Russia bans UK flights amid fallout from Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace it was a retaliation to Britain’s decision to ban Aeroflot flights from UK airports.
Russia’s
civil aviation authority announced on Friday it has banned
UK flights to and over its country in
retaliation for a British ban on Aeroflot.
Rosaviatsiya said British airlines were now prohibited from landing at its airports or crossing its airspace.
The regulator said the measure was taken in response to the “unfriendly decisions” by the British authorities who banned flights to the UK by Russia’s flag carrier as part of sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace it was a retaliation to Britain’s decision to ban Aeroflot flights from UK airports.
“That’s their tit-for-tat response,” Mr Wallace told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
In a statement Russia said the ban was in response to the “unfriendly decisions” by the British authorities.
British Airways has said it is now avoiding Russian airspace for overflights and cancelled its flight to Moscow on Friday.
Russian airspace is a main corridor for European flights to Asia which will be forced to divert, heaping additional costs on airlines.
Luis Gallego, CEO of British Airways owner, IAG, said: “Following the UK government decision to ban Aeroflot from landing in the UK, we have taken the decision not use Russian airspace for overflights.
“We are avoiding Russian airspace for the time being. The impact for us is not huge because right now we are only flying to a small number of destinations in Asia and we can reroute our flights.”
The ban comes after Western powers
announced a raft of new sanctions against Moscow.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would aim to cut Russia off from the UK’s financial market.
The sanctions include freezing the assets of all major Russian banks, including VTB Bank, its second-biggest.
Britain also plans to bar Russian companies and the Russian government from raising money on UK markets, ban the export of a wide range of high-tech products, including semiconductors, to Russia.
It also announced Individual sanctions against more than 100 individuals, entities and subsidiaries including Rostec, Russia’s biggest defence company said to employ more than two million people with exports of more than £10 billion of arms each year.
The European Union and other Western allies, including Australia, Japan and South Korea, announced similar sanctions.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Thursday night: “I’ve signed restrictions prohibiting all scheduled Russian airlines from entering UK airspace or touching down on British soil.
“Putin’s heinous actions will not be ignored, and we will never tolerate those who put people’s lives in danger.”
Meanwhile the EU ambassador to the UK has said the sanctions on Russia will have a “huge impact”.
Joao Vale de Almeida told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme they will “touch the heart” of the country’s economy.
He added: “The measures we are taking today will have a huge impact on Russia, it impacts 70% of the banking system
“It touched the heart of the state-owned companies that financed the war effort.”
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace it was a retaliation to Britain’s decision to ban Aeroflot flights from UK airports
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Russia Stripped of Hosting Champions League Final Over Ukraine Invasion
Paris has been chosen to replace St. Petersburg for the May 28 game, the UEFA announced
Russia was stripped of hosting the Champions League final by UEFA on Friday with St. Petersburg replaced by Paris after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The men's final will still be held on May 28 but now at the 80,000-seat Stade de France after the decision by UEFA's executive committee.
“UEFA wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to French Republic President Emmanuel Macron for his personal support and commitment to have European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis,” European football's governing body said in a statement. “Together with the French government, UEFA will fully support multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure the provision of rescue for football players and their families in Ukraine who face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement.”
The meeting also decided that Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams in UEFA competitions will have to play at neutral venues until further notice.
The Stade de France last hosted the Champions League final 16 years ago, when Barcelona beat Arsenal in the 2006 final.
The 68,000-capacity St. Petersburg stadium was originally picked in 2019 to host the final in 2021. That was postponed by one year in the fallout of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The stadium is named for Russian state-owned energy firm Gazprom, which is also a top-tier UEFA sponsor of the Champions League and European Championship.
UEFA executive committee member Alexander Dyukov is the CEO of a Gazprom subsidiary.
The move comes as Russian bombs and troops pounded Ukraine during the invasion’s first full day, and world leaders on Friday began to fine-tune a response meant to punish the Russian economy and its leaders, including President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.
