Ukraine-Russia news – live: US warns of ‘serious consequences’ if China arms Putin

The United States has warned China of “serious consequences” if Beijing were to provide Russia with weapons during Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Following a meeting with Wang Yi at a secret location on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said he had warned the top Chinese diplomat that arming Moscow “would have serious consequences in our relationship”.

Washington’s concerns about such a move come as Russia’s ambassador to the US hit out at Joe Biden’s administration following its declaration that Moscow’s troops were committing “crimes against humanity” in Ukraine.

“We regard such insinuations as an unprecedented attempt to demonise Russia in the framework of the hybrid war unleashed against us,” envoy Anatoly Antonov was quoted saying by Russia’s Tass state news agency.

Meanwhile, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Mr Putin was “planning for more war”, as he joined Rishi Sunak and other Western leaders in calling for intensified support for Ukraine. Mr Sunak insisted the world must “hold Russia to account” for alleged war crimes.

Key Points

• US warns China of ‘serious consequences’ if it provides Russia with weapons

• Russia guilty of ‘crimes against humanity’, says Kamala Harris ...

• ... As Moscow claims allegations are part of a ‘hybrid war unleashed against us’

• Rishi Sunak addresses leaders at Munich Security Conference

• Volodymr Zelensky urges West to ‘hurry up’ before Vladimir Putin ‘destroys many more lives’

• Russian artillery slams in Bakhmut, killing five

Zelensky thanks Biden for visit at ‘historic moment’ for Ukraine

10:32 , Emily Atkinson

The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports:

Volodymyr Zelensky and Joe Biden were ushered to a meeting for a restricted bilateral meeting.

Mr Zelensky spoke first: “Today we host president Biden. Thank you so much for coming Mr President at a huge moment for Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian leader also thanked “American society”, who he said from the beginning “have been together” with his war-torn nation.

“Thank you for your leadership,” he said to Mr Biden. “All the thanks to Congress.”Mr Zelensky said he looked forward to discussing “the situation on the battlefield” with Mr Biden

“But we will also speak about the people, about Ukranians, about Americans … what we have to do to stop the war, to have success in this war …and how to win this year.”

Watch: Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky walk through Kyiv as air raid sirens sound

10:20 , Emily Atkinson

‘Putin thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong’: Biden’s statement in full as he touches down in Ukraine

10:18 , Emily Atkinson

“As the world prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I am in Kyiv today to meet with President Zelensky and reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

“When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong.

“Today, in Kyiv, I am meeting with President Zelensky and his team for an extended discussion on our support for Ukraine. I will announce another delivery of critical equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars to help protect the Ukrainian people from aerial bombardments. And I will share that later this week, we will announce additional sanctions against elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine. Over the last year, the United States has built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to help defend Ukraine with unprecedented military, economic, and humanitarian support – and that support will endure.

“I also look forward to traveling on to Poland to meet President Duda and the leaders of our Eastern Flank Allies, as well as deliver remarks on how the United States will continue to rally the world to support the people of Ukraine and the core values of human rights and dignity in the UN Charter that unite us worldwide.

First images of Biden in Ukraine

10:15 , Emily Atkinson

US president Joe Biden and Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky walk next to Saint Michael’s cathedral, Kyiv, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine.

Biden in Kyiv

10:14 , Emily Atkinson

Our US team have more on president Joe Biden’s surprise arrival in Kyiv...

Joe Biden arrived in Kyiv at 8am local time, donning a blue suit with a blue and yellow striped tie.

“It’s good to be back in Kyiv,” Mr Biden declared as he was greeted upon arrival by ambassador Bridget Brink.

The presidential motorcade arrived at Mariinsky Palace just after 8.30am, where he was greeted at the entrance outside by Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska.

Mr Zelensky was dressed in his signature black sweatshirt with dark green pants and beige boots.

“Thank you for coming,” Mr Zelensky said as he shook Mr Biden’s hand.

“More importantly, how are the children?” Mr Biden asked, adding: “It’s amazing to see you.”

Biden makes surprise visit to Kyiv

10:04 , Emily Atkinson

US president Joe Biden has arrived in Kyiv for his first visit to the embattled country since Russia invaded almost one year ago.

The surprise visit comes after he travelled to Poland to meet president Andrzej Duda.

Air-raid alert issued across Ukraine

09:54 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian authorities issued an air-raid alert across the entire country on Monday.

Officials in the capital Kyiv have warned in recent days of a heightened risk of attacks by Russia as the anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine last year approaches.

There were no immediate reports of new missile or drone strikes.

US in no position to make demands of China, says Beijing

09:30 , Emily Atkinson

The United States is in no position to make demands, China has said after the top US diplomat warned his Beijing counterpart over the weekend against providing weapons to Russia in its war in Ukraine.

“The United States is in no position to make demands of China,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular daily briefing in Beijing, when asked about secretary of state Antony Blinken’s comments.

