Russia-Ukraine conflict: From rifles to anti-aircraft systems, a look at which countries are sending military aid to Kyiv

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine sees no signs of abating even as the two nations held talks in Belarus on Monday.

Ukraine — who is putting up a fight against the Russian troops — despite its limited military capabilities, has been urging countries across the world to send military aid.

In fact, last Friday {25 February}, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called on Europeans with "combat experience" to take up arms and defend Ukraine against invading Russian forces, adding the West was too slow to help his country.

Take a look at which countries are sending military assistance to Ukraine.

United States

On 25 February, President Joe Biden instructed the State Department to release up to an additional $350 million worth of weapons from US stocks to Ukraine.

A State Department spokesperson said anti-aircraft systems were also included in the material.

According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the United States has committed more than $1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has sent anti-tank weapons to the Ukrainian military to help counter Russian forces.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had said that the country will send additional lethal ‘defensive weapons’ to the war-hit country in the coming days, TASS news agency reported.

In mid-January, the UK government sent about 2,000 anti-tank missiles to Ukraine. Also, 30 military instructors arrived in the republic to train the Ukrainian military personnel to operate the missile systems that had been delivered.

France

The Emmanuel Macron-led country has said that it will provide Ukraine with fuel aid. Additionally, as part of NATO, France will send 500 soldiers and armored vehicles to Ukraine's neighbour Romania, and four Mirage 2000 model warplanes to Estonia.

Germany

On 26 February, Germany reversed a historic policy of never sending weapons to conflict zones, saying the Russian invasion of Ukraine was an epochal moment that imperiled the entire post-World War II order across Europe.

The government announced that it would send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger anti-aircraft defense systems to Ukraine. The government also authorised the Netherlands to send Ukraine 400 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and told Estonia it ship over send nine howitzers.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement. “It threatens our entire post-war order. In this situation, it is our duty to do our utmost to support Ukraine in defending itself against Vladimir Putin’s invading army. Germany stands closely by Ukraine’s side.”

The Russian invasion marks a turning point. It is our duty to support Ukraine to the best of our ability in defending against Putin's invading army. That is why we are delivering 1000 anti-tank weapons and 500 #Stinger missiles to our friends in #Ukraine.

— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) February 26, 2022

Canada

Canada announced that it would sending an additional $25 million in military aid to support Ukraine in its efforts to retain sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.

The Canadian Armed Forces {CAF} will also be providing two C-130J tactical airlift aircraft and a team of 40-50 personnel for at least two weeks to help NATO’s efforts in Europe.

Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, "Canada stands united with the Ukrainian people, who have demonstrated immense courage and resolve in the face of tyranny. We are working with our allies to ensure Ukrainian military personnel are properly equipped and together with our partners in Poland, we are working to deliver necessary military materials without delay. We will continue to provide support to the Ukrainian people as they fight to defend their nation and its freedom."

Sweden

Announcing a shift from their doctrine of not sending arms to countries engaged in active conflict,
Sweden said on 27 February that it would send military aid, including anti-tank launchers, helmets and body armour to Ukraine.

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson underlined that the decision to send this kind of military aid is the first time Sweden has sent weapons to a country in an armed conflict since the Soviet Union invaded Finland in 1939.

Finland

Another country to send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine in a shift of policy is Finland.

The shipment will include 2,500 assault rifles, 150,000 bullets, 1,500 anti-tank weapons and 70,000 food packages, Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen said.

The decision means a shift in policy for Finland, which has maintained an image of a non-aligned country since the Soviet Union in 1956 gave up a naval base it had leased in southern Finland after World War II.

Greece

Greece, which has a large presence in Ukraine, is sending defence supplies to Ukraine in response to a request from the Ukrainian government. Two C-130 military transport planes will carry the supplies to Poland in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, it said. It will then be transported across the border to Ukraine.

Belgium

Belgium says it will supply Ukraine with 3,000 more automatic rifles and 200 anti-tank weapons, as well as 3,800 tons of fuel.

Czech Republic

On Saturday, Prague said it would send Ukraine 4,000 mortars “in the next few hours” as well as 30,000 pistols, 7,000 assault rifles, 3,000 machine guns, many sniper rifles and a million bullets.

The Czechs had already promised Kyiv 4,000 mortars worth $1.6 million which have yet to be delivered.

With inputs from agencies

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Russia, Ukraine clash at emergency special session of UN General Assembly: Only 11th such meet since 1956

Russia and Ukraine clashed at the United Nations General Assembly, which had convened a rare emergency special session on the escalating crisis.

This is only the 11th such session ever held since 1956.

Take a look at what an emergency special session means, when they have been called in the past and what happened at Monday’s special session on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

What’s an emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly?

An Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly is an unscheduled meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to make urgent recommendations on a particular issue.

It is important to note here that the Security Council is normally entrusted with maintaining international peace and security. However, according to resolution 377A(V), ‘Uniting for peace’, adopted by the General Assembly on 3 November 1950, an "emergency special session" can be convened within 24 hours.

The text of the resolution reads: "…if the Security Council, because of lack of unanimity of the permanent members, fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in any case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression, the General Assembly shall consider the matter immediately with a view to making appropriate recommendations to Members for collective measures, including in the case of a breach of the peace or act of aggression the use of armed force when necessary, to maintain or restore international peace and security. If not in session at the time, the General Assembly may meet in emergency special session within twenty-four hours of the request therefor. Such emergency special session shall be called if requested by the Security Council on the vote of any seven members, or by a majority of the Members of the United Nations."

Past instances of emergency special sessions

Monday is only the 11th time in history that such a session has been called.

The first ever Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly was held in from 1-10 November 1956 over the crisis in the Middle East. At the time, the President of the UNGA had said, “People all over the world are turning anxiously towards the United Nations, which bears the heavy responsibility of finding a solution for the problems which have brought about this serious situation of belligerency, and of reconciling the divergent views of the parties.”

Following this there were other Emergency Special Sessions and in 1980, a similar session was called for the crisis in Afghanistan — sixth in the history of the United Nations. The session was called after Afghanistan had invited the Soviets into their civil war. The session ended with a resolution from the General Assembly calling for the immediate, unconditional and total withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

While the seventh emergency special session of the UNGA dealt with the issue of Palestine, the eighth session convened in 1981 was on the issue of Namibia.

The most recent emergency special session was the 10th one and was convened in April 1997. It centred on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The session was first convened in 1997 under the president of the General Assembly, Razali Ismail of Malaysia.

What happened on Monday?

President of the 76th session of the General Assembly Abdulla Shahid presided over the meeting.

Ukraine's Ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya said in his speech, "We have been prompted to call for an emergency special session as the level of threat to the global security has been equated to that of the Second World War or even higher following Putin's order to put an alert Russian nuclear forces. What madness."

He said the General Assembly should be vocal in demanding that Russia stop its offensive against Ukraine, in recognising Russian actions as an act of aggression against a sovereign and independent state and in demanding from Russia to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.

Kyslytsya said the General Assembly should demand that Russia also reverse the decision relating to the status of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. The General Assembly should also be clear with regard to the treacherous role of Belarus and its involvement in aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, he said.

"If Ukraine does not survive, the United Nations will not survive. Have no illusions. If Ukraine does not survive, we cannot be surprised if democracy fails next. Now we can save Ukraine, save the United Nations, save democracy and defend the values we believe in and that Ukrainians are fighting for and paying with their lives," Kyslytsya said.

