Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address a meeting of prime minister Keir Starmer’s Cabinet today, marking his first such appearance under the new administration.
The war-time leader will brief cabinet ministers about the situation in Ukraine and Kyiv’s requirement to expand Europe’s defence industrial base.
Ukraine is also set to ink on a £3.5bn defence export finance deal with Sir Keir. After US president Bill Clinton’s cabinet address in 1997, Mr Zelensky is the first foreign leader to address the Cabinet in person.
Ahead of Mr Zelensky visit, the prime minister said: “Ukraine is, and always will be, at the heart of this Government’s agenda and so it is only fitting that president Zelensky will make a historic address to my Cabinet.”
On the war front, Ukraine’s army has pulled out from the battered village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region, an official said yesterday, surrendering another front-line position as Russian forces blast Ukrainian defences in a relentless onslaught.
Key Points
- Ukraine launches major drone attack on Crimea
- Germany to halve military aid for Ukraine in deepening crisis
- Putin's house fortified as Kyiv's drone attack successes grow
- Russia and China begin live-fire naval exercises in South China Sea
- Russia and Ukraine conduct prisoner exchange involving 190 soldiers
Trump and Zelensky phone call likely today, sources say
06:38
Arpan Rai
Associates of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky have discussed arranging a phone call between the two leaders, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
One source said the call could occur as early as today, but it was not immediately clear if the conversation, which would be their first since the former US president left the White House in 2021, had been confirmed.
CNN reported yesterday that the two leaders had a phone call scheduled for today. The report noted that the schedule of the former president, who is in Milwaukee to accept the Republican Party presidential nomination, is subject to frequent changes.
Mr Trump has said he would end the war in Ukraine before he even takes office in January should he win the November election, though he has not provided details of how he would do so.
Two wounded by downed drone in Russia, governor says
06:14
Arpan Rai
Debris of a downed Ukrainian drone wounded two people in the Russian city of Kursk on Friday morning, acting regional governor Alexei Smirnov said.
Separately, the Interfax news agency cited Russia’s defence ministry as saying that a total of 19 drones have been destroyed overnight, including 11 over the Kursk region.
UK defence firms discuss boosting support for Ukraine with Zelensky
06:03
Arpan Rai
Senior executives from British defence firms including BAE and Babcock met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday to discuss the need to boost military support for the country in its conflict with Russia.
The Ukrainian president is in Britain for a summit of the European Political Community (EPC) and the meeting in London also included representatives from Thales, MBDA and KBR as well as British defence minister John Healey and business minister Jonathan Reynolds.
“Meeting with industry leaders today, I emphasised the government will continue to work in partnership with industry and the need to boost industrial production of vital military kit for both Ukraine and our own Armed Forces,” Healey said in a statement.
Babcock will extend its contract with the British defence ministry by six months to provide maintenance and repair of military vehicles, Britain’s defence ministry said.
Zelensky to brief cabinet as first foreign leader to visit No 10 under Starmer
05:41
Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky will address an extraordinary meeting of the UK Cabinet on Friday as he becomes the first official visitor to Downing Street under Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
The Ukrainian president, who is making his third visit to the UK, will also be the first foreign leader to address the cabinet in person since US president Bill Clinton in 1997.
He is expected to brief ministers about the situation in Ukraine and the need to expand Europe’s industrial defence base, as well as agreeing a £3.5bn defence export finance deal with Sir Keir.
The Labour leader made his first visit to Ukraine in February last year and has been keen to underline Britain’s ongoing support for the embattled country, despite a change of government in the UK.
Zelensky says he will have to work with the US
05:31
Arpan Rai
A victory for Donald Trump in the US election in November would be difficult for Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has said, acknowledging that Ukrainians were prepared.
Mr Trump’s election would be “hard work, but we are hard workers”, he was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Mr Zelensky said “Maybe he really doesn’t care, but we have to work with the United States,” he said while attending the European Political Community meeting in London.
The Republican leader’s choice of Senator JD Vance as his running mate has underscored how Washington’s stand on Ukraine, locked in a 28-month-old war with Russia, could change if he won the election. Vance is on record in an interview as saying “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.”
The administration of Joe Biden has provided weapons and supplies throughout the conflict, though the flow of assistance was halted for months by disputes within the US Congress.
