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Russia's President Vladimir Putin says his country will continue its yearlong "special military operation" in Ukraine, and he accused the US-led NATO alliance of fanning the flames.

Russia-Ukraine conflict would have cost world economy $1.6 trillion in 2022, according to a study published by the German Economic Institute.

11:02 2022-03-07
Ukraine ready to discuss 'non-NATO models'
People board a bus in Irpin, Ukraine, March 5, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

KYIV - NATO countries are not ready to discuss having Ukraine in the organization and Kyiv is ready to discuss "some non-NATO models", Fox News reported on Sunday.

"The response that we are getting from the NATO countries is that they are not ready to even discuss having us in NATO, not for the closest period of five or 10 years. We would not fight for the NATO applications, we would fight for the result, but not for the process," David Arakhamia, member of the Ukrainian delegation for talks with Russia, told Fox News.

"We are ready to discuss some non-NATO models ... We are open to discuss such things in a broader circle, not only in bilateral discussions with Russia, but also with other partners," Arakhamia was quoted as saying.

Ukraine and Russia held two rounds of talks on Feb 28 and March 3, and are expected to have the third round of talks on Monday.

09:41 2022-03-07
India urges dialogue to bring fighting to end
By XU WEIWEI in Hong Kong
Ukrainian soldiers set up roadblocks in Irpin, Ukraine, on March 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

As the Ukraine-Russia conflict worsens, only diplomatic dialogue and negotiations can bring peace, analysts say. And in this, India can play a useful intermediary role, they said.

India has been advocating "dialogue and diplomacy" as a solution, said Karori Singh, emeritus fellow of the South Asia Studies Centre at India's University of Rajasthan.

Singh noted that the United Nations and most countries have appealed for restraint and de-escalation of the conflict, while North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states imposed economic sanctions on Russia.

"Such sanctions will make every nation suffer, not merely Russia, and the world economy will again slow down," Singh said, echoing a view that sanctions or restrictions could prove counterproductive.

Countries must "refrain from expanding alliances which are detrimental to the security of other countries" while pushing for peace, he said.

The focus must be on "global solidarity for facing the common challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, widening inequality, climate change and extreme poverty", said Singh, who believes that talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams are advancing in the right direction.

India's abstention from UN Security Council resolutions on Ukraine has drawn criticism from media in the United States and other Western countries.

On Wednesday, India abstained from voting on a resolution criticizing the Russian military action in Ukraine.

Western countries have also tried to persuade India to rebuke and sanction Moscow, with politicians in Washington even urging India to "take a clear position".

And some media reports have suggested that the US could be weighing potential sanctions on India.

Swaran Singh, professor of diplomacy and disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, said India is "calling all sides to ensure respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity".

Proactive engagement

"Guided especially by its need to safely bring back large numbers of Indian citizens in Ukraine, New Delhi's stance of neutrality-that saw India abstain on three UNSC resolutions-has made India far more proactive in its engagement with this conflict," he said.

He also pointed out that India attended the Quad Leaders' Summit on Thursday.

Convening the meeting implied that the US, Japan and Australia were seeking an opportunity to nudge India into joining their denunciation of Russia and also join in their sanctions on Russia, Swaran Singh said.

"This, however, remains ambitious as India is likely to stay on course with its neutral position that has become increasingly proactive and focused on helping and highlighting the plight of the victims," he said.

T. S. Tirumurti, India's permanent representative to the UN, said on Wednesday that India's "foremost priority" is the "safe and uninterrupted passage" of Indian nationals, reported The Hindu newspaper. Data from Ukraine's Education and Science Ministry showed that there were 18,095 Indian students in Ukrainian universities in 2020.

09:39 2022-03-07
Envoy calls for nuclear plants to be protected
By MINLU ZHANG in New York
Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during a Security Council emergency meeting at UN Headquarters in New York, March 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's ambassador to the United Nations has urged those concerned to act with caution and work together to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities inside Ukraine.

"China is paying close attention to the latest developments in Ukraine, and expresses our concerns over the relevant reports about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, told a Security Council briefing on the safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine.