He added that President Vladimir Putin has done everything to delegitimise the Russian presence in the United Nations.

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia, speaking after the Ukrainian envoy, said that the root for the current crisis lies in the actions of Ukraine itself.

"For many years, it sabotaged and flouted its direct obligations under the Minsk package of measure," Nebenzia said.

"I wish to state that the Russian Federation did not begin these hostilities. The hostilities were unleashed by Ukraine against its own residents, the residents of Donbass and all of those who are dissenters. Russia is seeking to end this war," he said.

"For us, Ukraine joining NATO is a red line first and foremost from the military strategic level. The deployment of NATO infrastructure in that country would compel us to adopt measures in response and this has placed us at the verge of conflict."

With inputs from agencies

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Russia Ukraine crisis LIVE news Updates: Satellite images show 64 km-long Russian military convoy nearing Kyiv

08:14 (IST)

Russia Ukraine crisis LATEST Updates

Russia expelled from World Cup as FIFA and UEFA hand down bans

Russia has been expelled from the World Cup after being suspended from all international competitions "until further notice", FIFA and UEFA announced in a joint statement on Monday, while European football's governing body also ended its partnership with Russian energy giant Gazprom.

The men's team had been due to play in qualifying play-offs in March for the World Cup in Qatar later this year, while its women's side had qualified for the European Championship in England, to be held in July.

The announcement also affects Russian clubs involved in European competitions.

08:08 (IST)

Russia Ukraine crisis LATEST Updates

NASA exploring ways to keep ISS afloat without Russian help: official

NASA is exploring ways to keep the International Space Station in orbit without Russian help, but doesn't see any immediate signs Moscow is withdrawing from the collaboration following the invasion of Ukraine, a senior official said Monday.

Kathy Lueders, who heads the agency's human spaceflight program, told reporters on a call that operations on the research platform were proceeding "nominally" and "we're not getting any indications at a working level that our counterparts are not committed."

"That said, we always look for how do we get more operational flexibility and our cargo providers are looking at how do we add different capabilities," she continued.

NASA exploring ways to keep International Space Station in orbit without Russian help.

Last week, Russia's space chief Dmitry Rogozin raised the prospect of pulling out of the partnership in response to US sanctionshttps://t.co/QqsG2oCyIY pic.twitter.com/V2bBxGZ3Ky

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 1, 2022

07:58 (IST)

Russia Ukraine crisis LATEST Updates

Russia shells Ukraine's Kharkiv as pressure on Moscow bites

Russia shelled the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv as it pressed on with its invasion Tuesday, defying mounting global pressure that saw a war crimes probe opened against Moscow, sanctions smash its economy and FIFA ban it from the World Cup.

After their first talks since the war started failed to secure a breakthrough Monday, Russia continued to target residential areas and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a global ban on Russian planes and ships.

"We must close entry for this state in all ports, all canals and all the world's airports," he said on Facebook.

07:53 (IST)

Russia Ukraine crisis LATEST Updates

At UNSC meeting, India calls for immediate cessation of violence

India has said that it was deeply concerned over the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and reiterated its call for immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities, saying all differences can only be bridged through honest, sincere and sustained dialogue.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told a rare emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine convened Monday that New Delhi is doing whatever it can to undertake immediate and urgent evacuation efforts of Indian nationals still stranded in Ukraine.

#IndiainUNSC

📺Watch: Permanent Representative @AmbTSTirumurti speak at the UN Security Council Briefing on the Humanitarian Situation in #Ukraine⤵️@MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/6dPC63RseO

— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) February 28, 2022

07:52 (IST)

Russia Ukraine crisis LATEST Updates

 Satellite photos shows longe convoy stretching 40 miles

Satellite photos show a convoy of Russian forces north of Ukraine's capital stretching for 40 miles.

The vast convoy of armored vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles was 17 miles (25 kilometers) from the center of Kyiv and stretched for about 40 miles, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies.

The Maxar photos also showed deployments of ground forces and ground attack helicopter units in southern Belarus.

Convoy update based on analysis of additional imagery provided by @maxar: Troops are at Antonov Airport, meaning military vehicles & equipment are stretched out along 40 miles of road. Important: this image shows homes on fire along the route https://t.co/ypUM31PmId pic.twitter.com/IZWzv4akju

— Christoph Koettl (@ckoettl) March 1, 2022

Russia Ukraine crisis LATEST Updates: Russian forces shelled Ukraine's second-largest city on Monday, rocking a residential neighborhood, and closed in on the capital, Kyiv, in a 40-mile convoy of hundreds of tanks and other vehicles, as talks aimed at stopping the fighting yielded only an agreement to keep talking.

The country's embattled president said the stepped-up shelling was aimed at forcing him into concessions.

“I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday in a video address. He did not offer details of the hourslong talks that took place earlier, but said that Kyiv was not prepared to make concessions “when one side is hitting each other with rocket artillery.”

Amid ever-growing international condemnation, Russia found itself increasingly isolated five days into its invasion, while also facing unexpectedly fierce resistance on the ground in Ukraine and economic havoc at home.

For the second day in a row, the Kremlin raised the specter of nuclear war, announcing that its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and long-range bombers had all been put on high alert, following President Vladimir Putin's orders over the weekend.

Stepping up his rhetoric, Putin denounced the U.S. and its allies as an “empire of lies.”

Meanwhile, an embattled Ukraine moved to solidify its ties to the West by applying to join the European Union — a largely symbolic move for now, but one that is unlikely to sit well with Putin, who has long accused the U.S. of trying to pull Ukraine out of Moscow’s orbit.

A top Putin aide and head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the first talks held between the two sides since the invasion lasted nearly five hours and that the envoys “found certain points on which common positions could be foreseen.” He said they agreed to continue the discussions in the coming days.

As the talks along the Belarusian border wrapped up, several blasts could be heard in Kyiv, and Russian troops advanced on the city of nearly 3 million. The vast convoy of armored vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles was 17 miles (25 kilometers) from the center of the city and stretched for about 40 miles, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies.

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Switzerland adopts the same EU sanctions against Russia: Why this is significant

In a break from its past, neutral Switzerland on Monday announced to adopt the European Union’s sanctions against Russians involved in the invasion of Ukraine and freeze their assets.

"In view of Russia’s continuing military intervention in Ukraine, the Federal Council took the decision on February 28 to adopt the packages of sanctions imposed by the EU on 23 and 25 February," the government said in a statement on Monday.

As per a Reuters report, the Alpine country has also adopted financial sanctions against Russian president Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, effective immediately.

Earlier on Thursday last week, Swiss president Ignazio Cassio announced that the country would adopt EU travel bans for 367 Russian individuals and companies. However, it refrained from freezing financial assets, saying it would instead stop its banks from accepting any more money from those on the sanctions list.

The Federal Council pledged that Russian individuals and companies hit with EU sanctions won’t be able to evade them in Switzerland, which is not one of the EU’s 27 member states.

Also read: What are sanctions and can they stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

The decision of issuing sanctions against Russia is radical as the Swiss have relished their role and reputation as a skilled and neutral mediator for international conflicts.

So let's find out why Switzerland’s sanctions against Russia is a big deal:

According to a report compiled by the Swiss Embassy in Moscow, Switzerland has been the biggest recipient of transactions by Russian private individuals – ahead of Britain, Spain, Luxembourg and the United States.

“Switzerland has for years been by far the most important destination worldwide for rich Russians to manage their wealth,” the report said, adding that net transfers of Russian taxpayers to Switzerland totaled $2.5 billion in 2020.

