By The Related Press
BERLIN — Germany’s economic system minister says Europe ought to impose extra sanctions on Russia to stop what he described as a “barbaric” struggle in Ukraine.
Robert Habeck stated he mentioned what additional measures might be taken along with his French counterpart throughout a bilateral assembly in Berlin on Thursday.
“The final bundle (of sanctions) doesn’t should be the ultimate one, it shouldn't be the ultimate one,” he instructed reporters, including that he and French Economic system Minister Bruno Le Maire had “recognized extra factors that might be included in a (sanctions) bundle.”
Habeck declined to elaborate on what these factors is perhaps.
Talking forward of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on new guidelines requiring international locations to pay for Russia’s pure fuel gross sales in rubles, Habeck insisted that contracts can be adhered to. These stipulate fee in euros or dollars.
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:
— Heavy combating rages close to Kyiv as Russia seems to regroup
— Kremlin decree says international forex can nonetheless purchase pure fuel
— Ukraine refugees inspired to seek out work as exodus slows
— Ukrainians in US mobilize to assist anticipated refugees
— Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for extra protection
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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
BERLIN — The Austrian and German leaders have underlined their rejection of a halt to Russian vitality deliveries at this level.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer famous that a number of central and jap European international locations rely to at least one extent or one other on Russian fuel deliveries.
He and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz argued that current sanctions already are having a major impact and stated they want time to change to new suppliers and renewable vitality sources.
Nehammer stated that “sanctions solely make sense … after they hit these they're speculated to hit, and don’t weaken those that perform sanctions.”
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ROME — A Kremlin decree says “unfriendly international locations” can proceed to pay for pure fuel in international forex via a Russian financial institution that may convert the cash into rubles.
The decree printed Thursday by state media got here a day after the leaders of Italy and Germany stated they acquired assurances from President Vladimir Putin.
Putin talked more durable, saying Russia will begin accepting ruble funds beginning Friday for Western international locations that imposed sanctions over its battle with Ukraine. He stated contracts can be stopped if patrons don’t signal as much as the brand new situations, together with opening ruble accounts in Russian banks.
European leaders had rejected paying for deliveries in rubles, saying it will undermine sanctions imposed due to the struggle in Ukraine.
The decree Putin signed and printed by state information company RIA Novosti says a chosen financial institution will open two accounts for every purchaser, one in international forex and one in rubles. The patrons pays in international forex and authorize the financial institution to promote that forex for rubles, that are positioned within the second account, the place the fuel is formally bought.
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ROME — Italy’s chief is urging Europe to “domesticate all accessible land” as a partial treatment to reductions in agricultural imports, particularly of Russian grain, because of the struggle in Ukraine.
Premier Mario Draghi instructed reporters on Thursday that below current agricultural practices within the European Union 10% of land is purposely left fallow, however that should now change as European international locations seek for methods to cut back dependency on farm imports.
It’s not clear whether or not Ukraine, one of many world’s largest exporters of wheat, maize and sunflower oil, may be capable of salvage any of this planting season.
In the meantime, Draghi famous that Western Europe can be seeking to meals producers like Canada, the US and Argentina to assist make up the shortfall of imports from Ukraine and Russia.
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STOCKHOLM — The deputy director of Sweden’s Army Intelligence and Safety company says Russia has made “a strategic miscalculation when invading Ukraine.”
Daniel Olsson stated the invasion of Ukraine “has proven that the Russian management is able to take nice dangers, bigger than beforehand taken.”
The federal government company’s evaluation prompt a possible “a western containment of Russia,” together with decreasing commerce in Russian vitality.
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MADRID — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says his nation has to date acquired greater than 30,000 Ukrainian refugees and expects that determine to succeed in 70,000 “inside days.”
Sánchez introduced the most recent refugee numbers Thursday throughout a go to to a refugee reception middle within the southeastern metropolis of Alicante, one in all 4 in Spain.
Additionally Thursday, Protection Minister Margarita Robles stated Spain has despatched 10 transport plane with weapons and humanitarian support for Ukraine. She didn’t specify what number of shipments of every kind had been despatched, however no less than two carried arms.
