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☆ Rainy weather hits spring sowing in Ukraine but favours winter crops
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian farmers started spring sowing in late February, but only about 1 million hectares of crops were sown by April 21. "Agrometeorological conditions ... were generally unfavourable for field work on tillage and sowing of early spring crops," APK-Inform consultancy quoted forecasters as saying. Ukraine traditionally plants winter wheat, which accounts for more than 95% of the total wheat harvest. Forecasters said that most of the winter wheat crop was in good or perfect condition. Ukraine harvested a record 86 million tonnes of grain in 2021, including 32 million tonnes of wheat, before Russia's invasion of the country.

☆ Russia is still losing 500 soldiers a day in Ukraine even after reducing its casualties by 30%, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

But Russia is still likely suffering around 500 casualties a day, the UK Ministry of Defence said. It comes as Russia is "preparing for anticipated Ukrainian offensive operations," it added. In March, the country was losing an estimated 776 soldiers a day, which dropped to 568 in April, it said. Russia does not release its own casualty figures, but the UK MOD pointed to figures released by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russia's slowing losses are explained by it moving to a more defensive position ahead of Ukraine's expected counteroffensive efforts, the UK MOD said.

☆ China's cooperation with Europe 'unlimited' as with Russia - Chinese envoy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 24 (Reuters) - China's cooperation with Europe and other nations is "endless" just as its ties with Russia are "unlimited", China's envoy to the European Union said, giving some reassurance of China's neutrality over Ukraine in an interview published on Monday. It was unclear when Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassador to the EU, gave the interview to the Chinese news outlet The Paper. Sino-Russian cooperation is "unlimited", and the same is true for China and Europe." China's naval and air force drills in the Taiwan Strait and around the island of democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own, have also drawn criticism from Europe. On Sunday, in an opinion piece in French newspaper Le Journal Du Dimanche, Borrell called on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait.

☆ A Russian fighter jet mistakenly bombed one of its own cities. Experts say that 'serious' cockpit errors are likely to blame.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian warplane mistakenly bombed one of its own border cities, on Thursday, officials said. An expert told Insider that the pilot may have confused the Russian city for a Ukrainian one. A Russian Su-34 dropped a bomb on the border city of Belgorod, around 25 miles north of the country's border with Ukraine, Russia's defense ministry said in a statement. Two military experts told Insider that it was strange for the Su-34 to be flying over a built-up city in the first place. However, both experts told Insider they are confused about why the plane was flying so close to a populated Russian city, with Miron noting "they could have easily avoided flying over Belgorod."

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy urges Mexico to help deliver his peace plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Henry RomeroMEXICO CITY, April 20 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 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. The plan includes Russia withdrawing all of its troops from Ukraine's territory, and he set it out to world leaders last November. "I think with Mexico's help, this could be much quicker," Zelenskiy said via videolink, speaking through an interpreter. Zelenskiy has said he will only consider peace settlements once Russian troops leave Ukrainian territory. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard met separately with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts to discuss the peace plan at the U.N. General Assembly last year.

Kyiv and the West accuse Russian forces of committing war crimes in occupied Ukrainian territory, which Moscow denies. Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk are the four regions that Putin proclaimed annexed last September following what Ukraine said were sham referendums. Russian forces only partly control the four regions. HEAVY ARTILLERYFighting has raged in and around Bakhmut in Donetsk region for months, with Ukrainian forces holding out despite regular claims by Russia to have taken the city. "Any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences," they said.

☆ How moving food from farm to table puts global supply chain logistics to extreme tests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Cargill With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Regional conflicts like the invasion of Ukraine have had far-reaching global consequences, impacting global food supply and food security. Prior to the war, Ukraine could produce enough food to feed 400 million people per year. To keep food growing and moving in the region, operators like Cargill must rely on critical data, partnerships, and dedicated employees. Farmer livelihoods and the rebuilding of Ukraine's agriculture economy are also critical to ensure ongoing global food systems and security. Click here for more information about Cargill's efforts to address needs of the food supply chain in Ukraine and around the world.

[1/2] German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, April 14, 2023. Suo Takekuma/Pool via REUTERSApril 14 (Reuters) - European foreign policy officials sought to present a tough stance against China's threats over self-ruled Taiwan on Friday, after comments by French President Emmanuel Macron drew a backlash for being perceived to be weak. While many of the remarks were not new, the timing of their publication, and their bluntness, annoyed many Western officials. "The European Union's position (on Taiwan) is consistent and clear," Borrell said in his prepared remarks. "President Xi's visit to Moscow has demonstrated that no other country has a bigger influence on Russia than China," said Baerbock.