The Swiss news agency SDA-ATS reported net transfers of $1.8 billion in the first half of 2021.

Swiss finance minister Ueli Maurer said that Switzerland would support the international decision to cut Russian banks off from the global SWIFT bank messaging system.

The global financial artery that stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication {SWIFT} allows a smooth and rapid transfer of money across borders.

Cutting Russian banks off from SWIFT renders them virtually incapable of operating outside of Russian borders.

The statement from EU, the US, the UK and others said the move would "ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally".

Banks would be likely to have to deal directly with one another, adding delays and extra costs, and ultimately cutting off revenues for the Russian government.

Switzerland is also home to many commodity firms that have strong financial involvement with Russia, or such firms that are in active trade relations with Russia for oil and gas.

According to swissinfo, about 80 per cent of Russia’s commodity trading goes through Switzerland.

Commodity traders like Vitol and Trafigura have stakes in projects by Russian oil giants Rosneft and trade in Russian oil.

According to the Russian embassy in Bern, Russian banks like Sberbank and Gazprombank have branches in Switzerland.

Frozen private money and suspended trade relations with one of its biggest trade partners can really hurt Russia economically, especially when strict sanctions from the US, the UK and the EU are already in effect.

By putting sanctions on individuals and companies, who could have otherwise helped Russia in the time of emergency, Switzerland has effectively kicked them out of the Swiss banking system and frozen their assets.

On Monday, Switzerland also closed off its space to Russian flights, taking the lead from several other European countries.

According to USA Today, the effects of crippling Western sanctions is being felt in Russia as the country’s Central Bank sharply raised its key borrowing rate from 9.5 per cent to 20 per cent in a desperate attempt to shore up the plummeting ruble.

With inputs from agencies

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World Civil Defence Day: Find out the day's history, theme and significance

World Civil Defence Day is observed on 1 March each year to create awareness about the importance of civil protection and preparedness. The day is celebrated by the International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO).

World Civil Defence Day also commemorates people who have sacrificed their lives for the purpose of protecting others. It also calls upon volunteers, as well as other individuals, to learn life-saving skills in order to be prepared for any man-made or natural emergency.

History:

French Surgeon-General George Saint-Paul established the Association of Geneva Zones in 1931. Saint-Paul was influenced by the horrors of the First World War and aimed to create safety zones where civilians could seek protection in times of wars or disasters.

It was from this organisation that the ICDO was later formed. The organisation aims to ensure that civilian populations and property are protected in times of disasters, whether man-made or natural.

World Civil Defence Day is marked on 1 March as it commemorates the anniversary of the day when the ICDO was recognised as an intergovernmental organisation by the United Nations. The organisation currently consists of 60 members and 23 observer states.

Significance:

Civil defence aims at making citizens better-equipped to deal with any form of natural or man-made calamity. It also focuses on making volunteers more active participants in the evacuation, response and recue efforts resulting from any disaster.

Be it the present Russia-Ukraine crisis or disasters such as tsunami or earthquake, World Civil Defence Day aims at creating populations who are able to protect themselves and survive in adverse conditions.

Theme:

The theme for World Civil Defence Day this year is “Civil Defence and Management of Displaced Populations in Face of Disasters and Crises; Role of Volunteers and the Fight Against Pandemics”.

Wishes and messages:

Here are some messages and wishes to share with your loved ones on the occasion of World Civil Defence Day 2022:

•    Come salute those who give their lives to save our lives on World Civil Defence Day 2022.
•    I hope you and the family take part in disaster prevention and simulation exercises to stay strong on the level of preparedness. Have an educative World Civil Defence Day.
•    I hope your family and your loved ones will become more aware of the matter of civil protection on World Civil Defence Day 2022.
•    Today, we all need the shield of safety measures and self-protection skills to move safely towards our life. Happy World Civil Defence Day 2022.
•    On this occasion of World Civil Defence Day this year, let us all learn ways of self-defence to save our lives as well as the lives of others.

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Russia’s war in Ukraine: Putin’s move may fall flat on moral and legal grounds, but scores high on pragmatism

After months of tense drama over the massing of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border, President Vladimir Putin launched a “special military operation” in that country. He defined its objectives as “demilitarising” and “de-Nazifying” that country. The first objective translated to dismantling or destroying military capacities allegedly established by NATO. The second, more nebulous, apparently meant ridding the country of “neo-Nazi” Russophobes, who have allegedly discriminated against and grossly ill-treated (he has called it genocide) ethnic Russians in Ukraine. This war has already caused civilian deaths and mass displacement, and the Russians have not made the rapid military progress they expected.

A resolution, condemning the Russian invasion, did not pass in the recent emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, because Russia exercised its veto. At the meeting, India stressed the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity and urged a return to diplomacy and dialogue, but abstained in the vote. This has drawn criticism from some quarters at home and abroad, for sacrificing morality and legality at the altar of pragmatism.

Putting aside, for a moment, questions of morality, legality and pragmatism, the issues at stake are worth reviewing.

Ironically, the first act of this drama commenced with a meeting between the Presidents of the US and Russia in June last year, when they agreed to work for “stable and predictable” bilateral relations. After seven years of Cold War-like acrimony, involving confrontation — directly or through proxies — across geographies in Europe and Asia, this foreshadowed a calibration of US policy. President Joe Biden signalled that the US would like to shift its foreign policy focus to the strategic challenges posed by China. This meant cooperating with Russia to resolve global problems — Ukraine, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan were a few on a long list.

Russia appreciated this outreach, since the standoff with the US and Europe had increased its dependence on China, constrained the flows of investments and technologies from Europe, and forced it into an expensive militarisation programme, in response to the NATO arms build-up along its land and maritime periphery. But President Putin also indicated that Russia’s security concerns about NATO’s actions and strategic posture need to be addressed, for the cooperation to be sustainable.

There were bilateral discussions on these concerns in the months following the June summit. Despite the usual posturing on both sides, reasonable progress was seemingly being made on measures for Russia and NATO to moderate their strategic postures — reducing the range and lethality of weapons systems aimed at each other, moratoriums on missile deployments and other confidence-building measures.

***

Also Read

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Here's what will get more expensive in India if two countries go to war

The meta-narrative about India’s non-involvement in the Ukraine imbroglio

India’s abstinence from UN Security Council vote on Ukraine was the right decision

If situation deteriorates in Ukraine, India’s defence deals with Russia will face more scrutiny: Harsh V Pant

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Why vested interests are hell-bent on dragging India into a distant conflict in Ukraine

Ukraine crisis: How confrontation between Putin’s Russia and Biden-led West will impact India’s foreign relations

***

But the core issue of Ukraine remained unresolved. From the security point of view, the porous Russia-Ukraine border is militarily vulnerable; over the centuries, it has been the route of invasions into Russia from the West. From a strategic perspective, the Crimean Black Sea port of Sevastopol houses Russia’s naval fleet. It is Russia’s only all-weather port — an essential asset for projection of maritime power. Russia could not, therefore, countenance the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO or of NATO military installations in Ukraine.

US pressure on NATO in 2008 to recognise Ukraine’s membership aspirations and its encouragement for a change of government in Kyiv in 2014, provoked the first Russian intervention in Ukraine when it stage-managed a referendum, after which Crimea (which has a majority of Russian-speaking people) acceded to Russia. Separatist groups captured territories in eastern Ukraine (Donbas), which are also dominated by Russian-speakers, and declared two independent republics.