Mr Trump has said during the campaign that, once elected, he would bring the conflict to an end even before taking office by securing a deal at the negotiating table. He said there would have been no conflict at all had he been in office when Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Zelensky discusses bilateral relations with Serbia’s Vucic
05:00
Alexander Butler
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday discussed security and bilateral relations with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic on the sidelines of the European Political Community meeting in Britain.
“We appreciate the financial and humanitarian assistance provided to our country,” Zelensky said on X.
Starmer invites Zelensky to attend cabinet
04:51
Arpan Rai
Prime minister Keir Starmer will host Volodymyr Zelensky at a meeting of his top ministers today, in a show of support for the Ukrainian leader who will welcome a new plan to try to disrupt Russia’s attempts to evade shipping sanctions.
A day after hosting a forum of European leaders at Blenheim Palace, the PM pressed on with his bid to raise Britain’s role in international affairs by inviting Mr Zelensky to address his cabinet. The last foreign leader to do so was US President Bill Clinton in 1997, Starmer’s office said.
Mr Zelensky will also welcome the launch of a “call to action” against Russia’s 600-strong ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers used to break sanctions, officials said.
Sir Keir is expected to tell the Ukrainian leader that Britain will do more in the coming months to dent Russia’s “war machine”, including agreeing a new defence export support treaty to help Kyiv draw on export finance.
“Ukraine is, and always will be, at the heart of this government’s agenda and so it is only fitting that President Zelenskiy will make a historic address to my cabinet,” he said in a statement.
“And alongside our European partners, we have sent a clear message to those enabling (Russian president Vladimir) Putin’s attempts to evade sanctions: we will not allow Russia’s shadow fleet, and the dirty money it generates, to flow freely through European waters and put our security at risk.”
Ukraine pulls out from another eastern village as Russian offensive grows
04:12
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s army has pulled out from the village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region, an official said yesterday, surrendering another front-line position as Russian forces blast Ukrainian defences in a relentless onslaught.The village was reduced to rubble which “made it impossible to hold the positions there,” said Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesperson for local ground forces. He did not say when the pullout occurred.
Russia prematurely claimed earlier this week that it had seized Urozhaine in the early days of the war that began after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. Ukrainian troops recaptured it almost a year ago.
Russia has deployed devastating firepower as it pursues a summer offensive that has reduced towns and villages to ruins, denying Ukrainians defensive cover. Despite valiant defending, analysts say, Ukrainian forces are being pushed back in some places along the front line by the bigger and better equipped Kremlin army.
Russia says 'let's be realistic' about Trump plan to end Ukraine war
04:00
Alexander Butler
Russia said on Thursday that Donald Trump’s assertion he could quickly end the Ukraine war should be viewed realistically, given that he had promised a Middle East peace breakthrough but failed to achieve it during his presidency.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had noted statements by Trump, who is running against President Joe Biden in November’s U.S. election, and by his newly nominated running mate J.D. Vance.
“We saw the statements - Trump said he would resolve the conflict within 24 hours, then Vance said that China is a bigger problem for the United States than the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” Ms Zakharova said.
“It’s necessary to separate pre-election rhetoric from statements by government officials vested with the appropriate powers. If we talk about whether it’s possible to resolve the conflict, let’s be realistic.”
Kim Jong-un discusses military cooperation with Russia
03:54
Arpan Rai
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un received Russian vice minister of defence Aleksey Krivoruchko and discussed the importance of the two countries’ militaries to unite more firmly to defend world peace and justice, KCNA news agency said today.
The two leaders shared the need for military cooperation between the two countries to defend mutual security interests, KCNA said.
Mr Krivoruchko conveyed greetings from Russian president Vladimir Putin to the North’s supreme leader, who expressed deep thanks in the meeting, held on Thursday.
The report did not provide any other details of Mr Krivoruchko’s delegation or the purpose of the visit to North Korea.
North Korea and Russia have deepened military cooperation since their leaders held a summit in the Russian Far East last year and signed a treaty on strategic partnership that includes a mutual defence agreement struck in June when Putin visited Pyongyang.
The two countries have been accused of conducting arms trade by Seoul and Washington to help Russia’s stock of missiles and artillery for its war with Ukraine. The two countries deny such trade.
Trump and Zelensky plan to speak today – CNN
03:46
Arpan Rai
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has a phone call scheduled for Friday with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, in what would be their first conversation since the former US president left the White House in 2021, a CNN reporter posted on X, citing two unnamed sources.