“China’s comprehensive collaborative partnership with Russia is based on the basis of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties, and is a matter within the sovereignty of two independent countries,” Wang Wenbin said.

He was referring to the “no limits” partnership struck just over a year ago between Beijing and Moscow, weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We will never accept the US pointing fingers at Sino-Russian relations or even coercing us,” he said.

Turkey ‘not exporting items that can be used in Russia war effort'

09:10 , Emily Atkinson

Turkey’s foreign minister has insisted that Ankara is not selling products that could be used in Russia’s war effort, after US warnings earlier this month about exports of chemicals, microchips and other products.

Speaking after meeting US secretary of state Antony Blinken in Ankara, Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey will not allow US and European sanctions to be violated in or via Turkey, and Ankara is taking steps to prevent it.

A top US treasury official visited Turkish government and private sector officials earlier this month to urge more cooperation in disrupting the flow of goods that can be used by Moscow’s defence industries.

Moldova ‘unafraid’ of Russian invasion, say protestors

08:51 , Emily Atkinson

Poverty-stricken protestors in Moldova say they are not afraid of a Russian invasion after the Kremlin cut its gas supply to the country by half last year and sent energy bills soaring.

According to Moldova’s president Maia Sandu, energy bills now consume more than 70 per cent of household income.

The Sunday protests were organised by Moldova’s pro-Russian Sor party, reports the BBC.

Most demonstraters travelled to the capital city Chisinau by bus, with their costs allegedly covered by the Sor party.

“It’s very clear that Russia is an aggressor state,” Rosian Vasiloi, head of Moldova’s border police, told the BBC.

He told the broadcaster that as long as Ukraine continues to fight, and is victorious, he believes the risks for Moldova are lower.

“If Ukraine falls, Moldova is next,” he added. “But I’m not afraid.”

Chisinau Councillor Iurie Berenchi similarly said protestors were “not afraid,” telling the broadcaster: “Because if Russia wanted to take Moldova, they’d do it in half a day.”

Asked if he would welcome that, Mr Berenchi: “In my personal opinion, yes. With Russia we’d be much better off than we are now.”

China’s top diplomat 'arrives in Moscow for talks on Ukraine’

08:19 , Emily Atkinson

China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, has arrived in Moscow for talks on a possible peace plan for Ukraine, reports say.

“The main purpose of his trip is to increase the role of Beijing in the Ukrainian settlement,” the Kommersant newspaper reported.

At the annual Munich Security Conference, Wang accused the United States of violating international norms with “hysterical” behaviour.

Wang reiterated a call for dialogue and suggested European countries “think calmly” about how to end the war.

Wang also said there were “some forces that seemingly don’t want negotiations to succeed, or for the war to end soon,” without specifying to whom he was referring.

China’s Xi Jinping will deliver a “peace speech” on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, Italy’s foreign minister said on Friday.

Kyiv mayor issues nuclear weapons warning

07:23 , Arpan Rai

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko has urged the rest of the world not to forget the war in Ukraine as it reaches its one-year anniversary, noting in an ominous warning that the conflict does not only affect the former Soviet nation.

“Please don’t forget, we’re talking about nuclear weapons. An explosion could touch everyone on our planet, and that is why we have to do everything we can to stop this war,” the former boxing champion said in an interview with Canadian news channel CTV.

He added that it would be a “huge mistake” for people outside of the war-hit nation to think that Vladimir Putin’s invasion does not affect them.

Putin’s troops under political pressure ahead of war anniversary - MoD

07:04 , Arpan Rai

Russian casualties in Ukraine remain high, especially in Bakhmut and Vuhledar, as Vladimir Putin pushes for a symbolic victory to mark the one-year anniversary of the conflict, according to the UK defence ministry.

“Specifically, the ‘elite’ 155th and 40th Naval Infantry Brigades have sustained very high losses in Vuhledar and are likely combat ineffective,” the MoD said today in its latest intelligence update.

It added that Russian forces are likely “under increasing political pressure as the anniversary of the invasion draws near”.

It is likely that Russia will claim that Bakhmut has been captured to align with the anniversary, regardless of the reality on the ground, the ministry warned.

“If Russia’s spring offensive fails to achieve anything then tensions within the Russian leadership will likely increase,” it said.

Zelensky says Macron wasting time in considering dialogue with Russia

06:03 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that French leader Emmanuel Macron is wasting his time considering any sort of dialogue with Russia.

The war-time president was responding to a suggestion during a phone call from his French counterpart that Russia should be “defeated but not crushed” and that the war in Ukraine would have to be settled by negotiations.

“It will be a useless dialogue. In fact Macron is wasting his time. I have come to the conclusion that we are not able to change the Russian attitude,” Zelensky told an Italian daily.

He added: “If they have decided to isolate themselves in the dream of rebuilding the old Soviet empire, we cannot do anything about it. It is up to them to choose or not to cooperate with the community of nations on the basis of mutual respect.”