France and Germany brokered a peace agreement — the Minsk accords — which provided for special autonomy for this region. Ukraine has been unhappy with this outcome. The US (and some European countries) supported its efforts to reinterpret the terms of the accords. In bilateral discussions after the June summit, the US reportedly indicated to Russia that it would now support the full implementation of the Minsk accords. Nevertheless, progress was not made. This may have convinced Putin that negotiations would not deliver the satisfaction of Russia’s demands on this matter.

The US and its NATO allies have announced a strong slate of sanctions on trade and other financial transactions with Russia. They may have a devastating impact on the Russian economy in the long run, but will also immediately hurt Western economies, because of their dependence on Russian oil and gas. Europe imports about 40 per cent of its gas and a quarter of its oil from Russia. A diversification of supplies can only be a medium-term enterprise. There will be pressure on India to join the sanctions, reversing its stand that it only recognizes sanctions collectively authorized by the UN. If the Russian actions continue for much longer, this pressure will become stronger. Even otherwise, since there will be restrictions on transfers of major currencies — dollar, euro and yen — financial transactions with Russia will have to be structured differently.

We already have experience with this, since some form of these sanctions have already existed since 2014. India’s defence cooperation with Russia will come under pressure, with intensified threats of the US legislation, CAATSA, which provides for sanctions on any company entering into a major defence transaction with Russia. India will have to walk very carefully on this tight rope. Of course, all these sanctions have a lead period for coming into force. If hostilities cease and an agreement is reached before then, these disruptions could be averted.

Returning to the question of morality and legality, there can be no two views that the Russian action is a contravention of international law. This war, by whatever name, cannot be described as moral, whatever the given justification. At the same time, two points should be noted. Every major power — contemporary and in history — has had no compunction about embarking on immoral and illegal action, when it believes it is in its national interest or that its security is at stake. To quote one example, the United States invaded Iraq in 2003 on what turned out to be a false allegation of weapons of mass destruction there, resulting in major damage to life and property. Then too, India resisted pressures to condemn the US action. Our Parliament’s resolution criticised it but stopped short of condemning it.

The second point is about foreign countries telling us that calling for restraint from both sides is unacceptable because it equates the aggressor with the victim. This is so, but Indian diplomats remember that this is precisely how many powers reacted in the past when Pakistan carried out major cross-border terrorist acts in India. Pakistan’s assistance was important to them in the “war on terror”, and so they were careful about criticising it. They should now understand the same logic of pragmatism in India’s vote in the Security Council.

This crisis is not of India’s making. Though an invasion is an extreme act, the actions of all the stakeholders over the years have created this situation of breakdown of diplomacy. India has excellent relations with all the actors in this tragic drama: The US, Russia, European countries and Ukraine. It can only urge them to return to the sanity of mutual accommodation, as it did at the UN. Condemning one to please the others does not achieve anything. Whatever the contours of resolution of this war, the mutuality of India’s interests with all these partners will remain important.

The writer is a former Ambassador to Russia, now Distinguished Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi. Views expressed are personal.

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Russia-Ukraine conflict: Which countries are opening their doors to refugees?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to an unprecedented refugee crisis. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the global refugee agency, has estimated that more than 360,000 people have fled Ukraine into Poland and other neighbouring countries in the wake of Russia’s attacks.

Our UN Refugee Agency spokesperson @ChrisMelzer_NYC reports from the border: https://t.co/o8b23V2xpF

— UNHCR News (@RefugeesMedia) February 27, 2022

The United Nations fears that this conflict could see more 5 million Ukrainians seeking refuge in neighbouring countries — far more than there were during the 2015 migrant crisis, when 1.3 million Syrian, Afghan and other asylum seekers from conflict-torn countries flooded into Europe, the most in a single year since World War II.

Let’s take a look at which countries are letting in Ukrainian refugees.

Poland

A large number of Ukrainians have crossed over into Poland, where the authorities have counted some 156,000 crossing since the invasion started early Thursday.

Border guards counted some 77,300 arrivals from Ukraine on Saturday alone.

The refugees have arrived in cars, in packed trains and even on foot.

Polish officials have announced its border will be open to fleeing Ukrainians, even those that do not have official documents.

Reception points have been set up for those seeking meals, medical assistance and information.

“We do continue to see increases in the numbers of people trying to leave the country,” a senior US defense official was quoted as saying, adding, “The lines are stacking up on the Ukrainian side of the border with Poland.”

Polish interior minister Mariusz Kaminski told TIME that his country was prepared for another wave. “We will do everything to provide safe shelter in Poland for everyone who needs it,” he said.

Also see: Russia-Ukraine Crisis: As countries fight it out, thousands run for cover

Hungary

Hungarians have rushed to the Ukrainian border to help refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.

According to police data, more than 70,000 refugees have streamed into Hungary from Ukraine since Thursday.

Hungary's move to take in Ukrainian refugees is much different from the scenes in 2015 when Prime Minister Viktor Orban had ordered for razor-wire fences to be built and border detention camps to keep out migrants.

"Everyone fleeing Ukraine will find a friend in the Hungarian state," Orban said in an interview Sunday.

Slovakia

The country, which shares 97 km of common border with Ukraine, has also been welcoming Ukrainian refugees in large numbers.

In fact, the Slovakian ministry of the interior has announced that all Ukrainians fleeing the war will be permitted to enter the country, including those who do not have a valid travel document.

Furthermore, Finance Minister Igor Matovic announced, according to a Reuters report, that Slovakia would support people who shelter refugees from Ukraine with financial aid.

Slovak households and institutions will receive 200 euros ($225) a month for an adult and 100 euros a month for a child they accommodate, Matovic said.

The government has also approved sending artillery ammunition and fuel to Ukraine's forces, and agreed to host a NATO battlegroup to enhance the alliance's eastern flank.

Moldova

Thousands of Ukrainian refugees have fled to Moldova, where the government set up tents and vowed to keep its borders open to help.

According to an article from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, about 15,800 Ukrainian arrivals have crossed the border in the last 24 hours, as the Interior Minister of Moldova, Ana Revenco, revealed.

Romania

So far 7,000 Ukranians have made their way to Romania to be safe.

Many families are opening their homes to provide them with safe refuge.

Officials in Bucharest say that we are ready to admit 5,00,000 Ukranians and shelters are being created.

In Romania, volunteers are holding signs offering accommodation, transport and mobile phone hotspots to allow refugees to stay in contact with friends and relatives back home.

"It’s just heartbreaking,” said one Romanian volunteer, Andrei Dascalescu, who drove 100 miles to the border with his partner Paula to offer assistance, as per a report in The Scotsman. “Hundreds of mothers with two, three, four children and no father, crossing on foot, with strollers and trolleys and bags. Young girls with dogs and cats. Cars full of children and luggage."

With inputs from agencies

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Ukraine Russia war news Live Updates: PM Modi calls high level meet to discuss evacuation of Indians

10:40 (IST)

Ukraine Russia war 

PM Modi calls high level meet

According to News18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a high level meeting now on the Ukraine crisis. There is a possibility that some ministers from the Government of India may go to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuations.