She additionally stated throughout a go to to the Morón de la Frontera air base in southern Spain that eight Spanish F-18 fighter planes are going to Lithuania to participate in NATO patrols.
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KYIV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian emergency providers say the demise toll after a Russian missile strike Tuesday on the regional authorities headquarters within the southern metropolis of Mykolaiv has risen to twenty.
The emergency providers stated rescuers had now discovered 19 our bodies within the ruins because the strike devastated the federal government constructing Tuesday morning. One different particular person died in hospital.
The regional governor accused Russia of ready till individuals arrived for work earlier than placing the constructing.
Emergency providers stated they're nonetheless working on the scene.
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HELSINKI — Greenpeace says its activists from the Nordic international locations and Russia have blocked a the switch of Russian oil between two massive tankers crusing in northern Denmark.
Greenpeace stated swimmers and activists in kayaks and boats from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia positioned themselves between two supertankers to dam the switch of 100,000 tonnes of Russian oil in waters in northern Denmark.
The environmental group known as for an embargo of Russian fuels to cease the funding of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. It stated in a press release Thursday that “each time Russian oil or fuel are bought, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s struggle chest grows, and to date no less than 299 supertankers with fossil fuels have left Russia because the begin of the struggle in Ukraine.”
Regardless of some international locations declaring a ban on the arrival of Russian vessels to their ports, Russian coal, oil and fuel remains to be arriving by way of ships registered in different international locations, Greenpeace stated.
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ROME — Italian Premier Mario Draghi says Europe is pushing for a cap on fuel costs with Russia as a result of its funds are financing the struggle in Ukraine.
Draghi instructed international reporters Thursday that the costs that Europe is paying are out of line with the worldwide market.
“We, Germany and Italy, together with different international locations which are importers of fuel, coal, grains, corn … are financing the struggle. There isn't any doubt,’ Draghi stated. “For that reason, Italy together with different international locations are pushing for a cap on the worth of fuel. There isn't any substantial purpose that the worth of fuel is so excessive for Europeans.”
Draghi famous that Russia has no different marketplace for its fuel, giving Europe room to maneuver. Requested concerning the threat that Russia would merely reply by turning off the faucets, Draghi stated, “no there isn't any hazard.”
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BERLIN — The German authorities says its vitality minister has acquired a Ukrainian delegation that features the international ministry’s particular envoy for sanctions coverage.
The Economic system Ministry gave no particulars on the substance of the assembly Thursday hosted by Economic system and Local weather Minister Robert Habeck, who's Germany’s vice chancellor and in addition liable for vitality.
The Ukrainian delegation included the sanctions envoy, Oleksiy Makeev, and Wladimir Klitschko, the brother of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The Klitschko brothers, each former heavyweight boxing champions, are well-known in Germany.
They had been joined by Ukrainian lawmaker Halyna Yanchenko.
The German authorities has resisted calls to halt Russian vitality deliveries, although it's working to cut back the nation’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels in the long run.
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ROME — Italian Premier Mario Draghi says the Russian president instructed him throughout a 40-minute telephone name Wednesday night that European corporations can proceed to pay for current vitality contracts in euros and dollars.
Draghi additionally indicated that Russia’s want for funds in rubles remained intact, however it might be the case that the forex conversion can be as much as Russia. Draghi stated he's referring the dialogue to consultants and that evaluation was below means on whether or not “European corporations can proceed to pay as foreseen, if this implies one thing for the continued sanctions.”
“It's completely not easy to alter the forex of funds with out violating the contracts,” he stated.
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BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary-Normal Jens Stoltenberg says Russia doesn't seem like scaling again its army operations in Ukraine however is as a substitute redeploying forces to the jap Donbas area.
Russia promised throughout talks in Istanbul on Tuesday that it will de-escalate operations close to Kyiv and Chernihiv to “enhance mutual belief and create situations for additional negotiations.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the West had been skeptical.
Stoltenberg instructed reporters Thursday that “Russia has repeatedly lied about its intentions,” and should be judged on its actions alone, not the phrase of its leaders.
“Based on our intelligence, Russian models usually are not withdrawing however repositioning. Russia is making an attempt to regroup, resupply and reinforce its offensive within the Donbas area,” he stated.
