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LIVE UPDATES: US is Fully Committed to Surging Weapons Assistance to Ukraine, President Biden Says

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On Tuesday, a fourth round of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia resumed in a video format, after three rounds of negotiations in person in Belarus. 16.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-16T04:54+0000

2022-10-26T12:00+0000

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U.S. troops in transfer to military base in Grafenwoehr to strengten NATO efforts in Eastern Europe as Russian military operation in Ukraine continues, carrying rifles stand in formation at the Albrecht Duerer Airport in Nuremberg, Germany March 1, 2022 - Sputnik International

LIVE UPDATES: US is Fully Committed to Surging Weapons Assistance to Ukraine, President Biden Says

04:54 GMT 16.03.2022 (Updated: 12:00 GMT 26.10.2022)

On Tuesday, a fourth round of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia resumed in a video format, after three rounds of negotiations in person in Belarus.

Early on Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky said that talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations should continue and that it is difficult, but important. He added that the positions of the sides sound more realistic now, but more time is needed.

Previously, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia will immediately stop its military operation if Ukrainian authorities amend the constitution to abandon their ambition to enter “any bloc,” and recognise the Crimean referendum and independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR).

On 24 February, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defence Ministry said the operation is only targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure. Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that "demilitarisation and de-nazification" are among the key goals of the special operation. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it has no plans to occupy Ukraine, insisting the armed forces only target the country's military infrastructure.

In response to Russia’s operation, the Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow.

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Table of contents

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11:26 GMT 17.03.2022

Russia Will Ignore ICJ Ruling on Operation in Ukraine

Russia will not be able to take into account the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the need to suspend a special military operation in Ukraine, there can be no agreement here, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The ICJ previously ruled that Russia should immediately stop its military operation in Ukraine.

"No, we will not be able to take this decision into account. The international court has such a concept there — the consent of the parties. There can be no consent here. In this case, this is something that we cannot take into account," Peskov said, answering whether Russia would take this decision into account.

11:21 GMT 17.03.2022

UAE Ready to Assist in Finding Peaceful Solution to Conflict in Ukraine

The UAE is ready to provide assistance to find a peaceful solutions to the conflict in Ukraine, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Thursday.

The diplomat said that during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow earlier in the day they discussed new aspects of the crisis in Ukraine, including efforts for a political settlement. He noted that the UAE welcomes all mediation efforts by all active international players to bring positions between the parties closer and achieve peace.

"I would also like to use this opportunity to emphasize that the UAE is confident that the parties are capable of reaching mutual solutions and reaching a solution that suits everyone. In this regard, the UAE is ready to provide all necessary assistance to the parties to reduce suffering and bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict. We hope that a ceasefire will be reached in the near future," the minister told a joint press conference following the talks.

09:58 GMT 17.03.2022

Watch Footage of Destruction of Disguised Positions of Ukrainian Nationalists Published by Russian MoD

18:55 GMT 16.03.2022

Secret CIA Training Program Reportedly Helped Ukraine Prepare for Russia Military Operation

US soldier, center, instructs Ukrainian soldiers during joint training exercises on the military base in the Lviv region, western Ukraine - Sputnik International, 1920, 16.03.2022

Russia

Secret CIA Training Program Helped Ukraine Prepare for Russia Military Operation, Report Suggests

16 March 2022, 18:55 GMT

18:43 GMT 16.03.2022

Zelensky Signs Law Legalizing Cryptoassets in Ukraine to Boost Aid to Army

Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday signed a law legalizing digital assets and cryptocurrencies in Ukraine, Ukrainian Digital Transformation Minister and Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.

"Today the president has signed the law 'On Virtual Assets.' We are launching a legal market of virtual assets in Ukraine and bringing the crypto sector out of the shadows," Fedorov said on Telegram.

The minister added that the law will allow the legalization of foreign and Ukrainian crypto exchanges in the country, and banks will be able to open accounts for blockchain companies.

"Cryptoassets became a powerful instrument for attracting additional assets to support the Ukrainian armed forces. The Ukrainian crypto fund has raised over $54 million in cryptoassets in three weeks of the war," Fedorov said.

18:36 GMT 16.03.2022

Fed's Powell: Impact of the Ukrainian Conflict on the US Economy is Highly Uncertain

US gross domestic product faces a downside risk from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which also raises the threat of inflation in the world’s largest economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday.

Although the US economy was robust with projected GDP at 2.2% next year and 2% in 2024, "the invasion of Ukraine and related events represent a downside risk to the outlook for economic activity," Powell told reporters.

He also said the surge in prices of crude oil and other commodities resulting from the conflict will put additional upward pressure on inflation. The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday it forecast inflation at 4.3% for all of 2022, versus its typical target for 2% a year.

