Month: March 2022

White House Disavows Senator’s Call for Assassination of Putin 

The Biden administration is not advocating for regime change in Russia, the White House said Friday, after a U.S. senator called for Russians to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. “That is not the position of the U.S. government and certainly not a statement you’ll hear from — coming from the mouth of — anybody working for the administration,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in response to a question from Voice of America. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, suggested in a televised interview Thursday evening that “somebody in Russia” should assassinate Putin. He repeated his …

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IAEA Chief: Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Safe After Russian Strike

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday that the reactors at Ukraine’s largest nuclear plant had not been affected during a Russian attack on the site in the early hours Friday that shocked the globe and raised fears of a possible nuclear accident. “We confirm through our contacts at the regulator, but also directly from plant — we were able to confirm that no security or safety systems have been compromised, neither of the reactors themselves have been hit by this projectile,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. Unusually, …

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Top US Diplomat, EU Leaders Agree to Continue Pressure on Moscow

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with leaders of the European Union on Friday, pledging with them to keep pressuring Russia with sanctions in response to its invasion of Ukraine, saying Russia’s aggression is a threat relevant to the entire world. Following a similar meeting with NATO allies in Brussels, Blinken attended a special EU foreign ministers meeting. Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, the top U.S. diplomat said what is at risk with Russia’s invasion — along with the lives of Ukrainians — are fundamental principles of peace and security that the world established during two world …

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Resisting US Pressure, India Stays Neutral on Russia

Despite its growing strategic ties with the United States, India is resisting pressure from Washington to join the West and other countries in condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine for fear of alienating Moscow at a time when New Delhi views Beijing as its main threat, according to some analysts. India stayed firm in its position at the United Nations over the past week, abstaining from both a Security Council resolution “deploring” Russian aggression and a General Assembly vote condemning the invasion. Analysts say India does not want events in Europe to distract it from its own challenging security …

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За вісім днів «Укрзалізниця» евакуювала понад 1 млн громадян з гарячих точок – уряд

«Укрзалізниця» відкрила ще 2 склади для збору та відправлення гуманітарної допомоги з подальшою пересилкою залізничними шляхами до Харкова, Києва, Дніпра, Запоріжжя та Одеси» …

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UN Council Establishes Commission of Inquiry on Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council overwhelmingly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It voted Friday to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate violations of human rights and international humanitarian law resulting from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The U.N. Human Rights Council adopted the resolution by a vote of 32 in favor, 13 abstentions and two against. Only Russia and Eritrea voted no to condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  In an indication of how isolated Russia has become, even stalwart allies — China, Cuba, and Venezuela — chose to abstain rather than stand shoulder to shoulder with Moscow in rejecting …

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NATO Meets as Ukraine Calls for No-fly Zone to Hinder Russia

NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Friday to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as Kyiv called on Western allies to implement a no-fly zone or provide them with more planes to protect civilians and infrastructure including nuclear plants. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has consistently called for a no-fly zone since Moscow’s invasion more than a week ago, but NATO allies have resisted a step that could drag them into the war with nuclear-armed Russia. Speaking ahead of the meeting in NATO’s Brussels headquarters, Lithuania said the alliance would be dragged into the war if it were to enforce a …

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