According to information the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, received from the Ukrainian nuclear authority, the main equipment of the nuclear power plant remains intact, and the level of radiation unchanged, Zhang said.

"We also noticed the information and clarification provided by Russia on the relevant matters. China attaches great importance to nuclear safety and security and hopes that the parties concerned will act with great caution, and with specialized technical assistance from the IAEA Secretariat, work together to ensure the safety of relevant nuclear facilities inside Ukraine.

"The most important thing right now is to ease tension, avoid more civilian casualties, intensify diplomatic efforts, and get back as soon as possible to the track of political settlement."

Russia and Ukraine had held two rounds of talks, he said.

"We encourage Russia and Ukraine to remain committed to the overall direction of political settlement and reach a negotiated solution that accommodates the legitimate concerns of the two parties and contributes to Europe's lasting peace and security."

China welcomes all diplomatic efforts conducive to a political settlement, he said. "We have played and will continue to play a constructive role to this end."

Ukrainian authorities on Friday said the Russian military had captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, in southern Ukraine. The plant was seized following shelling that caused a fire at the plant, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine said.

Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed on Friday that Russia's armed forces had taken control of the power plant.

The plant's six reactors were not affected by the fire, which had been extinguished, the IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said.

The plant normally provides more than half of Ukraine's nuclear power and contributes nearly 25 percent to its electric power.

09:30 2022-03-07
Ukraine crisis drives wheat prices up to 14-year high
By JONATHAN POWELL in London
Spring wheat is harvested on a farm near Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada on Aug 20, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

Wheat prices have soared, with global food inflation impacted amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis that has severely impeded trade from Black Sea ports.

Prices for wheat surged to a 14-year high last week, leading to costs that will inevitably be passed on to consumers worldwide, reported Reuters.

It said the global Chicago benchmark wheat trading price jumped by 40 percent, which is likely to further drive up global food inflation.

Russia and Ukraine supply almost one third of the world's wheat exports, said the Financial Times, noting that Black Sea ports were now at a "virtual standstill".

Julie Marshall, spokesperson for the World Food Programme, told Reuters that supply disruptions from Russia and Ukraine would effect millions of people, with the Middle East and North Africa especially vulnerable.

Analysts and food aid organizations were cited by the FT as saying the biggest impact will be on poorer nations.

"This is an unnecessary shock of mega proportions," said Arif Husain, chief economist at the UN World Food Programme. "The war is only going to exacerbate the cost of food," said Ismail Kemaloglu, the former head of the state Turkish Grain Board and now the director of the consultancy IK Tarimussu.

Agricultural experts warned of the impact of delayed shipments from the region. Joseph Glauber, former chief economist at the United States Department of Agriculture, told the FT that countries are "going to have to find different suppliers and all that means higher prices".

Reuters noted that global stocks of major wheat exporters were already low prior to the crisis. It cited data from the International Grains Council showing supplies in the European Union, Russia, the US, Canada, Ukraine, Argentina, Australia and Kazakhstan would drop to a nine-year low of 57 million tonnes by the end of the 2021-22 season.

The cost of oil and gas has also surged due to some Western countries' sanctions against Russia, said Reuters, and it noted that shipping freight costs were already at record highs due to COVID-19 pandemic-related supply chain disruption.

09:24 2022-03-07
Putin, Macron discuss Ukraine issue over phone
File photos of Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron. [Photo/Xinhua]

MOSCOW/PARIS - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday held a phone conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during which they discussed the situation in Ukraine.

"Putin informed Macron in detail about the provocation staged by Ukrainian radicals in the area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant with the involvement of a sabotage group. Attempts to blame the Russian military for this incident are part of a cynical propaganda campaign," the Kremlin said in a statement, adding that the physical and nuclear safety of the plant is well protected.

Macron expressed to Putin his concerns over the nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine during Russia's military operation, French presidential palace the Elysee said in a press release after the phone conversation.

On a proposal by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to hold a trilateral (IAEA-Russia-Ukraine) meeting in the Chernobyl zone to work out a mechanism for ensuring safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine, Putin said that this idea could be useful in general, but it would be worth considering holding such a meeting via teleconference or in a third country.

