”
Latvia’s Prime Minister Arturs Karins also told CNBC: “China has a choice, it’s rather a simple choice: put your lot in with Russia — that is waging war against Ukraine, bombing women, children, hospitals — or find a way to work with Europe, with the U.S. and with western democracies.”
Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin also called China a “major player” and said the European Union had to make sure “China is on the right side of history with this war.”
Read the story here.
— Matt Clinch
UN calls for an immediate end to war, blames Russia for humanitarian crisis
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks at the 11th emergency special session of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 2, 2022.
Carlo Allegri | Reuters
The United Nations General Assembly, in a two-day emergency meeting, adopted a resolution that formally blames Russia for causing the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and calls for a peaceful and immediate end to the war.
France and Mexico proposed the resolution which was supported by dozens of other UN member states. Russia created its own humanitarian proposal which the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations described as a “flimsy fabrication.”
“It really is unconscionable that Russia would have the audacity to put forward a resolution asking the international community to solve a humanitarian crisis that Russia alone created,” U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.
The adopted resolution, “Deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine” and “urges the immediate peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
– Amanda Macias
‘We are entering an unprecedented food crisis,’ Macron warns
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a news conference following a NATO summit, in Brussels, Belgium, March 24, 2022.
Gonzalo Fuentes | Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron urged the G-7 heads of state to invest in ways to alleviate the mounting food crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We are entering an unprecedented food crisis,” Macron told G-7 leaders in Brussels, adding that it should be an “imperative that Russia doesn’t create a famine.”
The war “makes countries have difficulty getting supplies of wheat and more generally cereals,” Macron said. He noted that Russian and Ukraine are two of the world’s largest cereal producers.
Earlier in the day, U.S. President Joe Biden met with Macron on the sidelines of the NATO leaders’ meeting. The two discussed ways to continue holding Russia accountable, as well as additional ways to support the Ukrainian government, according to a White House readout of the meeting.
– Amanda Macias
U.S. makes plans in case Russia uses chemical, nuclear weapons
Russian soldiers wear chemical protection suits as they stand next to a military fueler on the base of a prime mover of Russian Topol intercontinental ballistic missile during a training session at the Serpukhov’s military missile forces research institute some 100km outside Moscow on April 6, 2010.
Natalia Kolesnikova | AFP | Getty Images
The White House has set up a team of experts to plan how the United States could respond should Russia use weapons of mass destruction – chemical, biological or nuclear – during its invasion of Ukraine, senior administration officials said on Thursday.
Russia has repeatedly raised the prospect of using nuclear weapons as it struggles to overcome Ukraine’s military during the month-old war that the Russian government calls a “special operation.” This week, the Kremlin said such weapons would only be used in the case of an “existential threat.”
U.S. officials have warned that Russia’s accusations that Ukraine might use chemical weapons are a lie, and also an indication Moscow may resort to their use, given past precedent.
The White House National Security Council sent an internal memo to agencies on Feb. 28 to create a strategy group to examine major geopolitical shifts that are occurring as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, officials said. A second group, known internally as the “Tiger Team,” is looking at what the next three months look like.
— Reuters
NATO boosts defenses in Europe, says it faces ‘gravest threat’ to its security in decades
U.S. Army MIM-104 Patriots, surface-to-air missile (SAM) system launchers, are pictured at Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland March 24, 2022.
Stringer | Reuters
NATO said it will strengthen its defenses in Europe in the face of Russia’s continuing aggression toward Ukraine.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the organization has collectively agreed to reinforce its defense capabilities in the region following an extraordinary summit of the military alliance in Brussels earlier Thursday.
“Today NATO leaders agreed to reset our deterrents and defense for the longer term to face a new security reality. On land, we will have substantially more forces in the eastern part of the alliance at higher readiness, with more pre-positioned equipment and supplies,” he said.
“In the air, we will deploy more jets and strengthen our integrated air and missile defense. At sea, we will have carrier strike groups, submarines and significant numbers of combat ships on a persistent basis,” he added, with members also set to strengthen their cyber defenses.
— Holly Ellyatt
Ukraine says it sank Russian warship Orsk
Smoke rises after shelling near a seaport in Berdyansk, Ukraine, Thursday, March 24, 2022. Ukraine’s navy reported Thursday that it had sunk the Russian ship Orsk in the Sea of Asov near the port city of Berdyansk.
