Finland’s leaders give green light for NATO membership
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Thursday that Finland should join NATO — signaling tectonic shifts in Europe’s post-Cold War security landscape, a day after Helsinki signed a mutual security agreement with London. A green light from Finland’s leaders is the first step toward a formal application, with a proposal also requiring approval from the country’s Parliament.
“Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay,” Niinisto and Marin said in a highly anticipated statement. The leaders also said Finland joining the security alliance would be mutually beneficial.
A membership application from Finland, which has long maintained military nonalignment, would be an ironic consequence of an invasion that Russian President Vladimir Putin said he started for fear of NATO expanding to include Ukraine.
More live updates here.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Thursday that Finland should join NATO — signaling tectonic shifts in Europe’s post-Cold War security landscape, a day after Helsinki signed a mutual security agreement with London. A green light from Finland’s leaders is the first step toward a formal application, with a proposal also requiring approval from the country’s Parliament.
“Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay,” Niinisto and Marin said in a highly anticipated statement. The leaders also said Finland joining the security alliance would be mutually beneficial.
A membership application from Finland, which has long maintained military nonalignment, would be an ironic consequence of an invasion that Russian President Vladimir Putin said he started for fear of NATO expanding to include Ukraine.
More live updates here.
U.N. Human Rights Council considers war crimes probe in Kyiv region
The United Nations Human Rights Council is poised to decide Thursday whether to greenlight an investigation into alleged abuses by Russian troops around the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, which could constitute war crimes.
At a special session of the council Thursday, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said her team had collected evidence of hundreds of killings of Ukrainian civilians by Russian soldiers and continues to verify allegations that “may amount to war crimes.”
“The scale of unlawful killings, including indicia of summary executions in areas to the north of Kyiv, is shocking,” Bachelet said in a video message to the council. “These killings of civilians often appeared to be intentional, carried out by snipers and soldiers.”
More than 1,000 civilian bodies have been recovered in the Kyiv region alone, she said.
Read the full story here.
The United Nations Human Rights Council is poised to decide Thursday whether to greenlight an investigation into alleged abuses by Russian troops around the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, which could constitute war crimes.
At a special session of the council Thursday, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said her team had collected evidence of hundreds of killings of Ukrainian civilians by Russian soldiers and continues to verify allegations that “may amount to war crimes.”
“The scale of unlawful killings, including indicia of summary executions in areas to the north of Kyiv, is shocking,” Bachelet said in a video message to the council. “These killings of civilians often appeared to be intentional, carried out by snipers and soldiers.”
More than 1,000 civilian bodies have been recovered in the Kyiv region alone, she said.
Read the full story here.
Finland’s leaders seek to join NATO ‘without delay’ after Ukraine invasion
Finland’s leaders announced Thursday that they would seek NATO membership for the Nordic nation as soon as possible — an extraordinary move that demonstrates the far-ranging effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay,” Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a statement after weeks of discussions about whether the traditionally nonaligned nation should aim to join the military alliance.
“The war started by Russia jeopardizes the security and stability of the whole of Europe,” Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told European lawmakers Thursday. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has altered the European and Finnish security environment."
NATO leaders have said that Finland, which shares an 800-mile border with Russia, will be welcomed by the alliance if it decides to join.
Read the full story here.
Finland’s leaders announced Thursday that they would seek NATO membership for the Nordic nation as soon as possible — an extraordinary move that demonstrates the far-ranging effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay,” Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a statement after weeks of discussions about whether the traditionally nonaligned nation should aim to join the military alliance.
“The war started by Russia jeopardizes the security and stability of the whole of Europe,” Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told European lawmakers Thursday. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has altered the European and Finnish security environment."
NATO leaders have said that Finland, which shares an 800-mile border with Russia, will be welcomed by the alliance if it decides to join.
Read the full story here.
In a soccer friendly, German fans cheer on a loss to Ukraine
Fans of German soccer club Borussia Mönchengladbach don’t usually hope for their team to lose.
But as the team was defeated by the Ukraine men’s national squad, 2-1, on Wednesday night, the German stadium erupted in cheers. Mönchengladbach fans chanted Ukrainian songs, sporting yellow-and-blue flags painted on their cheeks and Ukrainian scarves around their necks.
