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Subject: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:02 pm
2-23-2022
Russia, Ukraine, USA -
US Stokes Tensions With Russia by Building Military Base 100 Miles From Border.
On February 21, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), he sent troops into those regions to carry out what he called “peacekeeping functions.” This was undertaken in response to actions that Russia characterized as a Ukranian government offensive.
During the previous weekend, Ukraine had significantly increased fire against residential sections of DPR and LPR, reportedly launching 1,600 projectiles and killing civilians. Nikolai Pankov, deputy Russian defense minister, said that Ukraine has 60,000 troops prepared to attack DPR and LPR, an intention Ukraine has denied.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres characterized ____ “the decision of the Russian Federation to be a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”
When Putin announced Russia’s recognition of the DPR and LPR in the Donbas region, he stated that if Ukraine was to join NATO, it would be a “direct threat” to Russia. The situation is “like having a knife against our throat,” Putin said, adding that Russia has “a right to take countermeasures to enhance our own security.”
This uptick in tensions is taking place in the context of a structural escalation from the U.S. that deserves more than a passing mention by the media:
On February 16, The New York Times reported that the United States is building “a highly sensitive U.S. military installation” in Poland, just 100 miles from Russia’s border. The base, which is scheduled to begin operation this year, is a site from which the U.S. could deploy nuclear-armed missiles.
“The advanced and potentially nuclear armed missile deployments in Poland, Romania, and on the Black Sea constituted a clear threat to Russia,”
Russia is seeking a legally binding agreement from the United States that Ukraine will not be invited to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a historically anti-Russia military alliance, as well as other security guarantees.
“A NATO Ukraine could mean moving Romanian and Black Sea US missiles still further north into Ukraine right up to Russia’s border,” Rasmus noted. “With similar NATO forces in the Baltics on its border, Russia would be surrounded with NATO missiles just a few minutes from Moscow.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on February 14 that Russia wants “radical changes in the sphere of European security,” a pullback of NATO troops in Eastern Europe, and limitations on offensive weapons as well as restrictions on intermediate-range missiles.
These proposals are enshrined in two treaties that Russia proposed on December 22, 2021, to make the region more secure and less vulnerable to war. The parties to one treaty would be NATO and the Russian Federation. The United States and the Russian Federation would be parties to the other treaty.
The Proposed NATO-Russia Federation Treaty The proposed NATO-Russia treaty provides in Article 5 that the parties “shall not deploy land-based intermediate- and short-range missiles in areas allowing them to reach the territory of the other Parties.”
The United States is building “a highly sensitive U.S. military installation” in Poland, just 100 miles from Russia’s border. The base … could deploy nuclear-armed missiles.
Article 6 of the proposed treaty, the parties “commit themselves to refrain from any further enlargement of NATO, including the accession of Ukraine as well as other States.”
Article 7 states that “member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization shall not conduct any military activity on the territory of Ukraine as well as other States in the Eastern Europe, in the South Caucasus and in Central Asia.”
The Proposed U.S.-Russia Federation Treaty In the proposed U.S.-Russia treaty, the parties would agree___ “to avoid any military confrontation and armed conflict between the Parties and realiz[e] that direct military clash between them could result in the use of nuclear weapons that would have far-reaching consequences.”
Article 3 of the proposed treaty provides: “The Parties shall not use the territories of other States with a view to preparing or carrying out an armed attack against the other Party or other actions affecting core security interests of the other Party.”
Article 4 reads: “The United States of America shall undertake to prevent further eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and deny accession to the Alliance to the States of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.”
Article 4 also says that the United States “shall not establish military bases in the territory of the States of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics that are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.”
Article 7 states, “The Parties shall refrain from deploying nuclear weapons outside their national territories and return such weapons already deployed outside their national territories at the time of the entry into force of the Treaty to their national territories. The Parties shall eliminate all existing infrastructure for deployment of nuclear weapons outside their national territories.”
The United States and NATO have refused to respond positively to Russia’s treaty proposals and have continued to fan the flames of the Ukraine conflict with anti-Russia propaganda, aided and abetted by the corporate media. But the volatile situation in Ukraine can be traced to U.S. meddling in the region.
The U.S. Facilitated the 2014 Coup That Overthrew Ukraine’s Elected President. Absent from the corporate media’s Ukraine coverage are discussions of the U.S. role in the 2014 coup in Ukraine, when the United States helped to overthrow Ukraine’s elected president.
In 2013, President Viktor Yanukovych had resisted economic reforms sought by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to make Ukraine more enticing to investors. Those reforms included lowering wages and reducing the education and health sectors (which comprised most of Ukrainian employment), as well as cutting natural gas subsidies that facilitated affordable energy for Ukrainians. After the coup, the new U.S.-backed government cut heating subsidies in half, and in return, secured a $27 billion commitment from the IMF.
Minsk II, a package of measures aimed at ending the war in the Donbas region of Ukraine, was agreed to in 2015 by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France. In the run-up to the coup, the United States promoted anti-government opinion through the use of USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). “The NED is a key organization in the network of American soft power that pours $170 million a year into organizations dedicated to defending or installing US-friendly regimes,” according to Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR). “The NED targets governments who oppose US military or economic policy, stirring up anti-government opposition.” In 2013, NED President Carl Gershman wrote in The Washington Post that Ukraine was the “biggest prize” in the rivalry between the East and West.
Then-U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland was instrumental in engineering the coup, which drew momentum from neo-Nazi groups within Ukraine. As FAIR explains, “The Washington-backed opposition that toppled the government was fueled by far-right and openly Nazi elements.” Following the coup, those neo-Nazi elements were incorporated into the Ukrainian military, to which the United States has funneled $2.5 billion.