AP
Ukrainian authorities said they destroyed a Russian warship that entered the port of Berdyansk earlier this week.
“In the temporarily occupied Berdyansk, our soldiers destroyed a large Russian landing ship, the Orsk, and damaged a number of other ships,” said Anrdii Yermak, head of the office of the president of Ukraine, in comments translated by NBC News.
The ship was used to deliver military equipment, including tanks, weapons, ammunition and humanitarian supplies, according to the Russian Federation.
“The arrival of a large amphibious ship in the port of Berdyansk is a truly epoch-making event that opens up opportunities for the Black Sea Fleet in logistical matters, to use the infrastructure of the port of Berdyansk in full,” one of the officers of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation said in a statement announcing the ship’s arrival that was translated by NBC. The ship “will go to strengthen our group operating in the direction indicated by the higher command.”
— Dawn Kopecki
Stoltenberg extends term at NATO as Russia’s war wages on
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference after the Extraordinary Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government in Brussels, Belgium on March 24, 2022.
Halil Sagirkaya | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will extend his term as head of the alliance for one more year.
Stoltenberg’s term, which was set to expire in September, comes as the world’s most powerful military alliance works to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Honoured by the decision of #NATO Heads of State and Government to extend my term as Secretary General until 30 September 2023,” Stoltenberg wrote in a tweet.
“As we face the biggest security crisis in a generation, we stand united to keep our alliance strong and our people safe,” he said.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Air Force One that President Joe Biden thinks “very highly of Secretary General Stoltenberg.”
– Amanda Macias
NATO calls on China to ‘join the rest of the world and clearly condemn the brutal war’
A view of the Extraordinary Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government held in Brussels, Belgium on March 24, 2022.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The leaders of the 30-member NATO alliance called on China to “uphold the international order” and abstain from supporting Russia’s war effort in any way.
“Our message to China is that they should join the rest of the world and clearly condemn the brutal war against Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a press conference following the leaders’ meeting.
In a joint statement, NATO leaders said they were “concerned by recent public comments by PRC officials and call on China to cease amplifying the Kremlin’s false narratives, in particular on the war and on NATO.”
A senior administration official, who declined to be named in order to share details of the NATO meeting, said China was a big topic among allies. The official said that there was “a recognition that China needs to live up to its responsibilities within the international community as a UN Security Council member,” the official said.
“We need to continue to call on China not to support Russia and its aggression against Ukraine, and that we need China to call for a peaceful end to the conflict as a responsible member of the international community,” the official added.
– Amanda Macias
NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg briefs press following extraordinary meeting
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg briefs the press following the organization’s extraordinary meeting in Brussels.
He said NATO was sending more troops on the ground as well as committing more naval and air warfare capabilities to Ukraine.
“It’s a new reality, it’s a new normal,” he said, adding that the alliance is making military plans to respond to a potential long-term threat from Russia.
— Dawn Kopecki
Zelenskyy calls on NATO for more swift military support
A view of the Extraordinary Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government held in Brussels, Belgium on March 24, 2022.
NATO | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged NATO leaders to supply his besieged country with more weaponry as the Russian invasion in Ukraine entered its second month.
“Ukraine does not have powerful air defense system, we have far less aviation than Russians do,” Zelenskyy said in a virtual address. “I ask you to reassess your positions and think about security in Europe and in the whole world. You can give us just 1% of all of your airplanes, just 1% of your tanks,” he added.
A senior Biden administration official, who declined to be named in order to speak about the NATO meeting, said Zelenskyy’s message was “very much focused on the efforts of the Ukraine military and people to defend their country.”
The official said that the Ukrainian leader did not request a no-fly zone nor did he request NATO membership as he has previously done.
– Amanda Macias
U.S. set to announce plans to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians
Refugee children fleeing Ukraine are given blankets by Slovakian rescue workers to keep warm at the Velke Slemence border crossing on March 09, 2022 in Velke Slemence, Slovakia.
Christopher Furlong | Getty Images
President Joe Biden is slated to announce plans of welcoming up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing the war in Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News.
The admissions would be facilitated through a range of pathways, including through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program as well as nonimmigrant and immigrant visas. The source said that additional details are expected to be announced in the next few weeks.
Since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, more than 3.6 million people have fled the country with more than 2 million fleeing to Poland.