10:11 (IST)

Ukraine Russia war 

Ruble plunges

Russia's ruble plunged nearly 30 per cent against the dollar on Monday after world powers imposed fresh, harsher sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The ruble was indicated to be down 27 per cent at 114.33 per dollar in offshore trading, according to Bloomberg News

#UPDATE Russia's ruble plunged nearly 30% against the dollar Monday after world powers imposed fresh, harsher sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The ruble was indicated to be down 27% at 114.33 per dollar in offshore trading, according to Bloomberg News pic.twitter.com/GF5xJA81Xl

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 28, 2022

09:48 (IST)

Ukraine Russia war 

Google restricts Map service in Ukraine

Google on Monday disabled some live traffic data for Ukraine in its Google Maps service, saying the decision was made in consultation with people on the ground for the safety of the local community, The New York Times reported.

09:44 (IST)

Ukraine Russia war 

Fifth Operation Ganga flight lands in Delhi

The fifth Operation Ganga flight carrying 249 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reaches Delhi airport, reported ANI.

The fifth Operation Ganga flight, carrying 249 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine, departed from Bucharest (Romania) reaches Delhi airport pic.twitter.com/yKhrI5fmwm

— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2022

09:31 (IST)

Ukraine Russia war 

MEA activates OpGanga Helpline on Twitter

The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday activated a dedicated Twitter handle, "OpGanga Helpline" (@opganga), to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from war-torn Ukraine. The mission to evacuate the stranded Indians from Ukraine has been named as "Operation Ganga". India has already set up round-the-clock "control centres" in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine through border-crossing points with these countries.

The helpline numbers of the control room in Poland are: +48225400000,+48795850877 and +48792712511. Those requiring help can also write an email to controlroominwarsaw@gmail.com, according to the MEA. The helpline numbers of the control room in Romania are: +40732124309, +40771632567, +40745161631 and +40741528123. The email address for contacting the control room in Romania is controlroombucharest@gmail.com.

The MEA said Indians can contact the control room in Hungary on phone numbers +36 308517373, +36 13257742 and +36 13257743. It also has a WhatsApp number: +36 308517373 for assistance. The helpline numbers of the control room in Slovakia are +421 252631377, +421 252962916 and +421 951697560. The email address is hoc.bratislava@mea.gov.in.

09:23 (IST)

Ukraine Russia war 

War claims 'Mriya'

According to Ukrainian officials, the world's largest aircraft, the Antonov AN-225, has been destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The enormous aircraft, named "Mriya," or "dream" in Ukrainian, was parked at an airfield near Kyiv when it was attacked.

"Russia may have destroyed our 'Mriya'. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state. We shall prevail!" wrote Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Twitter.

This was the world’s largest aircraft, AN-225 ‘Mriya’ (‘Dream’ in Ukrainian). Russia may have destroyed our ‘Mriya’. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state. We shall prevail! pic.twitter.com/TdnBFlj3N8

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 27, 2022

08:16 (IST)

Ukraine Russia war 

India abstains from UNSC procedural vote to call for General Assembly session on Ukraine

India abstained from a procedural vote taken in the UN Security Council to call for a rare special emergency session of the UN General Assembly on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, even as New Delhi welcomed Moscow and Kyiv's decision to hold talks at the Belarus border.

 

 

The resolution was adopted with 11 votes in favour, paving the way for the General Assembly to meet on the crisis as soon as Monday. India, China and the UAE abstained, while Russia voted against the resolution. This will be only the 11th such emergency session of the General Assembly since 1950.

Ukraine Russia war news Live Updates | According to News18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a high-level meeting now on the Ukraine crisis. There is a possibility that some ministers from the Government of India may go to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuations.

Russia's ruble plunged nearly 30 per cent against the dollar on Monday after world powers imposed fresh, harsher sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The ruble was indicated to be down 27 per cent at 114.33 per dollar in offshore trading, according to Bloomberg News.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday activated a dedicated Twitter handle, "OpGanga Helpline" (@opganga), to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from war-torn Ukraine. The mission to evacuate the stranded Indians from Ukraine has been named as "Operation Ganga". India has already set up round-the-clock "control centres" in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine through border-crossing points with these countries.

The helpline numbers of the control room in Poland are: +48225400000,+48795850877 and +48792712511. Those requiring help can also write an email to controlroominwarsaw@gmail.com, according to the MEA. The helpline numbers of the control room in Romania are: +40732124309, +40771632567, +40745161631 and +40741528123. The email address for contacting the control room in Romania is controlroombucharest@gmail.com.

The MEA said Indians can contact the control room in Hungary on phone numbers +36 308517373, +36 13257742 and +36 13257743. It also has a WhatsApp number: +36 308517373 for assistance. The helpline numbers of the control room in Slovakia are +421 252631377, +421 252962916 and +421 951697560. The email address is hoc.bratislava@mea.gov.in.According to Ukrainian officials, the world's largest aircraft, the Antonov AN-225, has been destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The enormous aircraft, named "Mriya," or "dream" in Ukrainian, was parked at an airfield near Kyiv when it was attacked.

"Russia may have destroyed our 'Mriya'. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state. We shall prevail!" wrote Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Twitter.

India abstained from a procedural vote taken in the UN Security Council to call for a rare special emergency session of the UN General Assembly on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, even as New Delhi welcomed Moscow and Kyiv's decision to hold talks at the Belarus border.

The resolution was adopted with 11 votes in favour, paving the way for the General Assembly to meet on the crisis as soon as Monday. India, China and the UAE abstained, while Russia voted against the resolution. This will be only the 11th such emergency session of the General Assembly since 1950.

The 15-nation Security Council met on Sunday afternoon to hold the vote on the emergency special session of the 193-member General Assembly on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This comes two days after the Russian veto blocked a UNSC resolution on its "aggression" against Ukraine.

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What are sanctions and can they stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

Sydney: A key feature of the international community’s response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has been the adoption of sanctions.

But what exactly are sanctions and how do they operate in practice?

And most importantly, are they likely to have any meaningful impact?

What are sanctions?

Sanctions are coercive measures that can be applied to diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between states. Commonly non-military in nature, they are imposed by one state against another (unilateral sanctions) or by an international organisation, such as the United Nations (collective sanctions).

Historically, measures have ranged from comprehensive sanctions to more targeted measures prohibiting trade in particular items, such as arms, timber, or diamonds.

Some sanctions have circumscribed particular activities understood to benefit a target, such as diplomatic, sporting, and cultural relations, as well as travel.

They have also targeted particular individuals and groups who pose a threat to peace and security, including political elites, rebel groups, or terrorist organisations.

How do economic sanctions operate in practice?

Economic sanctions are multidimensional. They tend to include travel bans and financial sanctions. Financial sanctions consist of targeted asset freezes and restrictions on a wide variety of financial markets and services.

Where the financial sanction is an asset freeze, it is generally prohibited to deal with the frozen funds held by a designated person or entity.

Funds are defined to include financial assets of every kind: cash, cheques, money orders, credit, debts, stocks and shares, interest, dividends or other income from or generated by assets.

The designation of targeted individuals and entities can occur on the basis of a national listing procedure.

Or, this designation may happen as a result of a sanctions regime adopted by an international organisation, which is then implemented by its members.

This twin-track approach is generally reflected in the sanctions practice of states which maintain “consolidated lists”.

Separate “consolidated lists” are kept for those individuals and entities listed on the basis of unilateral sanctions and those listed as a consequence of collective sanctions.

Some international best practice exists regarding sanctions implementation, such as guidance by the G7 Financial Action Task Force. But compliance will always depend on individual countries and the particular features of domestic companies.

Financial institutions, such as banks, will have in place automated procedures to filter incoming transactions before entering, and outgoing transactions before leaving their internal systems.

Are economic sanctions effective?

They can be.