Regime change advocate Nuland is now serving as under secretary for political affairs in the Biden administration’s State Department. Only the United States and Ukraine voted against a December 2021 United Nations General Assembly resolution on “combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism.”
Russia Considered the U.S.-Backed Coup a Threat to Its Security. Russia saw the installation of a U.S.-backed government in Ukraine as a threat to its security. The Crimean Peninsula, historically part of Russia, was transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954. It is the site of one of Russia’s two naval bases that access the Mediterranean and Black seas. “A Crimea controlled by a US-backed Ukrainian government was a major threat to Russian naval access,” Bryce Greene wrote at FAIR.
Moreover, 82 percent of households in Crimea speak Russian and just 2 percent speak primarily Ukrainian. In a plebiscite held right after the 2014 coup, 95 percent of voters chose to join Russia instead of remaining under the new Ukrainian government. Russia then annexed Crimea.
In 2014, the mainly Russian areas of Ukraine — Donetsk and Luhansk — on the Russian border also chose to secede from Ukraine. Since then, those regions have functioned separately from Ukraine with support from Russia and have seen ongoing intermittent fighting.
Russia Fears That Ukraine Will Join NATO As the USSR was breaking up in 1990-1991, the U.S. government promised the Soviet Union it would not expand NATO eastward in return for Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s agreement not to oppose the reunification of Germany.
By 1999, however, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic had all joined NATO. Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia joined in 2004, followed by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, notwithstanding George Kennan’s admonition, “Expanding NATO would be the most fateful error of American policy in the post-Cold War era.”
Although there is skepticism from some well-informed quarters that Ukraine will actually become a NATO member, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed NATO’s 2008 pledge to offer membership in the alliance to Ukraine and Georgia. “We stand by that decision,” Stoltenberg declared on December 16, 2021.
A week after Stoltenberg’s declaration, Putin said, “We have made it clear that NATO’s move to the east is unacceptable,” adding that, “the United States is standing with missiles on our doorstep.” Putin queried, “How would the Americans react if missiles were placed at the border with Canada or Mexico?”
Putin was incensed by the George W. Bush administration’s 2001 withdrawal from the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty, which had worked for almost 30 years.
Likewise, Lavrov denounced the U.S.’s 2019 withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, in which the parties had agreed not to deploy nuclear-armed missiles in Eastern Europe or on the western border of Russia.
From Russia’s point of view, NATO’s “eastward expansion has created an unacceptable national security risk,” Scott Ritter wrote at Energy Intelligence. “Any accession to Nato by the former Soviet Republics of Ukraine or Georgia is viewed [by Russia] as an existential threat that would require a ‘military-technical’ response.”
“We don’t have a border with Ukraine — we have a border with America, because they are the masters in that country,” Viktor Zolotny, head of Russia’s National Guard, declared before Putin’s February 21 announcement. “Of course we must recognize the republics, but I want to say that we must go farther in order to defend our country.”
Enforce the Minsk Agreements As the Beijing Winter Olympics began in early February, Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping signed a joint statement opposing the expansion of NATO.
China and Russia stated they “oppose the further expansion of Nato, call on the North Atlantic alliance to abandon the ideologised approaches of the cold war, respect the sovereignty, security and interests of other countries, the diversity of their civilisational and cultural-historical patterns, and treat the peaceful development of other states objectively and fairly.”
Minsk II, a package of measures aimed at ending the war in the Donbas region of Ukraine, was agreed to in 2015 by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France. The talks that resulted in the agreement were overseen by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). A UN Security Council resolution of February 17, 2015 — labeled as S/RES/2202 — endorsed the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements” signed on February 12, 2015.
The 13 points contained in the Minsk Agreement set forth military and political steps that include a ceasefire, withdrawal of weapons, dialogue about interim self-government of Donetsk and Luhansk, constitutional reform and elections.
But the majority of the steps in the Minsk Agreement have not been implemented, and Ukraine’s government has clearly indicated that it does not intend to implement the agreement.
In a recent meeting between Putin and President Joe Biden, Russia demanded that the West pressure Ukraine to fulfill its obligation under the 2015 Minsk Agreement. After Russia recognized the independence of DPR and LPR, UN Secretary-General Guterres called for “the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, in accordance with the Minsk Agreements, as endorsed by the Security Council in resolution 2202 (2015).”
UN Expert Says Russians in Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea Have a Right to Self-Determination The United Nations Charter, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, enshrine the right of peoples to self-determination. According to professor Alfred de Zayas, who served as UN Independent Expert on International Order from 2012-2018, the Russians in Ukraine constitute a “people,” and therefore “the Russians in Donetsk, [Luhansk] and Crimea possess the right to self-determination.”
On February 18, the U.K.-based Stop the War Coalition issued a statement saying, “The crisis should be settled on a basis which recognizes the right of the Ukrainian people to self-determination and addresses Russia’s security concerns.”
The thousands of signatories to the statement declared, “We refute the idea that NATO is a defensive alliance, and believe its record in Afghanistan, Yugoslavia and Libya over the last generation, not to mention the U.S.-British attack on Iraq, clearly proves otherwise.”
Russia and Ukraine should reach a diplomatic settlement on the basis of the Minsk II agreement already signed by both states, the statement says.
Signatories to the Stop the War statement include former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, a dozen members of Parliament, and the heads of several U.K. unions.
The Wise And Powerful Admin
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:16 pm
Temple Regular Member
Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29
Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Wed Feb 23, 2022 6:16 pm
The Wise And Powerful wrote:
That was the point-- Especially for you btw; did you read all 40000,00 words?? If so- you do understand it, yes?
Temple Regular Member
Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29
Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Thu Feb 24, 2022 3:07 pm
2-24-2022
Soldiers' mothers say Putin's men beat and tricked their sons into war with Ukraine.
Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, a non-government Russian organization that reports human rights violations, is claiming that Vladimir Putin's officials beat and tricked their own military soldiers in an effort to get them to invade Ukraine.
The Daily Beast reported the group is working on a complaint for the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office saying that their sons who recently joined were told they were going to the border for "drills." Their contracts were then immediately changed and the young men were moved into a war.
“They are switching entire regiments to contract [soldiers,] although the guys did not submit any formal requests for this, and took no such initiative. There are instances of physical violence, and beatings of those who refuse to become contract soldiers," said the group's deputy chair Andrei Kurochkin.
"And after that it’s completely unknown [what happens to them], because they take away their phones. We've had a flurry of calls from scared mothers all over Russia. They are crying, they don’t know if their children are alive or healthy."
He went on to call it "complete catastrophe."
“If there is a war, then professionals should deal with it, and not untrained ‘green’ guys,” Kurochkin said.
Two soldiers have already been captured, according to the Ukrainian government. Ukraine's Defense Ministry also said that the Russian soldiers had suffered losses.
British Defense Minister Ben Wallace released footage of mobile crematoriums used to hide the sight of dead Russian soldiers from the world. He said they completely "evaporate" the bodies.
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Mon Feb 28, 2022 3:31 am
Ukraine to meet with Russia on Belarusian border; Russia tries to halt ruble's slump: live updates Jay Cannon, Celina Tebor, David Jackson and Caren Bohan, USA TODAY Mon, February 28, 2022, 3:13 AM
Ukraine’s government confirmed that a delegation is set to meet with Russian officials Monday, as Russia's Central Bank dramatically hiked interest rates to try to slow the ruble's plunge.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office said on the Telegram messaging app that the two sides would meet at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border. The talks are expected to take place Monday, according to CNN.
Russian President Vladimir Putin put his nuclear forces on increased alert on Sunday in a major escalation of tensions with the West. Russia’s conventional military assault on Ukraine entered its fourth day with fighting in the streets of the country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, and troops moving closer to the capital Kyiv.
The Russian military offered to allow residents to leave Kyiv via a safe corridor while it has beefed up for an onslaught on the capital.
In Moscow, Russia’s Central Bank sharply raised its key borrowing rate from 9.5% to 20% in a desperate attempt to shore up the plummeting ruble and prevent the run of banks amid crippling Western sanctions over the Russian war in Ukraine.
The Central Bank also ordered a slew of measures to help the banks cope with the crisis by infusing more cash into the system and easing restrictions for banking operations. At the same time, it temporarily barred non-residents from selling the government obligations to help ease the pressure on ruble from panicky foreign investors eager to cash out.
A few things to catch you up on:
Ukraine civilian death toll estimated at 352 but is likely much higher, officials say
The civilian death toll from Russia's invasion of Ukraine has risen to 352, including 14 children, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal affairs said Sunday. The ministry said 1,684 people had been injured.
The United Nations had announced the civilian death toll had reached 240 by Saturday, but stressed that the actual figure was potentially "considerably higher.”
– Jay Cannon
Pope Francis offers to help solve Ukraine crisis
ROME – The Vatican is offering to help in any negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s No. 2 official, told several Italian newspapers in an interview published on Monday that the Holy See is “offering its willingness to facilitate dialogue with Russia."
An employee from the Emergency Situation Inspectorate soothes the crying baby of a family fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022.
On Friday, Pope Francis took the extraordinary step of visiting the Russian Embassy to the Holy See to meet with the Russian ambassador. The pontiff urged an end to fighting and a return to negotiations, Parolin said.
While Orthodox Christians are predominant among the faithful in Ukraine, the Catholic Church has a discreet presence in that country through believers who follow the Eastern Rite of Catholicism.
– Associated Press
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson: 'Putin must fail'
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed that Western allies would impose the harshest economic sanctions possible against Russian President Vladimir Putin for his "abhorrent campaign against Ukraine."
The European Union has announced unprecedented new actions against Russia, outlining plans to close its airspace to Russian airlines, fund a weapons purchase to assist Ukraine and ban some pro-Kremlin media outlets, while the Associated Press reported the United States approved the delivery of anti-aircraft Stinger missiles to Ukraine.
Western powers in support of Ukraine could soon be joined by Switzerland, an oftentimes neutral country that on Monday is set to review potential sanctions and asset freezes against Russia, said President Ignazio Cassis via Reuters. Cassis said it was “very probable” the country would follow suit, the outlet reported.
"Putin must fail," the British prime minister wrote on Twitter.
– Caren Bohan and Associated Press
Russia, Ukraine to hold talks
After rejecting Putin’s offer to meet in the Belarusian city of Homel on the grounds that Belarus was helping the Russian assault, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to send a Ukrainian delegation to meet Russian counterparts at an unspecified time and location on the Belarusian border. CNN quoted a Ukrainian official saying the talks are expected to take place Monday.
Ukraine's announcement that it would meet came hours after Russia said its delegation had flown to Belarus to await talks. Ukrainian officials initially rejected the location, saying any discussions should take place elsewhere. Belarus has allowed Russia to use its territory as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine.
– Associated Press
Russia signals plans for fresh onslaught on Kyiv, offers residents 'safe corridor' out The Russian military offered to allow residents to leave Kyiv via a safe corridor while it has beefed up for an onslaught on the capital.
With Russian troops closing in around Kyiv, a city of almost 3 million, the mayor of the capital expressed doubt that civilians could be evacuated. Authorities have been handing out weapons to anyone willing to defend the city. Ukraine is also releasing prisoners with military experience who want to fight, and training people to make firebombs.
But Russian Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the military would let Kyiv residents use a highway that leads out of the city to the southwest — an offer that appeared to signal a new onslaught is coming.