The two heads of state discussed the evacuation of civilians. Putin pointed out that Kiev has not yet implemented the negotiated agreements on such a pressing humanitarian issue. Macron was again invited to work actively with the Kiev authorities on the latter's compliance with international humanitarian law.

Putin also informed the French president about the current state of the Russia-Ukraine talks, expressing readiness to "continue the dialogue under Kiev's unconditional compliance with Russia's known demands".

"The most important thing is that the Ukrainian side should take a serious approach to reaching agreements, the implementation of which is important for the cessation of hostilities," said the statement.

The two presidents agreed on further contacts at various levels.

07:10 2022-03-07
Moscow, Kyiv ready for new round of talks
By REN QI in Moscow
Workers move the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin, which is part of a religious screen exhibited at the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum, as a safety measure in the event of an attack in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Friday. [Photo/Agencies]

Russia and Ukraine will hold a third round of talks, likely on Monday, about ending hostilities.

David Arakhamia, a Ukrainian delegation member and the parliamentary faction leader of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's party, confirmed in a social media post that new meetings will be held, but provided no details.

According to Interfax news agency, Russian negotiator Leonid Slutsky said, "The third round really could take place in the coming days, possibly on Monday."

Russia's TASS news agency quoted Slutsky as saying that in the second round, Ukraine had shown some openness to reaching an agreement.

Since Russia launched the "special military operation" against its neighbor on Feb 24, Ukrainian and Russian delegations have had two rounds of talks.

On Saturday, Ukraine said that the talks had not produced results, but that it would keep pursuing negotiations.

During a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday, Putin said the suspension of the special operation to protect Donbass is possible only if Ukraine stops fighting and complies with Russian demands.

Putin confirmed Moscow's readiness for dialogue with Kyiv and its foreign partners, but he was aware of "Kyiv's attempts to delay the negotiations".

The Ukrainian delegation should show a more constructive approach at the new meeting, Putin stressed.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday that Zelensky's attempt to secure direct NATO assistance in the conflict was not helping the talks, but that Moscow was ready for a third round.

Zelensky criticized NATO on Saturday for ruling out a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but Putin spoke of "colossal and catastrophic consequences not only for Europe but also the whole world" if it were to be established.

"The current Ukrainian authorities must understand that if they continue to do what they are doing, they are putting in question the future of Ukrainian statehood," Putin warned on Saturday.

Russia and Ukraine agreed on Thursday on a cease-fire to open humanitarian corridors so civilians could leave areas of fighting, but it failed on Saturday amid fierce fighting in a number of cities.

Clashing reports emerged on Saturday regarding the death of a Ukrainian identified by media as a member of the country's negotiating team with Russia.

According to local media reports, Denis Kireev, who had been photographed participating in negotiations in Belarus in recent days, was killed by Ukrainian security forces during an attempt to arrest him.

Kireev, the reports said, had been suspected of treason.

A subsequent social media post by Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed Kireev's death but said he was an intelligence operative for Ukraine who died in the line of duty.

Agencies contributed to this story.

14:17 2022-03-06
Cease-fire declared in 2 Ukrainian cities
By REN QI in Moscow
A chartered flight carrying evacuated Chinese students and nationals from Ukraine lands in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Saturday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Humanitarian corridors opened to allow civilians to flee, Russia says

Russia declared a partial ceasefire in two Ukrainian cities on Saturday to allow safe passages for civilians fleeing the fighting, Russia's Defense Ministry said.

"From 10 am Moscow time (0700 GMT), the Russian side declares a cease-fire and the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha," the Russian Defense Ministry was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying.

The humanitarian corridors and exit routes were agreed with the Ukrainian side, the ministry said. It would be the first breakthrough in allowing civilians to escape the war.

Mariupol and Volnovakha, located in Ukraine's extreme southeast corner near the Russian border and Crimea, have borne the brunt of some of the most intense fighting in recent days.

"In Mariupol and Volnovakha, evacuation humanitarian corridors are being prepared for opening, and columns of those to be evacuated are being formed. The parties temporarily ceased fire in the area of corridors," tweeted Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

However, late on Saturday, the Ukrainian president's office said the evacuation effort was stopped in the city of Mariupol because the area remained under fire.

