NATO’s Stoltenberg says alliance must ensure Ukraine ‘prevails’

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4:14am: G7 nations considering near-total ban of exports to Russia 

Group of Seven (G7) countries are considering near-total ban of exports to Russia, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday, citing Japanese government sources.

4:00am: China is not inflaming Ukraine situation, says Chinese FM

China is not inflaming the situation in Ukraine, and advocates a peaceful resolution of international disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Friday.

China has no intention to engage in a major power competition, Qin said at the Lanting Forum in Shanghai, adding that it opposes attempts to build walls and barriers to interrupt international supply chains.

1:15am: German defence minister: Now is not time to discuss Ukraine NATO membership

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius rejected a quick decision on Ukraine’s membership at NATO, the Western alliance that has supported Ukraine throughout its war with Russia, with member states supplying it with weapons.

Kyiv wants the military alliance to offer it membership.

“The door is open a crack, but this is not the time to decide now,” Pistorius said late on Thursday on ZDF’s Maybrit Illner program, adding that Ukraine was aware of the decision-making situation.

12:40am: Ukraine’s Zelensky urges Mexico to help deliver his peace plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged Mexico to help make the case in Latin America for his peace plan for Ukraine, even as tensions persist within the country’s ruling party about offering support to Kyiv.

Mexico’s government has said it wants to remain neutral in Ukraine’s war with Russia.

Some Ukraine supporters have criticized leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for finding fault with European arms shipments to Kyiv.

11:48pm: Russia warplane accidentally fires into city near Ukraine

A Russian warplane accidentally fired a weapon into the city of Belgorod near Ukraine late on Thursday, causing an explosion and damaging buildings, Tass cited the defence ministry as saying.

Local authorities reported a large blast in the city, which lies just across the border from Ukraine. The regional governor said two women had been injured.

“As a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod there was an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition,” Tass cited the defence ministry as saying.

It did not say what kind of weapon was involved.

11:05pm: Lavrov thanks Cuba for ‘full understanding’ on Ukraine invasion

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday thanked Cuba for its “full understanding” over the war in Ukraine as he began a visit to the island nation during his tour of Latin American allies.

“We appreciate that from the start of the special military operation, our Cuban friends… have clearly shown their position and expressed their full understanding in their evaluations of the reasons that led to the current situation,” said Lavrov during a meeting with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez, according to the Russian foreign ministry’s Telegram account.

Lavrov, who also met Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and his predecessor Raul Castro on Thursday, blasted US sanctions against Cuba as “illegal and illegitimate.”

10:19pm: Russia reports explosion near Ukraine border

Russian authorities reported Thursday an explosion in the city of Belgorod near the border with Ukraine, saying the blast left a huge crater in the city centre. 

“An explosion took place. According to preliminary information, there are no victims,” Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said on the Telegram messaging app. He added that a crater some 20 metres wide (65 feet) had appeared in the city centre.

10:04pm: France and US to continue engaging China on Ukraine talks

French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden “agreed on the importance of continuing to engage” China in helping to end the war in Ukraine, the French presidency said Thursday after talks by phone between the leaders.

In a statement, Macron’s office said Macron had briefed Biden about “the results obtained” during his visit in the first week of April to Beijing where the French leader spent several hours in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The French statement added: “China had a role to play in contributing, in the medium term, in ending the conflict in accordance with the principles and aims of the United Nations charter.

“The two heads of state agreed on the importance of continuing to engage Chinese authorities on this basis.” 

8:40pm: Kyiv terminates Russian embassy’s land lease

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Thursday said the city had terminated the Russian Embassy’s deal to lease land in the capital and wanted the property to be returned to the Ukrainian state.

Ukraine broke off relations with Russia after the February 2022 invasion. There are no Russian diplomats in the embassy building, which lies to the west of the city centre.

“Today, Kyiv city council terminated the land lease agreement with the embassy of the aggressor-state – Russia,” Klitschko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

“It also appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine regarding the return of the property of the ‘diplomatic establishment’ of the Russian barbarians to the Ukrainian state,” he said.

7:42pm: Russia’s Lavrov to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Monday, Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said.

The diplomat said earlier this week that Lavrov and Guterres would discuss the Black Sea grain deal.