The reporter did not provide details.
This would be the Ukrainian leader’s first exchange with the Republican nominee after he was shot in the ear but did not suffer any major injuries during a political rally last week.
Von der Leyen pledges ‘European air shield’ to combat Russia threat as she is re-elected as EU chief
03:00
Alexander Butler
Ursula von der Leyen re-elected to a second 5-year term as European Commission president
02:00
Alexander Butler
Zelensky calls on European leaders to channel Winston Churchill’s ‘bravery’ against Russia
01:00
Alexander Butler
How UK’s strategic capabilities compare to the 1980s as defence review rolled out
Thursday 18 July 2024 23:30
Alexander Butler
Ukraine and Russia exchange 95 prisoners of war each in latest deal
Thursday 18 July 2024 22:30
Alexander Butler
Trump will push for Ukraine-Russia peace immediately if elected, Hungary’s Orban tells EU leaders
Thursday 18 July 2024 21:30
Alexander Butler
Donald Trump would be ‘strong and decisive’ in support for Ukraine, says Boris Johnson
Thursday 18 July 2024 20:30
Alexander Butler
Ukraine faces twin challenges of fighting Russia and shifting political sands in the US
Thursday 18 July 2024 19:30
Alexander Butler
Ukraine struggles with heatwave as power cuts leave millions without air conditioning
Thursday 18 July 2024 18:30
Alexander Butler
Zelensky pleads for more F-16 fighter jets and air defences from West to protect from Russian missile attacks
Thursday 18 July 2024 17:30
Alexander Butler
EU leaders hail reset in UK relations as Starmer vows to be Europe’s ‘friend and partner’
Thursday 18 July 2024 16:30
Alexander Butler
Starmer calls for deeper cooperation on Ukraine and Europe's problems
Thursday 18 July 2024 15:36
Alexander Butler
Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, called on Thursday for closer cooperation in Europe to advance support for Ukraine and tackle the continent’s most pressing problems: illegal migration, climate change and energy security.
Opening a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) of more than 40 nations at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, Starmer made his bid for a reset in post-Brexit ties with the European Union.
He distanced himself from the previous Conservative government which had threatened to withdraw from an international treaty on human rights, offering other European leaders a clean slate.
Russian attacks kill five in eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine says
Thursday 18 July 2024 15:13
Alexander Butler
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s frontline Donetsk region killed five civilians and injured three others on Thursday, damaging private houses and a residential building, prosecutors said.
A woman and her husband were killed in artillery shelling in the village of Pleshchiivka, the general prosecutor’s office said on Telegram.
Another three women were killed in a strike on private buildings in the village of Hrodivka, it added.
Separately, the Russian military dropped two guided bombs on the village of Velyka Novosilka, injuring a man and his wife inside their house, the prosecutors said. Another man was wounded in an artillery strike in the town of Zalizne, they added.
Nobel prize winners urge Belarus to release political prisoners
Thursday 18 July 2024 14:25
Alexander Butler
Dozens of Nobel prize winners have urged Belarus’s authoritarian leader to release over a thousand political prisoners locked up for criticising his regime.
The 58 Nobel laureates, including Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich, signed an open letter urging Alexander Lukashenko to agree to a political amnesty for 1,400 people behind bars for political activity.
Many of those suffering in harsh conditions were detained after Mr Lukashenko staged a violent crackdown in 2020 to suppress peaceful protests following an election widely believed to have been rigged.
“It is unacceptable to subject the people of your country to severe trials and harsh conditions solely for their beliefs. Every person has the right to their opinion and deserves respect for their individuality,” the letter, addressed to Mr Lukashenko said.
“You have a unique opportunity to turn the page on the past and enter history not only as an uncompromising ruler but also as a political leader who has shown wisdom and compassion, responsible to your people and their future.”
Wife of jailed Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza calls for West to step in now after prison hospital transfer
Thursday 18 July 2024 13:00
Alexander Butler
Ukraine and Russia exchange 95 prisoners of war each in latest deal
Thursday 18 July 2024 12:30
Alexander Butler
Ukraine and Russia have carried out one of their largest exchanges of prisoners of war – 190 people in total –following negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
Ukrainian PoWs were filmed arriving in coaches at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Wednesday, before being draped in national flags and chanting, “Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes.”