BREAKING: F1 cancels Russian Grand Prix after ‘sadness and shock’ of Ukraine invasion
The Formula 1 has confirmed it has cancelled the Russian Grand Prix in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement released late on Friday night, the F1 said it was “watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock” and held extensive discussions before cancelling the event.
“The FIA F1 World Championship visits countries all over the world with a positive vision to unite people, bringing nations together,” the statement read.
“We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation.
“On Thursday evening Formula 1, the FIA, and the teams discussed the position of our sport, and the conclusion is, including the view of all relevant stakeholders, that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances.”
The Russian Grand Prix was due to be held in Sochi on September 25.
The cancellation comes after reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen and former champion Sebastian Vettel said on Friday it would be wrong for the Russian Grand Prix to go ahead.
Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, killing dozens of people in the early hours, according to the Ukrainian authorities.
Four-time champion Vettel said he had been shocked to wake up to the news and the Aston Martin driver is adamant he will not compete in the September 25 race in Sochi.
“In my personal opinion, I woke up to this morning’s news, shocked, so I don’t know,” Vettel said at a press conference on the second day of pre-season testing in Barcelona.
“Obviously if you look at the calendar we have a race scheduled in Russia. For myself, my own opinion is I should not go, I will not go. I think it’s wrong to race in the country.” Vettel, 34, said he was sure that there would be further discussions in the Formula One paddock.
“I’m sorry for the people, innocent people that are losing their lives, that are getting killed for stupid reasons and a very, very strange and mad leadership,” said Vettel.
“I’m sure it’s something that we will talk about, but personally I’m just so shocked and sad to see what is going on.
“So we will see going forward, but I think my decision is already made.”
Reigning champion Verstappen said he was against competing there too.
“When a country is at war, it’s not right to run there, that’s for sure,” said Verstappen.
“But what matters is not what I think, it’s the whole paddock that will decide.”
An F1 spokesperson refused to be drawn over whether the race would take place.
“Formula One is closely watching the very fluid developments like many others and at this time has no further comment on the race scheduled for September.”
In related news, Paris will host this season’s Champions League final after Saint Petersburg was stripped of the match due to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, UEFA announced on Friday.
The showpiece occasion of the European club season will be played at the Stade de France on Saturday, May 28, European football’s governing body said after holding an emergency meeting in response to the crisis.
“UEFA wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to French Republic President Emmanuel Macron for his personal support and commitment to have European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis,” a statement said.
The Russian government responded by calling the decision by UEFA “a shame”.
“It is a shame that such a decision was made,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Saint Petersburg could have provided the best possible conditions for holding this football event.” The final was supposed to be played at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg, which already hosted several matches at last year’s European Championship and at the 2018 World Cup held in Russia.
UEFA made no reference to its relationship with Gazprom, the Russian state energy giant that is a key sponsor of European football’s governing body.
It is the third year running in which UEFA has moved the Champions League final with the Covid-19 pandemic leading to the 2020 edition being switched from Istanbul to Lisbon, and then again from the Turkish city to Porto in Portugal last year.
The Stade de France, in Saint-Denis just to the north of the French capital, has hosted the Champions League final twice before, in 2000 when Real Madrid beat Valencia, and in 2006 when Barcelona defeated Arsenal.
With a capacity of 80,000, it was also the venue for the 1998 World Cup final and the final of Euro 2016.
Meanwhile, UEFA announced that Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams competing in international competitions must play home matches at neutral venues “until further notice”.
Spartak Moscow, in the Europa League, are the only club from either Russia or Ukraine still involved in European competition this season.
FIFA may now move to force Russia to play their World Cup qualifying play-off against Poland on March 24 on neutral ground.
On Thursday the Polish, Czech and Swedish football federations released a joint statement calling on FIFA to move upcoming World Cup qualifying play-off ties away from Russia.
