Ukraine-Russia news – live: Xi to meet Putin as Moscow opens criminal case against ICC judges

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping has arrived for his first state visit to Moscow in four years, in a boost for Russia’s president Vladimir Putin just days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest over war crimes in Ukraine.

In a largely symbolic retort, issued as Mr Xi touched down in Moscow, Russia’s investigative committee announced that it had launched a criminal investigation into the ICC prosecutor and judges who had issued the arrest warrant.

The committee echoed a claim made hours earlier by China’s foreign ministry that the ICC should avoid “double standards” with its arrest warrant – which relates to the illegal deportation of hundreds of children from Ukraine – and respect immunity for heads of state under international law.

The ICC prosecutor’s actions showed signs of being crimes under Russian law, the committee said –knowingly accusing an innocent person of a crime, and “preparing an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection, in order to complicate international relations”.

Key points

  • Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin

  • China warns ICC to avoid ‘double standards’ over Vladimir Putin arrest warrant

  • Justice ministers meet in London to build support for ICC after Putin warrant

  • ‘Criminal’ Putin visits destroyed Mariupol

Putin appears to be heckled during Mariupol visit

12:01 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin appeared to be heckled by a person warning his carefully choreographed visit to Mariupol was “all lies”.

State media said Mr Putin drove around the occupied port city in a car on Saturday, stopping in several districts to speak with locals in what appears to be an attempt by the president to project an image of control after he was indicted on war crimes charges. It is the first time he has visited the city.

Ukraine has said 20,000 people have been killed in the city, which has seen 90 per cent of its buildings damaged during Russia’s indiscriminate bombing campaign at the start of the war. Some 350,000 Mariupol’s 500,000 residents were forced to flee in the face of the bloody assault.

When will Xi and Putin meet?

11:46 , Andy Gregory

Videos of Xi Jinping’s arrival in Moscow’s Vnukovo showed the Chinese leader being welcomed by a military band orchestra after setting foot out of the plane, reports my colleague Shweta Sharma.

The two leaders are scheduled to have lunch before holding an informal one-to-one meeting on Monday afternoon and are set to hold a round of formal delegation talks on Tuesday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said Mr Putin’s first meeting with Mr Xi will begin around 4.30pm Moscow time and will be “informal but very important”.

Mr Xi and Mr Putin will “of course” discuss China’s 12-point peace proposal to end the Ukraine war, which was published by Beijing several weeks ago, he said, adding: “President Putin will give exhaustive explanations so that President Xi can understand the Russian position at the current moment.”

The three-day visit – dubbed by the Chinese government a “trip for peace” – will be closely watched by Ukraine and the rest of the international community.

France urges immediate help for Ukraine as EU ministers meet

11:42 , Andy Gregory

France’s foreign minister has warned that Ukraine needs to be helped straight away, as European Union foreign ministers gather to debate arms supplies for Kyiv.

“We need to help Ukraine quickly and straight away,” Catherine Colonna said in Brussels.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had earlier said he hoped for a deal on the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine at the meeting, warning of problems should ministers fail to agree.

Watch: Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow

11:12 , Andy Gregory

Kremlin tells election officials to stop using iPhones

11:03 , Andy Gregory

The Kremlin has reportedly told officials involved in preparations for Russia’s 2024 presidential election to stop using Apple iPhones because of concerns that the devices are vulnerable to Western intelligence agencies.

At a Kremlin-organised seminar for officials involved in domestic politics, first deputy head of the presidential administration Sergei Kiriyenko, told officials to change their phones by 1 April, the Kommersant newspaper reported, citing unidentified sources.

“It’s all over for the iPhone: either throw it away or give it to the children,” Kommersant quoted one of the participants of the meeting as saying. “Everyone will have to do it in March.”

Asked by reporters on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he could not confirm the report, adding: “Smartphones should not be used for official business. Any smartphone has a fairly transparent mechanism, no matter what operating system it has – Android or iOS.”

The Kremlin may provide other devices with different operating systems to replace the iPhones, Kommersant reported, adding that the order to cease using iPhones had been directed at those involved in domestic politics – for which Kiriyenko is responsible.

Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin

10:41 , Andy Gregory

China’s Xi Jinping has arrived in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin in his first state visit to Russia for four years.

My colleague Shweta Sharma has the breaking story, which you can refresh for updates:

China’s Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow to meet Putin for state visit

China urges ICC to avoid ‘double standards’ over Putin arrest warrant

09:38 , Andy Gregory

China has warned that the International Criminal Court should avoid “double standards” and respect immunity for heads of state after it issued an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin.

As president Xi Jinping travelled to Moscow, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters that the court should “uphold an objective and impartial stance” and “respect the immunity of heads of state from jurisdiction under international law”, Agence France-Presse reported.

The spokesperson also urged the court to “avoid politicisation”, and said the solution to the Ukraine war remained “dialogue and negotiation”.

‘Shambolic withdrawal’ from Afghanistan likely encouraged Ukraine invasion, ex-civil service chief says

09:26 , Andy Gregory

A former head of the civil service has resisted suggestions of a direct link between the Iraq war and Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, pointing instead to the “shambolic” withdrawal from Iraq.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, 20 years on from the invasion of Iraq, Sir Mark Sedwill – who has also previously worked for the UN and Nato in Baghdad – suggested that it was not correct to “draw a straight line from the operation in Iraq to the invasion of Ukraine”.

“I think the rather shambolic withdrawal from Afghanistan probably encouraged Putin to think that the West was going to be divided and weak in our response to an invasion of Ukraine,” he said.

Sir Mark also stressed Mr Putin’s belief that Ukraine is part of a “greater Russia”, something he suggested would mean the Russian leader would have tried to drag “Ukraine back into Russia’s orbit, whether through military action or other means, whatever had happened elsewhere in the world”.

Speaking as China’s Xi Jinping visits Moscow, Sir Mark stressed the significance of such an in-person encounter and said for China it was “really about the relationship with the United States”, calling any decision to supply weapons to Russia a “decisive move”.

 (Parliament Live screengrab)
(Parliament Live screengrab)

Putin hails ‘good old friend’ Xi Jinping ahead of first Moscow meeting since Ukraine invasion

08:56 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has said he will welcome his “good old friend” Xi Jinping later as the Chinese president visits Moscow to highlighted China’s “willingness to play a constructive role” in Ukraine, my colleague Stuti Mishra reports.

The leaders will meet one-on-one on Monday and have an informal lunch later. Mr Putin said Russia has high hopes over the Chinese leader’s visit.

“We are grateful for the balanced line of [China] in connection with the events taking place in Ukraine, for understanding their background and true causes,” he wrote in an article for a Chinese newspaper on Sunday. “We welcome China’s willingness to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis.”

Putin hails ‘good old friend’ Xi Jinping ahead of Moscow meeting

EU ministers meet to finalise plan for artillery for Ukraine

08:29 , Andy Gregory

European Union ministers are meeting today to try to finalise a plan to supply Ukraine with sorely needed artillery shells, replenish their own national stocks and ramp up Europe’s defence industry.

The 27-nation bloc’s foreign and defence ministers will discuss the plan at a joint session in Brussels, at which Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba is due to set out his country’s needs. The EU’s aim is to provide Ukraine with one million 155-millimeter artillery shells this year.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is chairing the meeting, is seeking approval for a proposal to provide €1bn to encourage member nations to provide artillery shells from their stocks and any orders for new rounds that they might have placed with industry.

A further €1bn would then be used to fast-track new orders and encourage member countries to work together on those purchases through the European Defence Agency or in groups of at least three nations. Germany has already called for countries to join its effort.

The third track of the scheme involves support to Europe’s defense industry so that it can ramp up production in the longer term. EU officials have said that new joint orders could be placed by May if the plan is endorsed.

War crimes arrest warrant will ‘absolutely’ stay with Putin forever, says ICC prosecutor

07:37 , Andy Gregory

The arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin will not expire if and when the war in Ukraine ends, a prosecutor at the International Criminal Court has said.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Karim Khan said: “There’s no statute of limitations for war crimes. That’s one of the principles of Nuremberg, and individuals – wherever they are in the world – need to realise the law is present and there are responsibilities that come with authority.”