The impact on listed individuals and entities can be severe, as illustrated by the internationally litigated cases of Kadi and Al Barakaat International Foundation v Council of the European Union or Nada v Switzerland (both cases in the context of financial counter-terrorism sanctions).

However, the general effectiveness of economic sanctions is uncertain, not least because it is empirically difficult to measure it.

According to Dursun Peksen, a sanctions expert at the University of Memphis, economic sanctions result in meaningful behavioural change in the targeted country about 40 per cent of the time.

Yet, as a recent study by the US government demonstrates, establishing clear causality is impossible.

For example, a sanctioned country or individual may decide to change their behaviour for many reasons. Some of these changes may be unrelated to the sanctions.

What sanctions are now applied against Russia?

The international community has imposed a mix of economic and diplomatic sanctions, with countries acting both unilaterally and collectively.

The US and the UK have introduced unilateral sanctions targeting Russia’s two largest banks, Sberbank and VTB Bank. They have also frozen the assets and restricted travel of key Russian oligarchs. Canada and Australia have followed suit.

Germany has indicated it is abandoning the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea gas pipeline project, designed to double the flow of Russian gas direct to the country. Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Estonia have closed their airspace for Russian airlines.

As for collective sanctions, the UN Security Council will remain unable to impose any sanctions due to the veto power Russia holds as a permanent member. Indeed, Russia has already used this veto power to block a resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine.

The EU, on the other hand, has quickly introduced asset freezes and travel bans preventing listed individuals from entering or transiting through EU territory.

EU sanctions now apply to 555 Russian individuals and 52 entities, including 351 members of the Russian State Duma who have backed the aggression against Ukraine.

The EU has since moved to adopt further sanction packages, which include targeting President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov directly.

Together with the US and the UK, the EU has also agreed to remove select Russian banks from the SWIFT banking system, the financial messaging infrastructure that links the world’s banks.

The Council of Europe in Strasbourg has also applied unprecedented diplomatic sanctions. It has suspended Russia from its rights of representation in the Committee of Ministers and in the Parliamentary Assembly.

Are the sanctions likely to have any meaningful impact?

Too early to say, but probably not in the short term.

The unilateral and collective sanctions that have been applied are comprehensive. They have also been adopted swiftly. Some of the measures, such as targeting Putin and Lavrov personally, are unprecedented.

On the other hand, significant gaps remain and pose a considerable risk of fragmentation.

The example of Switzerland is a case in point. The Swiss government has voiced support for complementing EU sanctions. Yet, it has so far shied away from applying targeted asset freezes of those individuals listed by the EU, the US and other countries.

As a New York Times analysis details, there is also growing concern Russian companies may evade sanctions by turning to cryptocurrency tools, including the so-called digital ruble and ransomware.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article

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Russia-Ukraine conflict: From making Molotov cocktails to taking up arms, how Ukraine’s every man is standing up to Russian troops

Ordinary citizens all over Ukraine are taking up arms in the fight against Russian forces as they close in on the capital city following four days of heavy attacks and hundreds of casualties.

The civilians are turning into everyday heroes by putting up a stubborn resistance to the Russian invasion so far – despite being heavily mismatched in terms of military might.

It is important to note here that Ukraine has 196,600 active military personnel, whereas the Vladimir Putin-led country has around 900,000 active military personnel and two million reservists.

Nevertheless, the Ukrainians are refusing to give in, and digging in — taking up arms, making Molotov cocktails in their gardens, pushing back tanks with their bare hands.

Molotov cocktails

After Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the citizens to defend the country, the the Ministry of Defence took to social media urging the civilians to make Molotov cocktails to neutralise the occupier.

In a post from the verified Twitter page of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, it said: 'In Obolon... We ask citizens to inform about the movement of equipment! 'Make Molotov cocktails, neutralise the occupier! Peaceful residents - be careful! Do not leave the house!'

❗️увага

На Оболоні ворожа ДРГ.
Просимо громадян повідомляти про пересування техніки!
Виготовляти коктейлі «Молотова», знешкоджувати окупанта!
Мирним мешканцям - бути обережними! Не покидати оселі!

— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) February 25, 2022

For the unversed, Molotov cocktails are petrol bombs which can be made comparatively easily. A glass bottle containing petrol or any inflammable substance such as alcohol used to create fire on a target is what a Molotov cocktail is.

Videos have started making the rounds on social media showing residents defending their independence against Russian troops with their newly minted weapons.

People throwing Molotov at Russian tanks at night in Kiev, Ukraine #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/uYbI8mpDci

— KASİDE (@zakkumec) February 26, 2022

People in Odesa, #Ukraine are preparing Molotov cocktails to defend their city from Russian invaders. pic.twitter.com/0QN9Mlwat8

— Ostap Yarysh (@OstapYarysh) February 28, 2022

News agency AFP reported that in Ukraine's main city Lviv, employees at the Pravda brewery have responded to the Russian invasion by switching from producing beer to Molotov cocktails.

Yuriy Zastavny, the owner of the brewery, was quoted as saying, "We do this because someone has to. We have the skills, we went through a street revolution in 2014."

Taking up arms

Besides building Molotov cocktails, Ukrainian political leaders and ordinary citizens alike are taking up arms to defend their homeland against Russia's invasion this week.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said on Thursday that the government would hand out weapons to anyone willing to take up arms.

And by Friday, Ukrainian officials had already handed out 18,000 guns, according to the BBC.

Kira Rudik, a member of Ukraine's parliament, posted multiple pictures of herself with guns, saying that "[women] will protect our soil the same way as our [men]."

"I planned to plant tulips and daffodils on my backyard today," Rudik tweeted on Saturday. "Instead, I learn to fire arms and get ready for the next night of attacks on [Kyiv] … We are not going anywhere. This is our [city], our [land], our soil. We will fight for it."

I learn to use #Kalashnikov and prepare to bear arms. It sounds surreal as just a few days ago it would never come to my mind. Our #women will protect our soil the same way as our #men. Go #Ukraine! 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/UbF4JRGlcy

— Kira Rudik (@kiraincongress) February 25, 2022

Former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, said that he would stay and fight. His brother and fellow heavyweight boxing champion, Wladimir Klitschko, enrolled in Ukraine's reserve army as the country braced for the Russian invasion.

We defend our city! They try to destroy Kyiv and our countr! We must endure!Glory to Ukraine!

— Віталій Кличко (@Vitaliy_Klychko) February 26, 2022

Twitter was also abuzz with images of former Miss Grand Ukraine holding up a rifle. Anastasiia Lenna, who represented her country in the 2015 Miss Grand International beauty contest, has joined the army to fight against the Russian invasion.

Lenna shared pictures of her wielding a gun with the hashtags '#standwithukraine', '#handsoffukraine'. She also said, "Everyone who crosses the Ukrainian border with the intent to invade will be killed! (sic)"

Blowing up a bridge

According to reported information, one Ukrainian sailor, Vitaly Skakun, is said to have blown himself up with a bridge to prevent Russian forces from advancing further. As per a Buzzfeed report, the 25-year sailor volunteered to place mines on the bridge on 24 February but did not have time to leave. The statement said that he significantly helped to slow Russian forces and allowed the unit to move and reorganise its defenses.

Another example of courage in the face of adversity is that of a man standing in front of an approaching Russian tank. The 30-second clip, shared by Ukrainian news outlet HB, shows a man standing in front of what appear to be military vehicles. As the vehicles try to swerve around him, the man jockeys to the side, seemingly in an attempt to block their progress.