Should Russia beat Poland, they would then host the Czech Republic or Sweden five days later to decide who qualifies for the World Cup in Qatar.
UEFA also said it would work to help football players in Ukraine get out of the country as the war intensifies.
“Together with the French government, UEFA will fully support multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure the provision of rescue for football players and their families in Ukraine who face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement,” it said.
The Ukrainian league, which was due to resume this weekend after its lengthy winter shutdown, has been suspended.
Global players union FIFPro said in a statement that it was “currently seeking assurances and support from the international football bodies to protect professional players in the country.”
‘Sadness and shock’: Russian GP axed as F1 star’s future thrown into disarray
www.foxsports.com.au
Russian Invasion Forces Targeting Ukrainian Capital
Ukrainian forces fought off Russian invaders in the streets of the capital Kyiv on Friday as President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of targeting civilians and called for more international sanctions.
Pre-dawn blasts in Kyiv set off a second day of violence after Russian President Vladimir Putin defied Western warnings to unleash a full-scale invasion on Thursday that quickly claimed dozens of lives and displaced at least 100,000 people.
The United States and its allies responded with a barrage of sanctions, but the Russian forces looked to press home their advantage after a string of key strategic victories in their air and ground assault.
“Horrific Russian rocket strikes on Kyiv,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba posted on Twitter after the initial explosions were heard in the capital Friday morning.
“Last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany. Ukraine defeated that evil and will defeat this one.”
Explosions and small arms fire
In Obolon, a northern district of Kyiv, pedestrians ran for safety and small arms fire and explosions were heard.
Russian forces first arrived on the outskirts of Kyiv on Thursday when helicopter-borne troops assaulted an airfield just outside the city, close to Obolon.
The Ukrainian military said it had repulsed the attack on the Hostomel airbase, but Russian ground forces have also been pushing down the west bank of the River Dnipro from Belarus.
As Russian forces arrived in Obolon, the Ukrainian defence ministry urged civilians to resist.
“We urge citizens to inform us of troop movements, to make Molotov cocktails, and neutralise the enemy,” it said.
Ukraine says 137 people, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed since Russia attacked.
“Ukrainians are demonstrating heroism,” Zelensky said in a video message, accusing Russia of lying about striking only military targets and calling up conscripts and reservists nationwide.
After speaking to EU chief Ursula von der Leyen he called for more sanctions, tweeting that “the pressure on Russia must increase”.
Better to die
In the Ukrainian village of Starognativka near the frontline where separatists have faced off against Kyiv’s forces for years, official Volodymyr Veselkin said on Friday missiles had been raining down all morning and the power was out.
“They are trying to wipe the village off the face of the earth,” he said.
Olena Kurilo was among 20 people wounded by flying shards of glass following a blast in the eastern Ukrainian town of Chuguiv on Thursday.
“Never, under any conditions will I submit to Putin. It is better to die,” the 52-year-old teacher said, her face covered in bandages.
The UN’s refugee agency said late Thursday that some 100,000 were already displaced inside Ukraine, while thousands of others fled across the border. Streams of people in cars and on foot were seen crossing into Hungary, Poland and Romania on Thursday.
Zelensky said there was now a “new iron curtain” between Russia and the rest of the world, adding later that his nation had been “left alone”.
“Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don’t see anyone.”
And while the United States moved to impose sanctions on Russian elites and banks, it stressed that American forces would not fight in Ukraine.
NATO said it had activated “defence plans” for allied countries but had no plan to send alliance forces into Ukraine.
War ‘on all of Europe’
Among the highest-profile strategic developments on Thursday, Ukraine said Russian forces had seized the Chernobyl nuclear power plant — prompting concern from international nuclear watchdogs.
Zelensky called the attack on Chernobyl “a declaration of war on all of Europe”.
Russian ground forces moved into Ukraine on Thursday from the north, south and east.
In the capital, many residents fled their homes and took shelter in the city’s subway system.