The match, a friendly that benefited Ukrainian humanitarian causes and was free for all Ukrainian fans to attend, was a bittersweet return by the country’s national team. As some refugees appeared close to tears while watching their squad compete, the match in many ways also captured the country’s broader hopes for a quick return to some degree of normality and peace.
The team’s coach, Oleksandr Petrakov, said it was a sign “that life returns.”
“It distracts the [Ukrainian] people from the war, and it distracts the players from the war,” he told The Post.
Read the full story here.
Fans of German soccer club Borussia Mönchengladbach don’t usually hope for their team to lose.
But as the team was defeated by the Ukraine men’s national squad, 2-1, on Wednesday night, the German stadium erupted in cheers. Mönchengladbach fans chanted Ukrainian songs, sporting yellow-and-blue flags painted on their cheeks and Ukrainian scarves around their necks.
The match, a friendly that benefited Ukrainian humanitarian causes and was free for all Ukrainian fans to attend, was a bittersweet return by the country’s national team. As some refugees appeared close to tears while watching their squad compete, the match in many ways also captured the country’s broader hopes for a quick return to some degree of normality and peace.
The team’s coach, Oleksandr Petrakov, said it was a sign “that life returns.”
“It distracts the [Ukrainian] people from the war, and it distracts the players from the war,” he told The Post.
Read the full story here.
U.K. law could send Ukrainian refugees who enter via Ireland to Rwanda
If Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion reach Britain via Ireland without travel documents, they could be caught up in a contentious new plan under which migrants who don’t meet strict asylum criteria will be flown to Rwanda for possible resettlement there, U.K. lawmakers have been told by a top immigration official.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the Rwanda plan as part of a crackdown on smuggling routes across the English Channel. Under the plan, which passed into law late last month, most migrants who cross illegally will be deemed inadmissible to claim asylum because their journeys will have taken them through safe countries before their arrival in Britain.
“You are leaving open the possibility that Ukrainians who have crossed from Dublin to Belfast could conceivably end up in Rwanda,” said Stuart C. McDonald, the Scottish National Party member of Parliament who posed the question.
Read the full story here.
If Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion reach Britain via Ireland without travel documents, they could be caught up in a contentious new plan under which migrants who don’t meet strict asylum criteria will be flown to Rwanda for possible resettlement there, U.K. lawmakers have been told by a top immigration official.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the Rwanda plan as part of a crackdown on smuggling routes across the English Channel. Under the plan, which passed into law late last month, most migrants who cross illegally will be deemed inadmissible to claim asylum because their journeys will have taken them through safe countries before their arrival in Britain.
“You are leaving open the possibility that Ukrainians who have crossed from Dublin to Belfast could conceivably end up in Rwanda,” said Stuart C. McDonald, the Scottish National Party member of Parliament who posed the question.
Read the full story here.
U.S. Intelligence-sharing with Ukraine designed to prevent wider war
The United States is sending billions of dollars in military equipment to Ukraine, including heavy artillery, drones and antitank missiles. Administration officials have publicly enumerated those contributions, practically down to the number of bullets. But they are far more cautious when describing another decisive contribution to Ukraine’s battlefield success: intelligence about the Russian military.
Information about the location and movements of Russian forces is flowing to Ukraine in real-time, and it includes satellite imagery and reporting gleaned from sensitive U.S. sources, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the cooperation.
“The intelligence is very good. It tells us where the Russians are so that we can hit them,” one Ukrainian official said, using his finger to pantomime a bomb falling on its target.
Read the full story here.
The United States is sending billions of dollars in military equipment to Ukraine, including heavy artillery, drones and antitank missiles. Administration officials have publicly enumerated those contributions, practically down to the number of bullets. But they are far more cautious when describing another decisive contribution to Ukraine’s battlefield success: intelligence about the Russian military.
Information about the location and movements of Russian forces is flowing to Ukraine in real-time, and it includes satellite imagery and reporting gleaned from sensitive U.S. sources, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the cooperation.