Footage released by Ukraine’s commission for human rights also showed multiple soldiers holding emotional phone calls with their families, the first time they had spoken to relatives since being captured, while another man was pictured in tears collapsing onto the ground.
Zelensky touches down in UK as Starmer hosts major European summit
Thursday 18 July 2024 12:00
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in the United Kingdom as Sir Keir Starmer hosts his first European leader’s summit.
The Ukrainian leader touched down on Thursday for only his third trip to the UK since Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Mr Zelensky is also due to meet with King Charles during the visit to the UK.
Donald Trump would be ‘strong and decisive’ in support for Ukraine, says Boris Johnson
Thursday 18 July 2024 11:31
Alexander Butler
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has claimed that Donald Trump “will be strong and decisive” in his support of Ukraine and in “defending democracy”.
The Conservative ex-premier was in Washington this week to attend the Republican National Conference in Milwaukee, where Mr Trump was named the party’s official candidate in the upcoming US presidential elections.
After a photograph circulated showing him giving a speech to a near-empty room at the conference on Tuesday, Mr Johnson later shared an image of himself meeting with Mr Trump, just days after the ex-president survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Zelensky urges allies to allow long-range strikes on Russia
Thursday 18 July 2024 11:26
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to allow Western weapons to be used for long-range strikes on Russia, in particular on military airfields.
“The fewer restrictions we have the more Russia will seek peace,” he said in his speech at a European political community meeting in Britain.
He stressed that the allied decision to allow such strikes - only along Russia’s border after it opened a new front in Kharkiv region - has not led to any escalation.
Zelensky arrives in UK for European leaders meeting
Thursday 18 July 2024 11:24
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Britain for a series of bilateral meetings with European countries.
Zelensky arrived at the European Political Community, held in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, on Thursday, where he will speak to leaders.
The Ukrainian leader published images from an airfield showing him standing with Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Kyiv’s newly appointed ambassador to London who previously served as the head of the Ukrainian armed forces.
“We will sign an intergovernmental agreement on support for the Ukrainian defence and industrial complex, discuss future defense cooperation, and expand our defense capabilities,” Zelensky said.
EU chief faces crunch vote
Thursday 18 July 2024 10:45
Alexander Butler
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has vowed to bolster European defence as she faced a make-or-break vote for re-election.
Ms von der Leyen pledged to create a “true European Defence Union” to protect European security in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine and uncertainty over continuing American support.
It comes as 65-year-old, who has run the commission since 2019, is aiming to win a second five-year term as the EU’s top official in a European parliament vote on Thursday.
With no obvious alternative candidate, Ms von der Leyen’s supporters have framed the vote as a choice between stability and chaos at a time of external and internal challenges for the bloc.
Ukraine launches major drone attack on Crimea
Thursday 18 July 2024 10:03
Alexander Butler
Ukraine has launched a major overnight aerial and naval drone attack on Vladimir Putin’s forces in occupied Crimea, according to officials.
Moscow’s defence ministry claimed to have downed 33 air drones and 10 unmanned Ukrainian boats over the Black Sea, as residents reported loud explosions near Sevastopol.
Meanwhile, Novorossiisk’s mayor Andrei Kravchenko urged locals to stay away from the shoreline amid the surprise attack.
Novorossiisk is Russia’s largest Black Sea port and a key outlet for crude oil and oil product exports in Russia’s south. It also loads oil coming from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and handles grain, coal, fertilizers, timber, containers, food and chemical cargoes.
Russian trial of detained US reporter Gershkovich due to resume
Thursday 18 July 2024 09:05
Alexander Butler
A new hearing in the espionage trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is due to be held on Thursday, but the court hearing his case has said it will take place behind closed doors.
Mr Gershkovich, a 32-year-old American journalist who denies any wrongdoing, went on trial behind closed doors last month in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, where he faces charges of espionage which could carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors allege that Mr Gershkovich gathered secret information on the orders of the US Central Intelligence Agency about a company that manufactures tanks for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Officers of the FSB security service arrested him on 29 March, 2023 at a steakhouse in Yekaterinburg, 900 miles (1,400 km) east of Moscow. He has since been held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison.
Mr Gershkovich, his newspaper and the US government all reject the allegations and say he was merely doing his job as a reporter accredited by the foreign ministry to work in Russia.
How UK’s strategic capabilities compare to the 1980s as defence review rolled out
Thursday 18 July 2024 08:24
Alicja Hagopian
Prime minister Keir Starmer’s review of Britain’s defences comes as the West faces a “dangerous quartet” of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, according to Nato chief Lord Robertson.