Russia said Thursday its forces had “successfully completed” their objectives for the day, claiming to have destroyed over 70 Ukrainian military targets, including 11 airfields.
Western intelligence confirmed Moscow had established “complete air superiority” over Ukraine.
Sanctions
Western allies had initially imposed some sanctions on Russia in an effort to deter Putin, then followed through on Thursday with vows to heavily punish Russia economically.
US President Joe Biden announced export controls against Russia to cut off more than half of the country’s high-tech imports, alongside sanctions on Russian elites he called “corrupt billionaires”, and banks.
He will meet Friday with fellow NATO leaders in an extraordinary virtual summit to discuss the security situation in and around Ukraine.
The EU moved to impose “massive” sanctions on Russia’s energy and finance sectors.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian accused Putin of trying to destroy Ukraine’s statehood.
“This is total war. Putin has decided… to take Ukraine off the map of nations,” Le Drian told France Inter radio.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the invasion was “barbaric, unjustified and shows a callous disregard for human life”.
The fighting also spooked global financial markets, with oil prices soaring past $100 and a surge in the price of wheat as Russia and Ukraine are two of the world’s largest producers.
Demonstrations across Europe
In a televised address, Putin justified the assault as a defence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics in eastern Ukraine.
The leaders of the two separatist territories asked Moscow for military help against Kyiv after Putin recognised their independence on Monday.
A conflict between the separatists and government forces has dragged on since 2014, killing more than 14,000 people.
Russia has also long demanded that Ukraine be forbidden from ever joining NATO and that US troops pull out from Eastern Europe.
Thousands of Russians defied tough anti-protest legislation to stage anti-war rallies across the country.
OVD-Info, which monitors arrests at opposition protests, said that more than 1,800 people in 59 cities had been detained across Russia.
Ukrainian forces fought off Russian invaders in the streets of the capital Kyiv on Friday as President… - Feb. 25, 2022. By AFP
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The list of global sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine
Countries around the world are imposing fresh
sanctions against Russia over its
invasion of Ukraine.
The European Union, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan all hit Moscow with new injunctions on Friday, condemning the
military incursion that unfolded over the past 24 hours.
On Thursday, the United States and United Kingdom also unveiled more measures against Russia as both nations' leaders condemned the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia is already in some ways
paying a price for its aggression, with the country's stocks and currency tanking this week after Putin's earlier decision to order troops into eastern Ukraine.
On Thursday, Russia's main MOEX index closed down 33%, while the ruble
sank to a record low, down 7% against the US dollar. It rebounded on Friday, trading at 84.7 versus the US dollar.
Ukraine is also urging the West to ban Russia from
SWIFT, the high security network that facilitates payments among 11,000 financial institutions in 200 countries. And earlier in the week, Germany
halted certification of the
Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline following Moscow's actions.
Putin warned Russian business leaders on Thursday that he expected further "restrictions" on the economy, but called for business to work "in solidarity" with the government.
Here's a look at the latest major sanctions.
European Union
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French president Emmanuel Macron announced new measures early Friday, vowing to inflict "maximum impact on the Russian economy and political elite."
"We will hold the Kremlin accountable," said von der Leyen.
The sanctions are aimed to hit Russia's financial, energy and transport sectors, and include export controls and trade financing bans.
Von der Leyen said they now target 70% of the Russian banking sector and key state-owned companies, and sought to make "it impossible for Russia to upgrade its oil refineries."
"We are also targeting Russian elites by curbing their deposits so that they cannot hide their money anymore in safe havens in Europe," she added.
The sanctions also seek to limit Russia's access to sensitive technology, as well as aircraft components and equipment.
Japan
Japan will impose a range of sanctions targeting Russian financial institutions, military organizations and individuals in response to the invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Friday.
The range of measures include freezing the assets of certain Russian individuals and financial institutions while also banning exports to Russian military organizations.
"In response to this situation, we will strengthen our sanction measures in close cooperation with the G7 and the rest of the international community," Kishida said in a press conference on Friday.