“The intelligence is very good. It tells us where the Russians are so that we can hit them,” one Ukrainian official said, using his finger to pantomime a bomb falling on its target.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- Finland’s leaders announced Thursday that they will seek NATO membership in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine — a move that would mark a tectonic shift in the military alliance and Europe’s security order and that the Kremlin promptly said would “definitely” pose a threat to Russia’s security.
- Ukraine said its troops were pushing back Russian forces around the country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, as airstrikes hit the Chernihiv region farther north.
- European Union leaders are planning to assess Ukraine’s application for E.U. membership in June, according to the French Foreign Ministry.
- Ukraine’s deputy prime minister said the country is continuing negotiations to rescue 38 wounded fighters remaining in the embattled Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
More live updates here.
- Finland’s leaders announced Thursday that they will seek NATO membership in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine — a move that would mark a tectonic shift in the military alliance and Europe’s security order and that the Kremlin promptly said would “definitely” pose a threat to Russia’s security.
- Ukraine said its troops were pushing back Russian forces around the country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, as airstrikes hit the Chernihiv region farther north.
- European Union leaders are planning to assess Ukraine’s application for E.U. membership in June, according to the French Foreign Ministry.
- Ukraine’s deputy prime minister said the country is continuing negotiations to rescue 38 wounded fighters remaining in the embattled Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
More live updates here.
Here’s the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine.
Kharkiv: Ukrainian forces have mounted an effective counterattack in the area around this northeastern city, British and Ukrainian military officials said. Even though Russian forces encircled the city in the war’s early days, Ukrainian resistance appears to have pushed them to withdraw, the British defense ministry said. Still, shelling on Thursday killed at least two on the city’s outskirts, local authorities said.
Novgorod-Siversky: In this northern city, just 30 miles from the Russian border, airstrikes early Thursday killed three people and injured 12, regional and national officials said. The strikes destroyed administrative buildings, homes and schools. Russia also claimed to have hit ammunition depots nearby.
Donetsk oblast: Russian strikes killed at least four civilians in villages dotting this eastern region, one of the two that make up Donbas, its governor said. Five people were injured.
More live updates here.
Kharkiv: Ukrainian forces have mounted an effective counterattack in the area around this northeastern city, British and Ukrainian military officials said. Even though Russian forces encircled the city in the war’s early days, Ukrainian resistance appears to have pushed them to withdraw, the British defense ministry said. Still, shelling on Thursday killed at least two on the city’s outskirts, local authorities said.
Novgorod-Siversky: In this northern city, just 30 miles from the Russian border, airstrikes early Thursday killed three people and injured 12, regional and national officials said. The strikes destroyed administrative buildings, homes and schools. Russia also claimed to have hit ammunition depots nearby.
Donetsk oblast: Russian strikes killed at least four civilians in villages dotting this eastern region, one of the two that make up Donbas, its governor said. Five people were injured.
More live updates here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine.
- A 21-year-old Russian soldier is standing before a Kyiv court on Friday in the first war crimes trial of the conflict, according to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office. Now in Ukrainian custody, Vadim Shishimarin is accused of killing an unarmed 62-year-old civilian in the first week of the war.
- A security policy review unveiled by Sweden on Friday said joining NATO would help deter conflict in northern Europe. The report outlined Sweden’s vulnerability to attack if it remains the only Nordic or Baltic country outside the defense alliance, while noting the risk of Russian retaliation if it does apply.
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he stood by his objection to a Senate vote on sending $39.8 billion in aid for the country. The decision delayed passage of the bill and hampered a bipartisan push for steady assistance to Kyiv.
- A UNICEF official said nearly 100 children were killed in Ukraine in the past month.
More live updates here.
- A 21-year-old Russian soldier is standing before a Kyiv court on Friday in the first war crimes trial of the conflict, according to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office. Now in Ukrainian custody, Vadim Shishimarin is accused of killing an unarmed 62-year-old civilian in the first week of the war.
- A security policy review unveiled by Sweden on Friday said joining NATO would help deter conflict in northern Europe. The report outlined Sweden’s vulnerability to attack if it remains the only Nordic or Baltic country outside the defense alliance, while noting the risk of Russian retaliation if it does apply.
