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The chart showed that Serbia declined to provide training to Ukrainian forces, but had committed to sending lethal aid or had supplied it already. It also said Serbia had the political will and military ability to provide weapons to Ukraine in the future. The Pentagon also did not immediately respond to Reuters questions about the document's reference to Serbia and has previously declined to comment on any of the leaked documents. Vucic's government has professed neutrality in the Ukraine war, despite the country's deep historic, economic and cultural ties with Russia. "We didn't export any weapons or ammunition to Russia or Ukraine," he said during a March 5 visit to Qatar.

☆ Moldova outdoor assembly to confirm pro-European orientation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries wedged between Ukraine and Romania, has been buffeted by Russia's war in Ukraine which President Maia Sandu has repeatedly denounced. Moldova and its population of 2.5 million, Sandu said, stood at a crossroads, with collective action needed for its future. Big decisions are taken by people during Great National Assemblies," she said. ... We are Europeans and at the Great National Assembly on 21st May, we will show that this is the path we have chosen." Moldova, like Ukraine, has formally sought to become a member of the European Union, a process which normally takes several years.

☆ Hundreds attend Moscow funeral of pro-war blogger
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russia charged Darya Trepova, 26, on Tuesday with terrorist offences over the killing of Tatarsky in the St Petersburg cafe where he had been due to talk. [1/5] People attend the funeral of Russian military blogger Maxim Fomin widely known by the name of Vladlen Tatarsky, who was recently killed in a bomb attack in a St Petersburg cafe, in Moscow, Russia, April 8, 2023. Tatarsky made extensive reporting trips to the front lines in Ukraine and had ties to Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who on Saturday thanked the blogger on behalf of his fighters. The Wagner group has been spearheading efforts in recent months to capture the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Ukraine has not taken responsibility for the cafe bomb blast and instead blamed "domestic terrorism" in Russia.

☆ Russia praises military blogger who was killed in a cafe explosion for 'boldly' dying and 'doing his duty'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia praised a military blogger who died in a cafe explosion on Sunday for "doing his duty." Vladlen Tatarsky had gained popularity for blogging about Russia's war efforts in Ukraine. "It is thanks to the Russian war correspondents that the world sees truthful and timely footage and learns about what is happening in Ukraine. Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was a popular pro-war Russian military blogger. He covered Russia's war in Ukraine largely on his Telegram channel, according to CNN.

☆ Russia claims its journalists are under attack and facing 'witch hunts' just days after arresting an American reporter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia said its journalists face attacks and "witch hunts" after the death of blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. The claims come days after Russia arrested WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich for alleged espionage. The comments follow abuse of journalists in Russia and come just days after the widely-condemned arrest by Russian authorities of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for alleged espionage. In her comments on Tatarsky's death, Zakharova also assessed the international reputation of Russian journalists, making broad claims about the discrimination they face that ignore Russian actions at home. These criticisms of how Russia's journalists are treated sharply contrast with the treatment of journalists in Russia, where reporters have been killed or jailed.

☆ Russia complains its journalists are under attack and facing 'witch hunts' just days after arresting an American reporter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Bomb kills Russian pro-war blogger in St. Petersburg café
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A leading Russian military blogger was killed on April 2, 2023 in an explosion in Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg, the interior ministry said. Olga Maltseva | AFP | Getty ImagesWell-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed by a bomb blast in a St Petersburg café on Sunday in what appeared to be the second assassination on Russian soil of a figure closely associated with the war in Ukraine. The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Sunday he would "not blame the Kyiv regime" for it. Vladlen Tatarsky Russian blogger, speaking last SeptemberBut another leading Russian official pointed the finger at Ukraine, without providing evidence. The Kyiv regime is a terrorist regime.

☆ Russia: U.S. threats over reporter's arrest will 'reap whirlwind'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, March 31 (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday that if the United States threatened Moscow over its arrest of Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich, it would reap a "whirlwind", the state-owned news agency RIA reported. U.S. President Joe Biden urged Moscow on Friday to "Let him go", after his administration said on Thursday it was unacceptable for Russia to target U.S. citizens and urged all Americans in Russia to leave at once. Speaking on the "60 Minutes" programme of Russia's flagship Rossiya 1 channel, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the United States had made no attempt to understand what had happened to Gershkovich. If this logic continues in the public space, they will reap a whirlwind," Zakharova said. Gershkovich pleaded "not guilty" on Thursday as a court remanded him in pre-trial detention for two months.

Summary Russia accuses detained U.S. journalist of spyingSays he was trying to gather state/military secretsWall Street Journal denies the allegationsMove latest blow to dire Russia-U.S. tiesLONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Russia's FSB security service said on Thursday it had detained a reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal on suspicion of spying for Washington, the most serious public move against a foreign journalist since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal said in a statement it was "deeply concerned" for Gershkovich's safety and that it "vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter". TOUGH CENSORSHIP LAWS[1/5] Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich appears in an undated handout image taken in an unknown location. Other foreign journalists covering Russia expressed support for Gershkovich online, saying he was a professional reporter, not a spy. Gershkovich, who has covered Russia since 2017, previously worked at The Moscow Times newspaper and at Agence-France Presse news agency before joining the Wall Street Journal's Moscow bureau in January last year.

