UKRAINE WRAP | Zelenskyy will attend Nato summit via video link

March 23 2022 - 16:24

WATCH LIVE | UN General Assembly emergency session to discuss Ukraine

The United Nations General Assembly is convening on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine following Russia's invasion of the country.

March 23 2022 - 15:07

Putin ally warns of nuclear dystopia that would follow collapse of Russia

One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies warned the US on Wednesday that the world could spiral towards a nuclear dystopia if Washington pressed on with what the Kremlin casts as a long-term plot to destroy Russia.

Dmitry Medvedev, who was president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said the US had conspired to destroy Russia as part of a “primitive game” since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union.

“It means Russia must be humiliated, limited, shattered, divided and destroyed,” Medvedev, 56, said.

March 23 2022 - 11:11

Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia says Putin plans to attend G20 summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to attend a G20 summit in Indonesia later this year, Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia said on Wednesday, dismissing suggestions by some G20 members that Russia could be barred from the group.

The US and its Western allies are assessing whether Russia should remain within the Group of Twenty major economies after its invasion of Ukraine, sources involved in the discussions told Reuters.

However, any bid to exclude Russia would likely be vetoed by others in the group, raising the prospect of some countries instead skipping G20 meetings, the sources said.

March 23 2022 - 10:25

Zelenskyy will attend Nato summit via video link

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take part via video link in this week’s special Nato summit to discuss the Russian invasion, his spokesperson says. Kyiv said the evacuation of civilians from the besieged southern port of Mariupol continued, but about 100,000 people remain there under bombardment.

US President Joe Biden, who’s travelling to Europe for Thursday’s Nato meeting, said further sanctions on Russia will be announced during his trip. EU members Germany and Hungary sought to put the brakes on a potential Russian oil embargo. The front was largely static throughout the country as Russian forces regroup in response to stiffer-than-expected Ukrainian resistance. – Bloomberg

March 23 2022 -  10:05

Poland arrests man suspected of spying for Russia

Poland detained an employee of a civil registry office who allegedly worked for Russian intelligence services, according to government spokesperson Piotr Muller. The man was allegedly providing Russians with documents concerning Poles and foreigners living in the country that could be used to create new identities. He faces as long as 15 years in prison if convicted.

Several eastern European nations have expelled Russian diplomats since the war in Ukraine, including over violations of the Vienna convention. Poland previously detained a Spanish reporter near the Polish-Ukrainian border for allegedly spying for Russia’s GRU military intelligence service. – Bloomberg

March 23 2022 - 09:30

Ukraine says Russian attempts to advance blocked

The Ukrainian army blocked Russian attempts to advance on all fronts in the past day, its General Staff said on Facebook.Russian planes and missiles were active over the period, bombarding the capital Kyiv, Chernihiv and the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions, it said. A bridge used for humanitarian deliveries and to evacuate civilians from Chernihiv was destroyed. Russia’s advances have been largely stalled in recent days, as the war has shifted into a more grinding phase. – Bloomberg

March 23 2022 - 08:42

Chelsea FC bidders wait on sale

Potential buyers for Chelsea Football Club remain in limbo days after making their bids, as the New York-based bank handling the sale sifts through offers. The Raine Group has spent the days since the deadline for making bids last Friday deciding which would make the final cut. One group led by Centricus Asset Management offered more than 3-billion pounds ($3.9bn) for Roman Abramovich’s club, Bloomberg News reported earlier. - Bloomberg

March 23 2022 - 08:42

Ukraine prosecutor's office says 121 children killed in war

The war in Ukraine has killed 121 children so far, the office of the prosecutor general said on Wednesday in a message on the Telegram app, adding that the number of wounded children stood at 167. Reuters could not immediately verify the details. - Reuters

March 23 2022 - 06:50

Vietnam Airlines to suspend regular flights to Russia from March 25

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will temporarily suspend regular flights from Hanoi to Moscow starting from March 25 until further notice, the state run Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported on Wednesday.

The suspension was to review procedures, requirements and regulations related to flight operations in Russia, VNA reported. The two countries have close ties dating back to the Soviet era and Vietnam has not so far condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine. - Reuters