On the similar time, he stated strain is being stored up on Kyiv and different cities and “we are able to anticipate extra offensive actions bringing much more struggling.”
The U.S. says Russia has begun to reposition lower than 20% of its troops that had been arrayed round Kyiv. The Pentagon says that the majority moved north, though some crossed into Belarus the place they might be resupplied and despatched again into Ukraine.
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The Kremlin has expressed “remorse” and “concern” over U.S. officers’ stories that the Russian president is being misinformed by advisers about his army’s efficiency in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed reporters Thursday that “neither the State Division nor the Pentagon possess the actual details about what is going on within the Kremlin.”
“They merely don’t perceive what’s occurring within the Kremlin, they don’t perceive President Putin, they don’t perceive the mechanism of decision-making, they don’t perceive the way in which we work,” Peskov stated.
“It's not simply regrettable, it elicits concern, as a result of this whole lack of awareness results in inaccurate choices, tragic choices that might have very dangerous penalties,” he added.
U.S. intelligence officers stated Putin is being misinformed by advisers about his army’s poor efficiency in Ukraine, in line with the White Home. The advisers are scared to inform him the reality, the intel says.
White Home communications director Kate Bedingfield stated Wednesday the U.S. believes Putin was being misled not solely about his army’s efficiency but in addition “how the Russian economic system is being crippled by sanctions as a result of, once more, his senior advisers are too afraid to inform him the reality.”
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LONDON — Britain has imposed sanctions on greater than a dozen Russian media figures and organizations accused of spreading propaganda and disinformation concerning the struggle in Ukraine.
The most recent group subjected to asset freezes and journey bans consists of Rossiya tv anchor Sergey Brilev, who beforehand lived within the U.Ok., Gazprom-Media chief government Aleksandr Zharov and Alexey Nikolov, managing director of Kremlin-backed broadcaster RT.
Sanctions have additionally been slapped on media organizations TV-Novosti, which owns RT, and Rossiya Segodnya, which controls the Sputnik information company.
British International Secretary Liz Truss stated Thursday’s sanctions would hit “the shameless propagandists who push out Putin’s faux information and narratives.”
The U.Ok. additionally stated it was sanctioning Colonel-Normal Mikhail Mizintsev, chief of Russia’s Nationwide Defence Command and Management Middle, accusing him of orchestrating atrocities together with the siege of Mariupol.
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MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on the spring draft, with 134,500 new conscripts to be added to the Russian military amid the nation’s struggle on Ukraine.
Each Putin and Russia’s Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu have stated that conscripts won't be participating within the operation in Ukraine. Earlier this month, nonetheless, the Russian army admitted that various conscripts ended up in Ukraine and had been even captured there.
The decree signed on Thursday outlines the draft which can kick off on April 1 and final via July 15.
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BERLIN — The Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross says its groups are able to facilitate the evacuation of civilians out of the besieged metropolis of Mariupol.
The Pink Cross stated “for logistics and safety causes, we’ll be prepared to steer the protected passage operation tomorrow, Friday, offered all of the events comply with the precise phrases, together with the route, the beginning time, and the length.”
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk stated Ukraine is sending out a number of dozen buses to gather civilians from Mariupol after Russia’s army stated it dedicated to a localized cease-fire from the town to Ukraine-held Zaporizhzhia from Thursday morning.
“It’s desperately vital that this operation takes place. The lives of tens of 1000's of individuals in Mariupol rely upon it,” the Pink Cross stated.
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AMSTERDAM — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoke by video hyperlink to the Dutch parliament.
Zelenskyy, who delivered his speech in Ukrainian, known as on the Netherlands to be ready to cease importing Russian vitality, to halt commerce with Russia and to offer extra weapons.
He additionally addressed Prime Minister Mark Rutte, saying “Our EU membership relies on you.”
Rutte had instructed Zelenskyy at an EU summit earlier this month that Ukraine’s EU accession can’t be sped up. “There isn’t one thing like a quick monitor, a quick process,” Rutte stated on the March 11 summit in Versailles.
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BRUSSELS — European Union antitrust regulators have raided the places of work of a number of corporations in Germany concerned within the provide, transmission and storage of pure fuel amid concern over skyrocketing costs in Europe.