Russia remains the key threat, as it is continuing to wage war in Ukraine, including a deadly missile strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv last week. Relations with Russia are at their worst since the Cold War period, and military experts believe that European countries need to be prepared for conflict.
But how do Britain’s armed forces compare now to 40 years ago, in 1984, when the UK was engaged in a stand-off with Russia?
In terms of personnel and vessels, the UK’s capacity is substantially lower than in 1984, primarily because the UK is in peacetime.
Donald Trump would be ‘strong and decisive’ in support for Ukraine, says Boris Johnson
Thursday 18 July 2024 08:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has claimed that Donald Trump “will be strong and decisive” in his support of Ukraine and in “defending democracy”.
The Conservative ex-premier was in Washington this week to attend the Republican National Conference in Milwaukee, where Mr Trump was named the party’s official candidate in the upcoming US presidential elections.
After a photograph circulated showing him giving a speech to a near-empty room at the conference on Tuesday, Mr Johnson later shared an image of himself meeting with Mr Trump, just days after the ex-president survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Ukraine faces twin challenges of fighting Russia and shifting political sands in the US
Thursday 18 July 2024 07:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
After almost 30 months of war with Russia, Ukraine’s difficulties on the battlefield are mounting even as its vital support from the United States is increasingly at the mercy of changing political winds.
A six-month delay in military assistance from the U.S., the biggest single contributor to Ukraine, opened the door for the Kremlin’s forces to push on the front line. Ukrainian troops are now fighting to check the slow but gradual gains by Russia’s bigger and better-equipped army.
Trump’s latest move could prove to be a devastating blow for Ukraine
Thursday 18 July 2024 06:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
When Donald Trump announced his choice for vice-president on the first day of the Republican Party’s convention, the name – JD Vance – drew only mild surprise. The 39-year-old junior senator for Ohio was known to have been on the shortlist, and attention switched back almost at once to the main drama – the transformed dynamics of the presidential race as a result of the failed attempt on Trump’s life.
Mary Dejevsky reports:
Russian-installed official says one dead, eight wounded in Ukrainian attacks on Kherson region
Thursday 18 July 2024 05:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
One person was killed and eight were wounded in Ukrainian attacks on part of the southern Kherson region which is controlled by Russian forces, Vladimir Saldo, the area’s Russian-backed governor, wrote on Telegram.
Saldo accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the area and of striking it with drones.
Reuters could not independently verify his assertions and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Germany to halve military aid for Ukraine in deepening crisis
Thursday 18 July 2024 04:18
Arpan Rai
Germany has said it will halve its military aid to Ukraine next year, despite concerns that US support for Kyiv could potentially diminish if Republican candidate Donald Trump returns to the White House.
It will be cut down to €4bn (£3.36bn) in 2025 from around €8bn (£6.72bn) in 2024, according to a draft of the 2025 budget seen by Reuters. Germany has faced criticism for repeatedly missing a Nato target of spending 2 per cent of its economic output on defence.
Germany hopes Ukraine will be able to meet the bulk of its military needs with the $50bn in loans from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets approved by the Group of Seven, and that funds earmarked for armaments will not be fully used.
“Ukraine’s financing is secured for the foreseeable future thanks to European instruments and the G7 loans,” German finance minister Christian Lindner said yesterday at a news conference.
Officials say EU leaders agreed to the idea in part because it reduces the chance of Ukraine being short of funds if Trump returns to the White House.
Alarm bells rang across Europe this week after Trump picked Senator JD Vance, who opposes military aid for Ukraine and warned Europe will have to rely less on the United States to defend the continent, as his candidate for vice president.
Mayor of Russia's Black Sea port Novorossiisk issues sea drone alert
Thursday 18 July 2024 04:03
Arpan Rai
The mayor of the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiisk issued a sea drone alert this morning, warning of a likely attack from Ukraine on Russia.
Mayor Andrei Kravchenko urged locals to stay away from the shoreline. Ukrainian sea drones have in the past attacked Russian ships near the port, disrupting traffic.
Novorossiisk is Russia’s largest Black Sea port and a key outlet for crude oil and oil product exports in Russia’s south. It also loads oil coming from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and handles grain, coal, fertilizers, timber, containers, food and chemical cargoes.