The two presidents spoke by telephone yesterday.

Photographer says capturing Ukraine through war helped her ‘not go crazy’

05:20 , Arpan Rai

A photojournalist who captured Kyiv through a series of images on the day Russia invaded Ukraine said photography helped her document her “weird” feelings and “not go crazy”.

Alina Smutko, 30, a photojournalist at Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne News, said that on 24 February, 2022, she took a camera – a Nikon D3 – and a bag with basic equipment to Maydan Nezalezhnosti (the Independence square).

“I took a few photos just for me in case I see ‘Ukrainian’ Kyiv for the last time,” she said, from Kyiv.

Read more here:

Photographer says capturing Ukraine conflict helped her ‘not go crazy’

Russia hit by ‘extraordinarily significant’ losses in east, say Zelensky

04:36 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the Ukrainian military is inflicting “extraordinarily significant” losses on Russian forces near the town of Vuhledar in the eastern Donbas region.

“The situation is very complicated. And we are fighting. We are breaking down the invaders and inflicting extraordinarily significant losses on Russia,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

Zelensky referred to several towns in Donbas, where fighting has been focused for months and added that “the more losses Russia suffers there, in Donbas - in Bakhmut, Vuhledar, Marinka, Kreminna - the faster we will be able to end this war with Ukraine‘s victory”.

Ukraine will not defend Bakhmut 'at any price', says Zelensky

04:06 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted at a Ukrainian withdrawal from the eastern city of Bakhmut if its defence becomes too costly in terms of human lives.

“Yes, it is not a particularly big town. In fact, like many others in Donbas, (it’s been) devastated by the Russians. It is important for us to defend it, but not at any price and not for everyone to die,” Mr Zelensky told Italian daily Corriere della Sera on being asked whether Kyiv’s outnumbered forces should hold fort in the eastern Ukraine city.

Fewer than 5,000 civilians remain in the city which falls in the frontline Donetsk region and had a pre-war population of 70,000.

The city, the next target for Russia after it captured Soledar, has more symbolic value as a territorial gain than any tangible strategic advantage as a gateway to cities farther west in Donetsk region.

Mr Zelensky said that the Russian commanders were bent on pushing on to the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, farther west in Donetsk region “and as far as (the central city of) Dnipro.”

“We will resist and meanwhile prepare the next counter-attack,” he said.

Action needed now on surge in Ukrainians becoming homeless, MPs warn

03:55 , Arpan Rai

A cross-party coalition of MPs and peers has warned that the government must act immediately to help thousands of Ukrainian refugees who are facing homelessness in the UK.

More than 4,200 Ukrainian households have presented as homeless to English councils since February last year, with 30 per cent of those doing so in the period from November to January.

More than 70 MPs and peers, including the former home secretary Priti Patel and deputy speaker Dame Rosie Winterton, have signed an open letter calling on the government to widen the funding available to sponsors to ensure that no Ukrainian seeking refuge in the UK is left facing homelessness.

Read the full story here:

Action needed now on surge in Ukrainians becoming homeless, MPs warn

More than 450 children killed, 924 injured in war in Ukraine – official

03:17 , Arpan Rai

The war on Ukraine, which marks its one year anniversary this week, has killed at least 461 children and injured 924 others since 24 February, the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said yesterday.

The latest shelling attack in Bakhmut on Friday injured a 16-year-old, the officials said.

Officials have added that the actual toll and number of casualties in the war are expected to be higher than the existing data as it does not include the children injured and killed Russian-occupied territories.

‘It’s really hard. It’s like being a single mum'

03:00 , Katy Clifton

The wife of a church pastor in Ukraine whose family split up weeks after Russia’s invasion has said “it’s like being a single mum” almost 12 months after evacuating the country with her daughters.

Luda Sviridok, 48, fled Kharkiv with her two daughters, aged 17 and 10, on a train along with a number of other women and children from the church community - her husband Sergey, 46, and her son, aged 20, stayed in Ukraine.

Twelve months on from Russia’s invasion, she remains in the Czech Republic teaching English as a second language, and has only seen her husband - who continues to take humanitarian aid to villages - twice since leaving Ukraine.

“We were able to meet a couple of times,” Ms Sviridok told the PA news agency.

“The first time my husband was able to come over to the Czech Republic in summer and we did a bit of travelling as a family. And for Christmas this year I had to go to Ukraine with my daughters, of course not home, but to the western part of Ukraine, which is much safer.

“It’s still very difficult for all of us to have split families. It’s really hard. It’s like being a single mum almost. I’m responsible for my girls.

“The first meeting was quite happy. But the Christmas meeting was, I don’t know, for me it was depressing and sad.

“When we left Ukraine, we just thought we were going for a few weeks, or maybe a couple of months. But now we’ve been here for a year, and we don’t know when it’s going to finish.”

