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☆ Wagner mutiny lays bare cracks in Moscow's military power -EU's Borrell
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, June 26 (Reuters) - The aborted mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia shows cracks in Moscow's military power caused by the war on Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday. "The political system is showing fragilities, and the military power is cracking," he told reporters in Luxembourg ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "It's not a good thing to see that a nuclear power like Russia can go into a phase of political instability," Borrell said, adding this was the moment for the EU to continue supporting Ukraine more than ever. "The monster that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin created with Wagner, the monster is biting him now, the monster is acting against his creator." Reporting by Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray and Bart MeijerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wagner, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Vladimir, Putin, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Bart Meijer Organizations: EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Russia, Ukraine, EU, Luxembourg

☆ EU says aborted Russia mutiny shows Moscow's military power is 'cracking'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 26 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers on Monday said an aborted mutiny in Russia at the weekend showed Moscow's war in Ukraine was causing domestic instability and undermining its military power, but stressed their focus remained on supporting Kyiv. "The political system is showing fragilities, and the military power is cracking," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Luxembourg as he arrived for a meeting with ministers from across the 27-member bloc. "The monster that Putin created with Wagner, the monster is biting him now, the monster is acting against his creator." German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Putin was destroying his own country with his "brutal war of aggression" in Ukraine. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen suggested the weekend's events showed Putin's hold on power was not as strong as it seemed.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin's Wagner, Putin, Annalena Baerbock, Yves Herman, Baerbock, Jean Asselborn, Alexander Schallenberg, Elina Valtonen, Sabine Siebold, Bart Meijer, Andrew Gray, Conor Humphries Organizations: Union, Kyiv, Moscow, EU, European Commission, REUTERS, Austrian, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Russia, Ukraine, EU, Luxembourg, Brussels, Belgium, Russia's, Europe, Finnish

☆ Serbia releases three detained Kosovo policemen, easing crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The European Union welcomed the move and urged Kosovo and Serbia to take further steps to defuse the simmering crisis, including holding new local elections in northern Kosovo. [1/5]One of the released Kosovan policemen (L) arrives at the Kosovo-Serbia border crossing, in Merdare, Kosovo June 26, 2023. The ruling effectively allowed the Serb authorities to maintain the charges while letting the three return to Kosovo, beyond the reach of the Serb court. Albanian-majority Kosovo, formerly a southern province of Serbia, declared independence from Belgrade in 2008 with the backing of the West following a 1998-99 war. Violence flared in four northern Kosovo municipalities late last month after ethnic Albanian mayors took office following a local election.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Albin Kurti, Kurti, Oliver Varhelyi, Aleksandar Vasovic, Fatos, Andrew Gray, Toby Chopra, Andrew Heavens, Alex Richardson Organizations: European Union, Prosecutors, REUTERS, Court, Kosovo's, Twitter, Thomson Locations: BELGRADE, Serbia, Kosovo, Luxembourg, United States, Merdare, Serbian, Kraljevo, Belgrade, Serbs, Brussels, Washington, EU, Pristina

☆ Serbia army chief urges NATO, international agencies to protect Kosovo Serbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BELGRADE/PRISTINA, June 23 (Reuters) - Serbia's army commander urged NATO peacekeepers and other international bodies on Friday to step up measures to protect minority Serbs in Kosovo, adding that "the international community is not fulfilling its obligations." Mojsilovic in a rare public address said he had asked NATO peacekeeping mission KFOR and other international bodies to undertake urgent measures to protect ethnic Serbs there. Earlier on Friday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was "very alarmed" by the situation in northern Kosovo, citing "extrajudicial arrests" of Kosovo Serbs and the march by Kosovo Security Forces "followed by heavy rhetoric from Serbia". Ethnic Serbs, who make up the majority of the population in the region, had boycotted the vote. Ethnic Albanians make up more than 90% of the population in Kosovo, while the Serbs form the majority in four northern municipalities and several enclaves inside Kosovo.