Asked if the arrest warrant would stay with Mr Putin or Ms Lvova-Belova for the rest of their lives, Mr Khan said “absolutely yes”.

“Unless they present themselves to the independent judges of the court and the judges, on the merits, decide to dismiss a case but otherwise, absolutely, yes.”

‘ICC's decision on Putin will have horrible consequences for law,’ warns former Russian president

07:15 , Namita Singh

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said today that the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin will have horrible consequences for international law.

“They decided to try a president of ... a nuclear power that does not participate in the ICC on the same grounds as the United States and other countries,” Mr Medvedev wrote in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

“The consequences for international law will be monstrous.”

In video: Putin visits Crimea to mark anniversary of Russia’s annexation

07:00 , Namita Singh

Putin visits Crimea to mark anniversary of Russia’s annexation

UK and Ukraine agree deal on ‘new era of modern trade’

06:30 , Namita Singh

The UK says it has signed a digital trade deal with Ukraine which will help support the country’s economy during the war with Russia and as it rebuilds in the future.

Under the deal, Ukrainian businesses will be able to trade more efficiently and cheaply with the UK through electronic transactions, e-signatures, and e-contracts.

It will also give Ukrainian firms access to UK financial services through provisions on cross-border data flows.

Business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch said: “The historic digital trade deal signed today paves the way for a new era of modern trade between our two countries.

Britain’s business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch leaves after attending the weekly Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, in London, on 21 February 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)
Britain’s business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch leaves after attending the weekly Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, in London, on 21 February 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

“We are also extending tariff-free trade on imports from Ukraine to early 2024, providing much needed support to Ukrainian businesses.

“These initiatives will help protect jobs, livelihoods and families now and in Ukraine’s postwar future.”

Ukraine’s economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko said: “This digital trade agreement illustrates that Ukrainian IT companies operating in Ukraine are in demand around the world despite all the challenges of war.”

The deal signed virtually on Monday was agreed in principle in November.

ICYMI: ‘Criminal’ Vladimir Putin visits destroyed Mariupol after ICC issues arrest warrant

06:00 , Namita Singh

Kyiv officials described Vladimir Putin as a “criminal” returning to a “crime scene” after the Russian president visited Mariupol in the second of two appearances in Ukraine after a warrant for his arrest was issued by the International Criminal Court.

State media said Mr Putin drove around the occupied port city in a car on Saturday, stopping in several districts to speak with locals in what appears to be an attempt by the president to project an image of control after he was indicted on war crimes charges. It is the first time he has visited the city.

Mariupol, in Ukraine’s south, was captured by Russia 10 months ago after an indiscriminate bombing campaign by Kremlin troops at the outset of Moscow’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on 24 February last year.

My colleague Matt Mathers reports:

‘Criminal’ Vladimir Putin visits destroyed Mariupol after ICC issues arrest warrant

Xi Jinping acknowledges solution to Ukraine war not ‘easy’

05:30 , Namita Singh

China’s president Xi Jinping said that Beijing’s 12-point proposal to solve the Ukraine crisis reflects global views, but acknowledged that the solutions are not easy.

“The document serves as a constructive factor in neutralising the consequences of the crisis and promoting a political settlement,” Mr Xi wrote in an article in Rossiiskaya Gazeta, a daily published by the Russian government, according to Reuters’ translation from Russian.

“Complex problems do not have simple solutions,” said Mr Xi.

Ukraine and its Western backers would be likely to dismiss any attempt to secure a ceasefire as little more than a ploy to buy Vladimir Putin time to reinforce, and delay a widely expected Ukrainian counter-offensive.

And Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has previously made clear he will accept nothing short of Russia’s full withdrawal from Ukrainian territory.

File: Xi Jinping votes during the closing session of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 13 March 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)
File: Xi Jinping votes during the closing session of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 13 March 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

China’s proposal contains only general statements and no concrete proposal on how to end the year-long war which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced millions to flee.