A nearly 40-hour curfew in Kyiv ended on Monday morning. The curfew will resume each night, from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m.
– Associated Press
Neutral Switzerland 'probable' to hit Russia with financial sanctions, president says
After days of fence-sitting, Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said on Sunday it was "very probable" that neutral Switzerland would follow the European Union’s lead and sanction Russia and freeze Russian assets in the country.
Reuters reported that Cassis, who was interviewed on French-language Swiss public television, said the nation's seven-member Federal Council would meet Monday and review recommendations by finance and economy officials.
"It is very probable that the government will decide to do so tomorrow, but I cannot anticipate decisions not yet taken," Cassis said, via Reuters.
Switzerland, a global financial hub and commodities trading center, has so far resisted calls for it to levy sanctions and possibly freeze Russian assets, especially after the EU and U.S. announced sanctions.
It was not known immediately how many wealthy Russian elites, especially oligarchs close to Putin, have stashed money in Swiss banks, known for their strong privacy firewalls. But various leaks of banking documents over the years suggest they have a sizable amount invested in Switzerland.
In 2018, Swiss banks reportedly frozen $1 billion in the accounts of one oligarch alone – Russian metals tycoon Viktor Vekselberg – over fears that they could be fined for doing business with him after Washington levied sanctions against the businessman, the Moscow Times reported at the time.
– Josh Meyer
US official: Belarus may join Ukraine invasion
A senior U.S. intelligence official says Belarus is expected to send troops into Ukraine as soon as Monday to fight alongside Russian forces that invaded Ukraine last week.
Belarus has been providing support for Russia’s war effort, but so far has not taken a direct part in the conflict.
The American official has direct knowledge of current U.S. intelligence assessments and says the decision by Belarus’ leader on whether to bring Belarus further into the war depends on talks between Russia and Ukraine happening in the coming days. The official spoke anonymously to discuss the sensitive information.
Russian forces have encountered strong resistance from Ukraine defenders, and U.S. officials say they believe the invasion has been more difficult, and slower, than the Kremlin envisioned, though that could change as Moscow adapts.
— Associated Press
Two United Nations sessions scheduled for Monday
The U.N.’s two major bodies – the 193-nation General Assembly and the more powerful 15-member Security Council – will hold separate meetings Monday on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a reflection of widespread international demands for an immediate cease-fire and escalating concern for the plight of millions of Ukrainians caught up in the war.
The Security Council gave a green light Sunday for the first emergency session of the General Assembly in decades. It will give all U.N. members an opportunity to speak about the war Monday and vote on a resolution later in the week that U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said would “hold Russia to account for its indefensible actions and for its violations of the U.N. Charter.”
French Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere announced that the Security Council will hold a meeting Monday afternoon on the humanitarian impact of Russia’s invasion, a session sought by French President Emmanuel Macron to ensure the delivery of aid to growing numbers of those in need in Ukraine.
Both meetings follow Russia’s veto Friday of a Security Council resolution demanding that Moscow immediately stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops. The vote was 11-1, with China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining.
– Associated Press
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Mon Feb 28, 2022 3:58 am
Leaked document shows Russia is preparing for 'a massive medical emergency' of Ukraine war casualties Bethany Dawson Sat, February 26, 2022, 5:12 AM
Leaked documents sent to ITV News show that Russia is preparing for a major medical event.
The health ministry is compiling lists of medical professionals for deployment.
A Ukrainian military official said that this could show that Putin "has the intention to go until the end."
Leaked documents show that Russia is preparing for many casualties caused by Putin's invasion of Ukraine and is preparing to draft civilian medics from across the country, said ITV News.
The documents, sent exclusively to ITV news and signed by Deputy Health Minister Plutnitsky, ask medical teams "to be promptly involved in activities aimed at saving lives & preserving the health of people in Russia."
Emma Burrows, ITV's news editor, wrote that it "indicates Russia is anticipating a massive medical emergency" and could be forced to deploy doctors and medics from health organizations across the country.
It requests that medical institutions send a list of medical specialists and their details to the Russian health ministry to deploy them when needed. Medics that it is looking for include trauma, heart, maxillofacial and pediatric surgeons, anesthetists, radiologists, nurses (including for operating rooms), and infectious disease specialists.
The document states that these people will be paid by the "Federal Center of Medical Disasters."
A Ukrainian military official told ITV news that this document shows that the Russians "did not expect to face such a level of resistance and losses" and that they are "far from achieving their goals" of a quick, surprise attack.
They also added that this leaked document could show that Putin intends to "go until the end, despite huge losses of personnel."
An intelligence update by the UK Ministry of Defence on February 26 stated that "Russian casualties are likely to be heavy and greater than anticipated or acknowledged by the Kremlin."
According to the official Ukrainian Parliamentary Telegram channel, the Ukrainian military has killed over 3,000 Russian troops and captured 200. Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is quoted in Ukrainian media saying, "this shows that Ukraine has not just survived, Ukraine is winning!"
The Wise And Powerful Admin
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Mon Feb 28, 2022 10:04 am
Belarus Issues Dire World War III Warning as It Gets Ready to Send Troops to Ukraine Barbie Latza Nadeau, The Daily Beast Mon, February 28, 2022, 3:00 AM
The Putin-backed president of Belarus has warned that World War III could be about to begin as he reportedly prepares his troops to assist with Russia’s mass-scale invasion of Ukraine.
President Alexander Lukashenko warned that the crisis in Ukraine could spark a global conflict, writing in a statement: “Russia is being pushed towards a third world war. We should be very reserved and steer clear of it. Because nuclear war is the end of everything.”
Despite the dire warning, the increasingly rogue leader—who allowed Russia to amass its military hardware and launch an attack from his side of the border—is expected to send troops into Ukraine, according to The Washington Post, citing an unnamed Biden administration official who said, “It’s very clear Minsk is now an extension of the Kremlin.”