7:25pm: Russia’s concerns over grain deal still unaddressed, Lavrov says

Almost nothing has been done to address Russia’s concerns over the Black Sea grain deal, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, the latest in a series of downbeat comments by top Moscow officials about the pact that enabled Ukraine to resume exports.

Russia has repeatedly said it will not renew the deal beyond May 18 unless the West agrees to lift a host of restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance which it says are hindering its own agricultural exports.

“Here, practically nothing has been done,” Lavrov told reporters in Havana during an official visit. Footage of the news conference was broadcast by the Russian foreign ministry.

5:24pm: Ukraine servicemen accused of treason over unauthorised mission

A number of Ukrainian servicemen have been accused of treason for giving away information during an unauthorised mission that enabled Russia to attack a military airfield, Ukraine’s SBU security agency said on Thursday.

The SBU said in a statement that the servicemen had attempted, “without coordination with the relevant state authorities”, to seize a Russian plane last July after its pilot said he would defect.

During the “special operation”, they revealed details about the location of Ukrainian air force personnel and aircraft that made it possible for Russia to carry out a successful missile strike on the Kanatove airfield in central Ukraine, it said.

A Ukrainian commander was killed, 17 other personnel were wounded, two fighter jets were destroyed and the airstrip, buildings and equipment suffered significant damage, the SBU said in the statement posted on the Telegram messaging app.

4:31pm: Hungary demands ‘progressive’ EU aid for Ukraine grain transit

Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy called on Thursday for the European Union to provide “progressive” aid to help Ukrainian grain transit through central European countries, as he held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart in Budapest.

“We are calling for the introduction of progressive EU transit aid to ensure that Ukrainian grain, which has caused significant market difficulties, can reach its traditional markets,” Nagy said in a Facebook post.

2:20pm: Poland calls for additional ban on Ukraine food imports

Milk, poultry and other food products should be included on a list of Ukrainian imports to be temporarily banned by the European Union, the Polish agriculture minister said on Thursday.

“We discussed our proposals, our list is much wider – milk, poultry meat, honey,” Robert Telus told a news conference.

European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis discussed the plans on Wednesday with ministers from Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, as well as with Ukrainian counterparts.

1:39pm: Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO, alliance chief says in rare visit to Kyiv

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on a visit to Kyiv Thursday that the alliance’s priority was to ensure Ukraine “prevails” in the war against Russia and that a membership plan for Kyiv will be discussed at a summit in July. 

“Let me be clear: Ukraine’s rightful place is in the euro-Atlantic family. Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO. And over time, our support will help you to make this possible,” Stoltenberg told reporters during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

He pledged continued military support for Ukraine, saying that, so far, NATO allies had trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops and provided 65 billion euros ($71.31 billion) of military aid alone.

“Ukraine’s future is in the Euro-Atlantic family, Ukraine’s future is in NATO, all allies agree on that,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Kyiv. He said “the issue of membership” will be “high on the agenda” at the NATO summit in Vilnius this summer.

1:32pm: Ukraine’s Zelensky says it is time for NATO to invite Ukraine into alliance

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday it was time for NATO to take the political decision to invite Ukraine to join the military alliance, and that Kyiv wanted to know when it would become a member. The Ukrainian leader told a joint news conference in Kyiv with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg that a NATO summit in Vilnius in July could be “historic”, and that he had been invited to attend.

“I am grateful for the invitation to visit the summit, but it is also important for Ukraine to receive the  corresponding invitation,” he told reporters. “There is not a single objective barrier to the political decision to invite Ukraine into the alliance and now, when most people in NATO countries and the majority of Ukrainians support NATO accession, is the time for the corresponding decisions”.

12:41pm: Nord Stream pipeline leaks no longer dangerous to ships, Danish agency says

The Danish Energy Agency said on Thursday it no longer regards it as dangerous for vessels to operate near the areas of the Nord Stream pipeline leaks, and that it had recommended that the country’s maritime authority lift its sailing restrictions.

11:53am: Switzerland adds Wagner Group and RIA to list of Russia sanctions

Switzerland will add the private military Wagner Group and news agency RIA to its list of sanctions against Russia, the Swiss Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) said on Thursday.