Australia
Australia's leader said Friday that it would "begin imposing further sanctions on oligarchs, whose economic weight is of strategic significance to Moscow and over 300 members of the Russian Duma, their parliament."
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison added that Canberra was "also working with the United States to align with their further sanctions overnight on key Belarusian individuals and entities complicit in the aggression, so we are extending those sanctions to Belarus."
The new round of measures came after Australia imposed travel bans and targeted financial sanctions on eight members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on Thursday.
New Zealand
New Zealand is prohibiting the export of goods to the Russian military and security forces in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
announced Friday that it would cut trade with Russia and impose travel bans against Russian officials as it continued to call for a return to diplomatic dialogue to resolve the crisis.
"Right here and now we need to take immediate action," Ardern said in a press conference in Wellington.
"This is the blatant use of military might and violence that will take innocent lives and we must stand against it."
Taiwan
Taiwan announced Friday that it would join the economic sanctions against Russia, without specifying which measures were being considered.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday that it "strongly condemns" Russia's decision to start a war against Ukraine, adding that it has posed a serious threat to the rules-based international order.
The decision to impose sanctions was made "to compel Russia to halt its military aggression against Ukraine, and to restart peaceful dialogue among all parties concerned as soon as possible," the ministry added.
Taiwan is a global leader in the production of semiconductors.
The United States
US President Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled harsh new measures against Russia, saying: "Putin chose this war."
The new sanctions include export blocks on technology, a centerpiece of Biden's approach that he said would severely limit Russia's ability to advance its military and aerospace sector.
In a statement, the White House said "this includes Russia-wide restrictions on semiconductors, telecommunication, encryption security, lasers, sensors, navigation, avionics and maritime technologies."
Washington also applied sanctions on Russian banks, and whom it described as "corrupt billionaires" and their families who are close to the Kremlin.
It said it would cut off 13 major state-owned companies from raising money in the United States, including energy giant Gazprom and Sberbank, Russia's largest financial institution.
The White House also vowed to sanction two dozen Belarusian individuals and companies, which include "two significant Belarusian state-owned banks, nine defense firms, and seven regime-connected official and elites."
The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is set to sanction 100 individuals and entities as part of further sanctions against Russia, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Thursday afternoon.
In a speech to parliament, Johnson said the goal was "to exclude Russian banks from the UK financial system."
An asset freeze will be imposed on Russian state bank VTB, he added, following the sanctioning of five Russian banks on Tuesday. Russian state and private companies will also be prevented from fundraising in the United Kingdom.
Additionally, 100 individuals and entities will have their assets frozen, Johnson said, adding that this includes "all the major manufacturers that support Putin's war machine."
Johnson also said that "nothing is off the table" when it comes to shutting off Russia's access to SWIFT.
The United Kingdom will ban Russia's national carrier, Aeroflot, and apply sanctions to Belarus "for its role in the assault on Ukraine," the prime minister added.
Going forward, Britain is also hoping to bring in legislation "early next week" to ban the export of certain technologies to Russia, particularly "in sectors including electronics, telecommunications, and aerospace," according to Johnson.
And he outlined plans to establish a new dedicated cell in the country's National Crime Agency "to target sanctions, evasion and corrupt Russian assets hidden in the UK."
"We will continue on a remorseless mission to squeeze Russia, from the global economy, piece by piece. Day by day, and week by week," Johnson told lawmakers.
Countries around the world are imposing fresh sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
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As war breaks out in Europe, China blames the US
As
Russian missiles flew through the Ukrainian sky Thursday and world leaders decried
an invasion spreading across the country, China refused to condemn Russia's move outright, while appearing to levy blame on the United States and its allies.
Beijing finds itself in a complex position as Russia's invasion of its neighbor intensifies, needing to balance a close strategic partnership with Moscow with its seemingly contradictory policy of supporting state sovereignty.