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he stood by his objection to a Senate vote on sending $39.8 billion in aid for the country. The decision delayed passage of the bill and hampered a bipartisan push for steady assistance to Kyiv.
- A UNICEF official said nearly 100 children were killed in Ukraine in the past month.
More live updates here.
Inside Mariupol’s besieged steel plant, a symbol of bravery and terror
Holding fast to her infant son, Anna Zaitseva ran toward a pair of metal doors at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works. It was the last Thursday of February, barely 24 hours after the start of the Russian invasion. In soon-to-be devastated Mariupol, the Kremlin’s bombs were already falling.
They had driven that morning to a lot at the Soviet-era steel plant. One of Europe’s largest, it employed 10,702 people, including her husband. Now, for workers and their families, it was the shelter of last resort.
A commercial complex, Azovstal was also ideal for war. A network of tunnels rested beneath an industrial site twice. Its deep nuclear shelters, complete with old maps and radiation containment plans, dated to the Cold War. The bunker quality of the place also made it a perfect fortress for Ukrainian fighters — a brave and ultimately besieged force that her husband, a new metal worker at the plant, would soon join.
Read the full story here.
Holding fast to her infant son, Anna Zaitseva ran toward a pair of metal doors at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works. It was the last Thursday of February, barely 24 hours after the start of the Russian invasion. In soon-to-be devastated Mariupol, the Kremlin’s bombs were already falling.
They had driven that morning to a lot at the Soviet-era steel plant. One of Europe’s largest, it employed 10,702 people, including her husband. Now, for workers and their families, it was the shelter of last resort.
A commercial complex, Azovstal was also ideal for war. A network of tunnels rested beneath an industrial site twice. Its deep nuclear shelters, complete with old maps and radiation containment plans, dated to the Cold War. The bunker quality of the place also made it a perfect fortress for Ukrainian fighters — a brave and ultimately besieged force that her husband, a new metal worker at the plant, would soon join.
Read the full story here.
After escape from Moscow, Pussy Riot begins tour to support Ukraine
BERLIN — Russian feminist arts collective and punk rock band Pussy Riot took to the stage with an antiwar message Thursday, performing for the first time in three years after their lead singer escaped Russia by disguising herself as a food courier to evade police.
Speaking in Berlin at the start of a planned 19-show European tour to raise money for victims of the war in Ukraine, Maria Alyokhina, a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, described her decision to leave Russia as “spontaneous.”
It came after Russian authorities announced she would have to serve a 21-day sentence in a penal colony. Alyokhina has been arrested six times over the past year on charges related to her political activism, with Putin expanding an already stifling crackdown on political dissent since his invasion of Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
BERLIN — Russian feminist arts collective and punk rock band Pussy Riot took to the stage with an antiwar message Thursday, performing for the first time in three years after their lead singer escaped Russia by disguising herself as a food courier to evade police.
Speaking in Berlin at the start of a planned 19-show European tour to raise money for victims of the war in Ukraine, Maria Alyokhina, a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, described her decision to leave Russia as “spontaneous.”
It came after Russian authorities announced she would have to serve a 21-day sentence in a penal colony. Alyokhina has been arrested six times over the past year on charges related to her political activism, with Putin expanding an already stifling crackdown on political dissent since his invasion of Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
Turkey’s Erdogan voices opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has voiced his country’s opposition to Sweden and Finland gaining NATO membership.
On Friday, Sweden’s foreign minister argued that joining the 30-strong alliance would help prevent conflict, while leaders in neighboring Finland have said their country must seek immediate membership in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Turkey has walked a delicate line during the conflict in Ukraine, trying not to offend Russia, with which it has close economic ties, or the government in Kyiv, an ally that is also a buyer of Turkish-made combat drones.
Read the full story here.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has voiced his country’s opposition to Sweden and Finland gaining NATO membership.