18:36 GMT 16.03.2022

US Treasury Confirms Russia Not Barred From Servicing Bonds, Bloomberg Reports

The US Treasury has confirmed that Russia is not prohibited from servicing bonds, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday citing a spokesperson.

Washington’s restrictions on dealings with Russia’s central bank and other Russian institutions allow Moscow to make payments on its dollar debt at least until late May, the report said.

Treasury’s guidance as cited in the report says US persons were authorized "to receive interest, dividend, or maturity payments on debt or equity of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on May 25, 2022."

After May 25, Americans will require a specific license to get payments, the report added.

18:21 GMT 16.03.2022

NATO Peacekeeping Mission in Ukraine Could Trigger World War 3 - German Lawmaker

Poland's proposal to send a NATO peacekeeping mission to Ukraine could trigger a new global war, Armin-Paul Hampel, German politician from the AfD party and a member of the Bundestag, told Sputnik on Wednesday.

According to the lawmaker, Polish National Security and Defenсe Committee Chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski made "a disturbing proposal" to send a NATO peacekeeping mission to Ukraine, during the meeting of EU delegations from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, with Volodymyr Zelensky.

"He proposed to send a NATO peacekeeping mission to Ukraine, with the consent of President Volodymyr Zelensky. This proposal is stupid and very dangerous, it could trigger World War 3... Several other NATO members and EU heads of states declared they were shocked by the declaration of Kaczynski and are categorically refusing it," Hampel said.

Hampel expressed his confidence that the majority of NATO and the EU members have a level view of the situation in Ukraine and would not support this initiative. The lawmaker also said that the European Union should not provide "unconditional support" to Ukraine.

"Clearly NATO is not speaking with one voice. If Poland is willing to risk a war, the worst tension between the East and West since the last World War, it is not the case for most other NATO members, who steadfastly refuse to try and establish a ‘no-fly zone’ over Ukraine. I think that despite Poland's declaration, the risk is relatively low of seeing a major conflict being triggered," Hampel said.

The lawmaker added that Poland's thinking may also be influenced by the Ukrainian minority in Poland, as well as by the Polish minority in Ukraine. He stressed that "if the Russian influence would be weakened in Ukraine, Poland might think of filling the void."

The politician also said that the United Nations is unlikely to send blue helmets to Ukraine. The UN is no longer capable of conducting successful peacekeeping operations as it was in the days of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and his predecessors, the lawmaker argued. The world will not support UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in this sort of a proposal as the UN has failed to establish peace and stability in the Middle East and Africa, Hampel said.

While peacekeeping missions of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) managed to maintain peace and stability in several conflicts, including the one between Ukraine and the breakaway Donbass republics, the United States' influence might undermine such a mission in Ukraine, Hampel said.

"I perceive there is a strong US influence to undermine the success of the OSCE. I am not sure it would work in the present situation. It is too early anyway, but bringing NATO units on the territory of Ukraine must be out of the equation, totally," the politician concluded.

18:04 GMT 16.03.2022

Russian Defence Ministry Rejects Kiev's Claim Alleging Russian Forces Attacked Theatre in Mariupol, Says Azov Battalion Blew Up Building

Biohazard - Sputnik International, 1920, 16.03.2022

Russian Military Has Evidence Ukraine Preparing Provocation Involving Poisonous Substances, MoD Says

16 March 2022, 16:35 GMT

17:51 GMT 16.03.2022

ECHR Suspends Consideration of All Complaints Against Russia

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said on Wednesday that it is suspending the examination of all applications against Russia.

"Following the Resolution of the Committee of Ministers that the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from 16 March 2022 (Resolution (CM/Res(2022)2), the Court has decided to suspend the examination of all applications against the Russian Federation pending its consideration of the legal consequences of this Resolution for the work of the Court," the ECHR said in a statement.

17:51 GMT 16.03.2022

Erdogan, Zelensky Discuss Latest Development in Ukraine During Phone Conversation - Ankara

17:15 GMT 16.03.2022

Canada Prohibiting Belarusian Aircraft From Entering its Airspace

Canada is issuing a ban on Belarusian aircraft from its airspace over Minsk’s support for Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said on Wednesday.

“We are prohibiting Belarusian aircraft from entering Canadian airspace in response to their support for Russia's unprovoked aggression in Ukraine,” Alghabra said in a statement via Twitter.

17:11 GMT 16.03.2022

Biden Announces $800 Million in New Security Assistance for Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks - Sputnik International, 1920, 16.03.2022

Biden Announces $800Mln in New US Security Assistance for Ukraine

16 March 2022, 17:27 GMT

17:08 GMT 16.03.2022

Kiev, Moscow Starting to Reach Some Kind of Compromise, Ukrainian Official Says

Positions of Kiev and Moscow were different but now the sides are starting to reach some kind of compromise at the negotiations, Volodymyr Zelensky's top aide Mykhailo Podolyak said on Wednesday.

