Ukraine

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Pope warns of nuclear war risk; appeals to Putin on Ukraine

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a cease-fire, imploring him to “stop this spiral of violence and death” in Ukraine and denouncing the “absurd” risk of the “uncontrollable” consequences of nuclear attack as tensions sharply escalate over the war.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-pope-francis-vatican-city-8820605435595a8e316fe92c0626fca1

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World opinion shifts against Russia as Ukraine worries grow

NEW YORK (AP) — The tide of international opinion appears to be decisively shifting against Russia, as a number of non-aligned countries are joining the United States and its allies in condemning Moscow’s war in Ukraine and its threats to the principles of the international rules-based order.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-nations-general-assembly-states-government-and-politics-b7ec3ee21de1a7d7c982d4967223787d

As Ukraine worries UN, some leaders rue what’s pushed aside

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — In speech after speech, world leaders dwelled on the topic consuming this year’s U.N. General Assembly meeting: Russia’s war in Ukraine.

https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-russia-ukraine-africa-bangladesh-migration-3449bca01b12a245f8ad945590473720?

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Ukraine war thrusts German climate action into spotlight

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Germany remains committed to phasing out coal as a source of power by 2030 even as it reactivates coal-fired power plants, the country’s climate envoy said Monday. Germany says it took the step to get through the coming winter amid energy shortages as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-german-energy-crossroads-32a98df6b1a97480c4c05d725a398ca0

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro calls for negotiations to end Ukraine war

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday repeated his willingness to foster negotiations to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, calling for a ceasefire but renouncing sanctions and economic isolation.

https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-russia-ukraine-jair-bolsonaro-biden-95adcfbef134bba4ec73d775cb57bee5

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Ukraine FM: Moscow playing ‘hunger games’ with world

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba pressed Southeast Asian countries for political and material support in his county’s fight against Russia, while accusing Moscow on Saturday of playing “hunger games” with the world by holding up shipments of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products.

https://apnews.com/article/asia-indonesia-myanmar-global-trade-business-0b1bee8fb366f501e7bea7da7ce0ecbe?

Russian FM: US, NATO directly involved in Ukraine conflict

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s foreign minister accused the West on Thursday of becoming directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine by supplying the country with weapons and training its soldiers.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-europe-business-moscow-5b3ca7ea4e005c0908fb86b6d28f79d5

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‘War crime:’ Industrial-scale destruction of Ukraine culture

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The exquisite golden tiara, inlaid with precious stones by master craftsmen some 1,500 years ago, was one of the world’s most valuable artifacts from the blood-letting rule of Attila the Hun, who rampaged with horseback warriors deep into Europe in the 5th century.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-travel-museums-7431f2190d917f44f76dff39b4d5df54?

EU seeks specialized court to investigate Russia war crimes

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union proposed Wednesday to set up a U.N.-backed court to investigate possible war crimes Russia committed in Ukraine, and to use frozen Russian assets to rebuild the war-torn country.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-war-crimes-europe-european-union-0a5b8a172ce101064c1a6b9653d80a7a

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Biden in Poland: US, allies ‘will never waver’ in Ukraine

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned of “hard and bitter days ahead” as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears the one-year mark, but vowed that no matter what, the United States and allies “will not waver” in supporting the Ukrainians.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-kyiv-politics-united-states-government-5dc78c468ca866733ab7dff8651d8535

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Putin's Ukraine gamble seen as biggest threat to his rule

Vladimir Putin says he learned from his boyhood brawls in his native St. Petersburg: “If you want to win a fight, you have to carry it through to the end, as if it were the most decisive battle of your life.”

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-one-year-anniversary-df699dc348444c878bb4041158ccb84c?

Putin raises tension on Ukraine, suspends START nuclear pact

Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States, announcing the move Tuesday in a bitter speech in which he made clear he would not change his strategy in the war in Ukraine.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-politics-de0af48be7ea480ccb0175f55a065363?

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As war in Ukraine drags on...