On Friday, Sweden’s foreign minister argued that joining the 30-strong alliance would help prevent conflict, while leaders in neighboring Finland have said their country must seek immediate membership in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Turkey has walked a delicate line during the conflict in Ukraine, trying not to offend Russia, with which it has close economic ties, or the government in Kyiv, an ally that is also a buyer of Turkish-made combat drones.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine court begins first war crimes trial for Russian soldier
MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — A court in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, began hearings Friday in the case against Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin, the first Russian soldier to go on trial for alleged war crimes. He is accused of shooting a 62-year-old civilian in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy in late February.
Shishimarin, 21, a member of Russia’s 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya tank division, is in Ukrainian custody. He is charged with violating “the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder,” for which he could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty, Iryna Venediktova, Ukraine’s prosecutor general, said in a statement on Facebook on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said Friday that the hearing in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district court was a “preparatory meeting.”
Read the full story here.
MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — A court in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, began hearings Friday in the case against Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin, the first Russian soldier to go on trial for alleged war crimes. He is accused of shooting a 62-year-old civilian in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy in late February.
Shishimarin, 21, a member of Russia’s 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya tank division, is in Ukrainian custody. He is charged with violating “the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder,” for which he could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty, Iryna Venediktova, Ukraine’s prosecutor general, said in a statement on Facebook on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said Friday that the hearing in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district court was a “preparatory meeting.”
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- A subsidiary of Russian energy company Inter RAO said it will halt the import of electricity from Russia to Finland beginning Saturday, citing nonpayment. Fingrid, Finland’s state-owned transmission system operator, did not dispute that and said Finland only gets 10 percent of its electricity from Russia.
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) stood by his objection to a Senate vote on sending $39.8 billion in aid to Kyiv. The move delayed passage of the bill and hampered a bipartisan push for steady assistance.
- Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said a Russian armored battalion suffered heavy losses after Ukrainian forces thwarted it while it attempted to cross a river near Severodonetsk, the easternmost city still controlled by Ukraine.
- Nearly 100 children were killed in Ukraine last month, the deputy director of UNICEF told the U.N. Security Council. He added that the true total is probably “considerably higher.”
More live updates here.
- A subsidiary of Russian energy company Inter RAO said it will halt the import of electricity from Russia to Finland beginning Saturday, citing nonpayment. Fingrid, Finland’s state-owned transmission system operator, did not dispute that and said Finland only gets 10 percent of its electricity from Russia.
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) stood by his objection to a Senate vote on sending $39.8 billion in aid to Kyiv. The move delayed passage of the bill and hampered a bipartisan push for steady assistance.
- Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said a Russian armored battalion suffered heavy losses after Ukrainian forces thwarted it while it attempted to cross a river near Severodonetsk, the easternmost city still controlled by Ukraine.
- Nearly 100 children were killed in Ukraine last month, the deputy director of UNICEF told the U.N. Security Council. He added that the true total is probably “considerably higher.”
More live updates here.
Here's the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine.
Kharkiv: Ukrainian forces have mounted an effective counterattack in the area around this northeastern city, pushing Russian troops to withdraw, but shelling continues.
Luhansk: West of Severodonetsk, a Russian battalion crossing the Donets river was decimated after Ukrainian forces blew up the river’s pontoon bridges this week, the British defense ministry confirmed Friday. It is not clear how many Russian soldiers died.
Donetsk: Russian strikes killed one civilian and injured a dozen others, the region’s governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said Friday. In the center of Donetsk, a stronghold for Russian occupying forces, invading forces have shelled the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant, the largest coke producer in Ukraine.
Mariupol: In the Russian-held port city, occupying forces continue bombing the Azovstal steel plant, where the last holdouts from the Ukraine army have sheltered.
More live updates here.
Kharkiv: Ukrainian forces have mounted an effective counterattack in the area around this northeastern city, pushing Russian troops to withdraw, but shelling continues.
Luhansk: West of Severodonetsk, a Russian battalion crossing the Donets river was decimated after Ukrainian forces blew up the river’s pontoon bridges this week, the British defense ministry confirmed Friday. It is not clear how many Russian soldiers died.
Donetsk: Russian strikes killed one civilian and injured a dozen others, the region’s governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said Friday. In the center of Donetsk, a stronghold for Russian occupying forces, invading forces have shelled the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant, the largest coke producer in Ukraine.
