Month: February 2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be hotly debated during the five-week U.N. Human Rights Council session that begins Monday.  Heads of state and other dignitaries representing more than 140 countries will address the U.N. Human Rights Council over the next three days. Quite unusually, this high-level segment will begin with a consideration of a request from Ukraine to hold an urgent debate on the “situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression.” The council’s president, Argentinian Ambassador Federico Villegas, told journalists in Geneva that an urgent debate can take place as soon as the 47-member body decides …

READ MORE

 Belarusians cast ballots Sunday in a constitutional referendum that the country’s authoritarian leader called to cement his 27-year old grip on power, even as he offers the country’s territory to his ally Russia to invade Ukraine. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has edged even closer to Russia amid crippling Western sanctions over his crackdown on domestic protests, said he was confident that Belarusians will support a set of constitutional amendments that would allow him to stay in power until 2035. The revised main law also sheds Belarus’ neutral status, opening the way for stronger military cooperation with Russia, which deployed …

READ MORE

Russian troops continued to battle Ukrainian defense forces and citizen soldiers for control of Kyiv, the capital, and other cities Sunday, the fourth day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sunday Russian troops entered Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where they encountered heavy resistance. Ukraine’s top prosecutor, Iryna Venediktova, said the Russian forces have been unable to take Kharkiv, about 40 kilometers from the Russian border. She said a fierce battle is underway, according to The Associated Press. Early Sunday the Ukrainian president’s office reported an explosion in Kharkiv and said Russian forces had blown up a gas pipeline. The explosion could …

READ MORE

For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, all times EST: 3:08 a.m.: Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs invites foreigners to help defend Ukraine.   2:11 a.m.: The Associated Press reports that Russian troops have entered Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, and there’s fighting in the streets. 1:44 a.m.: Protesters rallying in support of Ukraine pray in Australia. 1:12 a.m.: A show of support outside the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington. 12:41 a.m.: Oil tanks burn after a massive explosion near Kyiv. CNN has video. 12:05 a.m.: …

READ MORE

China refused to join its close friend, Russia, in vetoing a U.S.-backed resolution in the U.N. Security Council deploring Russia’s attack on Ukraine. China abstained on the motion but also made statements that could be extremely disappointing to Moscow. Zhang Jun, China’s U.N. ambassador, called for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as it was being violated by Russia. “Ukraine should become a bridge between the East and the West, not an outpost for confrontation between major powers,” Zhang said. However, he also called for understanding Russia’s fears about NATO attempts to expand and include Ukraine as a member. China has been using this argument about sovereignty and territorial integrity in rejecting foreign comments and opinions …

READ MORE

The U.S. is revisiting cutting Russia from the global bank-to-bank payment system known as SWIFT, as the next step in a series of escalating sanctions punishing Moscow for the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden initially held back on this crucial step that would isolate Russia on the world stage and have a serious impact on its economy, due to the concerns of European allies. But those concerns appeared to be eroding Saturday as Russian forces moved to encircle the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Ukraine has lobbied for a SWIFT ban on Russia, urging Europe to act more …

READ MORE

Russia’s communications regulator accused 10 local media outlets on Saturday of falsely depicting what Russia calls a special military operation in Ukraine and distributing false information about events there. Among those sent warning letters were Echo Moskvy, a popular radio station, and Novaya Gazeta, a newspaper critical of the government whose editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov was awarded a Nobel Peace prize last year. Roskomnadzor, the regulator, ordered the media to delete the offending information or face restricted access to their websites and media resources. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last week, saying it needed to demilitarize its neighbor. …

READ MORE