Serbia reveals decision on Russia sanctions
Belgrade will not join EU in sanctions against Russia, but won’t recognize Donbass republics either
Serbia will not join the EU sanctions against Russia over its military operation in Ukraine, President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Friday. Belgrade will also not recognize the Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk (LPR) People’s Republics because it respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Vucic said.
Vucic addressed the nation following the meeting of Serbia’s national security council, saying that the West had put enormous pressure on Belgrade to condemn Moscow.
“We faced pressure from many,” Vucic said.
“We made the decision with a cool and sober mind, because we believe that respecting international law strengthens our position.”
He added that the Serbs consider both Russians and Ukrainians as
“brotherly people,” saying that it makes watching the unfolding events in Ukraine difficult.
On Thursday, Moscow announced the start of its military operation in Ukraine, claiming that it was the only option left for defending the people in the DPR and LPR from an imminent attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin says that the operation is aimed at
“demilitarization” and
“denazification” of Ukraine. Kiev and its western allies insist the offensive is an
“unprovoked” attack. The Russian Defense Ministry says that only military targets are being hit across the country.
Belgrade’s position to not recognize the breakaway Donbass republics comes in view of Serbia’s own province of Kosovo, occupied during the US-led NATO bombing campaign of Yugoslavia in 1999, declaring independence in 2008 with US support. While over 100 countries, mainly US allies, have recognized Kosovo as independent, both Belgrade and Moscow have refused to do so.
The Kremlin repeatedly cited the Kosovo precedent when addressing the West on the developments in Crimea and the Donbass, both of which have a large ethnic Russian population and strong historic ties to Russia.
Serbia will not join EU in sanctions against Russia, but will not recognize the Donetsk and Lugansk republics as independent, Belgrade said
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Ukraine proposed talks, then ‘disappeared’ – Kremlin
Kiev first agreed to talks with Russia, then went silent and placed artillery amid civilians, the Kremlin claims
Ukraine had agreed to negotiate with Russia, picking the Polish capital of Warsaw as the site for talks, then
“ghosted” Moscow as it began deploying rocket artillery inside civilian neighborhoods of major cities, the Kremlin claimed on Friday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said early in the day he was willing to talk with Russia to stop the
“invasion” of Ukraine. The Kremlin had communicated
Russia’s terms for ending the military operation aimed at
“demilitarizing and denazifying” Kiev.
“The Ukrainian side said it had reconsidered the idea of holding talks in Minsk, chose Warsaw instead, and then disappeared,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday evening.
Peskov pointed out that the sudden pause came as
“nationalist elements” began deploying multiple rocket launcher systems in residential areas of major Ukrainian cities, which Russia warned could lead to civilian casualties that Moscow has been trying to avoid.
The Russian Foreign Ministry
said earlier that it had prepared a delegation for peace talks with Kiev, which President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko agreed to host in Minsk. Dialogue depended on the
“responsible behavior of Kiev,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cautioned.
Moving the talks to Warsaw would present a problem, as Poland announced on Friday it would close its airspace to all Russian flights.
Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin called on the Ukrainian military to take control and not allow the nationalists in Kiev to use their families as human shields.
“Take the power into your own hands!” the Russian president said, adding that the army would be a better negotiating partner than
“a bunch of drug addicts and neo-Nazis” who he claimed have
“entrenched themselves in Kiev,” and are holding the people of Ukraine
“hostage.”
The Russian military operation began early on Thursday following requests from the newly recognized Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk (LPR) People’s Republics for aid under their mutual treaties with Moscow. The DPR and LPR, which Russia recognized as independent states this week, claimed that they were facing an imminent all-out attack, while Kiev insisted it was not planning to retake the area by force. Putin insisted the military operation was the only choice left after Kiev abandoned the internationally-brokered Minsk agreements, which not only required it to observe a ceasefire, but also to give the Donbass region more autonomy.
Ukraine “ghosted” Russia after offering peace talks in Warsaw and started putting artillery in cities like Kiev, the Kremlin has said
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State of Chernobyl plant revealed after fighting
The maintenance of the crippled nuclear power plant continues, a key UK-based investment body says
The Russian military operation in Ukraine has dealt no damage to the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) confirmed on Friday. The major London-based investment bank added that essential maintenance work at the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster is ongoing.
“The information we currently have is that the existing infrastructure of the New Safe Confinement and the Interim Spent Fuel Store 2 (ISF2) has not been damaged and the essential operational and maintenance tasks are being undertaken,” the EBRD said in a statement to Reuters.
On Thursday, Russian forces entered the northern Ukrainian ghost city from Belarus and captured the former power plant after what Kiev has claimed was
“fierce fighting” in the Exclusion Zone. The Chernobyl plant generated the worst nuclear catastrophe in history in 1986, when reactor four went into meltdown. Moscow has confirmed that it was in control of the area on Friday.
The Ukrainian nuclear agency and interior ministry claimed earlier in the day that there were increased radiation levels from the site of the defunct power plant. Experts cited by Reuters were unsure of the reasons why but suggested it was due to movement of heavy military equipment in the area lifting radioactive dust into the air.