Concerns over homeless refugees in UK

02:00 , Katy Clifton

Concerns are growing that increasing numbers of Ukrainian refugees in the UK are facing homelessness or destitution, the British government has been warned.

The latest official figures show that 4,295 Ukrainian households have needed assistance from councils in the face of the risk of homelessness.

The data, up to January 27, is from 72% of English local authorities and so gives only a “partial picture of the true scale of homelessness faced by this refugee community”, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ending Homelessness said.

The cross-party coalition of more than 70 MPs and peers said it welcomed the Government’s response to the conflict in 2022 but called for more action “to ensure that refugees could access a safe and secure home and did not have to face homelessness”.

Russia accuses US of being ‘major provocateur'

23:22 , Katy Clifton

The Kremlin on Sunday claimed the United States was a “major provocateur” of international tensions for condoning attacks on Crimea, warning that the remarks about the peninsula underscored the depth of disagreement between the two countries.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was responding to comments by U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland who said the United States considers that Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, should be demilitarised and that Washington supports Ukrainian attacks on military targets on the peninsula.

“Nuland belongs to a very broad camp of the most aggressive ‘hawks’ in American politics. This is a point of view we know well,” Peskov said in comments published by the TASS news agency.

France speaks to Ukraine by phone

22:00 , Katy Clifton

French president Emmanuel Macron spoke to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday as Western leaders aim to strengthen their support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s latest military attacks.

Mr Macron’s office said in a statement the two leaders had discussed Mr Zelensky’s recent visits to London, Paris and the European Union in Brussels, and that Mr Macron had reaffirmed to Ukraine’s leader NATO backing for more military supplies to Ukraine.

Mr Macron also reaffirmed his support for a 10-point peace proposal laid out by Mr Zelensky, during their phone call.

He had told French paper Le Journal du Dimanche in an interview published on Sunday that while France wanted Russia to be defeated in Ukraine, France did not want to “crush” Russia.

Ukraine inflicting ‘significant’ losses on Russia

21:02 , Katy Clifton

Ukraine‘s military is inflicting “extraordinarily significant” losses on Russian forces near the town of Vuhledar in the eastern Donbas region, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.

“The situation is very complicated. And we are fighting. We are breaking down the invaders and inflicting extraordinarily significant losses on Russia,” he said in his nightly video address.

Mr Zelensky referred to several towns in Donbas, where fighting has been focused for months, saying “the more losses Russia suffers there, in Donbas - in Bakhmut, Vuhledar, Marinka, Kreminna - the faster we will be able to end this war with Ukraine‘s victory”.

US ‘planning new export controls'

19:50 , Katy Clifton

The Biden administration is planning to impose new export controls and a fresh round of sanctions on Russia, targeting key industries, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The new sanctions will target Russia’s defence and energy sectors, financial institutions and several individuals, the report said, adding that US and allies may also look into preventing the evasion and circumvention of sanctions in order to disrupt the support Russia receives from third countries.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council declined comment when contacted by Reuters.

The European Union’s proposal for new sanctions include Iranian entities seen to be providing Russia with drones and other military supplies, technologies, components, heavy vehicles, electronics and rare-earths, the report said.

18:55 , Katy Clifton

Russia said on Sunday that Ukraine was planning to stage a nuclear incident on its territory to pin the blame on Moscow ahead of a United Nations meeting, without providing evidence for the accusation.

Since the start of its invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago, Russia has repeatedly accused Kyiv of planning “false flag” operations with non-conventional weapons, using biological or radioactive materials. No such attack has materialised.

Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement that radioactive substances had been transported to Ukraine from a European country and Kyiv was preparing a large-scale “provocation”.

“The aim of the provocation is to accuse Russia’s army of allegedly carrying out indiscriminate strikes on hazardous radioactive facilities in Ukraine, leading to the leakage of radioactive substances and contamination of the area,” it said.

Top Republican ‘believes Biden administration will agree to train Ukrainians on F-16s'

17:34 , Andy Gregory

US politicians broadly support training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, Republican senator Lindsey Graham has said.

The politician said he believed the Biden administration would soon agree to do so.

Following talks between US and Ukrainian officials at the Munich security conference, Mr Graham said he did not worry that the F-16s would escalate the conflict.

“Don’t worry about provoking Putin, worry about beating him,” he told ABC.

Ukrainian officials lobby US delegation to push Biden on fighter jets

16:40 , Andy Gregory

Ukrainian officials have urged members of the US Congress to pressure Joe Biden’s administration to send F-16 jetfighters to Kyiv.

The lobbying came on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in talks between Ukrainian officials, including foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, and US Democrats and Republicans.

Four delegations from the Senate and House combined in what members said was the largest US delegation to attend Europe’s premier security gathering since it started in 1963, demonstrating clear bipartisan support for Ukraine.

“They told us that they want [F-16s] to suppress enemy air defenses so they could get their drones” beyond Russian front lines, senator Mark Kelly, a former astronaut who flew US Navy fighters in combat, told Reuters on Saturday evening.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the United States should focus on providing weapons that can be used immediately on the battlefield, rather than fighter jets which require extensive training.