In an article for a Chinese newspaper, published on the Kremlin website late on Sunday, Mr Putin said he had high hopes for the visit by his “good old friend” Mr Xi, with whom he signed a “no limits” strategic partnership last year. He also welcomed China’s willingness to mediate in the conflict.

“We are grateful for the balanced line of (China) in connection with the events taking place in Ukraine, for understanding their background and true causes. We welcome China’s willingness to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis,” Mr Putin said.

Putin to welcome Xi to Moscow under shadow of Ukraine war

05:00 , Namita Singh

Russian president Vladimir Putin will expect Chinese president Xi Jinping to show solidarity against Western hegemony when he arrives in Moscow today, while Mr Xi will present China as a global peacemaker intent on brokering an end to the Ukraine war.

The Chinese president will be the first world leader to shake Mr Putin’s hand since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader on Friday over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia since the start of the war. Moscow rejects the charge.

Russian president Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping via a video link at the Kremlin in Moscow on 30 December 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)
Russian president Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping via a video link at the Kremlin in Moscow on 30 December 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

Russia will present Mr Xi’s trip – his first since securing an unprecedented third term this month – as evidence that it has a powerful friend prepared to stand with it against a hostile West that it says is trying in vain to isolate and defeat it.

For Mr Xi the visit will be a diplomatic tightrope, with China recently releasing a 12-point proposal to solve the Ukraine crisis, but at the same time strengthening ties with its closest ally.

Justice ministers meet in London to build support for ICC after Putin warrant

05:19 , Namita Singh

Justice ministers from around the world will meet in London today to discuss scaling up support for the International Criminal Court after it issued an arrest warrant last week for Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The ICC accused Mr Putin of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. Moscow rejects the charges, calling the move unacceptable and saying it has no legal force in Russia which is not an ICC member.

“We are gathering in London today united by one cause: to hold war criminals to account for the atrocities committed in Ukraine during this unjust, unprovoked and unlawful invasion,” British deputy prime minister Dominic Raab said.

Britain’s justice secretary and deputy prime minister Dominic Raab arrives at 10 Downing Street in central London on 7 March 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)
Britain’s justice secretary and deputy prime minister Dominic Raab arrives at 10 Downing Street in central London on 7 March 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

“The UK, alongside the international community, will continue to provide the International Criminal Court with the funding, people and expertise to ensure justice is served.”

Britain has pledged £1m to the ICC this year and the justice ministry said other countries were expected to pledge financial support during the conference in London, which will be co-hosted by Britain and the Netherlands.

The funding will go towards training for investigators to examine alleged war crimes, as well as psychological and practical support for victims, the ministry said.

UK to extend zero tariffs on Ukrainian products to March 2024

04:00 , Namita Singh

Britain said it would extend its zero-tariff arrangement on products from Ukraine until March 2024 as part of its measures to support the economy there after the Russian invasion last year.

Britain initially cut tariffs on all goods from Ukraine to zero last May, and agreed in principle a digital trade deal with Ukraine last November.

File: Kemi Badenoch, secretary of state for Business and Trade, leaves Downing Street on the day that Britain’s prime minster Rishi Sunak met with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on 27 February 2023 in London, England (Getty Images)
File: Kemi Badenoch, secretary of state for Business and Trade, leaves Downing Street on the day that Britain’s prime minster Rishi Sunak met with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on 27 February 2023 in London, England (Getty Images)

Today, Britain and Ukraine will sign that digital trade deal as the government hosts Ukrainian ministers and UK businesses at an event in London.

“The historic digital trade deal signed today paves the way for a new era of modern trade between our two countries,” British business and trade minister Kemi Badenoch said.

“We are also extending tariff free trade on imports from Ukraine to early 2024, providing much needed support to Ukrainian businesses.”

New Zealand minister to raise Ukraine invasion in Beijing meeting

03:30 , Namita Singh

New Zealand’s foreign minister, Nanaia Mahuta, will travel to Beijing on Tuesday to meet her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on the first such visit by a New Zealand minister since 2019.

Ms Mahuta said she would raise New Zealand’s concerns about key security challenges at the meeting with Qin Gang in Beijing, such as the “illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine”, and advocate for outcomes reflecting its values on issues such as human rights.