The European Fee, which polices EU competitors coverage, didn't identify the businesses focused within the March 29 “shock inspections.” However anti-trust regulators have been probing the actions of Russian vitality big Gazprom, which has premises in Germany, within the European market. Gazprom couldn't be instantly reached for remark.
The Fee suspects that the businesses “have violated EU competitors guidelines that prohibit abuse of a dominant place” available in the market. It says the inspections don't suggest that these concerned are responsible.
Russia is the most important exporter of oil, pure fuel and coal to the 27-nation EU. About 40% of the bloc’s fuel imports come from Russia, a lot of it piped via Ukraine.
In January, the pinnacle of the Worldwide Power Company blamed Russia for Europe’s pure fuel disaster, saying that prime costs and low storage ranges are largely on account of Gazprom withholding provides.
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ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s prime diplomat says Ankara is working to carry the Ukrainian and Russian international ministers collectively once more for talks.
In an interview with Turkey’s A Haber channel, Mevlut Cavusoglu stated the assembly might occur inside two weeks.
His feedback got here days after Turkey hosted Ukrainian and Russian negotiators for face-to-face talks in Istanbul. Cavusoglu stated choices taken through the talks to cut back tensions had not absolutely been put in force on the bottom.
“We don't see these choices being mirrored on the sphere – for instance, the removing of Russian troopers from some areas,” he stated.
Requested concerning the presence of sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich within the negotiations, Cavusoglu stated the businessman was engaged in “helpful” efforts to finish the combating.
“Abramovich has been sincerely making efforts to finish the combating because the first day of the struggle,” he stated.
In the course of the talks in Istanbul Tuesday, Ukraine set out an in depth framework for a peace deal below which the nation would stay impartial however its safety can be assured by a bunch of third international locations, together with the U.S., Britain, France, Turkey, China and Poland.
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A Pink Cross warehouse within the besieged Ukrainian port metropolis of Mariupol has been struck amid intense Russian shelling of the realm.
Satellite tv for pc footage from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Related Press on Thursday present clear injury to the warehouse’s roof alongside the Kalmius River close to its mouth on the Sea of Azov. A crimson cross had been painted on the highest of the warehouse.
A minimum of one gap from suspected shelling might be seen in a picture taken March 21. Some 4 holes within the roof had been clearly seen in photographs taken Wednesday. The crimson cross had been on the warehouse’s roof from no less than late August 2021, in line with satellite tv for pc photographs.
The Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross distributed all of the provides from contained in the warehouse earlier in March and no employees have been on the website since March 15, the help group stated in a press release.
The Particular Forces Unit “Azov,” a Ukrainian Nationwide Guard unit combating in Mariupol whose members embody far-right activists, has accused Russian forces of firing on the constructing. Russia didn't instantly acknowledge the allegation.
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CANBERRA, Australia — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed on to Australian lawmakers for extra assist in Ukraine’s struggle towards Russia together with armored autos and more durable sanctions.
Zelenskyy has been tailoring his message to particular person international locations via video appeals just like the one proven Thursday to legislators within the Australian Parliament. Lawmakers gave him a standing ovation at the beginning and finish of his 16-minute tackle.
He known as for Russian vessels to be banned from worldwide ports. Zelenskyy particularly requested for Australian-manufactured Bushmaster four-wheel drive armored autos.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison had earlier instructed Zelenskyy that Australia would offer extra army help together with tactical decoys, unmanned aerial and unmanned floor techniques, rations and medical provides.
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LONDON — Britain’s protection ministry says Russia continues to pound Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, regardless of Moscow’s declare to have scaled again its offensive round that metropolis and Kyiv.
The Ministry of Protection says “important Russian shelling and missile strikes have continued.”
It stated Thursday that “Russian forces proceed to carry positions to the east and west of Kyiv regardless of the withdrawal of a restricted variety of models. Heavy combating will doubtless happen within the suburbs of the town in coming days.”
The U.Ok. intelligence replace additionally stated heavy combating continues within the southern port of Mariupol, which has been besieged by Russia for weeks, however that Ukrainian forces stay answerable for the middle of the town.