At the same time, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to hold a third round of talks in the coming days. During a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped for a reasonable and constructive position of the Ukrainian side in the next round of talks.

The Kremlin said Putin reiterated that Russia is open for dialogue with Ukraine, but insisted "the implementation of all of Russia's demands".

On Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's special military operation is not aimed at dividing Ukraine as Russia just seeks to ensure its own security, and Moscow is waiting for the third round of talks.

Peskov responded on concerns relating to the fire at Ukraine's Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant after fierce fighting on Friday. He said the station continues to operate normally, and the "nuclear reactor, the heart of the station, was never touched".

The cease-fire came as Putin signed into law on Friday a bill introducing jail terms of up to 15 years for fake news on the Russian army.

The bill, adopted by lawmakers earlier on Friday, sets out jail terms of varying lengths and fines on people who publish "knowingly false information" about the military, with harsher penalties to hit when dissemination is deemed to have serious consequences.

Putin also signed a bill that would allow fines or jail terms of up to three years for calling for sanctions against Russia.

Russia's media watchdog said on Friday it had restricted access to the BBC and other independent media websites, and blocked social media giant Facebook.

Two flights chartering evacuated Chinese citizens from Ukraine arrived in China on Saturday, the first of such flights. One arrived in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, at 5:41 am, and the other in Zhengzhou, Henan province, at 9:46 am.

Wang Qingyun in Beijing contributed to this story.

13:56 2022-03-06
China urges talks to end Ukraine crisis
By Xu Wei
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi addresses the Manila Forum for China-Philippines Relations via video on Jan 17, 2022.[Photo/Xinhua]

China will support any endeavor that helps alleviate the Ukraine crisis and enables its political settlement, and the nation encourages Russia and Ukraine to continue their direct negotiations, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.

Speaking with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken by telephone, Wang said that the international community should continue supporting the talks between Russia and Ukraine until the talks produce results and peace.

Beijing also supports dialogue on an equal footing between the US, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union and Russia that faces up to the contradictions and problems accumulated over the years, he said.

He highlighted the importance of attaching importance to the negative influence of NATO's eastward expansion over the security environment of Russia, saying that a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism should be formulated under the principle of indivisible security.

The Chinese diplomat also expressed Beijing's concern over some words and deeds of Washington, which he said goes against the consensuses reached by the two presidents during their virtual summit last year.

He urged the US side to stop encouraging and supporting "Taiwan independence" moves, cease its interfering in China's domestic affairs and uphold the big picture of Sino-US relations with concrete actions.

07:49 2022-03-06
Ukraine, Russia to hold next round of talks on Monday: Ukrainian negotiator
Photo taken on March 3, 2022 shows a view of the second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border. [Photo/Belta news agency via Xinhua]

KYIV -- Ukraine and Russia will hold the next round of peace talks on Monday, David Arakhamia, member of the Ukrainian delegation, said Saturday.

"The third round of talks will take place on Monday," Arakhamia wrote on Facebook.

Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Friday the third round of talks between Ukraine and Russia will take place on Saturday or Sunday, according to local media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Friday that Russia is open to dialogue with Ukraine. He hoped that Kyiv would take a "reasonable and constructive stance" during a third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukraine and Russia held the previous two rounds of talks on Feb 28 and March 3.

07:24 2022-03-06
Russia almost completes destruction of Ukrainian military infrastructure: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during a visit to Aeroflot aviation training center on March 5, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

MOSCOW -- Russia has "practically" completed the mission of destroying Ukraine's main military infrastructure, including weapon warehouses, ammunition depots, aviation and air defense systems, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

Russian forces will fulfill all their assigned tasks and the operation in Ukraine is proceeding in accordance with the plan and schedule, Putin said at a meeting with women flight crews of Russian airlines.

Commenting on a new wave of Western sanctions, Putin said they are akin to a "declaration of war."

He stressed that there is no need to introduce a state of emergency in Russia.

It was "a difficult decision" to launch a special military operation in Ukraine, but there are "absolutely real threats" to Russia, the president said.

If Ukraine joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the whole military bloc is obliged to support Kyiv militarily and Ukraine may get into Crimea, leading to direct clashes between Russia and NATO, Putin warned.