A Chinese government official Thursday sidestepped questions over whether it would condemn Russia's actions or consider it an "invasion."
Instead, China's Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying -- who repeated staid lines about seeking peace through dialogue and said the situation was "not what we would hope to see" -- was quick to point the finger at the US, implying that Washington was a "culprit" for "fanning up flames," referring to
US warnings in recent weeks of an imminent invasion.
"China has taken a responsible attitude and persuaded all parties not to escalate tensions or incite war...Those who follow the US' lead in fanning up flames and then shifting the blame onto others are truly irresponsible," she said.
The comments echoed those made a day earlier, prior to the invasion, when Hua blamed the crisis on "NATO expansion eastward all the way to Russia's doorstep."
"Did it ever think about the consequences of pushing a big country to the wall?" she said.
The presence of Hua at the briefing both days was itself unusual, as the veteran spokeswoman had not been at the podium in such briefings since she was promoted to assistant minister for foreign affairs in October.
Her comments were widely disseminated across China's official state media and social media platforms, where talk of Ukraine dominated coverage and conversation.
'War is not funny'
But while state media reflected the official government line, top trending topics on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, included a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin with more than 360 million views, as well as others looking at how Ukrainian citizens were reacting, such as a post on people lining up to donate blood with 62 million views.
The topic "Ukraine President says Western countries completely give up on Ukraine," topped the list in the morning, raking up over 1 billion views throughout the day and tens of thousands of comments.
Many of those comments on the highly moderated platform mocked Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelensky for being "pro-West" and cheered for Russia and Putin.
But others pushed back: "War is not funny at all," wrote one user, whose post was liked over 60,000 times. "It makes me feel physically sick to see all the jokes about war."
Elsewhere online, homepages of China's major state media outlets took a measured approach, citing statements and news from both the Ukrainian and Russian side, while putting focus on sanctions leveraged by other countries against Russia.
Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily highlighted comments from China's Foreign Ministry pointing to how the US had been "increasing tensions and hyping up war."
A glimpse of the kind of guidance that state media may be under emerged Tuesday, when what appeared to be an internal memo from Chinese state media Beijing News directing its employees not to publish news reports "negative to Russia or pro-West" was mistakenly published on the outlet's official social media account.
The post, which was swiftly deleted, also directed employees to "filter and release proper comments." Beijing government-controlled Beijing News declined CNN's request for comment on the incident.
A relationship with 'no limits'
The Russian invasion comes on the heels of a meeting earlier this month between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Putin, who made a show of their strong bond with a
highly publicized meeting ahead of the Beijing Olympics and declared "no limits" to their relationship.
But an outright backing of Russian moves would put China at odds with the West. It would also contradict China's usual vocal support for state sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a phone conversation between Xi and Putin on Friday, Xi said China "decides its position based on the merits of the Ukraine issue itself," and that China supports Russia and Ukraine resolving their issue through negotiation, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
"China is willing to work with all parties in the international community to advocate a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept," Xi reportedly added.
China has denied that it was complicit in Russia's moves, but Western leaders are paying close attention to the Moscow-Beijing relationship as events in Ukraine unfold.
As Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled new sanctions against Russia Friday, he said he was "concerned at the lack of a strong response from China."
Morrison said China's move to begin importing Russian wheat -- based on an agreement made earlier this month -- was "unacceptable" as Australia, the US, Europe, the United Kingdom and Japan acted "to cut off" Russia.
China hit back at the West's decision to slap a swath of economic sanctions on Russia in recent days. In her comments Wednesday, Hua pointed to China's position that sanctions are "never" effective.
"Will the Ukraine issue resolve itself thanks to the US sanctions on Russia? Will European security be better guaranteed thanks to the US sanctions on Russia?" she asked.
As Russian missiles flew through the Ukrainian sky Thursday and world leaders decried an invasion spreading across the country, China refused to condemn Russia's move outright, while appearing to levy blame on the United States and its allies.
amp.cnn.com