Persons: Milan Mojsilovic, Mojsilovic, Xhelal Svecla, Svecla, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Albin Kurti, Aleksandar Vucic, Armend Mehaj, Aleksandar Vasovic, Fatos, Andrew Gray, Hugh Lawson, Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: NATO, European Union, KFOR, Belgrade, Kosovo Security Forces, Kosovo, Twitter, Kosovo Defence, Kosovo police, Serbian, Thomson Locations: BELGRADE, PRISTINA, Kosovo, Serbia, Mitrovica, Mojsilovic, Zvecan, Kosovo Serbs, Serbian, Brussels, Belgrade, Pristina, Yugoslavia, Montenegro

☆ No breakthrough as EU's Borrell holds crisis talks with Kosovo, Serbia leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, June 22 (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed steps to end weeks of violence in predominantly Serb areas of northern Kosovo to the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia on Thursday, but there were no signs of an immediate breakthrough. Tensions worsened after Serbian police arrested three Kosovo policeman last week, saying they crossed the border between the two countries. The top EU diplomat said he asked Kurti "to announce early elections, as soon as possible, in all four municipalities on condition of participation of Kosovo Serbs". "Here is the core of the problem and also the core of the solution - early elections, as soon as possible," Borrell told reporters after four hours of talks. Vucic said he was ready for more talks with EU mediators, adding that meeting Kurti in person "makes no sense".

Persons: Josep Borrell, Albin Kurti, Aleksandar Vucic, Borrell, Kurti, Borell, Vucic, Aleksandar Vasovic, Andrew Grey, Fatos, Alex Richardson Organizations: Kosovo, Kosovo police, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Kosovo, Serbia, Pristina, Serbian, Brussels, Kosovo Serb, Kosovo Serbs, EU

☆ EU chief embarks on Latin America tour to boost 'neglected' ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 12 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen starts a four-nation trip to Latin American on Monday to bolster political and trade ties that the European Union admits it has sometimes neglected. Von der Leyen will meet the presidents of Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico on consecutive days. Von der Leyen will also seek to push forward an update to the EU-Mexico trade pact which the two sides agreed in 2018. It has a trade agreement with Chile that could give EU companies greater access to the country's lithium and copper. A possible understanding with Argentina could also promote exploration of the Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas reserves by EU investors.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Von der, Olaf Scholz, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Josep Borrell, Philip Blenkinsop, David Holmes Organizations: European Union, Mercosur, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, China, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Paris, Brussels, Caribbean, Paraguay, Uruguay, Mercosur, Vaca

The warnings came as U.S. and EU envoys concluded visits to Kosovo and Serbia to calm tensions that flared into violence last week, wounding dozens of NATO peace-keeping soldiers and Serb protesters in northern Kosovo. He and the EU's Miroslav Lajcak did not elaborate on what other consequences Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's ethnic Albanian-dominated government might face if it did not accede to their demands. "I don't think that these things are resolved with pressure and by mentioning consequences and even sanctions," Kurti told reporters on Wednesday. "We have challenges with EU and U.S. envoys but our bilateral relations with the EU and U.S. are excellent." Lajcak said on Monday that the envoys presented proposals to Kurti to de-escalate the situation in northern Kosovo, adding they had a "long, honest, difficult discussion".

Persons: Balkans Gabriel Escobar, Escobar, Miroslav Lajcak, Albin Kurti's, Kurti, Lajcak, Vjosa Osmani, Peter Stano, Lajacak, Josep Borrell, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Kosovo’s, Kosovo PM, European Union, Kosovo, NATO, U.S, EU, United, Reuters, Washington, Europe, Thomson Locations: PRISTINA, BRUSSELS, United States, Kosovo, Serbia, Balkans, Belgrade, U.S, EU

MADRID/Brussels, June 5 (Reuters) - The European Commission said that concluding the Mercosur-EU agreement is a priority, adding that Latin America and Europe should work on reducing "excessive dependency" on third countries, according to a document seen by Reuters on Monday. Brussels is launching a political and economic offensive on Latin America to secure priority access to the region's resources - especially raw materials - identifying the region as a potential close ally in the face of "increasing geopolitical challenges", mainly the product of the Ukraine invasion by Russia. In a communication to be presented on June 7 and seen in advance by Reuters, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell sets out a roadmap for concluding a number of free trade and partnership agreements with Latin American countries as soon as possible, as well as for boosting bilateral relations with Mexico and Brazil. Reporting by Belen Carreno in Madrid, Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels; editing by Inti Landauro and Charlie DevereuxOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Belen Carreno, Philip Blenkinsop, Inti Landauro, Charlie Devereux Organizations: European Commission, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Brussels, Mercosur, America, Europe, Ukraine, Russia, EU, Mexico, Brazil, Madrid