..fears of global food crisis grow

BAKHMUT, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian and Russian forces battled fiercely for control of a key eastern city Wednesday, while fears of a global food crisis escalated as millions of tons of grain pile up inside the besieged country, unable to be exported by sea because of the war.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-moscow-sergei-shoigu-6fccf9b6adfc1fd9c3ede4f475dcf010?

Global impact: 5 ways war in Ukraine has changed the world

LONDON (AP) — War has been a catastrophe for Ukraine and a crisis for the globe. The world is a more unstable and fearful place since Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-politics-war-and-unrest-european-union-c183ddfe6c140393464d3e0c3828c328?

The West may be more united, but it’s also more isolated

While Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has brought the Western world together, it’s also exposed a continent-sized gap between its own perception of Russia and the war, and that of other nations.

https://www.politico.eu/article/west-more-united-also-isolated-war-ukraine-russia-nato/?

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Russia blames Ukraine for bomb that killed military blogger

Russian authorities blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies on Monday for orchestrating a bombing at a St. Petersburg cafe that killed a Russian military blogger who fervently supported Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and they arrested a suspect.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-vladlen-tatarsky-cafe-explosion-1894f6b0d20b19ed78a9407c04f83707?

Russian police arrest woman over bombing that killed pro-war blogger

Russian police have arrested a woman suspected of delivering a bomb that killed a prominent pro-war Russian military blogger in a blast in a cafe in central St Petersburg on Sunday, as authorities blamed Ukraine for the attack.

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US investigating whether Ukraine war documents were leaked

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has launched an investigation into the possible release of Pentagon documents that were posted on several social media sites and appear to detail U.S. and NATO aid to Ukraine, but may have been altered or used as part of a misinformation campaign.

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-documents-16d4f601b12c3080df1125cd0d723732

Documents reveal depth of U.S. spying

Russia's military is depleted by Ukraine war

https://buffalonews.com/documents-reveal-depth-of-u-s-spying/article_813eaf9c-bf11-530e-8be5-8ac23e2b987d.html?

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Girl receives heart of 4-year-old-boy in first transplant of its kind in Ukraine

Amid the raging war and constant threat of Russian missiles, a successful heart transplant has been performed on a 6-year-old girl in Kyiv, authorities with the Heart Institute of Ukraine’s Ministry of Health announced on Monday.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/10/europe/ukraine-child-heart-transplant-war-intl-hnk/index.html?

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Ukraine corruption scandal claims several top officials

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Several senior Ukrainian officials, including front-line governors, lost their jobs Tuesday in a corruption scandal plaguing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government as it grapples with the nearly 11-month-old Russian invasion.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-government-30e547e614babcacff2e68cecd62b551

Ukraine Supreme Court head held in corruption probe

Ukrainian prosecutors have detained the head of the country's Supreme Court for allegedly taking bribes.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65610985?

Ukraine fires military conscription officials for taking bribes

A statement from the president's office said corruption allegations "pose a threat to Ukraine's national security and undermine confidence in state institutions".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66478422

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Ukraine

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky drew parallels between World War II and his country's battle against Russia in an address to French lawmakers today. "Hitler crossed red line after red line, Putin does the same," he said, adding that Ukrainians were the heirs of the Allied fighters of World War II. Zelensky's speech was greeted rapturously by the French National Assembly, with lawmakers giving him a standing ovation. His remarks came just hours after Russia attacked Ukraine's critical infrastructure overnight, targeting at least nine regions including the capital Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said. For months, Russia has targeted Ukraine's power grid to deprive its citizens of electricity, heat, water and other essential services.

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Ukraine faces twin challenges of fighting Russia and shifting political sands in the US After almost 30 months of war with Russia, Ukraine’s difficulties on the battlefield are mounting even as its vital support from the United States is increasingly at the mercy of changing political winds. Read more.

