A factory and a store burn after having been bombarded in Irpin. (Photo: AP)
As the war in Ukraine enters the eleventh day, here's a look at our coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis:
Eleven days into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, India’s evacuation efforts have entered a critical stage with all eyes on the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, close to the Russian border, where about 700 Indians, mostly students, are waiting for rescue — the last big group from the country still stranded there. Officials said that a team from the Indian Embassy is stationed in Poltava, a city in central Ukraine, through which they hope to coordinate the safe passage of the students in Sumy to the western border. The students have been told to be ready to leave at short notice, they said.
Germany is one of Russia’s closest partners in Europe and has deep historical, political and economic ties. With Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Germany, which is dependent on Russia for its energy needs, has decided to reverse its seven-decade long policy of not supplying arms to conflict zones. Walter J Lindner talks about the Russian aggression on Ukraine, Germany’s lessons from history, putting pressure on Putin and the role of civil society. He was in conversation with Shubhajit Roy, Deputy Chief of National Bureau, The Indian Express.
The current Russian invasion of Ukraine — unlike previous wars in Iraq and Libya or sanctions against Iran — is having an impact not just on energy prices. The effects of shipping disruptions through the Black and Azov Seas, plus Russian banks being cut off from the international payments system, are extending even to the global agri-commodities markets. The reasons aren’t difficult to see: Russia is not only the world’s third biggest oil (after the US and Saudi Arabia) and the second biggest natural gas (after the US) producer, besides the No. 3 coal exporter (behind Australia and Indonesia). It is also the second largest exporter of wheat. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), in its most recent report on February 9, estimated the country’s shipments for 2021-22 (July-June) at 35 million tonnes (mt), next only to the 37.5 mt of the whole of European Union.
In the midst of the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, India abstained from a United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC’s) resolution sponsored by the United States that deplores Russia’s actions in the strongest terms. Explaining its abstention, India’s permanent representative at the UN, T S Tirumurti said, “India is deeply disturbed by the recent turn of events in Ukraine.” “Dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and disputes, however daunting that may appear at the moment. It is a matter of regret that the path of diplomacy was given up. We must return to it. For all these reasons, India has chosen to abstain on this resolution,” said Tirumurti.
India’s abstention is being explained by experts as a balancing act of maintaining friends and partners of both sides. It is also a legacy of the Nehruvian foreign policy of non-alignment and the ways in which the two countries have interacted with each other in the United Nations.
Belarus, the largest landlocked European country bordering the two warring nations, has found itself in a precarious position amid its political proximity with Russia. The country is now at the receiving end of the West’s economic sanctions, meant to deter the Russian assault on Ukraine, despite restrictions already in place after the controversial election of its President, Alexander Lukashenko. The Belarusian border serves as the site for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine to possibly end the war. However, both the first and second rounds of talks have yielded no significant breakthrough. Historically, Belarus has acted as the site of negotiations between the two nations – two sets of agreements were signed in the Belarusian capital of Minsk in 2014 and 2015 to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Alexey Kupriyanov, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, while explaining the current situation in a chat with The Indian Express said: “Ukraine is the same as Pakistan for India. And so, we are going to have our peaceful Pakistan, and pro-Indian Pakistan on our border. In Russian political discourse, the thesis about the happenings in Ukraine in 2014 is, that the revolution in Ukraine as portrayed in the Western media, was actually a coup d’etat, and a forcible change of power. And this was supported by far-right groups. And a lot of these groups then fought in Donbass against Russians. So, President Volodymyr Zelensky was elected under the flag of peace. He was supported by those sections who supported the peaceful resolution of [the conflict in] Donbass.”
“But, Zelensky couldn’t find this resolution, and so he instead tried to balance his position between the far right and the more peaceful groups in Ukraine. And just a month and a half ago, he closed the last channel of peace in Ukraine, the pro-peace channel, so that’s why I think Putin called this a Nazi regime or a Nazi-supported regime,” he added.
Underlining that it would be difficult for any country to continue buying military hardware from Russia after US sanctions in response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday that in the “last few” weeks, “what we’ve seen from India…is the cancellation of MiG-29 orders, Russian helicopter orders and anti-tank weapon orders.” When contacted in New Delhi, a Defence Ministry spokesman declined to comment on Lu’s remarks. Lu, who called India a “really important security partner,” was speaking at the Senate hearing hours after the vote in the UN General Assembly on “Russian aggression”, from which India, along with 34 other countries including China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, abstained.
A militia man stands at a checkpoint set up on a road heading to the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, March 5, 2022. (AP)
Almost two weeks into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the response from other parts of the world is being called into question. Last Wednesday, nine of the 11 Southeast Asian states voted for a UN General Assembly resolution reprimanding Moscow for its invasion and calling for peace. Vietnam and Laos, two historic partners of Russia, abstained.