☆ Indonesia proposes demilitarised zone, UN referendum for Ukraine peace plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Kanupriya Kapoor | Thomson Reuters | Edits Breaking News Across Southeast Asia Covers Longform Stories On Politics | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - Indonesia's defence minister on Saturday proposed a peace plan for the war in Ukraine, calling for a demilitarised zone and a United Nations referendum in what he called disputed territory. He proposed a multi-point plan including a ceasefire "in place at present positions of both conflicting parties" and establishing a demilitarised zone by withdrawing 15 kilometres (nearly 10 miles) from each party's forward position. "We cannot stop supporting militarily Ukraine because we don't want the peace which is ... the peace of the surrender. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy has proposed a 10-point peace plan, which calls on Russia to withdraw all its troops from Ukraine. Chief diplomatic adviser Ihor Zhovkva said Ukraine had no interest in a ceasefire that locks in Russian territorial gains.

Persons: Subianto, Prabowo, Joko Widodo's, Josep Borrell Fontelles, Borrell, Volodymr Zelenskiy, Ihor Zhovkva, Kanupriya Kapoor, Gerry Doyle Organizations: United, United Nations, UN, Union's European Commission, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Ukraine, United Nations, Singapore, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv

NATO Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) surveillance aircraft will watch the skies over the summit venue through Friday, the alliance said in a statement. Missile debris from the war in Ukraine has been found in Moldova several times since Russia invaded 15 months ago. "NATO AWACS can detect aircraft, missiles and drones hundreds of kilometres away, making them an important early warning capability," NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said. The summit will also touch on a range of strategic issues, ranging from energy to cybersecurity and migration. Reporting by John Irish, Andrew Gray and Alexander Tanas; writing by John Irish; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Nicu Popescu, Ana Revenco, Oana Lungescu, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Maia Sandu, Ursula von der, Albin Kurti, Aleksandar Vucic, ” Borrell, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Alexander Tanas, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: High Representative, European Union for Foreign Affairs, Moldova's, Russia, NATO, Kyiv, Control Systems, European, Kosovo, EU, Thomson Locations: Chisinau, Moldova, Ukraine, Kosovo, Moldovan, Romania, Russia, Ursula von der Leyen, KOSOVO, Slovakia, defusing, Serbian, Europe, Azerbaijan, Armenia

☆ Uganda accuses West of blackmail in its response to anti-LGBTQ law
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KAMPALA, May 30 (Reuters) - Uganda on Tuesday condemned the Western response to the East African country's new anti-LGBTQ law, considered one of the harshest in the world, and said sanctions threats from donors amounted to "blackmail". The law signed by President Yoweri Museveni carries the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality", an offence that includes transmitting HIV through gay sex. In the Ugandan government's first detailed comments since Museveni signed the law, Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi rejected the condemnation. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa/File Photo"While we appreciate the support we get from partners, they must be reminded that we are a sovereign country and we do not legislate for the Western world. In an interview, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told Reuters he expects the courts to agree.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Josep Borrell, Museveni, Chris Baryomunsi, Abubaker, Human Rights Volker Turk, Turk, France's, Emma Farge, Alison Williams, Aaron Ross, Nick Macfie Organizations: Ugandan, Reuters, REUTERS, UN, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: KAMPALA, Uganda, EU, Kampala, Tanzania

☆ Kosovo tensions: Why did ethnic Serbs attack NATO peacekeepers?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Dozens of NATO peacekeepers were injured after they were attacked by ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo, during protests over the installation of ethnically Albanian mayors. More than a decade on, these municipalities have not been created, leaving disputes over the degree of autonomy for Kosovo’s Serbs to fester. Valdrin Xhemaj/ReutersFearing potential violence, Kosovo’s central election commission changed plans to put voting booths in local schools, instead setting up mobile huts patrolled by NATO peacekeepers. Of these, more than 16,000 are ethnic Serbs – with only around 500 ethnic Albanians. The peacekeeping mission said that it had increased its presence in northern Kosovo after the newly elected ethnically Albanian mayors took office in majority Kosovo Serb areas.