"The positions of the parties were very different and we have only now begun to reach some kind of compromise," Podolyak told the Ukraina 24 broadcaster.

Podolyak said that Kiev and Moscow will reach a peace agreement sooner or later.

17:07 GMT 16.03.2022

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Says There Will Be Consequences to EU Decision to Provide Kiev With Lethal Weapons

The European Union’s decision to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons will have consequences, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told EU diplomats on Wednesday.

Grushko held a meeting with ambassadors of Greece, Poland and France, as well as the European Union’s representative in Russia.

"The Russian side indicated the danger of EU decisions in violation of their own obligations to provide Kiev with military assistance, including lethal weapons, and of individual EU countries to allow the participation of mercenaries in hostilities in Ukraine. It was emphasized that such steps would not remain without consequences," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

17:06 GMT 16.03.2022

Russia's Patriarch Kirill Discusses Situation in Ukraine With Pope Francis

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia discussed with Pope Francis the situation in Ukraine and the humanitarian efforts of the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, the Russian Orthodox Church said on Wednesday.

"A detailed discussion of the situation on the Ukrainian soil took place. Particular attention was devoted to the humanitarian aspects of the current crisis and the actions of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church aimed at overcoming its consequences," the statement read.

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill reiterated the importance of a peaceful resolution of the crisis in the nearest future.

"The parties stressed the exceptional importance of the ongoing negotiation process, expressing the hope that a fair peace will be achieved as soon as possible," the statement added.

The meeting, which was held via videoconference, was also attended by Metropolitan Hilarion, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations from the Russian Orthodox Church, and Cardinal Kurt Koch, head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity from the Roman Catholic Church.

16:48 GMT 16.03.2022

Russian Prosecutors to Look Into Ukrainian Journalist's Calls to Kill Russian Children

Russian Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin has ordered prosecutors to provide a legal assessment of statements made by Ukrainian journalist Fahruddin Sharafmal, who quoted, on air, Adolf Eichmann with calls to murder Russian children, the Russian Investigative Committee told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"Bastrykin ordered a legal assessment of the statements of Ukrainian journalist Fahruddin Sharafmal. On the air of a Ukrainian TV channel, host Fahruddin Sharafmal quoted the words of Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann. Following his example, he called for the murder of Russian children," the committee said.

The committee considered it obvious that Sharafmal is a typical representative of Ukrainian nationalism, "with which the authorities in that country, which has been destroying the civilian population of Donbas for eight years, are imbued."

"The fact that such statements are not suppressed in Ukraine, but on the contrary, are even encouraged, once again testifies to this," the committee said.

In accordance with current legislation, the investigation will carry out the necessary procedures, it added.

16:22 GMT 16.03.2022

New Mercenaries in Ukraine to Be Dealt With Same Way as Those Near Lvov, Russian Diplomat Says

If new mercenaries are found in Ukraine, they will be dealt with in the same way as those who were at the destroyed base in the Lvov region, Konstantin Gavrilov, the head of the Russian delegation at the military security and arms control talks in Vienna, said on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, he spoke at a meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation. Gavrilov noted that the Russian delegation had spoken about the course of the special operation in Ukraine.

"We described everything that happened, especially with the mercenaries. We warned that as it happened with the Yavorivsk training ground, it will continue to happen with other mercenaries," Gavrilov said on the air of the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

16:19 GMT 16.03.2022

NATO to Discuss Urgent Measures to Strengthen Defense on March 24

NATO will discuss urgent response measures to strengthen defense capabilities at an extraordinary summit on March 24, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.

"Next week allies, Head of States and governments will meet for an extraordinary NATO Summit. We will address both our immediate response and the changes we need to make for our longer term security," Stoltenberg told a briefing.

In addition, the secretary general said that the NATO members will prepare proposals on strengthening the eastern flank of the alliance and present at the Madrid summit in June.

"Today we tasked our military commanders to develop options across all domains, land air, sea, cyber and space. On land our new posture should include substantially more forces in the Eastern part of the alliance at higher readiness," Stoltenberg added.

16:19 GMT 16.03.2022

NATO-Russia Founding Act Will Not Create Obstacles for Decision-Making - Stoltenberg

The NATO-Russia found act will not create obstacles for the decision-making process of the alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.

"We will do what is necessary and the NATO- Russia founding act is not something that will create problems for NATO to make the necessary decisions," Stoltenberg told a briefing.

"The NATO Russia founding treaty of course ... has a clear reference to ... security environment back in 1997 ... We are in a total different security environment [today]," Stoltenberg added.