Aside from the casting of diplomatic votes, however, the response from Southeast Asian governments has been diverse — and, some say, muted. Singapore made the rare decision to impose sanctions on Russia, and Indonesia quickly criticised the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Philippines, a US treaty ally, flip-flopped and described itself as neutral. Meanwhile, Thailand and Malaysia have remained quiet.
Russia's offensive in Ukraine continued but at a significantly slower pace Tuesday as frightened residents fled bombed-out cities.
In the city of Irpin, on the northwest edge of Kyiv, residents ran with their young children in strollers, or cradling babies in arms, while others carried pet carriers and plastic bags and suitcases.
"It's like a disaster, the city is almost ruined, and the district where I'm living, it's like there are no houses which were not bombed," said one young mother, holding a baby beneath a blanket, while her daughter stood by her side."Yesterday was the hardest bombing, and the lights and sound is so scary, and the whole building is shaking." (Reuters)
Medical students returning from war-hit Ukraine cannot automatically be offered admissions in Indian medical colleges, but authorities are exploring options to ensure that they can continue with their learning, Lt Gen (retd) Dr Madhuri Kanitkar, vice-chancellor of the Nashik-based Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), has said.
“We cannot immediately place these students in our colleges. There are students who have got into these (Indian) colleges on merit, and the entry standards there cannot be diluted. The students who are returning from Ukraine have opted for universities that have a different system of teaching and curriculum. However, till such time that these (Ukrainian) universities open up again, we are trying to explore options where the students can continue their learning and training,” Dr Kanitkar told The Indian Express.
The “Z” first drew attention several weeks ago when it was painted a couple feet high on the sides of the thousands of tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other military vehicles mustering along the Russian border with Ukraine.
In Russia, the letter then began to pop up all over the place. There are Z stickers on the backs of cars and commercial vehicles, and one talk show pundit recently appeared wearing a T-shirt with a large white Z on it.
Russian aircraft bombed cities in eastern and central Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian officials said.
Shelling pounded suburbs of the capital, Kyiv. In Sumy and Okhtyrka, to the east of Kyiv near the Russian border, bombs fell on residential buildings and destroyed a power plant, regional leader Dmytro Zhivitsky said. He said there were dead and wounded but gave no figures.
Bombs also hit oil depots in Zhytomyr and the neighbouring town of Cherniakhiv, located west of Kyiv. (AP)
India has compulsions with Russia, and in their neighbourhood, issues with China over territory, a former top American diplomat has told US lawmakers.
The diplomat made the remarks replying to lawmakers’ questions on New Delhi abstaining from several UN vote on Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“India has compulsions with Russia, they have compulsions in their neighbourhood, with territorial issues with China. I think, as Americans, we have an affinity toward Indians for their democracy, and the pluralism of their system,” Atul Keshap said.
Russia backs UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi’s idea of a trilateral meeting with Ukraine to ensure the safety of its nuclear facilities after Thursday’s scare, but not at Chernobyl as Grossi wants, Moscow and the watchdog said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the first time war has raged in a country with such an advanced and established nuclear power programme, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said. The country has four operational nuclear power plants, including Europe’s largest by capacity, at Zaporizhzhia near Crimea.
United Airlines said it has indefinitely suspended two flights to India after halting flights that flew over Russia last week.
The Chicago-based airline said last week it had stopped service between San Francisco and Delhi and between Newark, New Jersey, and Mumbai. The airline said it plans to continue flying to Delhi from both Chicago and Newark.
The Biden administration last week joined the European Union and Canada in banning Russian airlines from US airspace. United's last Delhi-to-San Francisco and Mumbai-to-Newark flights were on March 2. The Mumbai flight had to stop in Bangor, Maine, on the way to Newark. (Reuters)
The Russian Embassy in India said the Russian Federation has declared a ceasefire and is ready to provide humanitarian corridors from 10 am Moscow time (12.30 pm IST) Tuesday. The ceasefire would be in effect in specific routes, it said in a statement.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he does not expect a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine for weeks.
He said that he has told the Russian leader that a cease-fire must come before any real dialogue, but that President Vladimir Putin has refused, making their regular talks "difficult.
"I don't think that in the days and weeks to come there will be a true negotiated solution," Macron said at a forum in Poissy, a southwest suburb of Paris, while campaigning for the first time to renew his mandate in April presidential elections. (AP)
India, which has managed to safely bring back over 20,000 of its nationals from Ukraine amid the ongoing war, said it is "deeply concerned" that despite its repeated urgings to both Russia and Ukraine, the safe corridor for Indian students stranded in eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy did not materialise.
"India has been consistent in calling for an immediate end to all hostilities," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told the UN Security Council meeting Monday on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
Speeding up the restart of nuclear reactors halted in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident may be Japan's "best option" for riding out any oil and gas shortages that result from sanctions imposed on Russia, a senior ruling party lawmaker said on Tuesday.
