‚We have been protesting in the streets for eleven weeks, and the government continues to gallop. An executive authority with unlimited power is a dictatorship,‘ Ron Sharf, one of the reservist protest movement‘s founders says
Daily Archives: 21. März 2023
Ukraine is feeding the world, it is in the common interest to ensure that Ukrainian agriculture quickly gets fully operational – Executive Director of UNEP
For 9 years we have been at war in Donbas. It’s the largest industrial part of Ukraine. We see heavy battles now every day. What will we see there when the guns will fall silent? From an environmental point of view
I can‘t speculate because I haven‘t been there. But I can only tell you that from other wars and other conflicts, we know that the more intense the fighting, the longer it takes to restore and rehabilitate.
If we take the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, where 600 oil wells were set on fire, where you had oil spills everywhere, that took decades. And that was just oil. It was not other things and it was not a protracted war. So, you need to understand that you can have pollution three meters down in the soil. And that will take a very long time.
Russia to return evacuated children to Ukraine when conditions safe, envoy assures
The issue of children `brought to Russia forcefully’ is totally“ overblown, Nebenzya said.
„We want to show it at the [UN Security Council] Arria formula meeting (scheduled for early April – TASS),“ he added.
„When conditions are safe, of course, why not,“ the Russian diplomat said.
Putin arrest warrant court ‚fundamentally illegitimate‘ – Bolton
“I believe and have for many years [that] the International Criminal Court is fundamentally illegitimate,” Bolton told Sky News on Monday, adding that its arrest warrant for Putin is “not something that the United States should cooperate with.”
“It’s a very dangerous institution,” he continued. “It is an exercise of governmental power in a vacuum without any constitutional framework to restrain it.”
Kishida visits Kyiv for meeting with Zelenskyy
Kishida was in India on Monday and had been expected to return to Tokyo, but instead flew to Poland, where he boarded a train to cross into Ukraine.
He will express „respect for the courage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people“ and offer „the solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine of Japan and the G7, chaired by Japan,“ the foreign ministry said.
Japan‘s $75 billion boost for free, open Indo-Pacific but Ukraine looms large
Significantly, Kishida had last week welcomed the arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court, which is not recognised by India. Despite their common interests in the Indo-Pacific, India’s position on Ukraine remains markedly different from Japan and other Quad members as it refuses to categorically condemn Russia’s military actions. Diplomatic sources said Japan wants India to be more forthcoming on the Ukraine issue and that the two sides agreed to remain in touch on developments related to the conflict.
Phone call ‘scheduled’ between Xi Jinping and Zelensky
“Let’s reinforce the fact that China has to date had an informal policy of neutrality in this war,” Mr Shmigel told Sky News host Chris Kenny.
“It has not directly provided a military support to Russia. There are still open lines of communication between Ukraine and China.”
China: the ten thousand li path to a bipolar world begins with the first steps, or what can Ukraine expect from Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow?
The last but not least. The announcement of the so-called “China‘s 12-point peace plan for Ukraine” is another step by China in which it tries to be on the same level, at least, diplomatically, as the United States.
This is an attempt to really turn into a powerful world player capable of solving crises of a truly planetary scale. This is another step towards the formation of a new pole of power, at least in the imagination of the Chinese themselves.
The harsh negative reaction of the US and EU to China‘s efforts to reach a new mediation level has been palpable. The Western partners of our country are clearly not interested in this.
It is within this framework that the visit of the leader of the People‘s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, to Moscow, should be viewed.
Russia becomes China’s top oil supplier in Jan-Feb; energy acts as ‘ballast stone’ of bilateral trade
It is not the first time for Russia to top China‘s oil supplier list. In 2022, Russia shipped the most crude oil to China on a monthly basis in May and November. In terms of the whole year of 2022, Russia exported a total of 86.25 million tons of oil to China, ranking second after Saudi Arabia‘s 87.49 million tons, according to customs data.
Russia is also China‘s main source of natural gas and coal imports, and the „ballast stone“ role of energy in bilateral trade has been further highlighted, Chinese newspaper the Economic Daily reported on Monday, citing Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
Why China is so important for the Russian economy
The Chinese currency, the yuan, has become a major player in Russia’s foreign trade, according to data from the country’s central bank. The share of renminbi in Russia’s import settlements jumped to 23% by the end of last year from only 4% in January 2022. The yuan’s share in export settlements also surged from 0.5% to 16%. At the same time, the two countries have been slashing the share of the US dollar and euro in their bilateral trade.
Russia, China contribute to strengthening multipolar world, says Putin
Putin and Xi Jinping will hold their basic talks on March 21 with the participation of delegations from both countries.
Xi’s visit warmly welcomed by Russia, ‘brings hope of peace for Ukraine crisis’
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday to kick off his three-day state visit, with the warm hospitality of the Russian side expressed through the high-standard welcoming ceremony arranged for the Chinese president upon his arrival. Experts from both China and Russia said the visit will be symbolic and have global significance, as it will not only greatly promote the development of bilateral ties, but also bring hope and confidence for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis.
Upon his arrival, Xi said in a written statement at Moscow‘s Vnukovo airport, „It gives me great pleasure to once again set foot on the soil of Russia, our friendly neighbor, and pay a state visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.“