☆ EU cannot trust China unless it seeks peace in Ukraine -Borrell
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 14 (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said it would be hard for Europe to trust China if it did not try to find a political solution to the Ukraine crisis. "Neutrality in the face of the violation of international law is not credible," Borrell said, adding an appeal for Chinese President Xi Jinping to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and for China to provide more humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people. Xi has met Russian President Vladimir Putin twice but not spoken with Zelenskiy since Russia invaded Ukraine in what Moscow calls a "special military operation" in February 2022. China stated its opposition to attacks on civilians and on nuclear facilities in position paper on Ukraine published in February, but it has refrained from openly criticising Russia for its actions in Ukraine. Reporting by Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian Drones Hit Odessa as Ukraine Makes Fresh Diplomatic Push
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Ian Lovett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kyiv, Ukraine—Russian drones struck the southern port city of Odessa overnight, while Finland was poised to officially join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Tuesday. Russian forces launched 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones from the east coast of the Sea of Azov into Ukrainian territory, according to Ukraine’s air force. Fourteen of the drones were shot down, Ukrainian officials said, but several state-owned enterprises in Odessa were hit.

☆ Russia's ultranationalists appear increasingly vulnerable after pro-war blogger's killing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The blast killed Tatarsky and injured at least 30 others, the authorities said, before detaining a woman on suspicion of involvement in what they described as a "high-profile murder." The death also sent shockwaves through Russia's pro-war commentariat which has burgeoned since Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago. Tatarsky was one of Russia's more prominent and outspoken pro-war bloggers, with 572,000 followers on the popular messaging app Telegram. Unsettling ultranationalistsTatarsky's death is the second apparent assassination of a prominent Russian pro-war commentator on home soil. 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.

☆ North Korea accuses Ukraine of having nuclear ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Kim said this kind of petition could be a political plot by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office, but did not provide any evidence for the assertion. Following Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement last week that Moscow plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, a public petition was filed to the Ukrainian presidential office's website on Thursday, calling for Ukraine to host nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory, or for it to be armed with its own nuclear weapons. By Saturday afternoon, the petition had gained only 611 signatures, far short of the 25,000 needed for a response from Zelenskiy. North Korea is forging closer ties with Kremlin amid shared isolation by the West and it supported Moscow's position after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, including its later proclaimed annexation of parts of Ukraine that most U.N. members condemned as illegal. Reporting by Hyunsu Yim in Seoul and Max Hunder in Kyiv Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Korea accuses Ukraine of having nuclear ambitions - KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, April 1 (Reuters) - North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, accused Ukraine of calling for nuclear weapons, state media KCNA reported on Saturday, basing her assertion on an online petition in that country that has drawn under 1,000 signatures so far. Kim said this kind of petition could be a political plot by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office, but did not provide any evidence for the assertion. Following Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement last week that Moscow plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, a public petition was filed to the Ukrainian presidential office's website on Thursday, calling for Ukraine to host nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory, or for it to be armed with its own nuclear weapons. By Saturday afternoon, the petition had gained only 611 signatures, far short of the 25,000 needed for a response from Zelenskiy. Reporting by Hyunsu Yim in Seoul and Max Hunder in Kyiv Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia says Ukraine ceasefire now would not achieve Moscow's goals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 31 (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday that a ceasefire in Ukraine would not enable it to achieve the goals of its "special military operation" at the moment. But he said Russia's goals in Ukraine could not be achieved at the moment through a halt in fighting. "In terms of Ukraine, nothing is changing, the special military operation is continuing because today that is the only means in front of us to achieve our goals," Peskov said. That was a reference to Moscow's claims - unsupported by evidence - that Ukraine's Western backers have ordered Kyiv not to pursue a ceasefire. Ukraine has said Russia must withdraw its troops as a precursor to any peace deal, and says any temporary ceasefire would only allow Russia to regroup for future military action.

☆ Trump keeps saying he can solve the Ukraine war in 24 hours. Mike Pompeo says he has no idea what his former boss is talking about.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This week, Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that he can solve the Ukraine war in 24 hours. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he has no idea what Trump is talking about. "I don't know what he's talking about," the former Trump-era secretary of state told Fox News host Martha MacCallum. Meanwhile, Trump has kept saying it will take him just one day to solve the war in Ukraine. Representatives for Pompeo and Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment outside regular business hours.

☆ Ukraine appears to be trying to capitalize on cracks in China and Russia's alliance after a nuclear snub from Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited China's Xi Jinping to Ukraine. It comes after cracks emerged in Xi's alliance with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Xi has proposed a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Putin last weekend said he planned to station nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, breaking an agreement Russia had signed only days before at the summit with China. The US has warned that China may be preparing to arm Russia, a claim China has denied.

☆ Kremlin says it is not Russia's place to advise China's Xi on whether to go to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 29 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was not up to Russia to advise Chinese President Xi Jinping on whether he should visit Ukraine or not. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has extended an invitation to the Chinese leader to visit, the Associated Press reported earlier on Wednesday. China's Xi visited Putin in Moscow last week and the pair issued a joint statement referring to a 12-point Chinese proposal for dialogue and an eventual ceasefire in the Ukraine war. The Chinese plan met with a dismissive response in Washington, given Beijing's refusal to condemn Russia's invasion. Ukraine has welcomed China's diplomatic involvement but Zelenskiy has said he will only consider peace settlements after Russian troops leave Ukrainian territory.