The threat of Belarus joining the invasion cast a shadow over Monday’s peace talks which began on the Belarus border town of Gobel shortly before 1 p.m. local time.
The talks, which were not attended by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky or Russian President Vladimir Putin, were assisted by Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich, who owns Chelsea Football Club. Abromavoich attended at the request of Ukraine, according to the Jerusalem Post, which cites his close ties to close ties to the Jewish communities in Russia and Ukraine, of which Zelensky is part.
Ukraine’s first request was an immediate ceasefire, which was denied as bullets and missiles continued to rain down across the country, especially in Kharkiv, which was came under heavy cluster bomb attacks Monday afternoon, according to CNN. On social media, several Western journalists posted images too gruesome to repost of an elderly woman whose devastating wounds that blew off her legs eventually proved fatal.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei opened the session with a message meant to clam nerves. “Dear friends, the President of Belarus asked me to welcome you and to provide everything for your work, as agreed with President Zelensky and President Putin,” he said. “You may feel completely safe here. This is our sacred duty.”
Lukashenko had called Zelensky on Sunday and offered to guarantee his safety if he should attend the peace summit on the Ukraine border with Belarus, saying he would take “responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on the Belarusian territory will remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation's travel, meeting and return.”
Zelensky declined the offer, choosing instead to continue fighting off Russian troops in the capital city of Kyiv where heavy fighting seemed to calm down overnight with the Russian military opening a safe corridor for Ukrainian civilians to leave the capital city after the end of a weekend-long curfew. Instead many lined up for food and other supplies to hunker back down or stay to protect their city.
Heavy fighting continued elsewhere, including the cities of Chernihiv and Kharkiv, which European and British defense ministries confirm is still under Ukrainian control despite heavy losses. Ukraine’s defense ministry confirmed Monday that dozens had been killed and hundreds injured after brutal Russian fire power.
Russian forces have instead reportedly secured the Black Sea city of Berdyansk and the city of Kherson near Crimea. NATO head Jens Stoltenberg tweeted on Monday that NATO partners are “providing Ukraine with air-defence missiles and anti-tank weapons.”
In Mariupol, which has seen some of the deadliest fighting, a 6-year-old girl in unicorn pajamas died after being hit by Russian firepower. The doctor who tried to save her told an Associated Press crew, “Show this to Putin. The eyes of this child, and crying doctors.”
Ukraine’s defense ministry was also bolstered by intense interest in its “International Legion” of foreign fighters. After putting out a call over the weekend for any foreign nationals to come join the fight to protect Ukraine, the ministry said it received “thousands” of messages from people who wished to help.
The Russian military has been hit with a series of setbacks, even admitting they had suffered casualties against the scrappier and smaller Ukrainian military for the first time. “The Russian occupiers have reduced the pace of the offensive, but are still trying to develop success in some areas in the offensive against Ukraine,” Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers posted Twitter Monday.
In recent days, Russians have had to resort to drawing on their fuel and logistics supplies “earlier” than U.S. officials think they planned to, because of Ukrainian resistance the official said. In their own version of events, Russia claimed control over Ukraine's airspace. “Russian aviation has gained air supremacy over the entire territory of Ukraine,” Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
The senior defense official pushed back on that idea, telling reporters Monday that airspace is still contested in Ukraine. The Russians also haven’t successfully taken the cities of Kharkiv or Mariupol, the official said, adding that Ukrainians are putting up “stiff and determined resistance” in those cities.
There are not yet indications Belarus forces are in Ukraine, the senior U.S. defense official said Monday.
As the fighting rages, over 400,000 Ukrainians—mostly women and children—have left the country with many crossing into Poland. Men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country.
oliver clotheshoffe Regular Member
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Mon Feb 28, 2022 12:43 pm
“Russia is being pushed towards a third world war" - um, isn't Russia the one doing the pushing?
The Wise And Powerful Admin
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Mon Feb 28, 2022 2:49 pm
17-mile-long Russian convoy reaches outskirts of Kyiv Grayson Quay, Weekend editor Mon, February 28, 2022, 2:26 PM MST
A 17-mile-long convoy comprising hundreds of Russian military vehicles reached the outskirts of Kyiv on Monday, CNN reported.
Per CNN, the convoy was originally identified on Sunday in satellite imagery provided by Maxar Technologies. At the time, it was approximately 40 miles from Kyiv. By around 11:00 a.m. on Monday, the convoy was positioned near Antonov air base, about 17 miles from the city center of Kyiv.
Russian forces captured the air base on Friday after heavy fighting, BBC reported.
A source described as a "western official" told CNN on Monday that Russia is "well behind the schedule it set" for the invasion. Kyiv has already outlasted the worst-case scenario U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley outlined before the invasion when he said the Ukrainian capital could fall within 72 hours.
According to Ukrainian military sources, Russian reconnaissance forces made several attempts to push into Kyiv on Friday night but were repelled after vicious street fighting. Russian troops have also fired missiles into the Ukrainian capital.
The main body of Russian troops pushing south from Belarus has not yet attacked the city, but the large number of tanks, artillery pieces, and other vehicles in the convoy could signal that a major assault is immanent.
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Mon Feb 28, 2022 4:45 pm
Ukraine's ambassador to U.S. says Russia used a vacuum bomb on Monday Mon, February 28, 2022, 3:34 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ukraine's ambassador to the United States appealed to members of the U.S. Congress for more assistance on Monday as her country resists a "brutal war" from Russia, saying Russia had used a vacuum bomb on Monday in its invasion of Ukraine.
"They used the vacuum bomb today, which is actually prohibited by the Geneva convention," Ambassador Oksana Markarova said after a meeting with lawmakers. "The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large."