– Amanda Macias
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy claims Russia has used phosphorus bombs in Ukraine
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the Ukrainian people, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 23, 2022.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service | Reuters
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed, during a speech to NATO members today, that Russia has used phosphorus bombs in an attack.
“This morning we had phosphorus bombs from Russia, people were killed, children were killed,” Zelenskyy said during an address via videolink to the NATO summit taking place in Brussels.
Separately, early on Thursday, the governor of the eastern Luhansk region claimed that four people had been killed after shelling and the use of phosphorus. The governor attached stills and a video, which have not been verified, that he claimed show buildings destroyed in the attack.
It has not been possible to independently verify the claims made by Zelenskyy and the governor of Luhansk. Zelenskyy provided no evidence in his address.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon was unable to confirm the use of phosphorous when contacted by NBC’s Dan DeLuce.
Zelenskiy also appealed to NATO leaders on Thursday to increase military support for the country.
Russia “wants to go further. Against eastern members of NATO. The Baltic states. Poland for sure,” Zelenskiy said in a pre-recorded video address to the NATO summit, Reuters reported.
“NATO has yet to show what the alliance can do to save people,” he said.
— Holly Ellyatt
Russian market partially reopens after monthlong shutdown
Russia’s central bank in Moscow.
Gavriil Grigorov | TASS | Getty Images
Russia’s stocks moved sharply after the market partially reopened for limited trading after its longest shutdown since the fall of the Soviet Union.
The Moscow Exchange resumed trading in 33 Russian equities, including some of its biggest names like Gazprom and Sberbank, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Moscow time (3 a.m. and 7 a.m. ET) following an announcement from the Central Bank of Russia on Wednesday. The MOEX Russia Index was up more than 5% by around 1 p.m. Moscow time, having pared earlier gains of more than 10%.
Short-selling on stocks will be banned, however, and foreign investors will not be able to sell stocks or OFZ ruble bonds until April 1.
The country’s stock exchange had been closed since Feb. 25 as Russian assets plunged across the board following the country’s invasion of Ukraine and in anticipation of the punishing international sanctions.
– Elliot Smith
The UK has now sanctioned more than 1,000 Russian banks, businesses and people
The U.K. has announced 65 new Russian sanctions today targeting a range of key strategic industries and individuals that are supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions have targeted Russian Railways and defense company Kronshtadt, the main producer of Russian drones, as well as the Wagner Group — the organization of Russian mercenaries reportedly tasked with assassinating Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, the U.K.’s Foreign Office said in a statement Thursday.
Six more banks are being targeted too, including Alfa Bank whose co-founders include previously sanctioned oligarchs Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and German Khan, and the world’s largest diamond producer Alrosa.
Sanctioned individuals include the billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler as well as the founder of Tinkoff bank Oleg Tinkov. In addition, Herman Gref, the chief executive of Russia’s largest bank Sberbank, and Polina Kovaleva, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s step daughter have also been sanctioned.
Galina Danilchenko, who was installed by Russia as the “mayor” of Ukraine’s Melitopol is also sanctioned — the first time an individual has been sanctioned for collaboration with Russian forces currently in Ukraine.
The U.K. has now sanctioned over 1,000 individuals and businesses under the Russia sanctions regime since the invasion, the foreign office said.
— Holly Ellyatt
President Putin has made a ‘big mistake’ invading Ukraine, NATO chief says
President Putin has made “a big mistake” in invading Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of an extraordinary meeting of the transatlantic military alliance in Brussels.
“President Putin has made a big mistake and that is to launch a war, to wage a war, against an independent sovereign nation,” he told CNBC’s Hadley Gamble on Thursday.
Speaking further to the press, Stoltenberg said the meeting was taking place as leaders faced “the most serious security crisis in a generation.”
He said leaders would address this crisis and its implications “for Ukraine, for NATO and for the whole international rules-based order.”
Stoltenberg said NATO has increased its military presence in the eastern part of the alliance and today will “address the need for a reset of our deterrence and defense in the longer term.”
“The first step is the establishment of four new battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia,” he said, saying NATO members need to invest more in defense.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to address NATO leaders today.
— Holly Ellyatt
Putin’s invasion is seen as his biggest ever mistake — and will harm Russia for years
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a concert marking the eighth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia March 18, 2022.
Sergey Guneev | Sputnik | Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been in power for more than two decades and during that time has carefully cultivated an image of himself as a tough, strongman leader, fighting for Russia’s interests and reinstating the country as a geopolitical and economic superpower.