As Russia demands demilitarization of Ukraine, Putin said there are many different options on the negotiating table with Kyiv. 

07:17 2022-03-05
Russian forces take huge nuclear plant in Ukraine
By REN QI in Moscow
A general view of the Zaporizhzhia NPP power station in Ukraine in this file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

Russian forces seized control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The Zaporizhzhia NPP power station is located on the Dnipro River of Ukraine, and produces a fifth of Ukraine's electricity.

Russian forces took full control of the Zaporizhzhia site after a battle with Ukrainian troops on Friday evening, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a briefing. The fierce fighting set an adjacent training facility of the power station on fire.

The blaze had prompted global concern, with the United States and the United Kingdom calling for an end to fighting in the area.

There was no sign of a radiation leak. Essential equipment at the nuclear power plant was unaffected after the fire, with no change in radiation levels, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

Of the six reactors at Zaporizhzhia, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine said one is in operation and producing power, one has been turned off and four are being cooled to prevent overheating.

The regulator did not say, however, what each reactor's status had been before the fire. The Ukrainian nuclear regulator said in a statement that the hours-long fire had been extinguished at 6:20 am local time, and plant staff were continuing to operate the reactor and supply power according to normal safety rules.

The Ukrainian State Emergency Service also said the blaze did not affect "essential" equipment at the plant.

Ukraine's nuclear facilities have been a major point of concern since Russia's "special military operation" last week as the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, also in Ukraine, left hundreds dead and spread radioactive contamination west across Europe.

The fighting between the two countries seemed to be continuing when the second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations ended on Thursday evening without a cease-fire agreement.

"The second round of negotiations is over. Unfortunately, the results Ukraine needs are not yet achieved," Ukraine's presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on social media following the meeting.

Still, Podolyak said the talks did produce a "solution only for the organization of humanitarian corridors".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow will continue to insist that any peace agreement with Ukraine must include a promise that Ukraine will "demilitarize". Russia has also signaled it wants to discuss Ukraine adopting a "neutral status" and agree to abandon its ambition to join NATO.

05:41 2022-03-05
China's envoy urges safety of Ukraine nuclear facilities
By MINLU ZHANG in New York
Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN. [Photo/Agencies]

China's ambassador to the United Nations on Friday urged relevant parties to act with caution and work together to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities inside Ukraine.

"China pays close attention to the latest developments in Ukraine, and expresses our concerns over the relevant reports about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, told a Security Council briefing on the safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine.

According to the information the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) got from the Ukrainian nuclear authority, the main equipment of the nuclear power plant remains intact, and the level of radiation unchanged, said Zhang.

"We also noticed the information and clarification provided by Russia on the relevant matters," said Zhang. "China attaches great importance to nuclear safety and security, and hopes that the parties concerned will act with great caution, and with specialized technical assistance from the IAEA Secretariat, work together to ensure the safety of relevant nuclear facilities inside Ukraine," he said.

The Ukrainian crisis is still undergoing complex changes, said the envoy. "The most important thing right now is to ease tension, avoid more civilian casualties, intensify diplomatic efforts, and get back as soon as possible to the track of political settlement," he said.

Zhang pointed out that Russia and Ukraine have held two rounds of direct dialogue and negotiations, and have reached preliminary agreement on setting up a humanitarian corridor. "China welcomes this, and hopes that it can facilitate better protection of civilians and help with the safe evacuation of all foreign nationals, including Chinese nationals," he said.

"We encourage Russia and Ukraine to remain committed to the overall direction of political settlement, and reach a negotiated solution that accommodates the legitimate concerns of the two parties and contributes to Europe's lasting peace and security," said Zhang.

China welcomes all diplomatic efforts conducive to political settlement, he said. "We have played and will continue to play a constructive role to this end. The international community should stay cool-headed and rational, and adopt a responsible, impartial and objective attitude to create a sound atmosphere and conditions for direct negotiations between the parties concerning."

Any action must contribute to de-escalation and diplomatic settlement, rather than adding fuel to the fire, leading to further escalation and deterioration of the situation, Zhang emphasized.