Mariupol: In the Russian-held port city, occupying forces continue bombing the Azovstal steel plant, where the last holdouts from the Ukraine army have sheltered.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian troops have been pushed further back north of Kharkiv, while Ukraine has reclaimed control of villages near the area, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Friday.
- Ukraine “appears to have won the Battle of Kharkiv,” the Institute for the Study of War said Friday, adding that the Kremlin has “likely decided to withdraw fully” from its positions around the city amid spirited Ukrainian counterattacks and limited Russian reinforcements.
- Sweden’s parliament will meet Monday to debate joining NATO, following the Finnish leadership’s recommendation for membership this week. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled skepticism Friday about the Nordic nations’ inclusion.
- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a phone call Friday with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, urging Moscow to commit to an immediate cease-fire and maintain communications with Washington.
More live updates here.
- Russian troops have been pushed further back north of Kharkiv, while Ukraine has reclaimed control of villages near the area, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Friday.
- Ukraine “appears to have won the Battle of Kharkiv,” the Institute for the Study of War said Friday, adding that the Kremlin has “likely decided to withdraw fully” from its positions around the city amid spirited Ukrainian counterattacks and limited Russian reinforcements.
- Sweden’s parliament will meet Monday to debate joining NATO, following the Finnish leadership’s recommendation for membership this week. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled skepticism Friday about the Nordic nations’ inclusion.
- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a phone call Friday with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, urging Moscow to commit to an immediate cease-fire and maintain communications with Washington.
More live updates here.
Sanctions forcing Russia to use appliance parts in military gear, U.S. says
U.S.-led sanctions are forcing Russia to use computer chips from dishwashers and refrigerators in some military equipment, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Wednesday.
“We have reports from Ukrainians that when they find Russian military equipment on the ground, it’s filled with semiconductors that they took out of dishwashers and refrigerators,” Raimondo told a Senate hearing.
U.S. technology exports to Russia have fallen by nearly 70 percent since sanctions began in late February, according to Raimondo, whose department oversees the export controls that form a big part of the sanctions package. Three dozen other countries have adopted similar export bans, which also apply to Belarus.
“Our approach was to deny Russia technology — technology that would cripple their ability to continue a military operation. And that is exactly what we are doing,” Raimondo said.
Read the full story here.
U.S.-led sanctions are forcing Russia to use computer chips from dishwashers and refrigerators in some military equipment, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Wednesday.
“We have reports from Ukrainians that when they find Russian military equipment on the ground, it’s filled with semiconductors that they took out of dishwashers and refrigerators,” Raimondo told a Senate hearing.
U.S. technology exports to Russia have fallen by nearly 70 percent since sanctions began in late February, according to Raimondo, whose department oversees the export controls that form a big part of the sanctions package. Three dozen other countries have adopted similar export bans, which also apply to Belarus.
“Our approach was to deny Russia technology — technology that would cripple their ability to continue a military operation. And that is exactly what we are doing,” Raimondo said.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine is now the top recipient of U.S. military aid. Here’s how it surpassed even Israel and Egypt.
Even without a proposed $20 billion military aid package the Senate is considering, the United States is already the largest donor of military aid to Ukraine as it defends itself against a Russian invasion.
On Monday, President Biden called on Congress to approve the proposal, saying money for shipments to Ukraine was set to run out in 10 days.
The latest package, part of a nearly $40 billion aid bill, goes beyond sending weapons and represents a long-term commitment to U.S. involvement in the war. The money would also go toward ramping up production of U.S. weapon stocks to replenish the significant amount of weaponry already sent to Ukraine.
The ramp up in military spending, as well as a recent move to send more advanced equipment, indicates a recognition that the war may drag on, experts said.
Read the full story here.
Even without a proposed $20 billion military aid package the Senate is considering, the United States is already the largest donor of military aid to Ukraine as it defends itself against a Russian invasion.
On Monday, President Biden called on Congress to approve the proposal, saying money for shipments to Ukraine was set to run out in 10 days.