“New Zealand’s relationship with China is one of our most important, complex and wide ranging,” she said in a statement. “I intend to discuss areas where we co-operate, such as on trade, people-to-people and climate and environmental issues.”

China speaking for the world in Ukraine, says Xi

03:00 , Liam James

Chinese president Xi Jinping said Beijing’s proposal on how to end the Ukraine war reflects global views and seeks to neutralise consequences, but acknowledged that the solutions are not easy.

In an article published at the start of his visit to Moscow – the first by a world leader since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president Vladimir Putin – Mr Xi also called for “pragmatism” on Ukraine.

A peaceful resolution to the situation in Ukraine, Mr Xi wrote, would also “ensure the stability of global production and supply chains.”

He called for a “rational way” out of the crisis, which would be “found if everyone is guided by the concept of common, comprehensive, joint and sustainable security, and continue dialogue and consultations in an equal, prudent and pragmatic manner.”

Mr Xi said that his trip to Russia is aimed at strengthening the friendship between the two countries, “an all-encompassing partnership and strategic interaction,” in a world threatened by “acts of hegemony, despotism and bullying.”

“There is no universal model of government and there is no world order where the decisive word belongs to a single country,” Xi wrote. “Global solidarity and peace without splits and upheavals is in the common interests of all mankind.”

London to host justice ministers in support of war crimes probe

02:00 , Liam James

Justice ministers from around the world will gather in London to support the International Criminal Court’s investigations into war crimes in Ukraine.

The move comes after the ICC issued a warrant for Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s arrest, accusing him of bearing personal responsibility for the abduction of children from Ukraine.

More than 40 nations will be represented at the meeting hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, and Dutch justice minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, at Lancaster House.

UK and Ukraine sign digital trade deal to support country’s economy

01:00 , Natalie Crockett

The UK has signed a digital trade deal with Ukraine to help it rebuild its economy.

Ukrainian businesses will be able to trade more efficiently and cheaply with the UK through online transactions, e-signatures, and e-contracts. Under the deal, companies in the war-torn country will be able to access UK financial services through cross-border data flows.

UK business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch said: “The historic digital trade deal signed today paves the way for a new era of modern trade between our two countries.

“We are also extending tariff-free trade on imports from Ukraine to early 2024, providing much-needed support to Ukrainian businesses.

“These initiatives will help protect jobs, livelihoods and families now and in Ukraine’s postwar future.”

Ukraine’s economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the agreement illustrates that Ukrainian IT companies are in demand around the world “despite all the challenges of war”.

The deal signed virtually on Monday was agreed in principle in November.

Kemi Badenoch hailed the deal as ‘historic’ (PA Wire)
Kemi Badenoch hailed the deal as ‘historic’ (PA Wire)

Egypt's Sisi discusses nuclear plant, grains trade with Russian officials

00:00 , Reuters

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks with high-ranking Russian officials on Sunday to discuss a Russian-built nuclear plant under construction on Egypt’s north coast as well as grains supply and food security, Egypt’s presidency said.

The meeting with officials including Russia’s trade minister and a special envoy of President Vladimir Putin also addressed the establishment of a Russian industrial zone inside the Suez Canal’s Economic Zone, among other investments, it added.

Construction by Russia’s state-owned energy corporation Rosatom of Egypt’s first nuclear plant at El Dabaa began in July of last year, and is expected to take until at least 2030.

In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Egypt has been trying to balance long-standing ties with both Russia and Western powers.

Putin and Xi might have a bromance but it’s clear who holds the power

Sunday 19 March 2023 23:00 , Liam James

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have met around 40 times since China’s leader assumed the presidency in 2012. In many ways, the camaraderie between the pair has come to define the diplomatic relations between Moscow and Beijing across the last decade.

Xi made Moscow his first overseas visit as president in 2013 and this latest visit comes next week in the wake of him being handed an unprecedented third term as president. During that time, the greetings between Xi and Putin have evolved from “dear president” to “dear friend” and later to “my old friend”. Last year, just a few weeks before Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine the leaders met and announced a “no limits” partnership between their two nations.