[1/5] A view shows an apartment building damaged during a massive Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 30, 2023. One person died and four were injured when debris from a destroyed Russian projectile hit a high-rise apartment building sparking a fire, Ukrainian officials said. Russian state-owned news agency RIA cited the defence ministry as saying more than one air base had been hit. Moscow said it invaded Ukraine to "denazify" its neighbour and protect Russian speakers. Russia said on Monday the grain deal would no longer be operational unless a U.N. agreement with Moscow to overcome obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports was fulfilled.

☆ NATO soldiers on guard in Kosovo Serb town following clashes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Fatos Bytyci | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ZVECAN, Kosovo, May 30 (Reuters) - Dozens of NATO troops secured on Tuesday a municipal building in the Kosovo town of Zvecan, where the previous day 30 NATO soldiers and 52 Serb protesters were injured in clashes. On Monday, Serb protesters in Zvecan threw tear gas and stun grenades at NATO soldiers. The NATO force, known as KFOR, said 30 of its soldiers were hurt in the clashes. In another Serb-majority town, Leposavic, an ethnic Albanian mayor was unable to leave his office for more that 24 hours because of protesters outside, media reported. Tensions have risen since ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo's Serb-majority area after elections the Serbs boycotted.

☆ Serbian president to meet U.S., Russia, China, EU ambassadors after clashes erupt
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldiers clash with local Kosovo Serb protesters at the entrance of the municipality office, in the town of Zvecan, Kosovo, May 29, 2023. REUTERS/Laura HasaniMay 30 (Reuters) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will meet on Tuesday with the ambassadors of the United States, Russia, China, Britain and the head of the European Union mission, the president's office said late on Monday, after new clashes erupted in northern Kosovo. Afterwards, he will conduct separate meetings with the ambassadors of Finland, Russia and China. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell late on Monday condemned the clashes, calling the violence against NATO peacekeepers "absolutely unacceptable" and urging immediate dialogue. "The EU urges Kosovo authorities and the protesters to immediately and unconditionally de-escalate the situation,” Borrell said on Twitter.

☆ NATO peacekeepers secure Kosovo town halls in standoff with Serb protesters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] U.S. KFOR soldiers stand guard in front of the municipality office, while ethnic Serbs gather to protest, in the town of Leposavic, Kosovo, May 29, 2023. KFOR troops also acted to protect the town halls in Zubin Potok and North Mitrovica from possible threats. Serbs refused to take part in local elections in April and ethnic Albanian candidates won the mayoralties in four Serb-majority municipalities with a 3.5% turnout. Serbs have called on the Kosovo government to remove ethnic Albanian mayors from town halls and allow local administrations financed by Belgrade return to their duties. NATO peacekeepers deployed in Kosovo after the alliance's 1999 bombing campaign that drove Serbian security forces out of Serbia's then-southern province, ending a brutal counter-insurgency campaign.

☆ EU's Borrell: Russia won't enter negotiations while trying to win war
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Joan Faus | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"I see a concentration of troops on both sides, the clear will of Russia to try to win the war," Borrell told an event in Barcelona. "(Russia) will not go to a negotiation until it has tried to win the war." He added that Russia has repeatedly signaled it would not cease the campaign until its military goals have been achieved. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has amassed over 300,000 men there, twice as many as he had when he launched the invasion," Borrell told reporters after the event. We have to be prepared, which means continuing to help Ukraine, because if we don't help it, Ukraine cannot defend (itself)," Borrell said.

☆ NATO head urges Kosovo to ease tensions with Serbia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Stoltenberg, the transatlantic military alliance's Norwegian secretary-general, said he had spoken to European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell about Kosovo. Ethnic Albanians make up more than 90% of the population in Kosovo as a whole. Local Serbs, backed by Belgrade, said they will not accept the mayors and that they do not represent them. The situation remained tense on Sunday with heavily armed police in armoured vehicles still guarding the mayors' offices. Reporting by Sabine Siebold, writing by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU will go easy on Indian resale of Russian fuel
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Yet, the risk of an energy inflation resurgence makes a European Union ban on Russian oil reselling a tough call. The war in Ukraine has offered India an opportunity to boost purchases of discounted Russian oil. European imports of oil derivatives jumped to 200,000 barrels per day after the EU banned Russian crude products imports on Feb. 5 from 154,000 barrels previously, according to Kpler data. And New Delhi argues oil products substantially transformed in a third country cannot be subject to EU sanctions. loadingTo avoid an open clash with India, the EU could try to target European companies buying Russian-origin refined oil.

