Russia says President @ZelenskyyUa’s demand for them to withdraw behind the February 24th line is ‘not serious’. This proves Russia remains focused on war, not diplomacy, and sends a clear message to the world: Russia’s path to negotiating table lays through battleground defeats.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her legacy on Ukraine in a wide-ranging interview on Tuesday. In her first major interview since leaving office, Merkel condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but said she refused to apologize for her policies towards Moscow.
Speaking on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she said: "In my view, what happened was not just unacceptable, but also a major mistake from Russia."
"It's an objective breach of all international laws and of everything that allows us in Europe to live in peace at all. If we start going back through the centuries and arguing over which bit of territory should belong to whom, then we will only have war. That's not an option whatsoever."
Merkel conceded that there could have been a harsher response to Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, but said that serious steps had been taken. She cited Russia's exclusion from the Group of Leading Industrial Nations (G8) and NATO's stipulation that members spend 2% of GDP on defense.
Merkel also defended her opposition to Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO in 2008.
She said that if NATO had granted them membership, Russian President Vladimir Putin could have caused "enormous damage in Ukraine." She also cited systemic corruption issues in Ukraine.
"President Zelenskyy is unbelievably bravely fighting against corruption, but at the time, Ukraine really was a country governed by oligarchs, and so there you can't just say "ok tomorrow we'll take them into NATO," she said.
"I don't blame myself for not having tried hard enough," Merkel responded to a question about how much she could have done to prevent an escalation with Russia. "Fortunately, I tried sufficiently. It is a great sadness that I did not succeed."
A U.S. court issued warrants for the seizure of two luxury planes owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich under U.S. measures imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine https://t.co/6mctYmw8Svpic.twitter.com/X06FouJau3
The World Bank slashed its global growth forecast by nearly a third to 2.9% for 2022, warning that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has compounded the damage from the COVID-19 pandemic, and many countries now faced recession https://t.co/cTVgE5MREJpic.twitter.com/wXqsAyDGvm
⚡️FM Kuleba urges countries not to buy grain stolen from Ukraine by Russia.
According to Dmytro Kuleba, Russia is trying to sell the grain they steel in Ukraine by loading it onto ships and passing through Bosporus. “Don’t become accomplices to Russian crimes,” Kuleba said.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 24, 2022
The goals of Russia’s invasion keep getting smaller. Its forces are inflicting losses on the Ukrainian military at a cost to Russia’s own supply of troops and equipment, and they are failing to make major advances. https://t.co/hNQjng06Fxpic.twitter.com/1JO65JB1Ip
From @WSJopinion: “The inherent purpose of a gun is to kill. An item whose sole purpose is bloodshed does not deserve the protection of the Constitution,” writes Max Willner-Giwerc, a student at the University of Chicago Law School https://t.co/t7osffIaJk
The UK and other European countries have reported a small number of human monkeypox infections, a virus rarely seen in Europe. The US, Canada and Australia are also investigating cases. Health services remain puzzled over how the virus is transmitted.
Human monkeypox leads to skin irritations with pustules and blisters that eventually burst and then scab over, though they rarely leave scars. The infection is similar to normal pox (smallpox or variola).
The cases registered in the United Kingdom have been reported as the West African strain, which is relatively mild compared to the Central African variant. The illness generally runs its course within three to four weeks. The West African strain is seldom deadly — and when it is, it's mostly in small children.
As a precaution, Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has issued a warning for Germany, urging citizens to be vigilant.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen explains the proposed new sanctions on Russia at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. In recent weeks, the European Union has been moving closer to banning Russian oil, with Germany changing course to support the embargo. But many questions remain open.
You may not have heard of most rare earths, but the 17 metallic elements known as rare earths are essential to modern life. They’re in our smartphones, computers, TVs and just about every other electronic device. They also play a major part in plans to create a carbon-free future.
However, extracting them can be highly environmentally destructive and there’s concern over China’s dominance of the market.
In the latest edition of Business Beyond we look at the race to secure enough rare earths to power the present and create a greener future.
4 years ago train conductor Tetiana Minkova found Nicole on the railway station almost frozen to death. She decided to keep Nicole. The dog has already done more than a dozen evacuation rides. Nicole seems to feel which of the passengers needs her support the most.#WeAreUkrainepic.twitter.com/teK9Eg3Lpv
FM @DmytroKuleba for FP: “The stakes of the 🇷🇺-🇺🇦 war are high. They go beyond just a physical war; if Ukraine is victorious, & other like-minded countries remain free to pursue their democratic ideals, the global movement toward a more empowered and freer world will accelerate”.
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UN News Russian attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine could be a war crime: UN rights office