Historically, relations between China and Russia have been fraught with distrust and confrontation, particularly at the height of their Cold War schism in the late 1960s, but Putin and Xi have changed the dynamic. On his last visit to Moscow, in 2019, Xi spoke of his “deep personal friendship” with his Russian counterpart. “In the past six years, we have met nearly 30 times. Russia is the country that I have visited the most times, and President Putin is my best friend and colleague,” Xi said. Both leaders share an objective of altering the world order, and they will continue to pursue that.

Chris Stevenson reviews an unbalanced relationship:

It is clear who holds the power in the Xi-Putin bromance | Chris Stevenson

Putin says ‘good, old friend’ Xi Jinping has ‘constructive role’ in Ukraine

Sunday 19 March 2023 22:02 , Liam James

Russian president Vladimir Putin said China had shown a “willingness to play a constructive role” in Ukraine, ahead of a visit by Chinese premier Xi Jinping heads to Moscow.

In an essay published Monday in the People's Daily, the newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, Mr Putin said: “We are grateful for the balanced line (of China) in connection with the events taking place in Ukraine, for understanding their background and true causes. We welcome China's willingness to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis.”

He referred to Mr Xi as his “good, old friend”, as the Chinese leader prepared for his first trip to Russia since Mr Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine last year.

China in February released a position paper calling for an end to fighting in Ukraine and for upholding all countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity. It did not address how to resolve Russia's illegal claim to have annexed four regions of Ukraine.

‘Criminal’ Vladimir Putin visits destroyed Mariupol after ICC issues arrest warrant

Sunday 19 March 2023 22:00 , Liam James

Kyiv officials described Vladimir Putin as a “criminal” returning to a “crime scene” after the Russian president visited Mariupol in the second of two appearances in Ukraine after a warrant for his arrest was issued by the International Criminal Court (Matt Mathers writes).

State media said Mr Putin drove around the occupied port city in a car on Saturday, stopping in several districts to speak with locals in what appears to be an attempt by the president to project an image of control after he was indicted on war crimes charges. It is the first time he has visited the city.

Mariupol, in Ukraine’s south, was captured by Russia 10 months ago after an indiscriminate bombing campaign by Kremlin troops at the outset of Moscow’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on 24 February last year.

‘Criminal’ Vladimir Putin visits destroyed Mariupol after ICC issues arrest warrant

Frontline medical volunteers brave Russian assault

Sunday 19 March 2023 21:00 , Liam James

Medical volunteers are at work in Donetsk, the area of heaviest fighting in Ukraine, as the Russian assault continues.

A medical volunteer of Frida Ukraine listens through a stethoscope to the lungs of a girl while providing specialist medical care for civilians in Khrestysche village, Donetsk (AP)
A medical volunteer of Frida Ukraine listens through a stethoscope to the lungs of a girl while providing specialist medical care for civilians in Khrestysche village, Donetsk (AP)
The Ukrainian-Israeli medical aid organisation, staffed by volunteer doctors, has been providing specialist medical care through mobile clinics in villages and towns near the frontlines and in recently retaken areas (AP)
The Ukrainian-Israeli medical aid organisation, staffed by volunteer doctors, has been providing specialist medical care through mobile clinics in villages and towns near the frontlines and in recently retaken areas (AP)

Watch: Putin on wallkabout in occupied-Mariupol

Sunday 19 March 2023 20:00 , Liam James

Vladimir Putin was today seen on the streets of the devastated Ukrainian city of Mariupol, in his first trip to occupied territory since the Russian invasion.

Mariupol was subject to a brutal siege by Russian forces in the early weeks of the invasion as Moscow sought to secure a land route from Russia’s border to Crimea.

The Russian president yesterday travelled to Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the peninsula’s annexation from Ukraine.

Russia ‘highly unlikely’ to seize major objectives in near future – MoD

Sunday 19 March 2023 19:00 , Liam James

Russian forces fighting in Ukraine are “highly unlikely” to capture Moscow’s previously planned major objectives in the coming months of grinding war, the British defence ministry said today.