REUTERS/StringerSummary Prosecutors say officers took computers, documentsKolbasnikova: German authorities "committing lawlessness"Urges supporters to rally in CologneBERLIN/NEW YORK, March 27 (Reuters) - German prosecutors said on Monday they searched the home of two pro-Kremlin activists, looking for evidence to corroborate a Reuters report that the couple donated cash to buy radios for Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Under German law, the criminal penalty for anyone found to have violated sanctions is up to five years in prison. Ulf Willuhn, a representative of the Cologne public prosecutors, said officers executed a search warrant on Monday morning at the couple's address, and took computers and folders containing written documents. Kolbasnikova and Schlund did not immediately respond to requests for comment that Reuters sent to them on messaging apps. A spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said this month that Kolbasnikova was the victim of persecution by the German authorities.

Depleted uranium is a dense by-product left over when uranium is enriched for use in nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons. The United States, Britain, Russia, China, France and Pakistan produce uranium weapons, which are not classified as nuclear weapons, according to the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons. Ingesting or inhaling quantities of uranium - even depleted uranium - is dangerous: it depresses renal function and raises the risk of developing a range of cancers. "It's worth making sure everyone understands that just because the word uranium is in the title of depleted uranium munitions, they are not nuclear munitions, they are purely conventional munitions," Cleverly said. A spokesperson from Britain's defence ministry said: "The British Army has used depleted uranium in its armour piercing shells for decades."

☆ Putin claimed the UK is ramping up nuclear tensions by sending Ukraine depleted uranium armor-piercing shells. The UK says that's nonsense.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The component: depleted uranium armor-piercing shells, which have no role in nuclear weaponry. Depleted uranium, a by-product of the nuclear enrichment process, is used in making penetrating tank shells because it is extremely dense. "There is no way that you could create a nuclear reaction or a nuclear explosion with depleted uranium." The UK MOD also cited research that it says shows the health risk of depleted uranium munitions is "likely to be low." Depleted uranium is much less radioactive than the original fuel.

☆ Russia's Putin blasts UK move to send ammo with depleted uranium to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a joint statement with Chinese President Xi Jinping following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 21, 2023. Sputnik/Vladimir Astapkovich/Kremlin via REUTERSMarch 21 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday condemned British plans to send tank ammunition that contains depleted uranium to Ukraine, saying Moscow would be forced to respond accordingly. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the British decision left fewer and fewer steps before a potential "nuclear collision" between Russia and the West. "Another step has been taken, and there are fewer and fewer left," he told reporters in remarks cited by domestic agencies. Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the plan the "Yugoslavia scenario", saying the ammunition caused cancer and infected the environment.

☆ Reactions to ICC's arrest warrant for Putin citing Ukraine war crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Roman Baluk/File PhotoMarch 17 (Reuters) - Following are reactions to the news on Friday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes." RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN MARIA ZAKHAROVA"The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view. Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and bears no obligations under it." I welcome the decision of the International Criminal Court."

☆ ICC judges issue arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, March 17 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on Friday against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of being responsible for the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. She added that Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty underpinning the world's permanent war crimes tribunal. In its first warrant for Ukraine, the ICC called for Putin's arrest on suspicion of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of people from the territory of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan opened an investigation into possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Ukraine a year ago. The ICC said in a statement Putin stands accused of the war crime of unlawful deportation from the occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

☆ UN backs Turkey, Ukraine in call for 120-day grain deal rollover
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

UNITED NATIONS, March 16 (Reuters) - The United Nations backed Turkey and Ukraine on Thursday by calling for a 120-day rollover of an agreement allowing the safe export of grain from several Ukrainian Black Sea ports after Russia said it would only extend the pact for 60 days. "For us, the text in the agreement is clear and it calls for a 120-day rollover," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told Reuters when asked about remarks by Turkey. Turkey said on Wednesday that it would continue talks to extend the deal for 120 days rather than 60 days. Senior U.N. and Russian officials met in Geneva on Monday to discuss extending the grain deal. Ukraine has so far exported nearly 25 million tonnes of mainly corn and wheat under the deal, according to the United Nations.

☆ Kremlin elites are fighting over how best to control their Ukraine war narrative, says the Russian foreign ministry's top spokesperson
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Kremlin's leaders can't agree on Russia's narrative on the Ukraine war, a top official said. Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry's press director, said there's a "battle" among Kremlin elites. "There is a battle going on, including among the elites," said Maria Zakharova, director of the Russian foreign ministry's press department, per Russian news outlet Business Gazeta. Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry's top spokesperson, made that statement at a panel with Russian tech entrepreneur Igor Ashmanov and other pundits. It said Zakharova's public statements further show that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has given up control of the Russian information space to "a variety of quasi-independent actors."