Ukrainian authorities on Friday said the Russian military has captured Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest one in Europe, in southern Ukraine. The plant was seized following a shelling which caused a fire at the plant, the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine said in a statement on Facebook.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed on Friday that Russia's armed forces have taken control of the nuclear power plant.

The IAEA said Friday that it was informed by Ukrainian regulatory authorities that there has been no leak of radiation at the plant.

The plant's six reactors were not affected by the blaze, which has been extinguished, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi told a news conference.

In normal times, the Zaporizhzhia plant provides more than half of Ukraine's nuclear power and contributes nearly 25 percent to Ukraine's overall power generation.

09:58 2022-03-04
More light shed on US role in crisis
By JAN YUMUL in Hong Kong
Photo taken on March 1, 2022 shows armed personnel in Donetsk. [Photo/Xinhua]

With Iran among those nations identifying the United States' actions as the root cause of the Ukraine crisis, experts said the European conflict stems from decades of provocative policies from the superpower and its Western allies.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a televised speech on Tuesday, said Teheran "advocates ending the war in Ukraine". But he said a solution to any crisis only works when the root cause has been identified. "The root of the crisis in Ukraine is the policies of the US and the West," he said.

"The US regime creates crises, lives off crises and feeds on various crises in the world. Ukraine is another victim of this policy," Khamenei was quoted as saying on his English-language website.

Nagapushpa Devendra, an analyst at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, said Iranian society believes that US policies toward Russia dating from the presidency of Bill Clinton "have led to the current situation in Ukraine".

Devendra said that Clinton in 1990 decided to let NATO remain in force despite the military alliance having served its purpose of defending the member states against any act of expansion by the Soviet Union.

Although formed in 1949 in response to the emerging Cold War, NATO has outlived that conflict. The alliance's subsequent expansion to include many former Eastern Bloc states has troubled Russia.

In 2019, the Ukrainian parliament passed a constitutional amendment stating Ukraine's commitment to joining NATO. In December 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry demanded "legal guarantees" that NATO would not expand eastward.

Kamaruzaman Bin Yusoff, a Middle East political analyst and former professor of Middle Eastern politics at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said the current crisis started when the US and European powers were "trying very hard to control Ukraine".

Iran's supreme leader said the Western powers' support for the governments that they have placed in power is a mirage, and "all governments should realize this".

Khamenei said Ukraine and Afghanistan are examples of the West's unreliability.

Asif Shuja, an Iran expert and senior research fellow at the Middle East Institute at National University of Singapore, said Iran's reaction to the Ukraine crisis has so far been "measured".

Many in the West also believe that "the insistence of the US to expand NATO closer to Russia's backyard was not a very prudent idea", Shuja said.

Yusoff said: "I think this is the time when some countries who are really concerned … to bring about peace in the world should hand-in-hand help each other to bring all these big powers together."

Xinhua contributed to this story.

09:00 2022-03-04
Russia, Ukraine end second round of talks
By REN QI in Moscow
07:53 2022-03-04
1 million flee Ukraine in just a week
A Ukrainian militiaman helps a fleeing family who had to cross a bridge damaged by artillery fire outside Kyiv on March 2, 2022. EMILIO MORENATTI/AP

Outflows from conflict the most rapid seen this century, refugee agency says

GENEVA-The United Nations refugee agency said on Thursday that 1 million people have fled Ukraine in the first week of the conflict, an exodus without precedent this century for its speed.

The tally from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees amounts to more than 2 percent of Ukraine's population-which the World Bank counted at 44 million at the end of 2020-on the move across borders in just seven days. The agency cautions that the outflows are far from finished: It has predicted that as many as 4 million people could eventually leave Ukraine, and even that projection could be revised upward.

In an email, UNHCR spokeswoman Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams wrote: "Our data indicates we passed the 1M mark" as of midnight in Central Europe, based on counts collected by national authorities.

On Twitter, UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi wrote: "In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries."

Grandi appealed for the "guns to fall silent" in Ukraine so that humanitarian aid can reach the millions more still inside the country.

Grandi's comments attest to the desperation of Ukrainians as artillery fire, exploding mortar shells and gunfire echoed across the country, and the growing concerns across the UN system at agencies like the World Health Organization and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs-which launched an appeal for funds with the UNHCR on Tuesday.