It pointed to a decree published on 3 March where authorities in the Russian-controlled part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast declared occupied Melitopol as the regional capital.

“The Russian-installed head of the oblast, Evgeny Balitsky, said that this was a temporary measure until the city of Zaporizhzhia was controlled by Russia,” the ministry noted.

It added: “The quiet declaration of an alternative capital is likely tacit acknowledgement within the Russian system that its forces are highly unlikely to seize previously planned major objectives in the near future.”

Three people dead in Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia

Sunday 19 March 2023 18:00 , Natalie Crockett

Three people have died and two were injured in a Russian shelling attack on a residential building in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia on Sunday.

The region’s military administration said Russian troops fired grad rockets at the village of Kamyanske where some 2,600 people lived before the war broke out.

The authorities urged people to evacuate warning that the threat of shelling was constant near the front lines.

People inspect a damaged restaurant after Russian shelling hit in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on Saturday, 18 March (The Associated Press)
People inspect a damaged restaurant after Russian shelling hit in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on Saturday, 18 March (The Associated Press)

ICYMI: Biden says Putin has ‘clearly committed war crimes’ and ICC charges are justified

Sunday 19 March 2023 17:15 , Matt Mathers

US president Joe Biden said on Friday his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “clearly committed” war crimes during the course of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine since the conflict erupted in the former Soviet nation in February last year.

“He’s clearly committed war crimes,” the US president said on Friday referring to the Russian leader.

Arpan Rai has more:

Biden says Putin has ‘clearly committed war crimes’ and ICC charges are justified

Watch: Putin visits Crimea to mark anniversary of Russia’s annexation

Sunday 19 March 2023 16:30 , Matt Mathers

Vladimir Putin travelled to Crimea on Saturday, 18 March, on an unannounced visit to mark the ninth anniversary of Russia‘s annexation of the territory from Ukraine.

The Russian president met with the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, and visited to see a new children’s centre and art school.

The surprise visit came a day after the International Criminal Court said it had issued an arrest warrant against Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.

Watch the video here:

Putin visits Crimea to mark anniversary of Russia’s annexation

Who are the Ukrainian children at the heart of Putin arrest warrant?

Sunday 19 March 2023 15:38 , Matt Mathers

Daria Herasymchuk, advisor-commissioner of the President of Ukraine’s Office for Children’s Rights and Rehabilitation, described in an interview with Reuters on 17 March five main ways she said Russia has used to illegally transfer Ukrainian children.

They include:

  • offering families living in occupied areas to take children for holidays in Russian children’s camps and not returning them during an agreed timeframe;

  • taking Ukrainian children away from care institutions in occupied areas;

  • separating children from parents at filtration checkpoints - the places where Ukrainian citizens from regions under Russian occupation are checked and processed before being allowed to enter Russia;

  • taking away parental rights through laws enforced on occupied territories;

  • taking children away in cases where they were staying with other adults after their parents were killed in the war

  • Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said on March 17 the prosecutors were investigating cases of deportation of over 16,000 children from Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions. "But the real figure can be much higher," Kostin said on his Facebook page.

  • Ukraine has so far managed to return 308 children, officials said.

  • Iryna Vereshchuk, minister for reintegration of temporarily occupied territories, issued a public appeal on Saturday to Russian officials asking for lists of all Ukrainian orphans and all Ukrainian children whose parents were stripped of parental rights who are currently in occupied Ukrainian areas or were illegally transferred to Russia.

  • A report published in February by the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health as part of the Conflict Observatory said Russia has held at least 6,000 Ukrainian children - likely many more - in sites in Russian-held Crimea and Russia whose primary purpose appears to be political re-education. The report said Yale University researchers had identified at least 43 camps and other facilities where Ukrainian children have been held that were part of a "large-scale systematic network" operated by Moscow.

Putin arrest warrant will prolong war - Serbian president

Sunday 19 March 2023 15:00 , Matt Mathers

Issuing an international arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin will have negative consequences and will only prolong the war in Ukraine, Serbia’s president has said.

"I think issuing an arrest warrant for Putin, not to go into legal matters, will have bad political consequences and it says that there is a great reluctance to talk about peace (and) about truce" in Ukraine, Alexsandar Vucic told reporters in Belgrade.