Russia must be held accountable after war, says Estonia’s PM

15:41 , Andy Gregory

Once the war in Ukraine ends, Russia must be brought to justice for war crimes and the decision to invade its neighbor if it is to have any chance of developing a normal relationship with the West, Estonia’s prime minister has said.

Kaja Kallas, whose nation is the biggest per-capita contributor of military aid to Ukraine, told The Associated Press that the conflict cannot end with a peace deal that carves up the country and fails to hold Moscow to account.

“I don’t think there can be any relations as usual with a pariah state that hasn’t really given up the imperialistic goals,” she said on the sidelines of a major security conference in Munich. “If we don’t learn this lesson and don’t prosecute the crimes of aggression, the war crimes will just continue.”

Estonian leader: Russia must be held accountable after war

Kadyrov says he plans to one day set up Wagner-style group

14:48 , Andy Gregory

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechnya region, has declared that he plans to one day set up his own private military company in the style of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group.

The rise of Wagner and other mercenary groups outside the traditional Russian and Soviet-era military command structures has raised concerns among diplomats that such groups could one day pose a threat to stability in Russia.

In a post on Telegram, Mr Kadyrov said that Wagner, which has been fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, had achieved “impressive results” and said private military companies were a necessity.

“When my service to the state is completed, I seriously plan to compete with our dear brother Yevgeny Prigozhin and create a private military company. I think it will all work out,” said Kadyrov, who has served as head of the Chechen Republic since 2007.

Ukraine troops prepare for threat of Russia capturing Bakhmut

14:14 , Reuters

Ukrainian troops conducting weekend exercises near the small town of Siversk, in the country’s east, said they were preparing to defend one of the possible targets of a new Russian offensive.

Siversk, which had a pre-war population of 10,000, is 35 kilometres north of Bakhmut – the scene of fierce fighting in recent weeks – and on a direct road to another of the key towns in the Donetsk region, Sloviansk.

“If they occupied Bakhmut, then we would be semi-encircled, because on the left side we have the Siverskyi Donets river, and the enemy will advance from the right, and it is possible to cut us off if they reach the Bakhmut highway,” said the deputy Siversk battalion commander, who used the nom-de-guerre “Han”.

Ukrainian forces have appealed for more advanced weapons from Kyiv’s Western allies to help defend Bakhmut, which is being attacked by Russia’s Wagner mercenary group.

One soldier defending Siversk said their mostly Soviet-era artillery was outgunned by the enemy.

“We have one artillery attack from our side, and the Russians can do it five times more,” said 30-year-old Stefan. “It’s very difficult for the guys who are standing, especially at the first line [of defence], they feel it too much.”

Capturing Bakhmut would give Russian forces a stepping stone to advance on two bigger cities further west, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. But Ukraine and its Western allies say success there would be a largely Pyrrhic victory for Moscow, given the time taken and losses sustained.

Kremlin rages at US stance over attacks on Russian military targets in Crimea

13:34 , Andy Gregory

The Kremlin has sought to claim that the United States was a “major provocateur” of international tensions as hit out at Washington’s condonation of attacks on Crimea

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was responding to comments by US under secretary of state Victoria Nuland that Washington supports Ukrainian attacks on military targets in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

“Nuland belongs to a very broad camp of the most aggressive ‘hawks’ in American politics. This is a point of view we know well,” Mr Peskov said in comments carried by the state-backed Tass news agency.

Mr Peskov warned that the remarks about the peninsula underscored the depth of disagreement between the two countries.

Italy’s Meloni to meet Zelensky in Kyiv on Monday, source says

12:48 , Andy Gregory

Italy’s premier Giorgia Meloni will travel to Kyiv on Monday to meet Volodymyr Zelensky, a political source has told Reuters.

Ms Meloni, who took office in October, has said she planned to visit Ukraine ahead of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion on 24 February – with Italy and France having recently finalised talks over the delivery of an advanced air defence system to Kyiv in the spring.

Despite friction on the issue within her ruling right-wing coalition and divided public opinion, Ms Meloni has been a firm supporter of Ukraine. Her coalition partner and predecessor Silvio Berlusconi said last week that – were he still premier – he would not seek a meeting with the Ukrainian president, who he blames for the war with Russia.

Russia likely using balloons to spy on Ukraine and use up ammo stocks, says UK

11:56 , Andy Gregory

Russia is likely using balloons in a “new tactic” to gather information about Ukraine’s air defence systems and force Kyiv to expend valuable stocks of surface-to-air missiles and ammunition, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

In its latest intelligence update, the ministry noted that the sighting of a “balloon-shaped” object on Tuesday led to the closure of Moldovan airspace for several hours, adding: “There is a realistic possibility that this was a Russian balloon that had drifted from Ukrainian airspace.”