With his decision to invade neighboring Ukraine, however, analysts say Putin has made the biggest mistake of his political career and has weakened Russia for years to come.
The country and its strongman leader are now pariahs on the global stage, and Russia’s economy is facing more pain with further sanctions to be discussed by world leaders meeting today.
The Institute of International Finance has said it expects Russia’s economy to contract by 15% in 2022, driven by both official sanctions and the “self-sanctioning” of foreign companies that have pulled out of Russia.
Predicting a further economic decline of 3% in 2023, the IIF said Wednesday that the war “will wipe out fifteen years of economic growth.”
— Holly Ellyatt
Quad looks past India’s refusal to condemn invasion
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting at Hyderabad House, on December 6, 2021 in New Delhi, India.
Sonu Mehta | Hindustan Times | Getty Images
One month into the war in Ukraine, the liberal, democratic West is aggressively wooing India, curiously willing to look past its “neutral” stance on Russia’s invasion.
Over the past week, India’s partners in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) — the United States, Australia and Japan — have come calling on New Delhi, in-person and virtually.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and U.S. State Department officials met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior Indian officials, discussing bilateral and Indo-Pacific issues while skipping mention of India’s refusal to condemn Russia’s attack.
India has so far abstained on four United Nations resolutions related to the Ukraine war. But the latest — an abstention on a Russian-sponsored vote on Wednesday — was the first attempt by the country to align itself with broader international opinion against the Ukraine invasion. Only China and Russia voted in favor of the resolution that referred to a “humanitarian crisis” while making no mention of an invasion. It failed to pass.
The war is creating interesting geopolitical options for India, a democracy with a cultural and political affinity to the West. At the same time, it also has decades-old ties with Russia on whom it depends for most of its arms supplies. The West has been more understanding of India’s predicament.
— Ravi Buddhavarapu
Leaders set for NATO, EU and G-7 meetings focused on Ukraine
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks at US President Joe Biden while posing for a family photograph with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other leaders as they pose for a family photograph ahead of an extraordinary summit at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, March 24, 2022.
Brendan Smialowski | Reuters
The war in Ukraine is top of the agenda as leaders from the world’s most advanced nations prepare to meet on Thursday.
There are three key meetings ahead with an extraordinary NATO summit taking place in Brussels, as well as meetings of EU leaders and the Group of Seven (G-7).
U.S. President Joe Biden is attending the meetings and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to address the NATO summit via videolink.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is expected to commit to “major increases” in the number of troops it has along its eastern flank. Additional arms and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine is also expected to be on the agenda.
Possible extra sanctions on Russia will be discussed when President Biden meets his EU counterparts at a session of the European Council.
— Holly Ellyatt
Russian forces halt advance on Kyiv, establish defensive positions instead, Pentagon says
A Ukranian armoured vehicle drives along a road in the Ukranian capital Kyiv on March 19, 2022.
Fadel Senna | AFP | Getty Images
Russian forces are beginning to set up defensive positions about 10 to 12 miles away from Kyiv’s city center, according to a senior U.S. Defense official.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details from the Pentagon’s ongoing assessment of the war, said that Russians have been largely stalled outside of Kyiv for weeks now.
“We are starting to see now that they are basically digging in and they are establishing defensive positions,” the official said of Russian forces.
“So it’s not that they’re not advancing, they’re actually not trying to advance right now,” the official said, adding that Russian troops do not appear to continue an advance on Kyiv anytime soon.
– Amanda Macias
Ukrainian forces make counterattacks near Kyiv, may have regained ground
A Makariv residential building destroyed by Russian shelling is shown in an image taken March 16, 2022. The town near Kyiv is the scene of more fighting this week.
Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Ukrainian defenders in the vicinity of Kyiv are mounting successful counterattacks near the capital and appear to be retaking lost ground, the British Defence Ministry said Wednesday night, though reports from the area partially contradicted those claims.
The ministry said in an intelligence update that Ukraine is bringing “increasing pressure” northeast of Kyiv, where a long-stalled advance by Russian troops has left them facing “considerable supply and morale issues.”
Ukrainian forces have probably retaken the towns of Makariv and Moschun, said the ministry.
Moschun is close to Kyiv and due north, while Makariv is about 20 miles (32 km) due west of the capital.