The day-by-day figures pointed to the dizzying speed of the evacuation. After more than 82,000 people left on the first day of Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb 24, each day after that brought at least 117,000 new refugees, hitting a peak of nearly 200,000 on Tuesday alone, based on the latest UNHCR count. Some longtime agency workers accustomed to dealing with refugee crises said they had never seen anything like this exodus.

Syria, whose civil war erupted in 2011, remains the country with the largest refugee outflows-nearly 5.7 million people, according to UNHCR's figures. But even at the swiftest rate of flight out of that country, in early 2013, it took at least three months for 1 million refugees to leave Syria.

Two years later, in 2015, hundreds of thousands of Syrian and other refugees who had mostly been in Turkey fled to Europe, prompting disarray in the European Union over its response and at times skirmishes and pushbacks at some national borders.

Biggest crisis

So far, UN officials and others have generally praised the response from Ukraine's neighbors, which have opened homes, gymnasiums and other facilities to take in the refugees.

UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said on Wednesday that "at this rate" the outflows from Ukraine could make it the source of "the biggest refugee crisis this century".

According to the latest figures on the UNHCR's online data portal, which had shown 934,000 refugees early on Thursday, more than half of the refugees from Ukraine had gone to neighboring Poland-over 505,000-and more than 116,000 opted for Hungary to the south.

Moldova had taken in more than 79,000 and 71,200 had gone to Slovakia.

Ghedini-Williams said the figures on the data portal reflected a count through midafternoon in Europe, but the agency had received estimates of additional arrivals through the rest of the day and into the evening.

Agencies Via Xinhua

07:11 2022-03-04
Russian forces seize key southern Ukraine city
By REN QI in Moscow
A child aboard a train waiting to leave for western Ukraine talks on the phone while saying goodbye to a relative on Wednesday at a railway station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. ANDRIY ANDRIYENKO/AP

Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, and seized Kherson on Thursday, the first major Ukrainian city they control.

Moscow's victory in the southern city comes amid devastating attacks a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelensky, are putting up "stiff resistance", according to United States officials.

Russian forces have bombarded Ukraine military facilities across the country, including the capital, Kyiv, and its second city of Kharkiv.

Russian troops were in "all parts" of Kherson, Ukrainian regional official Gennady Lakhuta said.

After a three-day siege that left Kherson short of food and medicine, and struggling to collect and bury its dead, Lakhuta also announced he was in talks with "armed guests".

The second round of talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations started on Thursday in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, a national park in Belarus near its border with Poland.

Ukraine intends to "hold its ground" at the second meeting, said Alexey Arestovich, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office.

The second round of talks may deal mostly with political issues, such as the status of Ukraine, rather than the situation "on the ground", said Ivan Konovalov, director of the Fund for Assistance to 21st Century Technologies.

In the first round of talks, the Russian delegation insisted Ukraine acknowledge Crimea's status as part of Russia, which Ukraine had refused.

"Crimea is part of Russia and it's nonnegotiable," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Al-Jazeera.

Stalled elsewhere, Russian troops continue to make significant advances on the southern front, with troops breaking through in Kherson-opening the path west and north-and besieging the larger strategically vital port city of Mariupol.

Vadym Boychenko, mayor of Mariupol, reported hours of punishing bombardment. The city is now without light, water or heating as temperatures hover around freezing.

03:10 2022-03-04
Russia, Ukraine end second round of talks
Photo taken on March 3, 2022 shows a view of the second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border. [Photo/Belta news agency via Xinhua]

Russia and Ukraine agreed to organize humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians in the second round of talks in Belarus on Thursday, Advisor to the Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak confirmed on Twitter.

"There is a solution only for the organization of humanitarian corridors," Podoliak tweeted.

During the talks on Thursday, the two sides discussed military issues, humanitarian issues, and a future political settlement of the conflict, said Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, also the head of the Russian delegation.

"The positions were made absolutely clear ... On some of them, we managed to reach an understanding," he said, noting that creating humanitarian corridors is "substantial progress."