Why this matters: A six-month delay in military assistance from the U.S. opened the door for the Kremlin’s forces to push on the front line. Ukrainian troops are now fighting to check the slow but gradual gains by Russia’s bigger and better-equipped army.   Donald Trump’s running mate for the Republican ticket, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, has said he wants the U.S. to attend to its own problems. Trump has claimed that if elected, he would end the conflict before Inauguration Day, though he has declined to say how.   Europe’s biggest war since World War II has already cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides, including thousands of civilians. Putin wants to draw out the war in the hope of sapping Western willingness to send billions more dollars to Kyiv.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Ukraine defense chief says his nation will find a way no matter who wins US election   Russia and Ukraine swap 95 prisoners of war each in their latest exchange   European leaders will discuss migration and Ukraine at a UK summit amid worry about Trump

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Ukraine’s largest music festival returns with a break from the inescapable reality of war

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — This year, Ukraine’s largest music festival struck a different chord. Gone were the international headliners, the massive performance halls and the hundreds of thousands of visitors.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-music-festival-d2d1945d6b50e640b4c0592c7accd055?

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Ukrainian foreign minister resigns ahead of expected reshuffling of government leaders

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, one of Ukraine’s most recognizable faces on the international stage, resigned Wednesday ahead of an expected reshuffling of government leaders. Russian strikes, meanwhile, killed seven people in a western city, a day after one of the deadliest missile attacks since the war began.

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-resign-kuleba-bb5195cc2df40d32bac374ece6dbc0b8?

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Thousands gather to protest as Zelenskyy signs bill weakening anti-corruption agencies

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Thousands of people gathered in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine on Tuesday to urge the president to veto a controversial bill that threatens anti-corruption infrastructure. It marked the first major rally against the government in more than three years of war.

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-corruption-law-european-union-f1ab949db19e079a52291c020ec3d24e?

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Zelenskyy’s chief of staff resigns after anti-corruption investigators search home

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Friday the resignation of his powerful chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, who was also the country’s lead negotiator in talks with the U.S, after Yermak’s residence was searched by anti-corruption investigators.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-yermak-corruption-3a58193bcb3f7816a715dee9e60e4541?

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Former army chief seen as Zelenskyy’s top rival reveals to AP a rift between them

LONDON (AP) — Ever since he was ousted as the head of Ukraine’s army in 2024 and appointed as the country’s ambassador to Britain, Valerii Zaluzhnyi has widely been seen as the top political rival to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-zaluzhnyi-zelenskyy-raid-5ff9e5e2054e0b17c10daf58d7eab63e?

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🚢 Odesa CODEL

Sens. Chris Coons (from left), Sheldon Whitehouse, Jeanne Shaheen and Richard Blumenthal in Odesa, Ukraine. Photo: Courtesy of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Four Democratic U.S. senators made an unannounced trip to Odesa, Ukraine, marking the first congressional visit to the Black Sea port since the war began nearly four years ago. Why it matters: Led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the lawmakers used the trip to get on-the-ground briefings on the war and call for Congress to pass new sanctions on Russia. "It is long past due for President Trump to tighten sanctions on Russia, provide security assistance for Ukraine and exert real pressure on Russia," Shaheen said in a statement. "If the president refuses to act, Congress must." "One of the things we heard wherever we stopped today was that the people of Ukraine want a peace deal," Shaheen told reporters on a call from Ukraine. "But they want a peace deal that preserves their sovereignty, that recognizes the importance of Ukraine's territorial integrity." Driving the news: Shaheen, along with Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) traveled to Ukraine after the Munich Security Conference. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was scheduled to join them but didn't make the one-day trip to Ukraine. The senators have since left the country and are now in Moldova. Zoom out: Two days of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia ended in Geneva today without concrete progress toward ending the war. Ahead of the negotiations, President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios that the Ukrainian people would reject a peace deal requiring Ukraine to unilaterally withdraw from the eastern Donbas region and turn it over to Russia. Zelensky entered the talks more pessimistic than U.S. negotiators and left in a similar mood — accusing Russia of trying to stall. — Hans Nichols