The latest package, part of a nearly $40 billion aid bill, goes beyond sending weapons and represents a long-term commitment to U.S. involvement in the war. The money would also go toward ramping up production of U.S. weapon stocks to replenish the significant amount of weaponry already sent to Ukraine.
The ramp up in military spending, as well as a recent move to send more advanced equipment, indicates a recognition that the war may drag on, experts said.
Read the full story here.
Austin asks Russian defense minister for cease-fire in first talks since Ukraine invasion began
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged his Russian counterpart Friday to consider a cease-fire in Ukraine during the first discussion between the two leaders since the Russian invasion began nearly three months ago, the Pentagon said.
Austin had not connected with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu since Feb. 18 — six days before Russia commenced its assault on Ukraine — despite repeated attempts by U.S. officials to do so, said a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Pentagon. The two men spoke for about an hour, and the official characterized their conversation as “professional,” but declined to detail what was said.
“It wasn’t for lack of trying that we hadn’t been able to establish” communications, the official said.
Read the full story here.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged his Russian counterpart Friday to consider a cease-fire in Ukraine during the first discussion between the two leaders since the Russian invasion began nearly three months ago, the Pentagon said.
Austin had not connected with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu since Feb. 18 — six days before Russia commenced its assault on Ukraine — despite repeated attempts by U.S. officials to do so, said a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Pentagon. The two men spoke for about an hour, and the official characterized their conversation as “professional,” but declined to detail what was said.
“It wasn’t for lack of trying that we hadn’t been able to establish” communications, the official said.
Read the full story here.
McConnell leads Senate GOP delegation in trip to Kyiv to meet Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Saturday with a U.S. Senate delegation led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in Kyiv, calling the visit “a powerful signal of bipartisan support for Ukraine from the U.S. Congress and the American people,” his presidential office said.
In a video posted by Politico journalist Christopher Miller, Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), John Barrasso (Wyo.) and John Cornyn (Tex.) were also greeted by Zelensky on a Kyiv street.
“Russia is committing genocide against the Ukrainian people,” Zelensky said in a news release announcing the senators’ visit. “Europe has not seen such crimes since World War II.”
“In addition, we believe that Russia should be officially recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism,” Zelensky said.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Saturday with a U.S. Senate delegation led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in Kyiv, calling the visit “a powerful signal of bipartisan support for Ukraine from the U.S. Congress and the American people,” his presidential office said.
In a video posted by Politico journalist Christopher Miller, Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), John Barrasso (Wyo.) and John Cornyn (Tex.) were also greeted by Zelensky on a Kyiv street.
“Russia is committing genocide against the Ukrainian people,” Zelensky said in a news release announcing the senators’ visit. “Europe has not seen such crimes since World War II.”
“In addition, we believe that Russia should be officially recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism,” Zelensky said.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian song favored to win Eurovision as war rages
The musicians needed special permission to bypass martial law, and the commentator is presenting from a bunker. But as Europe gears up for its most popular song contest, Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra made it to Saturday’s grand final.
And this year’s Eurovision, a flamboyant performance watched by nearly 200 million people, may give Ukraine a reason to celebrate.
The Ukrainian folk-rap mash-up, “Stefania,” is favored by bookmakers to win Eurovision 2022, the world’s longest-running televised music competition, which draws on votes from viewers and once helped launch Abba. The Ukrainian contender is one of 25 acts that will compete in the last round in Turin, Italy, after becoming the most-watched on YouTube among this year’s 40 national entries.
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The musicians needed special permission to bypass martial law, and the commentator is presenting from a bunker. But as Europe gears up for its most popular song contest, Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra made it to Saturday’s grand final.
And this year’s Eurovision, a flamboyant performance watched by nearly 200 million people, may give Ukraine a reason to celebrate.
The Ukrainian folk-rap mash-up, “Stefania,” is favored by bookmakers to win Eurovision 2022, the world’s longest-running televised music competition, which draws on votes from viewers and once helped launch Abba. The Ukrainian contender is one of 25 acts that will compete in the last round in Turin, Italy, after becoming the most-watched on YouTube among this year’s 40 national entries.
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