21:18
One month of war in Ukraine has led to the displacement of more than half of the country’s child population, the United Nations International Fund for Children (UNICEF) said.
According to UNICEF, 4.3 million out of about 7.5 million children in Ukraine have fled their homes, including 1.8 million refugees who have left the country and 2.5 million who are inside Ukraine.
According to Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s CEO, the war caused “one of the largest and fastest displacements of children since World War II.”
20:58
US President Joe Biden has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated in his previous talks that he believes the NATO alliance will not remain united. “Putin was based on a split in NATO,” Biden told reporters in Brussels, adding: “In my previous talks with him in December and early January – it was clear to me that he did not think we could maintain this cohesion.” “United is more united than it is today. Putin is getting the exact opposite of what he planned to receive as a result of the intrusion into Ukraine.”
19:57
President Joe Biden said tonight that NATO will respond “equally” if Russia uses weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine. “We will respond if he uses them,” Biden said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The nature of the response depends on how it is used.”
Biden also said he would support the effort to get Russia out of the G20 economic forum.
The US President also noted that NATO membership has achieved its three main objectives at the Brussels Conference, which took place today: “First, to support Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid. Second, to impose the most significant sanctions regime ever, in order to paralyze Putin’s economy and punish him for his actions. Third, to fortify the eastern wing of our allies in NATO, who, of course, were very, very worried and afraid of what would happen. “
18:57
In a joint statement, G7 leaders announced that they were ready to take further action against Russia. In a statement, the leaders condemned Putin’s “war of choice” and the “unjustified and illegal” aggression in Ukraine.
According to them, Russia must comply immediately and “without delay” with the instructions of the International Court of Justice and suspend military activity in Ukraine.
The leaders also called on Belarus to “refrain from further escalation and refrain from using its military forces against Ukraine.” They also warned of any threat to the use of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, adding: “We fully condemn Russia’s malicious and completely unfounded disinformation campaign against Ukraine.”
16:43
In a joint statement after the summit in Brussels, NATO leaders said that “in response to Russia’s actions, we have launched NATO’s defense programs, deployed response forces and placed 40,000 troops in our eastern wing, along with significant air and naval assets, under direct command. Of NATO.
According to the statement, NATO’s moves remain “proportionate and non-escalating” in preparation for a “more dangerous strategic reality”.
15:27
The U.S. plans to impose close to 400 sanctions on Russian companies and individuals, including more than 300 lawmakers from the Russian parliament, similar, and Russian oligarchs.
According to a senior official in the Biden administration, both the eurozone and the G7 countries have announced that international businesses will not be able to operate “normally” in Russia. “Our goal is to methodically remove the benefits and privileges that Russia has enjoyed as a participant in the world economic order,” the senior official said. He added that President Joe Biden would announce the sanctions in one of his three speeches before the NATO Council in Brussels.
President Biden is also expected to announce further American assistance to Ukrainian citizens. The senior government official added that the US was willing to provide up to $ 1 billion in humanitarian aid funding to all those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
14:52
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalansky spoke today in a video at NATO headquarters in Brussels and tried to explain to military alliance leaders that Ukraine has no significant air defense systems, and that its air force is significantly smaller than Russia.
“The advantage in the sky is that of the Russians, and it’s like using weapons of mass destruction. You see the results today – how many people were killed, how many peacekeeping cities were destroyed,” Zlanski clarified, adding that the Russian military is expanding its full arsenal without restrictions in Ukraine.
“They destroy all living things. All things – from houses to churches, from food warehouses to universities, bridges to hospitals,” he said.
Zalansky urged the leaders of NATO countries to send tanks to Ukraine to “open the siege on our dying cities – Mariupol, Berdyansk, Melitopol and others.” “Ukraine asked for one percent, one percent of all your tanks to be sent or sold to us, but we have not received a clear answer yet, the worst thing in time of war is not to get clear answers to your requests for help.”
14:24
According to a Reuters report, the US plans to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees as a result of the Russian invasion of their country. It is still unclear how the process will work or how much logistical work will be invested in the effort. Family-based visas or a humanitarian procedure will also be accepted.
13:09
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalansky addressed the Swedish parliament and NATO conference in Brussels today via a video link. In the European Union. ”
One month after Russias invasion Pres #Zelensky adresses the Swedish Parliament.Grateful for #Swedens support to #Ukraine both hum and military. #Zelenskyj asks #Sweden to increase sanctions.After the war Zelenskiy hopes for support in the reconstruction of UKR. @The Swedish Parliament pic.twitter.com/FuIdBrKDd8
– With Veronika Wand-Danielsson (@AmbVWD) March 24, 2022
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson thanked the President of Ukraine in an official Twitter tweet and declared that aid to Ukraine is increasing day by day, and that Sweden stands in solidarity with Ukraine.
Honoured to have ????????President @ZelenskyyUa speaking to the Swedish Parliament today. Powerful words from a courageous leader. ???????? assistance to Ukraine increasing by the day. We stand in full solidarity with Ukraine and against Russian aggression.
– SwedishPM (@SwedishPM) March 24, 2022
12:58
Britain has announced 65 new sanctions against industries and individuals in Russia close to invading Ukraine. At the center of the new sanctions is Russian Railways and Defense Company Kronstadt, a senior manufacturer of Russian drones, and the Wagner Group, the Russian mercenary organization allegedly tasked with assassinating Ukrainian President Zalansky, according to an official statement from the British Foreign Office.