☆ Zelenskiy invites Xi to visit Ukraine - AP
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 29 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. Xi has not talked to Zelenskiy since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year but China published a 12-point plan for "a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis" last month. But the United States has been dismissive of the proposal, given that China has declined to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The United States says a ceasefire now would lock in Russian territorial gains and give Putin's army more time to regroup. Ukraine has welcomed China's diplomatic involvement but Zelenskiy has said he will only consider peace settlements after Russian troops leave Ukrainian territory.

☆ Ukraine has 3 options since Putin's not giving up, war experts say. Peace talks aren't among them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin is not giving up on the war in Ukraine despite the grim circumstances facing Russian forces. War experts say Ukraine has three choices moving forward, but immediate peace talks aren't on the table. A new assessment from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggests Ukraine has three fairly straightforward choices in the face of such obstinance — and immediate peace talks are not among them. Ukraine has continued to defend Bakhmut, which has seen the fiercest fighting in the war in recent months, though analysts say the city has little strategic significance. Accordingly, ISW says Ukraine will need to retake terrain that's vital to its survival both militarily and economically, and that would be key to "renewed Russian offensives."

☆ Russia presses along Ukraine front after reports of Bakhmut slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Mike Collett-White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

As winter turns to spring, the main question in Ukraine is how much longer Russia can sustain its offensive, and when or whether Ukraine can reverse the momentum with a counterassault. [1/5] Anti-aircraft unit serviceman of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, call sign "Chub", 34, prepares to pose for a portrait with a portable anti-aircraft missile system, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Soledar north of Bakhmut, Ukraine March 23, 2023. The International Committee of the Red Cross said some 10,000 Ukrainian civilians, many elderly and with disabilities, were clinging on in horrific circumstances in Bakhmut and surrounding settlements. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, saying Ukraine's ties to the West were a security threat. Since then, tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians as well as soldiers on both sides have been killed.

☆ Putin to welcome Xi to Moscow under shadow of Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a ceremony dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China, in Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia June 5, 2019. Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool via ReutersMarch 20 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will expect Chinese President Xi Jinping to show solidarity against western hegemony when he arrives in Moscow on Monday, while Xi will present China as a global peacemaker intent on brokering an end to the Ukraine war. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has previously made clear he will accept nothing short of Russia's full withdrawal from Ukrainian territory. We welcome China's willingness to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis," Putin said. Ukrainian forces have held out in Bakhmut since last summer in the longest and bloodiest battle of the year-long war.

☆ Putin Visits Mariupol in First Known Trip to Ukrainian Territory Taken by Russia During War
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Matthew Luxmoore | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A still from a video of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking to an official in Mariupol in occupied Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the occupied Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, the Kremlin said on Sunday, signaling his continued commitment to Russia’s war in Ukraine as his forces grind forward in their costly campaign to seize the front line Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Mr. Putin drove through the streets of Mariupol, which was captured by his forces in May, after arriving there by helicopter, the Kremlin said in a statement. A clip of the visit broadcast on Russian state television shows the Russian president behind the wheel of a vehicle as a Russian official reports on the progress of the city’s reconstruction.

☆ Putin visits Mariupol as part of surprise tour of occupied Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Lidia Kelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Putin flew by helicopter to Mariupol for "a working trip", Russian news agencies reported citing the Kremlin. 'BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN'In the Nevsky district of Mariupol, Putin visited a family in their home, Russian media reported. Russian media broadcast videos showing the Russian leader driving a car at night through a built-up area as well as walking into what media said was the philharmonic, restored in just three months. Mariupol is in the Donetsk region, one of the four regions Putin moved in September to annex. Russian media reported on Sunday that Putin also met with the top commander of his military operation in Ukraine, including Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov who is in charge of Moscow's war in Ukraine.

☆ The ICC Is the Wrong Way to Beat Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

There’s no doubt that Russia has committed horrific war crimes in Ukraine, and the perpetrators deserve to be punished. But Friday’s decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and another Russian official is the wrong way to do it. The ICC, an international institution separate from the United Nations and based in The Hague, didn’t disclose the details of the warrants even as it announced them. But they appear to be aimed at the deportation of children to Russia from Ukraine by Russian forces since the invasion. The Kyiv government says some 16,000 children have been taken to Russia from Ukrainian territory, and only 307 have been returned.

☆ U.S. Seeks to Head Off Any Chinese Call for Cease-Fire in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Charles Hutzler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The U.S. is trying to head off a potential proposal from Beijing for a cease-fire in Ukraine ahead of a Russia-China summit, saying suspending fighting now would help solidify Russia’s hold on Ukrainian territory. With Chinese leader Xi Jinping due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, the White House expressed concern Friday about China’s deepening ties with Russia during the Ukraine war. That makes a potential call for a cease-fire a one-sided proposal to Russia’s benefit, said John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

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