The following day, Ukrainian troops “spotted several balloons with radar reflectors suspended beneath them over Kyiv”, it said, adding: “Ukrainian officials reported that they shot down at least six of these.

Ukraine’s Air Force also reported balloons over eastern Dnipropetrovsk last Sunday, the ministry said.

“They likely represent a new tactic by Russia to gain information about Ukrainian air defence systems and compel the Ukrainians to expend valuable stocks of surface to air missiles and ammunition,” it added.

West has not shown willingness to engage in peace efforts, claims Kremlin

11:12 , Andy Gregory

The West has not yet shown it is willing to engage in peaceful initiatives to resolve Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Kremlin has claimed.

“So far, there is no readiness or openness for peace initiatives on the part of the collective West,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the Tass news agency.

The Bell becomes latest news site to be blocked in Russia

10:44 , Andy Gregory

Russian outlet The Bell is the latest news site to have been taken offline by the Kremlin in its intensified crackdown on independent media coverage since invading Ukraine.

The site mainly covers business news and was one of the few remaining independent media websites accessible after the authorities blocked Mediazona, Meduza and Novaya Gazeta. It was founded in 2017 by Yelizaveta Osetinskaya, who formerly edited Vedomosti and the Russian edition of Forbes.

Both Ms Osetinskaya and The Bell had already been labelled “foreign agents” – entities subject to increased scrutiny by the authorities.

While the outlet said last year it was going to stop covering the conflict in Ukraine, citing the danger to its journalists, it continued to publish stories about the invasion’s effects on the economy.

Russia raises spectre of Napoleon in attack on Macron over his Moscow ‘regime change’ comments

09:58 , Andy Gregory

Russia has criticised “priceless” Emmanuel Macron over his remarks about regime change in the Kremlin, raising the spectre of France’s 19th century emperor, Napoleon.

On Friday, the French president urged allies to step up military support for Ukraine, but added: “Let’s be clear, I don’t believe for one second in regime change, and when I hear a lot of people calling for regime change I ask them, ‘For which change? Who’s next? Who is your leader?’”

Clarifying those comments, he told Le Journal du Dimanche that he did not believe a democratic solution from within civil society would emerge in Russia after years of a hardening of Moscow’s position and conflict, adding that he saw no alternative to Putin, who had to be brought back to the negotiating table.

“All the options other than Vladimir Putin in the current system seem worse to me,” Mr Macron said, telling the paper that while France wanted Russia to be defeated in Ukraine, it had never wanted to “crush” it.

But Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said: “About ‘never’: France did not begin with Macron, and the remains of Napoleon, revered at the state level, rest in the centre of Paris. France – and Russia – should understand.”

“In general, Macron is priceless,” she said, adding that his remarks showed the West had engaged in discussions about regime change in Russia while Macron had repeatedly sought meetings with the Russian leadership.

US warns China of ‘serious consequences’ if it arms Russia

08:50 , Andy Gregory

Washington is concerned that China is considering supplying weapons to Russia, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken has said – warning top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi of consequences in such an event.

The pair met at an undisclosed location on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, just hours after Wang described Washington as “hysterical” in a running dispute over the US downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon.

In an interview to be aired on Sunday morning on NBC News, Mr Blinken said the US was very concerned that China is considering providing lethal support to Russia and that he made clear to Wang that “would have serious consequences in our relationship.”

“There are various kinds of lethal assistance that they are at least contemplating providing, to include weapons,” Mr Blinken said, adding that Washington would soon release more details.

Blinken to raise Sweden and Finland Nato bids during Turkey visit

07:30 , Andy Gregory

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to arrive in Turkey for an official visit in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people.

Also topping the agenda will be the stalled Nato bids of Sweden and Finland, which Turkey has so far refused to ratify, saying Stockholm in particular has harboured individuals it alleges are members of terrorist groups. Ankara has recently indicated it would approve only Finland.

Mr Blinken will land at Incirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana, from where he will take a helicopter tour of the area devastated by the earthquakes. He will then hold bilateral talks on Monday with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and may meet with president Tayyip Erdogan, according to Reuters.

ICYMI: 'Russia must not win this war against Ukraine,' French president says

07:15 , Vishwam Sankaran

French president Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that Russia “cannot and must not win this war against Ukraine”.

“Accepting the normalization of the illegal use of force would mean calling European security and global security into question. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine must fail,” Mr Macron said.

He added that while France wants Russia to be defeated in Ukraine, it does not want to “crush” it.

“I do not think, as some people do, that we must aim for a total defeat of Russia, attacking Russia on its own soil,” the French president said.

Most of Ukraine has power despite Russian shelling, Zelensky says

06:45 , Vishwam Sankaran

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said most of the people in the country still have access to electricity despite another day of Russian missile attacks.

Russia had launched 16 missiles at Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.

Mr Zelensky said sections of the country’s electrical infrastructure that were shut off in anticipation of the attack were being re-enabled.