Russia's TASS news agency reported earlier Thursday that the second round of talks has ended.

Podoliak told a media briefing that the third round of peace negotiations may take place soon, according to Ukrainian media.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, when commenting on the peace negotiations, said that "any talks" make sense.

22:09 2022-03-03
Ukrainian delegation leaves for talks with Russia
Photo taken on March 1, 2022 shows armed personnel in Donetsk. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Ukrainian delegation has left for talks with the delegation of the Russian Federation, Advisor to the Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak said on Thursday.

"(Leaving) for negotiations with Russia. Already in helicopters," Podoliak posted on Twitter.

According to him, the immediate goal is to agree on the creation of humanitarian corridors, while the rest will depend "on circumstances".

After Russia and Ukraine concluded their first round of negotiations in Belarus on Monday with no clear breakthrough, the second round of talks are expected to be held later Thursday.

13:26 2022-03-03
Russia-Ukraine conflict could increase large numbers of severe COVID-19 disease: WHO
People from Ukraine arrive at Medyka, Poland, Feb 26, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is likely to drive COVID-19 transmission ever higher and in turn increase the risk of large numbers of people developing severe disease.

"WHO is deeply concerned about the unfolding humanitarian emergency in Ukraine," said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu at a press briefing.

"Prior to the conflict, Ukraine had experienced a recent surge of cases of COVID-19. Low rates of testing since the start of the conflict mean there is likely to be significant undetected transmission. Coupled with low vaccination coverage, this increases the risk of large numbers of people developing severe disease," he said, adding that critical shortages of oxygen will have an impact on the ability to treat patients with COVID-19 and many other conditions.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as of Tuesday, more than 870,000 people had left Ukraine, and that number is expected to increase rapidly, the WHO chief said. "Mass population movements are likely to contribute further to transmission of COVID-19, potentially increasing pressure on health systems in neighboring countries."

Also at the briefing, Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, warned that mass population movements as a result of the conflict could possibly not only drive COVID-19 transmission higher but also favor the emergence of new variant of COVID-19 virus.

WHO is delivering essential medical supplies from the hub in Dubai. The first shipment will arrive in Poland on Thursday, including 36 metric tonnes of supplies for trauma care and emergency surgery to meet the needs of 1,000 patients, and other health supplies to meet the needs of 150,000 people. However, it urges to establish a corridor to ensure humanitarian workers and supplies have safe and continuous access to reach people in need.

13:00 2022-03-03
New Russia-Ukraine talks expected Thursday, as military activity continues in Ukraine

MOSCOW/KIEV - A new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine is expected to take place Thursday morning in Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border, as military activity continues in Ukraine.

Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said the Russian delegation headed by him arrived at the negotiating site Wednesday evening.

The Ukrainian side is expected to arrive on Thursday morning, Medinsky said, adding that Russia and Ukraine agreed upon the location for the new round of talks.

Russia's military has established a safe corridor to allow the Ukrainian delegation to move through Ukrainian territory, he said.

The possibility of a ceasefire, among other things, would be discussed during the talks, according to the official.

However, David Arakhamia, parliamentary faction leader of the Party of Servant of the People in Ukraine, said on Facebook that "information that the talks will be held in Belovezhskaya Pushcha is not true. Indeed, the talks will take place, but in another venue. All details will be provided later," the Interfax news agency reported Thursday.

The first round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine concluded on Monday with no clear breakthrough.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Facebook that Kyiv was ready to negotiate, but would not comply with "Russian ultimatums".

Kuleba and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed new sanctions against Russia and a new supply of defensive weapons for Ukraine in a phone conversation on Wednesday.

Kuleba emphasized that Ukraine is committed to finding diplomatic ways for settling the conflict with Russia, but Kyiv's allies must show unity in increasing pressure on Russia "until Moscow demonstrates its readiness for constructive negotiations".

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin held several telephone conversations on the situation in Ukraine with foreign leaders, including Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that 498 Russian servicemen have been killed in the course of the "special military operation" in Ukraine, while around 3,700 Ukrainian servicemen have been injured and 2,870 others killed.

Earlier in the day, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said 1,502 Ukrainian military facilities have been destroyed in the Russian operation.

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