Ukraine

The Hill reports: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged civilians remaining in the easternmost Donbas region of the country to leave as the most intense fighting with Russian forces continues there. Zelensky also called on the world, and specifically the U.S. State Department, to recognize Russia as a terrorist state. He said it would not be just a political gesture but …

The BBC reports: The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in the UK next year, it has been confirmed. The show’s organisers decided the event could not be held in the winning country, Ukraine, due to the ongoing war following Russia’s invasion. The UK came second this year, so talks were opened with the BBC. “We are grateful to our …

Politico Europe reports: The absence of a picture is worth a thousand words. Foreign ministers of the G20 countries, who are meeting on the Indonesian island of Bali this week, did not take a customary group photo, after several Western leaders reportedly refused to be pictured with Russia’s Sergey Lavrov over his country’s invasion of Ukraine. According to a report …

The Associated Press reports: With Russia’s military action in Ukraine in its fifth month, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscow’s terms or brace for the worst, adding ominously that Russia has barely started its action. Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament, Putin accused Western allies of fueling the …

Politico reports: Vladimir Putin plans to attend the G20 summit in Indonesia in November, an aide to the Russian president said Monday. Despite launching a brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin was invited to the meeting of the world’s major developed and emerging economies by Indonesian President Joko Widodo — a move that will spark soul-searching for Western allied leaders …

Reuters reports: NATO will massively boost the number of troops on high readiness to over 300,000, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, with allies set to adopt a new strategy describing Moscow as a direct threat four months into the Ukraine war. “Russia has walked away from the partnership and the dialogue that NATO has tried to establish with Russia …

Reuters reports: Russian missiles hit an apartment block and kindergarten in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Sunday, in strikes U.S. President Joe Biden condemned as “barbarism” as world leaders gathered in Europe to discuss further sanctions against Moscow. Up to four explosions shook central Kyiv in the early ours, in the first such attack on the city in weeks. Two …

From the European Broadcasting Union: The Rules of the Eurovision Song Contest, that all participating broadcasters agree upon, clearly state that the event can be moved in a force majeure situation such as an ongoing war. In response to the EBU’s security questionnaire a number of risks that would impact the immediate planning for such a large event, including the …

The Associated Press reports: European Union leaders on Thursday are set to make Ukraine a candidate for joining the 27-nation bloc, a first step in a long and unpredictable journey toward full membership that could take many years to navigate. According to several diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity before a leaders’ summit in Brussels, Ukraine will receive the …

NBC News reports: Attorney General Merrick Garland is making a surprise visit to Ukraine on Tuesday, according to a Department of Justice spokesperson. Garland is meeting with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova “to discuss U.S. and international efforts to help Ukraine identify, apprehend, and prosecute those individuals involved in war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine.” A number of alleged …

The New York Times reports: The Nobel Peace Prize put up for auction by the Russian journalist Dmitri A. Muratov to help Ukrainian refugees sold Monday night for $103.5 million to an anonymous buyer, obliterating the record for a Nobel medal. The proceeds from the auction will go to UNICEF to aid Ukrainian children and their families displaced by Russia’s …

Reuters reports: The European Union gave its blessing on Friday for Ukraine and its neighbour Moldova to become candidates to join, in the most dramatic geopolitical shift to result from Russia’s invasion. Ukraine applied to join the EU just four days after Russian troops poured across its border in February. Ukraine and Moldova will still face a lengthy process to …

Reuters reports: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned that millions of people could starve because of a Russian blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports which he said had left the world “on the brink of a terrible food crisis.” Russia has seized large parts of Ukraine’s coast, blocking farm exports and driving up the cost of grain. Zelenskiy said Ukraine was …

Reuters reports: A Russian general was killed in eastern Ukraine, a Russian state media journalist said on Sunday, adding to the string of high-ranking military casualties sustained by Moscow. The report, published on the Telegram messaging app by state television reporter Alexander Sladkov, did not say precisely when and where Major General Roman Kutuzov was killed. Russia already classifies military …

The Washington Post reports: A diplomat at Russia’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva has resigned over the war in Ukraine, writing that he has never been “so ashamed” of his country, in a rare public rebuke of the war from within the Russian government. In a letter circulated to colleagues in Geneva and posted on a LinkedIn account …

The Insider reports: Video footage has emerged of concertgoers in St Petersburg, Russia, chanting an anti-war message to protest Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The video, shared on Twitter by the Russian opposition politician Lubov Sobol, shows a large crowd chanting in unison. The concertgoers can be heard shouting “fuck the war” repeatedly in Russian, referring to the …

Reuters reports: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday he was concerned about what he called moves by the West to “dismember” Ukraine, and accused Poland of seeking to seize the Western part of the country. He offered no evidence for his assertions. “What worries us is that they are ready, the Poles and NATO, to come out, to help …

The BBC reports: A court in Ukraine has jailed a Russian tank commander for life for killing a civilian at the first war crimes trial since the invasion. Captured soldier Sgt Vadim Shishimarin was convicted of killing Oleksandr Shelipov, 62, in the north-eastern village of Chupakhivka on 28 February. He admitted shooting Mr Shelipov but said he had been acting …

The New York Times reports: Russia is moving toward eliminating age limits for military service — an apparent effort to expand the pool of potential recruits amid heavy casualties in Ukraine. Under an amendment introduced by senior lawmakers, Russians older than 40 would be able to sign first-time military service contracts. The law would bring in more service members with …

The Washington Post reports: The Senate voted Thursday to deliver more than $40 billion in new military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, sending the measure to President Biden after a week-long delay sparked by a lone senator’s objection. The vote was 86-to-11 with all opposition to the package coming from Republicans. The bill provides a combined $20.1 billion in military …