The EBRD – an International Financial Institution set up to invest in the transitioning socialist nations of the Eastern Bloc in the early 1990s – has overseen a project to build a shelter on top of the highly radioactive plant.
The gigantic steel sarcophagus, which took years to construct, covers the dilapidated old structure around the crippled reactor, which will remain radioactive for years to come.
Chernobyl nuclear plant hasn’t been damaged and its maintenance continues, a top investment bank said, after Russia confirmed its capture
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Britain rules out ‘active role’ in Ukraine
A junior defense minister suggested miscalculations could cause an unnecessary escalation
Following Russia’s attack on the Eastern European nation, Britain said on Friday that it would not play an
“active role” in the conflict in Ukraine, warning that such action could lead to an unnecessary escalation.
“We must all in this house be clear that British and NATO troops should not, must not, play an active role in Ukraine,” the armed forces minister, James Heappey, told Parliament.
“We must all be clear what the risk of miscalculation could be, and how existential that could very quickly become if people miscalculate and things escalate unnecessarily,” he added.
The minister said any military clash between NATO and Russia posed an
“existential” and unnecessary risk.
However, he announced that the UK would send extra troops to Estonia
“earlier than planned” in an effort to reinforce its NATO ally’s defenses amid increased Russian aggression.
The Welsh battlegroup would soon arrive in the country, doubling troop numbers there, he said.
On Thursday, Russia announced the commencement of a special “
operation” in the Donbass, after the leaders of Donetsk and Lugansk asked Moscow for military assistance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move came after his government recognized the independence of the two breakaway republics in response to Ukraine’s alleged failure to implement its obligations under the Minsk agreements struck in 2014 and 2015 to resolve its conflict with the separatists.
The UK has said it would not be participating in the active defense of Ukraine following Russia’s attack on the nation
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Ireland cancels visa requirements for Ukrainians
Visa requirements between Ireland and Ukraine have been lifted with immediate effect
Visa requirements for Ukrainians traveling to Ireland are being lifted in a show of
“solidarity”, the country’s Department of Justice announced on Friday in an emergency order.
Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she is
“appalled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine” and said the emergency order will
“assist” Irish citizens and their families in Ukraine, which has faced attacks from the Russian military in recent days.
The emergency measure applies to all Ukrainians who wish to travel to Ireland amid the conflict.
Ireland had previously advised Irish citizens in Ukraine and Ukrainians against traveling to Ireland, with the official travel advice being to
“shelter in place” as they monitored ongoing tensions with Russia, according to the government’s travel site.
Citizens who wished to leave were told to leave only if it was safe to do so based on their
“location and prevailing circumstance” in a travel advisory updated the day before McEntee’s new announcement.
Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin originally suggested on Thursday, however, that the lifting of visa requirements would be forthcoming in light of Moscow’s military action in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an offensive in Ukraine on Thursday, saying the goal was demilitarization and denazification of the country.
“There will be a significant migration issue arising from these attacks, we will have to play our part in helping those who will have to flee Ukraine and we do that in solidarity with our European colleagues,” Martin said on Thursday.
Ireland announced an emergency measure saying it will lift all visa requirements between Ireland and Ukraine
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Poland and Czech Republic closing airspace to Russian airlines
Airspace over Poland and the Czech Republic will be closed to Russian airlines from midnight
Poland and the Czech Republic will close their airspace to Russian planes at midnight on Friday in the wake of Moscow's military attack on Ukraine, officials from both countries confirmed on Friday.
“
I have ordered the preparation of a resolution of the council of ministers that would lead to the closure of airspace for Russian airlines,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.
Earlier, Morawiecki condemned Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine and called on the international community to adopt harsh new sanctions in response to what he called Moscow’s “
criminal aggression.” He said that the support for Ukraine “
must be real” and include the “
fiercest possible sanctions.”
Government spokesperson Piotr Muller replied to Morawiecki’s tweet saying that “
the relevant arrangements” were immediately made and that the ban would come into force at midnight local time (02.00 Moscow time).
Soon after Poland’s decision, the Czech transport minister Martin Kupka announced that his country was “
stopping the operation of all Russian air carriers on Czech territory.”
The ban will also enter into force at midnight.
Prague also announced that, starting from February 25, it has stopped accepting all visa applications, except the ones requested on humanitarian grounds, from Russian citizens. The residence permits which have already been issued will be subject to review.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Japan have stopped issuing visas for Russian citizens, while the UK has closed its airspace to Russian airline Aeroflot. In retaliation, Russia closed its airspace to all British planes.
Russia launched a military attack on Ukraine on Thursday morning, with President Vladimir Putin saying the “
special military operation” was necessary to “
demilitarize” Ukraine and to stop Ukrainian attacks on the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. The move prompted an outcry from Western nations who levied a spate of sanctions on Moscow.
Poland and the Czech Republic announced they will close their airspace to Russian airlines amid Ukraine crisis
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Twelve thousand Chechens ready to deploy to Ukraine – Kadyrov
Chechen fighters support Moscow’s intervention in the eastern European nation, the region’s chief claims
Thousands of men from Chechnya are willing to offer assistance to Russia’s armed forces, the southern republic’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has pledged, as Moscow’s military conducted the second day of its attack on Ukraine.