She said Ukraine was working actively with U.S. President Joe Biden's administration and Congress to obtain more weapons and tougher sanctions.
"They should pay, they should pay a heavy price," she told reporters after leaving the meeting.
One lawmaker who attended the meeting, Democratic Representative Brad Sherman, said the Ukrainians had asked for a U.S.-enforced no-fly zone over Ukraine but that he felt that was too dangerous because it could provoke conflict with Russia.
A vacuum bomb uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, typically producing a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than that of a conventional explosive.
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Tue Mar 01, 2022 1:54 pm
Belarus' Lukashenko may have accidentally shared a map of Russia's Ukrainian-invasion plans Katie Balevic, John Haltiwanger Tue, March 1, 2022, 11:41 AM MST
The Belarusian president may have shared on live TV Russia's plan of attack on Ukraine.
Alexander Lukashenko showed "what looks like an actual invasion map," a reporter tweeted.
The map also showed Ukraine divided into four sections.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko may have accidentally shared Russia's invasion plans for Ukraine on live television.
A short video shared by the Belarusian journalist Tadeusz Giczan on Twitter showed Lukashenko pointing to a map of Ukraine. Lukashenko is a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I thank these guys," Lukashenko said, though it was unclear who he was referring to. "They warned us, and literally, six hours before the launch of the missiles, we discovered this."
Russia's Iskander tactical missile system was "located here, right?" he added.
At that point, someone off-screen says, "In the Mazyr area," referring to a Belarusian city.
"In the Mazyr area," Lukashenko said. "We hit these rockets, these positions. And we haven't seen them afterward. During the offensive of the Russians in Ukraine, we already did not see them from the position. That's why I'm saying, yes, we have made launches from the territory of Belarus, and I told, frankly, which positions we targeted. Sit down."
The video appeared to be published by a Belarusian pro-state Telegram channel.
Ukraine's parliament said on Tuesday that Belarusian troops had entered the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine, near the country's border with Belarus.
It said the information was confirmed by Vitaliy Kyrylov, spokesperson for the North Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine.
The development came hours after Lukashenko told state news media that his country's troops were not joining Russia in its assault on Ukraine.
A US defense official told reporters on Tuesday there was "no confirmation that the Belarusians are entering Ukraine, we've seen no indication of that," according to Politico.
Tuesday marked the sixth day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which prompted protests around the world, including in Russia. Western nations have since levied heavy sanctions and other restrictive financial measures against Russia, in moves strongly condemned by the Kremlin.
Lukashenko, often referred to as "Europe's last dictator," is an authoritarian who has been in power since 1994.
He is widely considered to be a puppet of Putin and relies heavily on the Kremlin's support to stay in power. Lukashenko faced mass protests in Belarus in 2020 after he won a sixth term in an election widely regarded as rigged.
The Belarusian president faced global condemnation last year for grounding a Ryanair flight (which was escorted it into Minsk, Belarus' capital, with a fighter jet), citing a security threat, to arrest a prominent dissident. Experts said Lukashenko would not have engaged in such a brazen move without Putin's permission.
Lukashenko is now Putin's closest ally in Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Tue Mar 01, 2022 1:56 pm
A top Russian official appeared to threaten France with 'real war' after the French finance minister said Western sanctions would 'cause the collapse of the Russian economy' Kate Duffy Tue, March 1, 2022, 6:12 AM
France's finance minister said Tuesday that Western sanctions would cause the Russian economy's collapse.
A top Russian official responded immediately, saying that economic wars often turn into "real wars."
The West has leveled sweeping sanctions against Russia that appear to be disrupting its economy.
A top Russian official appeared to threaten France with "real war" on Tuesday as he responded to saber-rattling comments from the French finance minister about the effects of punitive Western sanctions.
In an interview with French radio on Tuesday morning, Bruno Le Maire said the West aimed to "cause the collapse of the Russian economy" through an "economic and financial war on Russia," for which the Russian population "will also pay the consequences."
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former prime minister and now deputy chairman of its security council, was quick to respond on Twitter.
He said: "A French minister said today that they have declared an economic war on us. Watch what you say, gentlemen! And don't forget that in the history of mankind, economic wars have often turned into real wars."
Western nations including France have imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia, targeting everything from its central bank and leading financial institutions to President Vladimir Putin himself.
The sanctions seem to have already disrupted the Russian economy. On Monday, the value of the ruble crashed by as much as 30% against the US dollar, forcing Russia's central bank to more than double its base interest rate to 20%. Meanwhile, Russians were pictured at ATMs trying to withdraw foreign currency.
In the interview with France Info on Tuesday, Le Maire said that economic and financial sanctions leveled by the West against Russia were "extremely effective," adding: "I don't want to leave any ambiguity about the determination of Europe on this subject. We are going to wage an economic and financial war on Russia."
He continued: "We want to target the heart of the Russian system. We'll target Vladimir Putin. We'll target the oligarchs. But we'll also target the entire Russian economy."
He added: "Sanctions must strike fast, strike hard, and we are already seeing the effects. The ruble has collapsed by 30%. Russian foreign-exchange reserves are melting like snow in the sun, and Vladimir Putin's famous war chest has already reduced to almost nothing."
Le Maire said, "We are going to cause the collapse of the Russian economy."
On Monday, the US rolled out sanctions intended to prevent Putin from accessing a $630 billion foreign-exchange "war chest" he could use to prop up Russia's battered economy. The move followed analogous sanctions from the European Union and the UK.
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Tue Mar 01, 2022 6:11 pm
3-1-2022
Zelensky assassination plot foiled _ after members of Russia's Federal Security Service tip off Ukrainians.