“This is a very significant result for Ukraine. A result we achieved together,” he added.

US government, Elon Musk discuss about Starlink use in Ukraine

06:15 , Vishwam Sankaran

US secretary of state Antony Blinken had conversations with SpaceX chief Elon Musk about the use of his company’s Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine.

SpaceX had put in place measures earlier this month to prevent Ukraine’s Armed Forces from using the satellite internet service for controlling drones, Reuters reported.

“Well, I can’t share any conversations we’ve had other than to say we’ve had conversations,” Mr Blinken said in an interview with NBC News.

Netherlands to expel some Russian diplomats accused of spying

05:45 , Vishwam Sankaran

The Dutch government is reportedly expelling some Russian diplomats out of the country, accusing Moscow of “secretly” getting intelligence agents into the Netherlands.

“Russia keeps trying to secretly get intelligence agents into the Netherlands under cover of diplomacy. We cannot and shall not allow that,” Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a statement on Saturday.

“At the same time Russia refuses to give visas to Dutch diplomats who would work at the consulate in St Petersburg or the embassy in Moscow,” he added.

The Dutch government also said it would be closing its consulate in St Petersburg.

The Netherlands is the latest in a line of countries, including France, Denmark, and Austria that have expelled Russian diplomats following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

China is considering sending weapons to Russia, US claims

05:14 , Vishwam Sankaran

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has warned China of consequences if it provides weapons and material support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Blinken said following a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi that the US was concerned Beijing may supply weapons to Moscow.

“There are various kinds of lethal assistance that they are at least contemplating providing, to include weapons,” Mr Blinken said, adding that Washington would soon release more details, Reuters reported.

The Chinese diplomat told Mr Blinken that the US must “face up to and resolve the damage” to relations between the two countries “caused by the indiscriminate use of force,” referring to the recent shootdown of what the US suspected to be a Chinese spy balloon.

War crime allegations an 'attempt to demonise Russia', Russian envoy says

04:54 , Vishwam Sankaran

Russia’s US ambassador has said claims by the US that Russia is behind crimes against humanity in Ukraine are an “attempt to demonise Russia”.

Ambassador Anatoly Antonov accused the US of trying to justify its own actions in fomenting the crisis in Ukraine with the war crime allegations.

“We regard such insinuations as an unprecedented attempt to demonise Russia in the framework of the hybrid war unleashed against us,” Mr Antonov was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS state news agency.

“There is no doubt that the purpose of such attacks by Washington is to justify its own actions to fuel the Ukrainian crisis,” he said.

22:49 , Katy Clifton

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has backed a call for the bloc’s members to buy arms jointly to help Ukraine but warned it would not solve Kyiv’s urgent need for more ammunition now.

Borrell was responding to an Estonian proposal for the EU to place large ammunition orders on behalf of multiple member states to speed up procurement and encourage European arms firms to invest in increasing their production capacities.

In a panel discussion with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in Munich on Sunday, Borrell said: “I completely agree with the Estonian prime minister’s proposal, we are working on that and it will work.”

But in a speech before the discussion, Borrell said joint procurement could only bear fruit in the medium term. Right now, Ukraine‘s supporters must quickly send supplies from existing stocks, he said.

“This shortage of ammunition needs to be solved quickly. It’s a matter of weeks,” Borrell told the Munich Security Conference. “This cannot be solved by going into joint procurement ... because any procurement that comes to the market will come at the end of a queue of a long list of orders already passed by the member states.”

Russia claims to have captured Hriankyivka

00:01 , Katy Clifton

Russia’s defence ministry has claimed that its forces have captured Hrianykivka, a village in Ukraine‘s eastern Kharkiv region that is well to the north of most significant fighting.

A briefing note from Ukraine‘s General Staff later on Saturday said the village was being shelled, but made no mention of an assault.

Hrianykivka is around 180 km (110 miles) north of Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region that has seen fierce fighting in recent weeks.

Macron: ‘I do not think we must aim for a total defeat of Russia'

Saturday 18 February 2023 23:00 , Katy Clifton

France wants Russia to be defeated in Ukraine but it does not want to “crush” it, president Emmanuel Macron has told paper Le Journal du Dimanche.

“I do not think, as some people do, that we must aim for a total defeat of Russia, attacking Russia on its own soil. Those observers want to, above all else, crush Russia. That has never been the position of France and it will never be our position,” Mr Macron said.

Mr Macron has drawn criticism from some NATO allies for delivering mixed messages regarding his policy on the war between Ukraine and Russia, with some considering Paris a weak link in the Western alliance.

On Friday, Mr Macron urged allies to step up military support for Ukraine.

EU gives hope of more ammunition to Ukraine

Saturday 18 February 2023 22:00 , Katy Clifton

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said today she was confident the EU’s joint interest in getting more ammunition to Ukraine will trump individual national interests when it comes to common European defence procurement programmes.