The Ukrainian government first claimed to have retaken Makariv on Tuesday. Journalists from the Washington Post who were in the vicinity reported on Wednesday evening that Ukrainian soldiers were in the town, but it was still being struck by Russian artillery.
The U.K. ministry added that there is “a realistic possibility that Ukrainian forces are now able to encircle Russian units in Bucha and Irpin.” Both of those towns border Kyiv’s western city limits.
CNBC was unable to independently corroborate the ministry’s claims. The situation on the ground in Ukraine is fluid and often impossible to verify.
“It is likely that successful counter attacks by Ukraine will disrupt the ability of Russian forces to reorganise and resume their own offensive towards Kyiv,” the Defence Ministry said.
— Ted Kemp
Russia to expel more U.S. diplomats, State says
A Russian flag flies next to the US embassy building in Moscow on December 7, 2021.
Alexander Nemenov | AFP | Getty Images
The Kremlin has informed U.S. officials that more American diplomats will be ordered to leave Russia, a State Department spokesman said.
“The U.S. Embassy received a list of diplomats declared ‘persona non grata’ from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 23,” a spokesperson wrote in an evening statement.
“This is Russia’s latest unhelpful and unproductive step in our bilateral relationship. We call on the Russian government to end its unjustified expulsions of U.S. diplomats and staff. Now more than ever, it is critical that our countries have the necessary diplomatic personnel in place to facilitate communication between our governments,” the spokesperson wrote.
Earlier in the week, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan in Moscow that relations between Washington and Moscow were on the “verge of rupture.
Biden has previously called Russian leader Vladimir Putin a war criminal for his attacks on Ukraine. It was the first time Biden had publicly branded the Russian leader with that phrase.
– Amanda Macias
UK set to announce arms package of 6,000 missiles and an additional $528 million for Ukraine
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a joint news conference with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (not pictured) in Warsaw, Poland February 10, 2022.
Slawomir Kaminsk | Reuters
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is slated to announce a major new arms package for Ukraine at the NATO and G7 leaders’ meetings on Thursday.
The UK will provide Ukraine with 6,000 missiles, including anti-tank and high explosive weapons as well as $33 million or £25 million in financial backing.
“This more than doubles the defensive lethal aid provided to date to more than 10,000 missiles and comes on top of the £400 million ($528 million) the UK has committed in humanitarian and economic aid for the crisis,” 10 Downing Street wrote in a statement announcing the measure.
The UK has sent more than 4,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine’s armed forces, including Javelin missiles and Starstreak high-velocity anti-air missiles to help defend against aerial bombings.
Additionally, Johnson is committing $5.4 million or £4.1 million to the BBC World Service in order to help tackle Russian disinformation. Johnson is also expected to announce some financial support for the International Criminal Court’s investigation into war crimes.
– Amanda Macias
Biden promises new Ukraine aid, warns Russia on chem weapons
BRUSSELS (AP) — President Joe Biden and Western allies pledged new sanctions and humanitarian aid on Thursday in response to Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, but their offers fell short of the more robust military assistance that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for in a pair of live-video appearances.
The leaders spent Thursday crafting their next steps to counter Russia’s month-old invasion — and huddling over how they might respond should Putin deploy chemical, biological or even a nuclear weapon. They met in a trio of emergency summits that had them shuttling across Brussels for back-to-back-to-back meetings of NATO, the Group of Seven industrialized nations and the 27-member European Council.
Biden, in an early evening news conference after meeting with NATO and G-7 leaders, warned that a chemical attack by Russia “would trigger a response in kind.”
“You’re asking whether NATO would cross. We’d make that decision at the time,” Biden said.
However, a White House official said later that did not imply any shift in the U.S. position against direct military action in Ukraine. Biden and NATO allies have previously stressed that the U.S. and NATO would not put troops on the ground in Ukraine.
The official was not authorized to comment publicly by name and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
Zelenskyy, while thankful for their help, made clear to the Western allies he needed far more than they’re currently willing to give.
“One percent of all your planes, one percent of all your tanks,” Zelenskyy asked members of the NATO alliance. “We can’t just buy those. When we will have all this, it will give us, just like you, 100% security.”
Biden, who was attending all three summits, said more aid was on its way. But Western leaders also suggested they were treading carefully so as not to further escalate the conflict beyond the borders of Ukraine.
“NATO has made a choice to support Ukraine in this war without going to war with Russia,” said French President Emmanuel Macron. “Therefore we have decided to intensify our ongoing work to prevent any escalation and to get organized in case there is an escalation.”