On Friday, 12,000 local volunteers amassed on the central square of the regional capital, Grozny. Kadyrov informed the publication ‘Chechnya Sevodnya’ of their rally, which was organized in order to show their support for the Kremlin and their readiness to aid its objectives.
“These are volunteers who are ready to leave for any special operation at any time in order to secure our state and our people,” Kadyrov told the outlet, adding that no troops would be deployed until the “Supreme Commander in Chief” Putin gave the go-ahead.
According to the Chechen minister of national policy, Akhmed Dudayev, the aim of the congregation was to demonstrate how prepared the troops were to follow orders and defend their homeland.
“It was a check of the personnel”, Dudayev clarified to RBK, “
A check of the readiness of the personnel to carry out any orders of the supreme commander-in-chief, the country’s president, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.”
In a speech he gave to the assembled servicemen in central Grozny, Kadyrov demanded that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky apologize to Putin.
“Taking this opportunity, I want to give advice to the current President Zelensky so that he calls our President, Supreme Commander Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, and apologizes for not doing so sooner. Do it in order to save Ukraine. Ask for forgiveness and agree to all the conditions that Russia puts forward. This will be the most correct and patriotic step for him,” the leader declared.
Moscow instigated a
“special military operation” in Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday morning, with the intent to demilitarize and
“de-nazify” the country, after alleging that Kiev’s government had been responsible for eight years of genocide in the country’s war-torn Donbass region.
As the second day of the offensive draws to a close, much of Ukraine’s military has been crippled, with airports, communication centers, defense infrastructure, and military bases damaged in a series of Russian air strikes.
On Friday, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said Kiev had
“disappeared” after choosing Warsaw as a place to hold negotiations with Moscow.
“Zelensky said he was ready to discuss Ukraine’s neutral status. Initially, Putin said that the purpose of the operation was to help the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, including through the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. And this, in fact, is an integral component of neutral status,” Peskov explained.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov says 12,000 troops from the region are willing to assist Moscow in Ukraine
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Telegram experiencing outages in Europe
The messaging app is facing an “unprecedented” user load due to the ongoing events in Ukraine
Messaging app Telegram is suffering outages owing to
“unprecedented” user demand for its services in Europe, following Russia’s attack on Ukraine on Thursday morning, according to founder and CEO Pavel Durov.
“Due to today’s events, the European Telegram cluster is facing an unprecedented load. As a result, some users may experience intermittent short-term outages in a number of Telegram services,” Durov
said on his own Telegram channel.
The tech mogul said he was aware that many people were in dire need of reliable communications with their loved ones after the morning’s events.
“We will do our best to keep the speed of sending and receiving messages high,” he added.
The app’s service outages come after Russia launched a military attack on neighboring Ukraine early on Thursday – an offensive President Vladimir Putin claimed was in support of the leaders of the breakaway Donbass republics.
The assault comes days after Moscow recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics, alleging Kiev had failed to implement its obligations under the Minsk agreements, struck in 2014 and 2015, to resolve the conflict between separatists and the Ukrainian government.
Telegram is experiencing outages amid heavy service demand from users amid Russia’s military assault on Ukraine
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Russia blocks UN resolution demanding withdrawal of troops from Ukraine
Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning its invasion of Ukraine and demanding that it immediately withdraw its forces from the country.
The UN Security Council is currently chaired by the Russian ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, and Russia has veto power as a permanent member of the council.
Russia was the only opponent to the resolution, which was introduced by the US and Albania. India, China and the UAE all abstained from voting, although India’s ambassador said the country was “disturbed” by developments in Ukraine and urged for an immediate cessation of violence.
Speaking ahead of the vote on Friday evening, the US’s ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: “Russia’s latest attack on our most fundamental principles is so bold, so brazen that it threatens our international system as we know it.”
The UN Security Council “should still have a place in solving 21st century problems,” said Thomas-Greenfield. “This body charged with maintaining international peace and security was created to prevent exactly this kind of aggression from ever happening again.”
The British ambassador to the UN said Russia’s attack on Ukraine was “not self defence.” “It is naked aggression and an unprovoked, unjustified war,” said Barbara Woodward, urging other UN members to support the resolution.
“It’s a message to the world that the rules we built together must be defended,” she said. “Because otherwise, who might be next?”
Zelensky warns citizens that Russia will ‘storm’ Kyiv overnight
Addressing his Russian war ravaged nation on television just before midnight on Friday, Ukraine’s president urged his citizens to brace for the most difficult night of the conflict that could decide the nation’s freedom and independence.
“Tonight the enemy will use all the forces at their disposal to break our resistance -- vile, cruel and inhuman. Tonight they will storm. We must all understand what awaits us,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.
He spoke as Russian troops moved to surround and breach Kyiv, the country’s capital city, while also pushing deeper into the country from the north, east and south.
“We have to persevere tonight. The fate of Ukraine is being decided right now. The night will be hard, very hard, but there will be a morning,” Zelensky added.
He said “many cities of our state are under attack . . . the capital cannot be lost.”
News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication
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