☆ Oil dips on demand worries after unexpected U.S. crude build
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Katya Golubkova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures was 29 cents lower, or down by 0.4%, to $74.60 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude edged down by 32 cents, also 0.4% down, to $70.55, as of 0005 GMT. Right now too much oil is still available," Edward Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA, said in a note. The U.S. Treasury Department has estimated that the United States will go into a crippling default as early as June 1 if Congress does not lift the debt ceiling. Oil prices fell even as the International Energy Agency raised its forecast for global oil demand this year by 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a record 102 million bpd.

BRUSSELS, May 17 (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has proposed adding 3.5 billion euros ($3.85 billion) to a fund used to finance military aid for Ukraine, EU sources said on Wednesday. It originally had a budget of 5 billion euros, meant to last until 2027. That ceiling has already been raised once, by 2 billion euros, last December. The fund allows EU countries that supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine to claim back a portion of the cost. It was conceived for any conflict that the European Union could deal with."

☆ Li Hui: Beijing attempts to play peacemaker with planned trip by special envoy to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

A source within the Ukrainian government told CNN earlier this week that a Chinese envoy would be in Kyiv Tuesday and Wednesday, though Ukraine has not released further details. Beijing’s ties with Moscow have been under close scrutiny over the past week as European officials discussed a recalibration of the bloc’s China strategy. On Monday ahead of Li’s expected arrival in Ukraine, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called for Ukraine’s peace plan to be the basis of efforts to resolve the conflict. It is therefore the one that should set out the core principles for a just peace,” she said in Brussels. Ukraine, the US and more than 100 nations have called for peace predicated on the unconditional withdrawal of Russia troops from Ukrainian territory.

☆ Borrell urges EU to crack down on imports of Indian fuels made with Russian oil -FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

India has emerged in the past year as a top buyer of Russian oil following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft (ROSN.MM) and top Indian refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) have also signed a term deal to substantially increase and diversify oil grades delivered to India. According to ship-tracking data from Kpler, Reliance Industries (RELI.NS) and Nayara Energy were the key exporters of refined fuels and buyers of Russian oil. However, that has increased to 200,000 bpd after the EU banned Russian oil products imports from Feb. 5 this year, data from Kpler shows. Any mechanism to stem the flow of Russian oil would need to be implemented by the national authorities, Borrell told the FT, suggesting that the EU could target buyers of Indian refined fuels which it believes are derived from Russian crude.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Zelenskiy in Germany after meeting pope
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

May 14 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was in Germany early on Sunday as he seeks to shore up support from key allies against Russia's invasion of his country. FIGHTING* Ukrainian troops are advancing in two directions in the eastern city of Bakhmut, but the situation in the city centre is more complicated, deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said on Saturday. * Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday that Ukrainian aircraft had struck two industrial sites in the Russian-held city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine with Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles supplied by Britain. * Germany on Saturday announced 2.7 billion euro ($3.0 billion) of military aid to Ukraine, its biggest such package since Russia's invasion, and pledged further support for Kyiv for as long as necessary. * The head of Russia's federal crime agency suggested on Saturday that key sectors of the economy should be returned to state ownership to support Moscow's war in Ukraine.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Ukraine's Zelenskiy meets the pope
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Ukrainian leader, on a visit to Rome, also met Italy's leaders, who promised full military and financial backing for Ukraine and reiterated support for its EU membership bid. * South Africa's presidential security advisor said on Saturday the country was "actively non-aligned" in Russia's war against Ukraine, after U.S. allegations that it had supplied weapons to Moscow led to a diplomatic crisis this week. * A draft communique from a meeting of Group of Seven finance chiefs reiterated the group's condemnation of Russia's "illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression" against Ukraine. INSIDE RUSSIA* The head of Russia's federal crime agency suggested on Saturday that key sectors of the economy should be returned to state ownership to support Moscow's war in Ukraine. * Police in the Russian city of St. Petersburg said on Friday they have created an anti-drone unit to detect unmanned aerial vehicles following a purported drone attack on the Kremlin this month.

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