☆ How weapons from Western allies are strengthening Ukraine's defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +15 min

In the months after, artillery ammunition came, then Western artillery and vehicles. Ground-Launched Small Diameter BombAdd a description of the graphic for screen readers. Add a description of the graphic for screen readers. Although it uses a NATO-standard calibre for its main gun--120mm--the Challenger 2's barrel is rifled, unlike the smoothbore weapons used in other Western tanks. Air defense Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, including power plants and residential buildings, have come under increasing attack from Russian missiles and one-way drones, often launched from outside Ukraine's territory.

☆ Turkey says it is working to renew Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July allowed grain to be exported from three Ukrainian ports. "We are working hard for the smooth implementation and further extension of the Black Sea grain deal," Cavusoglu said in a speech at the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries being held in Doha, Qatar. Russia has said it would only agree to extend the Black Sea grain deal if the interests of its own agricultural producers are taken into account. Cavusoglu said he also discussed efforts to discuss the extension of the deal with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Almost 23 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs have been exported via the Black Sea Grain Initiative as of March 3, according to the Joint coordination Centre in Turkey which oversees implementation of the deal.

☆ Russia welcomes China peace plan, says it is open to talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Russia welcomed on Friday Chinese proposals to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and said it was open to achieving the goals of what it calls its "special military operation" through political and diplomatic means. China has called for a comprehensive ceasefire as part of a 12-point plan for dealing with the war, which began a year ago when Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. "With regard to the Ukraine crisis, Russia is open to achieving the goals of the special military operation by political and diplomatic means," Zakharova said. However, this would also mean recognising "new territorital realities" in Ukraine, Zakharova said, referring to Russia's unilateral annexation of four Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Lukhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - as well as of Crimea. Kyiv's Western allies have also reacted coolly to the Chinese proposals, with NATO saying Beijing did not have much credibility as a mediator in view of its close ties with Russia.

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy says meeting with China 'desirable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Asked about prospects for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Zelenskiy told a news briefing in Kyiv: "We would like to meet with China." "This is in the interests of Ukraine today," he told the joint briefing with visiting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Zelenskiy said he had heard only "general things" about China's proposals through Ukrainian diplomats, but that it was encouraging that China was considering brokering peace. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said this week that Wang Yi, the top Chinese diplomat, had shared some of the main points of Beijing's proposals with him during a meeting in New York. Wang visited Moscow this week but did not discuss the peace plan with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov when they met on Wednesday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

☆ Explainer: What have Russia and China said about peace in Ukraine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Caleb Davis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Zelenskiy last year proposed his own 10-point peace plan, which calls on Russia to withdraw all its troops from Ukraine and to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russia still controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine, despite losing swathes of land in major battlefield setbacks last year. Russia said on Wednesday that it welcomed China taking a more active role in efforts to resolve the conflict. Meeting Putin on Wednesday, Wang said China was willing to play a "constructive role" to end the Ukraine conflict. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said China had an obligation to use that influence to seek peace in Ukraine.

☆ Russia says Lavrov and Wang Yi did not discuss 'Chinese peace plan'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's top diplomat Wang Yi did not discuss a reported Chinese plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine when they met on Wednesday, Moscow said. Wang, the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Russia since it invaded Ukraine almost a year ago, met President Vladimir Putin and Lavrov separately amid speculation the two sides would discuss a possible Chinese peace plan for Ukraine. "We note statements by some Western politicians and media reports regarding some kind of 'Chinese peace plan'. The two countries signed a "no limits" strategic partnership days before the invasion last Feb. 24, and have since held joint military drills over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea and Western Pacific. Moscow's foreign ministry said earlier that it was studying a newly released paper on Beijing's Global Security Initiative, Chinese leader Xi Jinping's flagship security proposal.

☆ Russia tells Macron: Don't forget Napoleon when you talk of regime change
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Macron told paper Le Journal du Dimanche France wanted Russia to be defeated in Ukraine but had never wanted to "crush" it. "About 'Never': France did not begin with Macron, and the remains of Napoleon, revered at the state level, rest in the centre of Paris. "In general, Macron is priceless," she said, adding that his remarks showed the West had engaged in discussions about regime change in Russia while Macron had repeatedly sought meetings with the Russian leadership. On Friday, Macron urged allies to step up military support for Ukraine, but also said he did not believe in regime change and that there would have to be negotiations at some point. "Let’s be clear, I don't believe for one second in regime change, and when I hear a lot of people calling for regime change I ask them, 'For which change?

☆ Russia condemns Israeli strike on Damascus
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova listens during the annual news conference of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not pictured) in Moscow, Russia January 18, 2023. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovFeb 19 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry on Sunday said that it strongly condemned an Israeli air strike on the Syrian city of Damascus and its surroundings, calling it a "flagrant violation" of international law. "We strongly urge the Israeli side to stop armed provocations against the Syrian Arab Republic and refrain from steps that are fraught with dangerous consequences for the entire region," spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. Witnesses and officials said an Israeli rocket strike early on Sunday hit a building in central Damascus's Kafr Sousa neighbourhood near a large, heavily guarded security complex close to Iranian installations, killing five people. Reporting by Reuters Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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