This coincides with Russian forces saying they destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone in the Black Sea near the city, according to the Russian-appointed governor of the city of Sevastopol in Crimea.
Germany to halve military aid for Ukraine next year
Thursday 18 July 2024 04:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Germany will halve military aid for Ukraine next year, even with the possibility that Republican candidate Donald Trump could return to the White House and curb support for Kyiv.
German aid to Ukraine will be cut to 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion) in 2025 from around 8 billion euros in 2024, according to a draft of the 2025 budget seen by Reuters.
Germany hopes Ukraine will be able to meet the bulk of its military needs with the $50 billion in loans from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets agreed by the Group of Seven, and that funds earmarked for armaments will not be fully used.
The stocks of Germany’s armed forces, already run down by decades of underinvestment, have been further depleted by arms supplies to Kyiv.
So far, Berlin has donated three Patriot air defence units to Kyiv, more than any other country, bringing down the number of Patriot systems in Germany to nine.
Although military aid to Ukraine will be cut, Germany will comply with the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on defence in 2025, with a total of 75.3 billion euros.
Switzerland opens dozens of Russian sanctions cases
Thursday 18 July 2024 03:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Switzerland has opened investigations into more than 50 cases of possible sanctions violations and has found breaches in 15 of them so far, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.
Since Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, Switzerland has adopted sanctions similar to those of other Western countries, passing new measures earlier this month.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said in an email to Reuters that the effective implementation of sanctions was a government priority and that it had opened 56 violations proceedings to date.
Of those, around half have been dropped and penalties have been ordered for 15 of them. The others remain under investigation, it said.
SECO did not name the sectors involved, nor the individual companies subject to investigation.
Switzerland said earlier this year it had set up a specialist team to investigate and enforce sanctions that Bern imposed following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine conduct prisoner exchange involving 190 soldiers, says Russian defence ministry
Thursday 18 July 2024 02:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 95 prisoners of war from each side after the United Arab Emirates acted as an intermediary, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
Russia‘s Defence Ministry, in a statement on the Telegram messaging app, said the returning Russian soldiers would undergo medical examinations in Moscow.
The ministry noted the UAE’s “humanitarian mediation.”
Russia holds a UN meeting about global cooperation. US calls it 'hypocrisy' after Ukraine invasion
Thursday 18 July 2024 01:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia’s foreign minister accused the United States on Tuesday of holding the entire West “at gunpoint” and impeding international cooperation, a claim the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations denounced as “hypocrisy” by a country that invaded neighboring Ukraine.
The finger-pointing came at Russia ’s showcase event during its presidency of the U.N. Security Council this month, and it chose the topic — “Multilateral cooperation for a more just, democratic and sustainable world order.” Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, flew in from Moscow to preside.
US tells Russian minister Putin should release detained Americans including Gershkovich and Whelan
Thursday 18 July 2024 00:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations told Russia’s foreign minister on Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin should release detained Americans, singling out journalist Evan Gershkovich and ex-Marine Paul Whelan, and accused the Russian leader of treating “human beings as bargaining chips.”
Linda Thomas-Greenfield took the opportunity of Moscow’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, presiding at a U.N. Security Council meeting to promote multilateralism and democracy to appeal for the release of Americans.
Scientists, a journalist and even a bakery worker are among those convicted of treason in Russia
Wednesday 17 July 2024 23:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Over the past decade, Russia has seen a sharp increase in treason and espionage cases.
Lawyers and experts say prosecutions for these high crimes started to grow after 2014 – the year when Russia illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula. That’s also when Moscow backed a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.
The number of these cases in Russia spiked significantly after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, urged the security services to “harshly suppress the actions of foreign intelligence services [and] promptly identify traitors, spies and saboteurs”. The crackdown has ensnared scientists and journalists, as well as ordinary citizens.
One of Ukraine’s biggest war challenges is being tackled on the streets of Kyiv
Wednesday 17 July 2024 22:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Seeing the military patrol handing out call-up papers on the outskirts of Kyiv, one man slipped into a nearby store. Another refused to even stop for the officers. Others, however, quietly obliged.
While men may be coming round to Ukraine’s ramped-up mobilisation drive to replenish troop numbers more than 28 months since Russia’s invasion, they are less eager to fight than before, said a draft officer, who uses the call sign “Fantomas”.
“Now, as far as I