✊🏻Українець кидається під ворожу техніку, щоб окупанти не проїхали pic.twitter.com/cZ29kknqhB

— НВ (@tweetsNV) February 25, 2022

The video sparked comparisons to the photo of a man standing down a line of four Chinese tanks in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

With inputs from agencies

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Ukraine Russia war news Live Updates: India abstains from UNSC procedural vote to call for General Assembly session on Ukraine

08:16 (IST)

Ukraine Russia war 

India abstains from UNSC procedural vote to call for General Assembly session on Ukraine

India abstained from a procedural vote taken in the UN Security Council to call for a rare special emergency session of the UN General Assembly on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, even as New Delhi welcomed Moscow and Kyiv's decision to hold talks at the Belarus border.

 

 

The resolution was adopted with 11 votes in favour, paving the way for the General Assembly to meet on the crisis as soon as Monday. India, China and the UAE abstained, while Russia voted against the resolution. This will be only the 11th such emergency session of the General Assembly since 1950.

United Nations:, Feb 28 (PTI) India abstained from a procedural vote taken in the UN Security Council to call for a rare special emergency session of the UN General Assembly on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, even as New Delhi welcomed Moscow and Kyiv's decision to hold talks at the Belarus border.

The resolution was adopted with 11 votes in favour, paving the way for the General Assembly to meet on the crisis as soon as Monday. India, China and the UAE abstained, while Russia voted against the resolution. This will be only the 11th such emergency session of the General Assembly since 1950.

The 15-nation Security Council met on Sunday afternoon to hold the vote on the emergency special session of the 193-member General Assembly on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This comes two days after the Russian veto blocked a UNSC resolution on its "aggression" against Ukraine.

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Rare Disease Day 2022: Find history, significance and how the day will be marked

Rare Disease Day is a globally-coordinated drive that works towards justice in social opportunity, healthcare and easy access to treatments for people living with a rare disease. This special day is observed every year on 28 February (or 29 February in leap years), which is why it is called the rarest day of the year.

History and Significance: 

Since being established in 2008, the Rare Disease Day has taken part in structuring an international rare disease community that is united in purpose. It was set up and is coordinated by European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) along with 65 other national alliance patient organisation partners.

This special day works on providing an energy and focal point to progress on the local, national and international levels concerning rare diseases advocacy work.

How will the day be marked in 2022?

This year, the Rare Disease Day marks its 15th anniversary wherein the European Organisation and other communities will join in bringing the entire rare disease community across the world together on one platform.

Through a press release, the EURORDIS informed that they will be sharing 16 individual stories of patients, who are living with a rare disease from all around the world. By doing so, the community aims to show that each rare disease is unique and how to tackle the situation.

Furthermore, the European Organisation is also printing a children’s storybook with an objective to educate and inform children about rare diseases. These books will be for kids aged 5 to 8 years. These books will be available in more than 20 different languages that will not be part of any school’s curriculum.

Like last year, the community hopes to make this year's event a grand success with the campaign that goes with the hashtag - #LightUpForRare. They expect that more people will participate in 2022 and enable the powerful message of the campaign.

Last year, thousands of events took place in over 100 countries where people living with a rare disease and their families along with healthcare professionals, decision makers and industry representatives took part.

 

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Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Zelensky agrees to talks as Putin puts nuclear deterrence forces on high alert

The Russian invasion of Ukraine entered its fourth day on Sunday with an obdurate Vladimir Putin pressing on the attack, Kyiv putting up a stiff fight and the West keeping up the pressure on Moscow through political and economic sanctions.

Let's examine all the major developments of the day:

Russian troops enter Kharkiv, repulsed

Russian troops on the day targeted fuel and gas facilities in Kiev and Kharkiv. They entered Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv in the east of the country. The city witnessed heavy street fights with the Russian army taking over the city temporarily. Eventually, Ukrainian soldiers were able to wrest the city back from them.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers continued to keep Russian soldiers at bay in Kyiv.

Ukraine at the negotiation table

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to peace talks with Russia following a phone call with Belarus leader, Alexander Lukashenko. Initially he refused tover Minsk being the venue, as he called it the ‘launchpad of Ukrainian invasion’.

Later, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to meet at Ukraine's border with Belarus.

Zelenskyy has also urged world powers to scrap Russia’s voting power at the United Nations Security Council, saying Russian actions in his country verged on “genocide”.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba demanded harsher sanctions for Moscow at a press conference broadcast online. He said "We will not surrender, we will not capitulate, we will not give up a single inch of our territory".

Speaking on Putin putting his nuclear arsenal on alert, he said "(Moscow) suffered losses and realised their plan did not go as it was designed, their blitzkrieg failed, Russia started speaking with the language of ultimatums, saying they are ready to talk with preconditions".

Russia

President Vladimir Putin ordered his defence chiefs to put the country's nuclear "deterrence forces" on high alert on Sunday and accused the West of taking "unfriendly" steps against his country.

Meanwhile, a senior US defence official said Russia had deployed two-thirds of the combat forces it had amassed on the border before the invasion — an estimated total of 150,000 troops. However, Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of the province of Chechnya who commands some of Russia’s most feared units, said Russia’s tactics were not working according to Financial Times.

Countries across Europe and beyond join hands

Following Britain, Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Romania on Sunday, Austria, Germany,  France, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Italy, Spain, Malta, Portugal, North Macedonia and Canada closed their airspace to Russian aircraft.

The EU on Sunday not only closed its airspace to Russia but also announced new sanctions and banned Russian State media outlets broadcasting in the bloc.

Additionally, several countries including Finland, Germany, the US, Czech Republic, Portugal, Greece and Roman agreed to send more assistance to Ukraine in forms of weapons and funds.

Japan on Sunday also agreed to join Western nations in removing selected Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system, said the country's prime minister Fumio Kishida.

YouTube on Sunday blocked certain Russian media channels from monetizing their videos, among other restrictions. This was followed by Google restricting Russian State media from earning money on its platforms

Ukraine's government managed to raise almost $8 million in cryptocurrencies after posting appeals on social media for donations of bitcoin and other digital tokens.

On Monday, the UN Security Council will vote to convene a rare "emergency special session" of the 193-member General Assembly on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It will be the 11th such emergency session of the General Assembly since 1950.

India

As many as 688 Indian nationals returned India on Sunday from Ukraine on board three Air India evacuation flights from Romanian capital Bucharest and Hungarian capital Budapest.

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that approximately 13,000 Indians are still stranded in Ukraine and the government is making efforts to bring them back as soon as possible.

India has brought back a total of 907 stranded citizens from that country since Saturday when the first evacuation flight from Bucharest with 219 people on board landed in Mumbai under Operation Ganga.

IndiGo too has joined the evacuation operations. It will operate two flights to Budapest to bring back Indians who are stranded in Ukraine, according to an official. The flights will be operated on Monday and Tuesday from Delhi. They will first fly to Istanbul and then to Budapest in Hungary. In the return leg, the flights will come to Istanbul and then to Delhi.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting on the Ukraine crisis on Sunday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was part of the meeting which was also attended by top government officials.

On the day, the ministry of external affairs set up a dedicated Twitter handle and 24x7 Control Centres to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals through the border crossing points with Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic.

The Indian Embassy in Ukraine issued two advisories, with the first asking Indian nationals to use the railways for evacuation followed by one asking them not to venture out during curfew hours.