Billions of dollars of military hardware has already been provided. A U.S. official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Western nations were discussing the possibility of providing anti-ship weapons amid concerns that Russia will launch amphibious assaults along the Black Sea coast.
Biden said his top priority at Thursday’s meetings was to make certain that the West stayed on the same page in its response to Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“The single most important thing is for us to stay unified,” Biden said.
Separately, the White House announced the U.S. would welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and provide an additional $1 billion in food, medicine, water and other supplies.
Finland announced Thursday it would send more military equipment to Ukraine, its second shipment in about three weeks. And Belgium announced it will add one billion euros to its defense budget in response to Russia’s invasion..
At the same time, Washington will expand its sanctions on Russia, targeting members of the country’s parliament along with defense contractors. The U.S. will also work with other Western nations to ensure gold reserves held by Russia’s central bank are subject to existing sanctions.
With Russia facing increasing international isolation, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also warned China against coming to Moscow’s rescue. He called on Beijing “to join the rest of the world and clearly condemn the brutal war against Ukraine and not support Russia.”
But Stoltenberg also made clear that the West had a “responsibility to prevent this conflict from becoming a full-fledged war in Europe.”
The possibility that Russia will use chemical or even nuclear weapons has been a grim topic of conversation in Brussels, but a possibility leaders were preparing for.
White House officials said that both the U.S. and NATO have been working on contingency planning should Russia deploy nonconventional weaponry. NATO has specially trained and equipped forces ready to be deployed if there should be such an attack against a member nation’s population, territory, or forces.
Stoltenberg said that NATO leaders agreed Thursday to send equipment to Ukraine to help protect it against a chemical weapons attack.
“This could include detection equipment, protection and medical support, as well as training for decontamination and crisis management,” he said.
Biden before departing for Europe on Wednesday said that the possibility of a chemical attack was a “real threat.” In addition, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN this week that Russia could consider using its nuclear weapons if it felt there were “an existential threat for our country.”
Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Thursday warned, “Russia is capable of anything.”
“They don’t respect any rules,” Marin told reporters. “They don’t respect any international laws that they are actually committed to.”
The Russian invasion has spurred European nations to reconsider their military spending, and Stoltenberg opened the NATO summit by saying the alliance must “respond to a new security reality in Europe.”
While the West has been largely unified in confronting Russia after it invaded Ukraine, there’s wide acknowledgement that unity will be tested as the costs of war chip at the global economy.
The bolstering of forces along NATO’s eastern flank, almost certainly for at least the next five to 10 years if Russia is to be effectively dissuaded, will put pressure on national budgets.
The energy crisis exacerbated by the war will be a particularly hot topic at the European Council summit, where leaders from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece are hoping for an urgent, coordinated bloc-wide response. EU officials have said they will seek U.S. help on a plan to top up natural gas storage facilities for next winter, and they also want the bloc to jointly purchase gas.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has dismissed calls to boycott Russian energy supplies, saying it would cause significant damage to his country’s economy. Scholz is facing pressure from environmental activists to quickly wean Germany off Russian energy, but he said the process will have to be gradual.
“To do so from one day to the next would mean plunging our country and all of Europe into recession,” Scholz said Wednesday.
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Union’s executive arm, said before Biden’s visit that she wanted to discuss the possibility of securing extra deliveries of liquefied natural gas from the United States for the 27-nation bloc “for the next two winters.”
The EU imports 90% of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40% of EU gas and a quarter of its oil. The bloc is looking at ways to reduce its dependence on Russian gas by diversifying suppliers.
The U.S. is looking for ways to “surge” LNG supplies to Europe to help, said Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser.
Poland and other eastern flank NATO countries will also be seeking clarity on how the U.S. and fellow European nations can assist in dealing with their growing concerns about Russian aggression as well as a spiraling refugee crisis. More than 3.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine in recent weeks, including more than 2 million to Poland.
Biden is scheduled to visit Poland on Friday, where the energy and refugee issues are expected to be at the center of talks with President Andrzej Duda.
Four new NATO battlegroups, which usually number between 1,000-1,500 troops, are being set up in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.
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Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Hannah Fingerhut, Ellen Knickmeyer and Darlene Superville in Washington, Dasha Litvinova in Lviv, Ukraine, and Samuel Petrequin in Brussels contributed to this report.