Japan has repeatedly said that, in the event of a possible US-led embargo on Russian oil, it would work with Group of Seven nations to respond appropriately. There has so far been no impact on its energy supply from the situation.
Such an embargo would have a large impact on Russia, but it would hit Japan hard as well, said Itsunori Onodera, a former Defence Minister and senior lawmaker in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). "It's a question of whether we could endure this," he told Reuters in an interview.
The conflict in Ukraine could see China and the United States arrive at a new modus vivendi aimed at anchoring the world economy even as their tension-filled relationship continues and Beijing steams ahead toward its objective of establishing a solid presence in the Indian Ocean, former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to China Vijay Gokhale said in an interview to The Indian Express.
Beijing was not looking at the current conflict between Russia and the US in military terms, rather it was assessing Western capacity to wage a financial war and how to firewall its own economy if that same weapon was wielded against it, Gokhale said. At the same time, it was also likely to be looking for more acceptability and partnership in a new world order that might begin to emerge over the next few months, he added.
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, energy prices have skyrocketed, leaving many European countries uncertain of their ability to meet demand in the medium to long term. While the potential of Russia cutting off supply is at an all-time high, as of now, the pipes continue to flow.
Europe is Russia’s main market for energy exports, and in turn, also its main source of revenues. Acknowledging the mutually dependent relationship, Western sanctions have largely bypassed Russia’s energy sector resulting in a paradox in which Europe seems on the precipice of war with the Kremlin while continuing to trade with it in key commodity markets.
➡️ Russia warned that oil prices could surge to $300 a barrel and it might close the main gas pipeline to Germany if the West halts oil imports over the invasion of Ukraine as peace talks made little progress
➡️ Oil prices soared as the US said it may go alone on the import ban
➡️ The World Bank approved $723 million in loans and grants for Ukraine to be transferred in the next few days
➡️ Negotiators make little progress Russian negotiators said they did not have positive developments to report following talks with Ukraine and warned not to expect the next round to bring a final result. The Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers are expected to meet in Turkey on Thursday
➡️ A Russian airstrike hit a bread factory in northern Ukraine and killed at least 13 civilians, Ukrainian officials said
➡️ As many as 5 million Ukrainians could flee the country if Russia's invasion continues, the EU's top diplomat said, while the United Nations' refugee agency said over 1.7 million have left so far
➡️ China says friendship with Russia 'rock solid' While promising humanitarian aid to Ukraine, China's foreign minister hailed Beijing's friendship with Russia as "rock solid"
➡️ 'No war' protests in Russia: Police detained 5,020 people at Russia-wide protests against the invasion of Ukraine, according to an independent monitoring group
Japan has frozen the assets of an additional 32 Russian and Belarusian officials and oligarchs following the invasion of Ukraine, the Ministry of Finance announced Tuesday.
The newly added sanctions target 20 Russians including deputy chiefs of staff for President Vladamir Putin's administration, deputy chairmen of the state parliament, the head of the Chechen Republic and executives of companies with close ties to the government such as Volga Group, Transneft and Wagner.
It also includes 12 Belarusian government officials and business people, as well as 12 organisations in Russia and Belarus. (Reuters)
A Western ban on Russian oil imports may more than double the price to $300 a barrel and prompt the closure of the main gas pipeline to Germany, Moscow warned on Monday, as talks on Ukraine hardly advanced amid efforts to agree on civilian safe passage.
Seeking to ratchet up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, the United States said Washington and its European allies were considering banning Russian oil imports. Oil prices spiked to their highest levels since 2008.
"A rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market," said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, saying the price could more than double to over $300 per barrel.
US President Joe Biden held a video conference call with the leaders of France, Germany and Britain as he pushed for their support on the ban. But if need be the United States is willing to move ahead without allies in Europe, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
A special flight carrying 200 Indian evacuees from Ukraine landed in Delhi early Tuesday. The flight took off from Suceava in Romania.
A Russian general was killed in the fighting around Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, which Russian forces have been trying to seize since the invasion began, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency said.
It identified him as Maj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov, 45, and said he had fought with Russian forces in Syria and Chechnya and had taken part in the seizure of Crimea in 2014. It was not possible to confirm the death independently. Russia has not commented.
Another Russian general was killed earlier in the fighting. A local officers' organisation in Russia confirmed the death in Ukraine of Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky, the commanding general of the Russian 7th Airborne Division. Sukhovetsky also took part in Russia's military campaign in Syria. (AP)
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky shared a video on Instagram, showing himself working from his Presidential Office in Kyiv. "I’m not hiding, and I’m not afraid of anyone," he said in a 9-minute long self-recorded video.