Ukranians continue to flee

The UN’s refugee agency says the latest count of Ukrainians arriving in neighbouring countries stands at 368,000 and continues to rise. Poland's government on Saturday had said that more than 100,000 Ukrainians had crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border in past 48 hours alone. More than 50,000 have also crossed into Hungary and Romania, with 16,000 more going into Moldova, according to Al Jazeera reports.

However, later in the day the EU commissioner for crisis management said Russia's war on Ukraine has displaced "over seven million people.”

Russian casualties mount

Meanwhile, Russian forces have lost about 4,300 servicemen during their invasion of Ukraine, deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said on Sunday, adding however that the number was being ascertained. She also said on her Facebook page that Russian troops lost about 146 tanks, 27 aircraft and 26 helicopters.

The Russian army too admitted that there were "killed and injured" soldiers among its troops in Ukraine on the fourth day of its invasion, but did not mention how many died.

While threre is no official toll in Ukraine, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) "As of 5:00 p.m. on 26 February, (UN human rights office) OHCHR reports at least 240 civilian casualties, including at least 64 dead."

Protests continue

More than 100,000 people attended a Ukraine solidarity march in Berlin on Sunday, with many protesters dressing in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukraine flag. In Russia too anti-war activists took to the streets from Serbia to Moscow.

Haunted by its post-war guilt, Germany has always treaded lightly and quietly on the world stage when it comes to conflicts. But on Sunday Germany dramatically reversed its ban on lethal weapons exports to conflict-zone by announcing huge shipments to Ukraine and later Olaf Scholz said 100 billion euros will be earmarked for investments for the army in 2022 alone.

Europe's biggest economy will also "from now on — year after year — invest more than two per cent of gross domestic product in our defence," said Scholz.

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China and the Ukrainian crisis: Dragon faces more challenges than opportunities

The continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine and bombing of several cities have provided a strategic opportunity for China, but also several challenges to its foreign and security challenges — typically representing the meaning for its word weiji.

First, the opportunities for China. After the Soviet disintegration in 1991, the strategic target of the Western countries led by the United States gradually focused on China, despite their thriving economic and technological cooperation. Western attention on counter-terrorism in the wake of 9/11 events provided respite for China.

However, in the last decade, China’s assertiveness in the neighbourhood and beyond has led the US to configure Beijing as a “pacing challenge” as the US Defence Secretary Lloyd Ashton stated. Russian invasion now tends to bring back the US-Russia confrontation to the forefront in the Trans-Atlantic region, providing China once again a strategic opportunity to expand its power in the Indo-Pacific. China’s adventurism in the region now knows no bounds, except for the resistance posed by regional powers like Japan, Australia, Vietnam, India and others.

A second opportunity for China of Russian actions on Georgia, Crimea and Donbass region is the chance provided for attacks on Taiwan or its neighbours on “legitimate security interests” although no treaty or law exists on China’s claims. At the 19^th communist party congress in 2017, China unveiled its “six nos” policy and at its 100^th anniversary in July last year threatened to “break heads” on the Taiwan issue. As a result, last year saw nearly 4,000 air force sorties flown by China in Taiwan Straits, including in the last two days. Potential Taiwan invasion by China is a major outcome of the Ukrainian developments, except that Taiwan’s military could successfully withstand such pressures.

Also, as an armed stalemate prevails in the India-China border areas after the deadly clash of 15 June 2020 at Galwan that left 20 Indian soldiers killed, Beijing may be tempted to create another military adventure on the Indian border given the Indian stout standing up so far. The five-point proposals of the Moscow meeting in September 2020, nor the 10 February 2021 defence ministries agreement nor even the 14 corps commanders’ meetings have not led to “disengagement and de-escalation” process at all friction points on the borders and China is exasperated with Indian effective resistance so far.

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However, challenges galore for Beijing. To wade off Western unilateral policies and regime change, China and Russia have for the past two decades pushed through a multipolarity debate and criticised the US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ironically, Russian actions in Ukraine — defended by China’s foreign minister Wang Yi as “legitimate security concerns” threaten to upset the apple cart and take the sting away from any future western actions on China.

China’s policy has also exhibited inconsistencies and contradictions. In 2014 when Russia occupied Crimea, China abstained from the United Nations Security Council resolution, while it supported Russian position on 31 January just before the Putin-Xi meeting in Beijing. However, at the 25 February discussions, China abstained from the UNSC resolution that condemned Russian “aggression” on Ukraine.

Second, Russian military invasion comes at a wrong time for China even though both are said to have an understanding on the timing of such an invasion at the recently completed Beijing Winter Olympics. The communist party in China is scheduled to hold its 20^th congress late this year and political factional struggles are intensifying. Russia, which helped form the communist party in 1921, has a lot of political leverage in China and the Ukrainian developments are expected to play out in the domestic political struggles. Already several factional leaders in China are questioning the Russian actions. Despite the clampdown on any negative coverage of Russia in China’s media, political dissonance in China is rising.

Thirdly, the new Cold War between the US and Russia and the sanctioned announced in the last few days are threatening free flow of goods and services, investments, banking, insurance and shipping on which China is heavily dependent for its prosperity. President Xi Jinping said at Davos meetings that he staked claims to the leadership of the globalisation process.

Even though China had announced a “dual circulation” strategy of lessening its dependence on exports, this process may take a longer duration and hence the Ukrainian fallout is problematic. The US had also sanctioned several Chinese entities following the tariff wars since the Trump Administration. Associating with Russia could further increase costs for China as the sanction regime intensifies.

Fourth, rising China is heavily dependent on energy imports. With sanctions and rise in energy prices from $94 per barrel before the Russian invasion to over $100 per barrel, China’s energy imports face sustainable and affordable supply disruptions in the near future. China imported 513 million tonnes of crude oil last year, while expected “medium high” growth rate this year require more imports. Russia is now the 2^nd largest energy supplier to China with a 44 per cent increase in energy exports (about $45 billion worth) last year, but the latter is heavily dependent on the rest of the world to fuel its rise. Russian energy contribution in China’s imports is only about 15 per cent. Clearly, Russia-China quid pro quo has limitations.

Fifth, while China has a “strategic cooperation” with Russia and it is termed higher than a military alliance by President Putin, bilateral relations show less depth with bilateral trade only $140 billion last year, compared to its nearly $3 trillion with the US allies. Even though the joint statement of Russia and China on 4 February just before the Beijing Winter Olympics had stated “no limits” to their cooperation, China also has good relations with Ukraine. China’s trade with Ukraine is about $20 billion and investments of over $200 million, specifically in food industry, besides cooperation in defence industries. China’s Belt and Road Initiative project also passes through Ukraine, besides China’s companies like Huawei, COFCO, China Harbor and others denting into the local market. More significantly. China and Ukraine have an “extended’ nuclear deterrence agreement with visiting president Viktor Yanukovich in 2013 and with unverified reports of Russian tactical nuclear deployments in Ukraine, the nuclear factor becomes more complicated for Beijing.

Finally, China’s flip-flop on the UN Charter of “non-interference” policy, “protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity”, supporting “legitimate security interests” of nations were tested with Russian bombing of civilians, targeting the elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and support to separatist leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. By supporting these Russian actions, China is entering into a quagmire with its campaign in Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolian “separatist” movements. It would be hard for China to convince the international community about the fallout of the Russian actions on its own campaign in these regions and its inconsistencies exploited by others. This is also aggravated with the Western sanctions on the human rights issue in Xinjiang, Tibet Policy Support Act of the US and other measures.

The author is a professor in Chinese Studies at JNU. Views expressed are personal.

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