The bloc is urgently exploring ways for its member countries to team up to buy munitions to help Ukraine, following warnings from Kyiv that its forces - which are firing up to 10,000 artillery shells daily - need more supplies quickly.

“As always in this atrocious war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine, we see that we can move mountains under pressure, and therefore here too,” she said in an interview with Reuters and other media at the Munich Security Conference.

“These are not normal times, these are extraordinary times. And therefore we should also look at extraordinary measures or procedures,” she added.

Moscow accused of smuggling spies into Netherlands

Saturday 18 February 2023 21:00 , Katy Clifton

The Dutch government has said “a number” of Russian diplomats will have to leave the Netherlands, accusing Moscow of trying to smuggle spies into the country that is home to institutions including the International Criminal Court and the global chemical weapons watchdog.

The announcement is the latest twist in a diplomatic dispute between the two countries that began shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago sparked a war on Europe’s eastern flank.“Despite numerous attempts by the Netherlands to find a solution, Russia continues to try to get intelligence officers into the Netherlands under diplomatic cover,” Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a statement. “We cannot and will not allow that.”He added that it remains “important to keep the embassies open as a communication channel, even now that relations with Russia are more difficult than ever.”The Russian diplomats were given two weeks to leave the country. A Russian trade office in Amsterdam was ordered shut by Tuesday.

Orban accuses EU of fanning flames of war

Saturday 18 February 2023 20:00 , Katy Clifton

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said that the European Union is partly to blame for prolonging Russia’s war in Ukraine, doubling down on his government’s insistence that supporting Kyiv was a mistaken strategy for Europe.Speaking at an annual state of the nation address in Budapest, Mr Orban claimed the EU had fanned the flames of the war by sanctioning Russia and supplying Ukraine with money and weapons, rather than seeking to negotiate peace with Moscow.“When Russia launched its attack, the West didn’t isolate the conflict but elevated it to a pan-European level,” Mr Orban said.

“The war in Ukraine is not a conflict between the armies of good and evil, but between two Slavic countries that are fighting against one another. This is their war, not ours.”

Finland could join Nato ahead of Sweden, defence minister says

Saturday 18 February 2023 18:54 , Karl Ritter

Finland’s defense minister said Saturday that his country will join Nato without waiting for Sweden if its Nordic neighbor’s accession is held up by the Turkish government.

Mikko Savola told The Associated Press on Saturday that Finland would prefer that that the two countries join the alliance together, but it wouldn’t hold up the process if Turkey decides to approve Finland, but not Sweden, as it has warned.

“No, no. Then we will join,” Savola said in an interview on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich.

Since they broke with decades of non-alignment in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland and Sweden have insisted they want to join Nato together. But Turkey’s reluctance to accept Sweden unless it steps up pressure on Kurdish exile groups has made it more likely the two will have to join the alliance at different speeds.

“Sweden is our closest partner,” Savola said. “Almost every week our defense forces are practicing together and so on. It’s a very deep cooperation and we also trust fully each other. But it’s in Turkey’s hands now.”

Defense minister: Finland could join NATO ahead of Sweden

Sunak says UK ready to support allies who can provide Ukraine with fighter jets

Saturday 18 February 2023 18:06 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak has been asked whether he has spoken to Poland about providing its MiG aircraft to Ukraine during his discussions in Germany today.

“What I’ve done is said to all allies that we stand ready to support them if they can provide fighter jets for Ukraine now,” the PM told broadcasters in Munich.

“And for our part, we’re also leading the world in training Ukrainian pilots on Nato-standard aircraft. That’s the right thing to do because this is about giving Ukraine the means to defend themselves and win this war.

“That’s about more air defence, that’s about armoured vehicles, it is about long-range weapons - the UK is out in front on all these things. And it is important we continue to do so and lead because we all want to see Ukraine succeed and this Russian aggression go ... completely checked and punished.”

Russia’s war has shown EU ‘can move mountains under pressure’, says von der Leyen

Saturday 18 February 2023 17:12 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shown that the EU “can move mountains under pressure”, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has said.

The bloc is urgently exploring ways for its member countries to team up to buy munitions to help Ukraine, following warnings from Kyiv that its forces – which are firing up to 10,000 artillery shells daily – need more supplies quickly.

“As always in this atrocious war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine, we see that we can move mountains under pressure, and therefore here too,” she told reporters at the Munich Security Conference, adding: “These are not normal times, these are extraordinary times. And therefore we should also look at extraordinary measures or procedures.”

In the past, the focus on national interests has often prevented closer defence cooperation between European countries, hampering and slowing down joint procurement programmes, but Ms von der Leyen expressed confidence that the bloc’s joint interest in providing Kyiv with ammunition will trump individual national interests when it comes to common European defence procurement programmes.

In her speech to the conference, Ms von der Leyen earlier suggested the EU join forces with the bloc’s defence industry to speed up and scale up the production of ammunition badly needed on the battlefield in Ukraine and to replenish stocks at home (see post at 10:46am).