According to a new report from Axios, Ukrainian officials have thwarted an assassination plot against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -- and they got tipped off by an unexpected source.
An official Telegram post from Ukrainian authorities claims that the plot against Zelensky was relayed to them by "members of Russia's Federal Security Service who do not support the war" in Ukraine.
Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council chief Oleksiy Danilov explained that the plot involved a unit of elite Chechen special forces who had subsequently been "eliminated" before they could achieve their objective of murdering the Ukrainian president.
Zelensky has become a focal point of Russian efforts to crush Ukrainian resistance, as he has defiantly remained in the capitol of Kyiv to direct the war effort despite intelligence that he is the target of multiple Russian assassination plots.
The United States government reportedly offered to give Zelensky safe transportation out of Kyiv, but he turned down the offer.
oliver clotheshoffe Regular Member
Posts : 1724 Join date : 2019-02-04 Age : 65
Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Tue Mar 01, 2022 8:48 pm
Temple wrote:
3-1-2022
Zelensky assassination plot foiled _ after members of Russia's Federal Security Service tip off Ukrainians.
Sounds like B.S. but it's pretty good B.S.
Temple Regular Member
Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29
Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Wed Mar 02, 2022 2:12 pm
This is sickimg! Russia- go fuck yourselves! read this---
Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Wed Mar 02, 2022 7:11 pm
At this point I'm not believing anything I hear. Until there's proof it's propaganda.
"Hear everything, trust nothing" - Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #190
oliver clotheshoffe Regular Member
Posts : 1724 Join date : 2019-02-04 Age : 65
Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Thu Mar 03, 2022 7:49 am
Apparently it's a very good time to visit Ukraine. All hotels are half off.
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Thu Mar 03, 2022 5:49 pm
elsewhere, Louie wrote:
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Thu Mar 03, 2022 6:16 pm
Temple Regular Member
Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29
Subject: ‘10x Larger Than Chernobyl’: We Gonna Die! Thu Mar 03, 2022 7:03 pm
3-3-2022
‘10x larger than Chernobyl’: Ukrainians issue dire warning as Russia ignites Europe’s largest nuclear plant.
Russian troops invading Ukraine have reportedly set fire to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Enerhodar, Ukraine.
On Thursday, the Associated Press reported Russian troops were shelling the nuclear plant, per a spokesperson for the power station.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Plant spokesman says Russian troops have begun shelling Europe's largest nuclear power station in Ukraine.
— Zeke Miller (@Zeke Miller) 1646352435 Reuters reported that the mayor of the nearby town reported the plant was burning.
March 4 (Reuters) - The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the largest of its kind in Europe, was on fire early on Friday after an attack by Russian troops, the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar said. Belarusian media outlet Nexta posted video that reportedly documented the shelling.
Surveillance cameras captured moments of the shelling of the #Zaporizhzhia NPPpic.twitter.com
— NEXTA (@NEXTA) 1646353158 Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned the explosion could be "ten times worse than Chernobyl."
Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Fire has already broke out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl! Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone!
Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Thu Mar 03, 2022 7:51 pm
Temple Regular Member
Posts : 7317 Join date : 2014-07-29
Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Thu Mar 03, 2022 8:39 pm
What the fuck is wrong with you? ^^^^ Age, dementia, or simply retarded? Get yourself some medical/mental help. fukin old woman should be in a nursing home. , sigh..
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Subject: Re: Russia, Ukraine, USA - Fri Mar 04, 2022 1:59 am
Live updates: China 'concerned' about Ukraine nuclear sites The Associated Press Thu, March 3, 2022, 11:48 PM
The latest developments on the Russia-Ukraine war:
BEIJING — China says it is “seriously concerned about the safety and security” of nuclear facilities in Ukraine following a blaze at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant ignited by Russian artillery fire.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters Friday that China will continue to follow developments at the Zaporizhizhia plant in the city of Enerhodar and “calls on all parties concerned to maintain calm and restraint, prevent further escalation of the situation and ensure the safety of the nuclear facilities concerned.”
“China attaches great importance to nuclear safety and is seriously concerned about the safety and security situation of nuclear facilities in Ukraine,” Wang said.
The spokesperson’s comments marked a rare Chinese sign of unease over the war in Ukraine, in which Beijing has largely sided with its neighbor and close security partner Russia. Chinese leader Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in early February, after which the sides issued a lengthy joint statement pledging mutual support.
China has abstained on votes at the United Nations on sanctioning Russia and demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops, and blamed the unprovoked Russian invasion on NATO’s eastern advance and a lack of attention to Russia’s security concerns.
___
LONDON — Britain’s deputy prime minister says Russia’s shelling of a nuclear power plant is an example of the ever more brutal tactics Russian President Vladimir Putin is resorting to as his invasion of Ukraine faces greater resistance than expected.
Dominic Raab’s comments came after shelling triggered a fire at the Zaporizhzhia power plant overnight. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the attack.
“It was clearly a reckless bombardment of a very sensitive and precarious and dangerous facility,” Raab told Sky News on Friday. “And the fact that the Russians kept bombarding it after there was the fire and the Ukrainian emergency rescue team were trying to get to that makes it doubly reprehensible.” ___
SKOPJE, North Macedonia — North Macedonia’s parliament has adopted a declaration condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calling on Moscow to immediately stop its “unprovoked military aggression.”
The 120-member parliament voted 100-3 in favor of the resolution. Two lawmakers from the small left-wing party Levitsa and a member of a small ethnic Serbian party voted against it.
North Macedonia traditionally has had friendly ties with Russia, but Moscow vehemently opposed the country's accession to NATO in 2020.
Approved late Thursday, the resolution is “a small act of solidarity that strongly condemns the unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine,” said Monika Zajkova, a lawmaker of the Liberal Democratic party, which proposed the motion.
