NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg made an unannounced go to to Kyiv on Thursday, his first for the reason that Russian invasion, throughout which he reaffirmed NATO’s dedication to Ukrainian victory. This comes as a number of international locations pledged extra assist to the embattled nation. Follow our weblog to see how the day’s occasions unfolded. All occasions are Paris time (GMT+2).
This stay weblog is now not being up to date. For extra of our protection on the struggle in Ukraine, please click on right here.
4:14am: G7 nations contemplating near-total ban of exports to Russia
Group of Seven (G7) international locations are contemplating near-total ban of exports to Russia, Kyodo news company reported on Friday, citing Japanese authorities sources.
4:00am: China will not be inflaming Ukraine scenario, says Chinese FM
China will not be inflaming the scenario in Ukraine, and advocates a peaceable decision of worldwide disputes by means of dialogue and diplomacy, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang mentioned on Friday.
China has no intention to have interaction in a serious energy competitors, Qin mentioned on the Lanting Forum in Shanghai, including that it opposes makes an attempt to construct partitions and obstacles to interrupt worldwide provide chains.
1:15am: German defence minister: Now will not be time to debate Ukraine NATO membership
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius rejected a fast resolution on Ukraine’s membership at NATO, the Western alliance that has supported Ukraine all through its struggle with Russia, with member states supplying it with weapons.
Kyiv needs the army alliance to supply it membership.
“The door is open a crack, but this is not the time to decide now,” Pistorius mentioned late on Thursday on ZDF’s Maybrit Illner program, including that Ukraine was conscious of the decision-making scenario.
12:40am: Ukraine’s Zelensky urges Mexico to assist ship his peace plan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged Mexico to assist make the case in Latin America for his peace plan for Ukraine, whilst tensions persist inside the nation’s ruling occasion about providing help to Kyiv.
Mexico’s authorities has mentioned it needs to stay impartial in Ukraine’s struggle with Russia.
Some Ukraine supporters have criticized leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for locating fault with European arms shipments to Kyiv.
11:48pm: Russia warplane by chance fires into metropolis close to Ukraine
A Russian warplane by chance fired a weapon into the town of Belgorod close to Ukraine late on Thursday, inflicting an explosion and damaging buildings, Tass cited the defence ministry as saying.
Local authorities reported a big blast within the metropolis, which lies simply throughout the border from Ukraine. The regional governor mentioned two ladies 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 didn’t say what sort of weapon was concerned.
11:05pm: Lavrov thanks Cuba for ‘full understanding’ on Ukraine invasion
Russian international minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday thanked Cuba for its “full understanding” over the struggle in Ukraine as he started a go to to the island nation throughout 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,” mentioned Lavrov throughout a gathering together with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez, in response to the Russian international ministry’s Telegram account.
Lavrov, who additionally met Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and his predecessor Raul Castro on Thursday, blasted US sanctions in opposition to Cuba as “illegal and illegitimate.”
10:19pm: Russia stories explosion close to Ukraine border
Russian authorities reported Thursday an explosion within the metropolis of Belgorod close to the border with Ukraine, saying the blast left an enormous crater within the metropolis centre.
“An explosion took place. According to preliminary information, there are no victims,” Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod area, mentioned on the Telegram messaging app. He added {that a} crater some 20 metres extensive (65 toes) had appeared within the metropolis centre.
10:04pm: France and US to proceed participating China on Ukraine talks
French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden “agreed on the importance of continuing to engage” China in serving to to finish the struggle in Ukraine, the French presidency mentioned Thursday after talks by telephone between the leaders.
In a press release, Macron’s workplace mentioned Macron had briefed Biden about “the results obtained” throughout his go to within the first week of April to Beijing the place the French chief spent a number of hours in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The French assertion 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 significance of continuous to have interaction Chinese authorities on this foundation.”
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 metropolis council terminated the land lease settlement with the embassy of the aggressor-state – Russia,” Klitschko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
“It additionally appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine relating to the return of the property of the ‘diplomatic institution’ 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, virtually nothing has been executed,” 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, “with out coordination with the related state authorities”, to seize a Russian plane last July after its pilot said he would defect.
During the “particular 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 assist to make sure that Ukrainian grain, which has induced important market difficulties, can attain its conventional 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 mentioned our proposals, our record is way 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 within the euro-Atlantic household. Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO. And over time, our help will assist you to make this doable,” 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 within the Euro-Atlantic household, Ukraine’s future is in NATO, all allies agree on that,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Kyiv. He said “the difficulty of membership” will be “excessive 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’m grateful for the invitation to go to the summit, however it is usually essential for Ukraine to obtain the corresponding invitation,” he told reporters. “There will not be a single goal barrier to the political resolution to ask Ukraine into the alliance and now, when most individuals in NATO international locations and the vast majority of Ukrainians help NATO accession, is the time for the corresponding selections”.
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 launch extra data as quickly as doable,” 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 “needed 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 “features a complete of twenty 5 merchandise, an important of that are cereals rapeseed and sunflower seeds, flour, oil, honey and sure meat merchandise,” 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 can’t determine what it was precisely, however 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 at this time announce our intention to collectively purchase, refurbish and donate 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks for Ukraine following our profitable collaboration with Germany on the provision of not less than 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 associate” 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 stunning Ukrainian sky turns into safer,” 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 “be part of 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)
Originally revealed on France24