The changes take effect from 6 pm (1600 GMT) on Thursday, it added.

10:30am: Battle for Bakhmut rages on as both sides enter an attrition phase

The battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has intensified in recent weeks, with reports of heavy fighting and casualties on both sides in what is now the longest and bloodiest standoff of the war.

Since last summer, Russian troops have been fighting to capture the city, with Kyiv’s forces holding out despite Moscow’s frequent claims of advancements. Russia has stepped up its offensive with better cooperation between the regular army and Wagner paramilitary troops. 

 

10:22am: NATO chief makes first visit to Kyiv since Russian invasion

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Thursday, his first since the Russian invasion, Ukrainian media and a NATO official said. The Kyiv Independent newspaper published images of Stoltenberg in front of a memorial for fallen soldiers in central Kyiv.

The photographs showed Stoltenberg with his head down in front of the memorial. Many Western officials travelling to Kyiv do not announce their trips in advance for security reasons. “The NATO Secretary General is in Ukraine. We will release more information as soon as possible,” a NATO official said.

Stoltenberg’s visit comes 14 months into Russia’s invasion and ahead of an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive. NATO has pledged to stand by Ukraine as it fights Russia. 

Earlier this month, Stoltenberg invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to a NATO summit in July. He also said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “wanted to slam NATO’s door shut” but “failed”.

10:18am: Hungary bans import of honey, certain meat products from Ukraine

Hungary has banned the import of certain meat products and honey in addition to grains from Ukraine until June 30, the prime minister’s chief of staff said on Thursday.

The ban on imports of major cereals and agricultural products “includes a total of twenty five products, the most important of which are cereals rapeseed and sunflower seeds, flour, oil, honey and certain meat products,” Gergely Gulyas told a news conference.

9:45am: Flash over Kyiv probably meteorite, says Ukraine space agency

A mysterious flash over Kyiv that spread confusion and fears of a Russian missile attack was likely a meteorite, a Ukrainian space official told AFP Thursday.

“We cannot identify what it was exactly, but our assumption is that it was a meteorite,” Igor Korniyenko, the deputy head of a control centre at Ukraine’s national space agency.

9:36am: Denmark, Netherlands to give Ukraine 14 Leopard tanks

Denmark said Thursday that it and the Netherlands had agreed to buy and donate 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, as more heavy weapons are being pledged to Kyiv.

“The Netherlands and Denmark today announce our intention to jointly acquire, refurbish and donate 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks for Ukraine following our successful collaboration with Germany on the supply of at least 100 Leopard 1A5 tanks,” the Danish defence ministry said in a statement, adding that the tanks would be supplied from “early 2024”.

6:30am: US to coordinate with South Korea on additional Ukraine support 

The United States will continue to coordinate closely with South Korea on more support for Ukraine, calling its key Asian ally “a stalwart partner” in defending Ukraine’s sovereignty, a US State Department spokesperson said.

In an exclusive interview with Reuters, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the country might go beyond humanitarian or financial aid for Ukraine under certain circumstances, signalling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time.

South Korea’s decision on whether to send military aid to Kyiv depends on Russia’s actions, Seoul’s presidential office said Thursday, adding that a possible large-scale civilian attack could tip the balance.

Seoul has a long-standing policy against providing weapons to countries in active conflict, which it has repeatedly said makes it difficult to supply arms directly to Ukraine.

5:58am: US-made Patriot air defence systems arrive in Ukraine

American-made Patriot missiles have arrived in Ukraine, the country’s defence minister said Wednesday, providing Kyiv with a long-sought new shield against the Russian airstrikes that have devastated cities and civilian infrastructure.

The US agreed in October to send the surface-to-air systems, which can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles such as those that Russia has used to bombard residential areas and the Ukrainian power grid.

“Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure,” Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a tweet.

 

• Key developments of Wednesday, April 18

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Tuesday for like-minded countries to “join forces” against Western sanctions “blackmail,” as the longtime diplomat continued his tour of Latin America.

Ukraine received its first Patriot air defense systems as well as a comprehensive aid package from the US. 

South Korea said it might extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack, President Yoon Suk Yeol said, signalling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time.

 

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)