“If the world does not stop it immediately, we will witness a huge disaster and loss of human lives,” she said.
___
CANBERRA, Australia: Australia’s foreign minister says 45 million Australian dollars ($33 million) have been frozen in an Australian financial institution under new sanctions in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Friday declined to identify the institution or who owned the money.
Australia has imposed sanctions against more than 350 Russian individuals including President Vladimir Putin. Australia has also targeted with sanctions 13 Belarus entities and individuals including Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin.
___
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian authorities said Friday that a fire at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant ignited by Russian shelling has been extinguished, and that Russian forces have taken control of the site.
The regional military administration said in a statement that the fire at the Zaporizhzhia plant in Enerhodar was extinguished, and that there is damage to the compartment of reactor No. 1 but it does not affect the safety of the power unit.
No information was immediately available about casualties.
The military administration said Russian forces took control of the site and that operational personnel are ensuring its safe operation.
Earlier, plant officials had said that shelling hit an administrative building and reactor No. 1.
The town mayor and state emergency service also said the fire was extinguished.
___
KYIV, Ukraine — A Russian air strike on Thursday destroyed the power plant in Okhtyrka, leaving the city without heat or electricity, the head of the region said on Telegram. In the first days of the war, Russian troops attacked a military base in the city, located between Kharkiv and Kyiv, and officials said more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed.
“We are trying to figure out how to get people out of the city urgently because in a day the apartment buildings will turn into a cold stone trap without water, light or electricity,” Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said.
___
LONDON — The office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he will seek an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting after Russian troops in Ukraine attacked a nuclear power plant and sparked a fire.
Johnson's office says he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the early hours of the morning. He says Britain will raise the issue immediately with Russia and close partners.
Johnson's office says he and Zelenskyy agree Russia must immediately cease attacking and allow emergency services unfettered access to the plant. The two agree a ceasefire is essential.
“The Prime Minister said the reckless actions of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin could now directly threaten the safety of all of Europe,” Johnson's office said in a statement. “He said (the United Kingdom) would do everything it could to ensure the situation did not deteriorate further.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he also spoke with Zelenskyy about the attacks on the power plant.
“These unacceptable attacks by Russia must cease immediately,” he said on Twitter.
_____
KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has informed the leaders of the U.S., Britain, the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency about the dire threat of nuclear disaster after Russian troops shelled a nuclear power plant.
“If there is an explosion – that’s the end for everyone. The end for Europe. The evacuation of Europe,” he said in an emotional speech in the middle of the night.
“Only urgent action by Europe can stop the Russian troops. Do not allow the death of Europe from a catastrophe at a nuclear power station,” he said
He's calling on politicians and citizens to pressure Russian leadership to stop Russian troops.
____
WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy updated U.S. President Joe Biden about the fire at a nuclear power station shelled by Russian troops.
The White House said Biden and Zelenskyy urged Russia to cease its military activities in the area and allow firefighters and emergency responders to access the site.
Biden also got another update on the situation from the undersecretary for nuclear security at the U.S. Department of Energy and the administrator of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration.
___
VIENNA — The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Twitter that it's been informed by Ukraine’s nuclear regulator that “there has been no change reported in radiation levels” at a nuclear power station shelled by Russian troops.
The agency says Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi was in touch with Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Schmygal and the Ukrainian regulator and operator about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant.
Grossi “appeals for halt of use of force and warns of severe danger if reactors hit,” the IAEA said in another tweet.
The agency says Ukraine told it the fire hasn't affected “essential” equipment and plant personnel are taking mitigatory actions.
An official in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, not authorized to speak publicly and speaking on condition of anonymity, says the reactors have not yet been damaged and radiation levels are normal.
___
ENERHODAR, Ukraine — Russian troops in Ukraine are shelling Europe's largest nuclear power station.
“We demand that they stop the heavy weapons fire,” Andriy Tuz, spokesperson for the plant in Enerhodar, said in a video posted on Telegram. “There is a real threat of nuclear danger in the biggest atomic energy station in Europe.”
The plant accounts for about one quarter of Ukraine’s power generation.
Tuz told Ukrainian television that shells were falling directly on the Zaporizhzhia plant and had set fire to one of the facility’s six reactors. That reactor is under renovation and not operating, but there is nuclear fuel inside, he said.
Firefighters cannot get near the fire because they are being shot at, Tuz said.
A live-streamed security camera linked from the homepage of the nuclear power plant showed what appeared to be armored vehicles rolling into the facility’s parking lot and shining spotlights on the building where the camera was mounted. There are then what appear to be bright muzzle flashes from vehicles and then nearly simultaneous explosions in the surrounding buildings. Smoke then rises and drifts across the frame.
___
SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea says it won an exemption from recently expanded U.S. sanctions against Russia in exchange for strengthening its own export restrictions against the country over an escalating invasion of Ukraine.
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy confirmed the agreement on Friday after Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo traveled to Washington this week for meetings with senior U.S. officials.
The Biden administration last week announced a series of sanctions aimed at cutting off Russia’s access to foreign technology products like semiconductors, lasers, aircraft and communications equipment in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
To enforce the measures, Washington has imposed a regulation called the foreign direct product rule, which allows American officials to restrict the sales of foreign-made products to Russia from any country if the items are produced with U.S. technology.
The South Koreans had sought an exemption from the regulation to minimize the impact of U.S. sanctions on major South Korean companies, whose technology exports drive the country’s trade-dependent economy.
South Korea had already banned the export of strategic materials to Russia and joined international efforts to cut off key Russian banks from global payment systems. U.S. officials also told their South Korean counterparts that consumer goods such as smartphones, passenger cars and washing machines aren’t subject to American sanctions as long as they are used by private Russian citizens or companies and not military users.
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