In addition, sanctions have been imposed on six Russian banks, including Alpha Bank, whose founders, oligarchs Mikhail Friedman, Peter Even and German Kahn, are already under British sanctions.
Among the private individuals on whom British sanctions were imposed: Russian oil tycoon and billionaire Yevgeny Schweidler, Tinkoff Bank founder Oleg Tinkov, Herman Graf, CEO of Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank and Polina Koblava, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s stepdaughter. Galina Danilchenko, who was appointed by Russia as mayor of Litopol. This is the first time the British have imposed sanctions on an individual involved in the war in Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Britain has imposed over 1000 sanctions on companies and individuals close to the Russian regime, according to the British Foreign Office.
11:51
The Bloomberg network reports that the governor of the Central Bank of Russia, Elvira Neviolina, asked to resign after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, but the Russian president refused her and ordered her to remain in her chair. Neviolina was appointed just a week ago for a new term of 5 years and her political positions are really unclear. The 58-year-old governor did not speak publicly about her reappointment and did not respond to Bloomberg network questions. Recall that so far, only one senior official in Putin’s government has resigned and even left Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine – Anatoly Chubais, Putin’s climate secretary.
11:27
Sources report that two of Russia’s best-known coaches, Ella Pugachova and her fifth husband, Maxim Galkin, have fled Russia to Israel since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. The couple is in Israel with their children, 9-year-old twins who were adopted in a surrogacy process. It is still unclear when the two will be in Israel and on what visa, but for Galkin an Israeli tour is planned for this coming June.
Galkin, 45, announced on his Instagram page at the start of the invasion that “the war is unjustified” and noted that he would continue to update on a telegram channel he opened especially after it became clear that Russia would block global social networks.
Pogachova, 72, was less clear on her Instagram page and shared the words of pro-Russian Ukrainian priest Andrei Tkachov, who said the air had been cleared since Pugachova left Russia. Pogachova said at the end of the video that she is not leaving permanently and will return soon.
11:12
EU Foreign Relations Commissioner Joseph Burrell said in an interview that he believed Russia was not interested in talks on a ceasefire and peace talks in Ukraine at this stage, as long as it did not occupy territories and reach a position of power. “Right now, Russia is not interested in sitting down and discussing anything, what it wants is to occupy land,” he said in an interview with Spanish television.
“Russia wants to encircle the border with Moldova and Ukraine’s coastline, and isolate it from a maritime perspective. It wants to really discuss only after securing a position of power (in negotiations),” the Spanish politician said. In an attempt to prevent Russia from achieving its goals, “this is an important move because everything will be decided in the next 15 days,” said Burrell, who is considered a “hawk” in the EU regarding the response against Russia.
09:54
After the longest trading halt since the fall of the Soviet Union, trading on the Moscow Stock Exchange opened this morning in part alongside extraordinary selling restrictions on foreign investors designed to prevent a collapse.
Trading opened after 26 days of hiatus and now extreme upward fluctuations are being recorded. This is mainly because foreign investors have been banned from selling their holdings in shares in Russia, and because the Russian central bank has banned short selling of shares.
Trading in Russia partially opened among 33 shares of companies, including energy companies Gazprom and Rosenft that are soaring sharply, Aeroflot airline that plunged in the opening but moderated the declines, and also the Russian bank Sberbank.
09:52
Seven humanitarian corridors for Ukraine have been agreed for today, according to the daily announcement of Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Verchuk. As every day in the past week, the besieged Mariupol will not receive humanitarian aid or civilian rescue. Werchuk added that able-bodied Mariupol citizens can reach the nearby town of Radiansk and evacuate from there. Varchuk has repeatedly stressed that the Russians have not allowed a passage or exit from Mariupol since the beginning of the Russian siege on it.
Meanwhile, authorities in Berdyansk report that a Russian battleship standing in the city port has been destroyed. According to the report, this is a Russian force carrying Orsk.
Ukraine’s defence ministry saying it has destroyed the Orsk, a Russian landing ship, in Berdyansk. pic.twitter.com/lsWCqkK7tn
– Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) March 24, 2022
09:23
French car giant Renault has announced that it will stop production in Russia, after the company renewed it about 3 days ago. The move comes after Volodymyr Zalansky’s speech in the French parliament last night, in which he asked French car companies to cut ties with Russia and stop economically feeding the war machine invading his country.
06:45
A month for the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalansky calls on the world public to come out and show support for his country. Zalansky added that the Russian invasion should “break the heart” of every citizen in the free world.
Following Russia’s demand for payment in rubles for the natural gas it supplies to Europe, Bloomberg reports that the US and the EU are close to signing an agreement to end European dependence on Russian gas. Today (Thursday) US President Joe Biden will meet with Nate leaders And in Brussels.
Russia has decided to expel more American diplomats. Moscow has sent to Washington a list of diplomats who have become “persona non grata” in Russia and they will have to leave the country within 72 hours.
According to a NATO report so far 7,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the invasion of Ukraine. The organization is expected to approve today the transfer of kits for dealing with chemical, biological and atomic weapons to the country for fear that Russia will use such weapons.