"My question is now that you have accused him of the biggest war crimes, who are you going to talk to now?" Mr Vucic said.

"Do you really think that it is possible to defeat Russia in a month, three months or a year?" he asked, adding: "There is no doubt that the goal of those who did this is to make it difficult for Putin to communicate, so that everyone who talks to him is aware that he is accused of war crimes."

Asked if Mr Putin would be arrested if he comes to Serbia, Mr Vucic said that it is "a pointless question, because it is clear that as long as the conflict (in Ukraine) continues, Putin has nowhere to go."

Alexsandar Vucic with Vladimir Putin (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Alexsandar Vucic with Vladimir Putin (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

ICYMI: Putin to meet Xi in Moscow

Sunday 19 March 2023 14:24 , Matt Mathers

President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday in an apparent show of support for Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin on Friday also announced the visit, saying it will take place “at the invitation of Vladimir Putin.” Xi and Putin will discuss “issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China,” as well as exchange views “in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

The two leaders will also sign “important bilateral documents,” the statement read.

Russia Ukraine War (Copyright 2022 Sputnik)
Russia Ukraine War (Copyright 2022 Sputnik)

Russian attacks continue in wake of Putin arrest warrant

Sunday 19 March 2023 14:15 , Matt Mathers

Widespread Russian attacks continued in Ukraine following the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights.

Full report:

Russian attacks continue in wake of Putin arrest warrant

ICYMI: Pro-Moscow voices tried to steer Ohio train disaster debate

Sunday 19 March 2023 13:45 , Matt Mathers

Soon after a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals in Ohio last month, anonymous pro-Russian accounts started spreading misleading claims and anti-American propaganda about it on Twitter, using Elon Musk‘s new verification system to expand their reach while creating the illusion of credibility.

David Klepper reports:

Pro-Moscow voices tried to steer Ohio train disaster debate

Black Sea drones show US involvement in conflict against Russia - Kremlin

Sunday 19 March 2023 13:10 , Matt Mathers

US drone flights over the Baltic Sea are a sign of direct US involvement in conflict with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Sunday.

Last week, a US  drone crashed into the sea after being intercepted by Russian Su-27 fighter planes in the first known direct military encounter between the two sides since Russia launched its war in Ukraine last year.

"It is quite obvious what these drones are doing, and their mission is not at all a peaceful mission to ensure the safety of shipping in international waters," Interfax news agency quoted Mr Peskov as saying in a TV interview.

"And in fact, we are talking about the direct involvement of the operators of these drones in the conflict, and against us."

US said the Russian planes harassed the drone in Tuesday’s incident and sprayed fuel on it before one of them clipped its propeller and caused it to crash while on a reconnaissance mission in international airspace.

South Africa aware of legal obligations regarding Putin visit

Sunday 19 March 2023 12:40 , Matt Mathers

South Africa is aware of its legal obligation, a spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday, referring to a proposed visit by Vladimir Putin after an international court issued an arrest warrant against the Russian leader.

Russian President Putin was expected to visit South Africa in August to attend a BRICS summit.

"We are, as the government, cognisant of our legal obligation. However, between now and the summit we will remain engaged with various relevant stakeholders," spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.

While there has been no official confirmation of Putin’s visit, he has been expected to attend the 15th BRICS summit, as he did in 2013.

But such a visit would place Ramaphosa’s government, which has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in a precarious position after the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday.

"We note the report on the warrant of arrest that the ICC has issued," Magwenya said.

"It remains South Africa’s commitment and very strong desire that the conflict in Ukraine is resolved peacefully through negotiations."

South Africa Ramaphosa State Of The Nation (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
South Africa Ramaphosa State Of The Nation (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Why China is trying to mediate in the Ukraine invasion

Sunday 19 March 2023 12:00 , Matt Mathers

The war has handed Beijing opportunities that it might once have considered to be quite a lot further down the line, writes Mary Dejevsky.

Read Mary’s full piece here:

Why China is trying to mediate in the Ukraine invasion | Mary Dejevsky