By The Related Press
BERLIN — Sweden’s prime minister says her nation will assist refugees fleeing the struggle in Ukraine however received’t take within the form of share it did throughout the inflow of 2015.
Magdalena Andersson informed reporters in Berlin on Monday that “we are going to do our half in serving to Ukrainian refugees, however we can not come again to the scenario we had in 2015 when Sweden took a disproportionate a part of the asylum seekers.”
Andersson, a member of the Social Democratic Occasion, stated Sweden accepted about 12% of the whole variety of refugees coming to the European Union in 2015, regardless of having solely 2% of the bloc’s inhabitants.
“We can not come again to that form of resolution, however in fact we are going to do our half and we're proper now , in fact, additionally welcoming Ukrainians which might be coming to Sweden at this time, yesterday and over the last weeks,” she stated after a gathering with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
For the reason that struggle started on Feb. 24, greater than 3.8 million individuals have fled Ukraine, in accordance with the United Nations’ refugee company.
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:
— Ukraine may declare neutrality to safe peace, Zelenskyy says
— Russia is shifting its focus to grinding down Ukrainian forces within the east
— Holocaust survivors flee from Ukraine to Germany for security
— Ukrainian welders flip donated autos into military transport
— Ukraine struggle threatens meals provides in fragile Arab world
— ‘My private tragedy’: Ukrainians brace for an assault on Odesa
— Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for extra protection
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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
ROME — The Italian premier’s workplace says that in a cellphone dialog on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “lamented the blocking of humanitarian corridors” by Russians.
Premier Mario Draghi’s workplace says Zelenskyy additionally expressed sorrow over the continued siege and “bombings of cities, together with colleges, with the ensuing lack of civilian lives, amongst them, kids.’
In a press release, Draghi’s workplace says he reiterated the Italian authorities’s staunch assist for Ukrainian authorities and folks in addition to “the total availability of Italy to contribute to the worldwide motion to place an finish to the struggle and to advertise a long-lasting resolution to the disaster in Ukraine.”
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BELGRADE, Serbia — Russia’s international minister Sergey Lavrov has praised Serbia for refusing to impose sanctions towards Moscow over its aggression in Ukraine, saying the Balkan ally has made “a sensible alternative.”
“We deeply respect the Serbian individuals, Serbian tradition, Serbian historical past and dedication to conventional buddies,” Lavrov informed a gaggle of Serbian journalists in a video convention. “We're positive that they'll proceed to make good decisions on this scenario.”
Though Serbia voted in favor of a UN decision condemning Russia’s invasion, Belgrade has refused to hitch america and the European Union in imposing extensive ranging sanctions towards Moscow.
Lavrov stated the sanctions are “an try by america to impose its hegemony” within the Balkans and added that the West “is making an attempt to isolate Russia” within the area that has seen a devastating struggle within the Nineties.
Though formally looking for EU membership, Serbia has been forging shut political, financial and navy ties to Russia.
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ANKARA, Turkey —A aircraft carrying members of a Russian delegation has landed in Istanbul forward of talks with Ukrainian negotiators aimed toward ending the month-long struggle.
Turkey’s non-public DHA information company stated the Russian authorities aircraft landed at Istanbul Airport on Monday. The face-to-face talks between the 2 sides are scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine may declare neutrality, doubtlessly settle for a compromise on contested areas within the nation’s east, and supply safety ensures to Russia to safe peace “directly.” He stated solely a face-to-face assembly with Russia’s chief may finish the struggle.
Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov stated Monday that the 2 presidents may meet, however solely after the important thing parts of a possible deal are negotiated.
Earlier talks have did not make progress on ending the struggle that has killed 1000's and pushed greater than 10 million Ukrainians from their houses — together with virtually 4 million from their nation.
NATO-member Turkey has shut relations with each Ukraine and Russia. Earlier this month, it hosted a gathering between the 2 international locations’ international ministers.
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MOSCOW — Russian shares have slumped as its inventory market resumed buying and selling of all firms after a monthlong halt following the invasion of Ukraine.
The benchmark MOEX index slid 2.2% Monday after the Moscow Alternate reopened for all of its a number of hundred listed firms, however with restrictions nonetheless in place to restrict volatility.
The final full buying and selling session in Moscow was on Feb. 25, a day after the index tumbled by a 3rd after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
Costs whipsawed final week when the alternate tentatively reopened for 2 days of restricted buying and selling, with buyers allowed to commerce solely 33 of the MOEX index’s 50 firms.
Some restrictions remained in place Monday to stop one other large selloff. The day by day session is shortened to 4 hours and there's a ban on short-selling, which basically entails betting on inventory costs to go down. Foreigners are also unable to promote shares till Friday.
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SOFIA, Bulgaria — Russia makes use of native stage corruption as a device of affect within the Balkan area, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov stated after a gathering of leaders from southeast Europe NATO members.
The prime ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, the Republic of North Macedonia, and Montenegro condemned Russia’s navy aggression and voiced assist for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Petkov stated the leaders mentioned “eradicating cash laundering and serving to one another combat corruption,” which he stated was “utilized by Russia to affect the area.”
Talks additionally targeted on strengthening the cooperation as NATO allies on the bloc’s jap flank, in addition to on lowering the dependence on Russian vitality provides, countering Russia’s pretend information, bettering cyber safety and widening mutual commerce.
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COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish brewery group Carlsberg says it has determined to tug out of Russia, saying it’s “the correct factor to do within the present atmosphere.”
The announcement got here hours after its competitor, Dutch brewing big Heineken, stated it was doing the identical.
The Copenhagen-based Carlsberg stated Monday it “can have no presence in Russia.” Its enterprise in Russia will not be included within the Danish brewer’s income and working revenue, and the enterprise “shall be handled as an asset held on the market till completion of the disposal.”
In 2021, Carlsberg reported income and working revenue in Russia of 6.5 billion kroner ($959 million) and 682 million kroner ($101 million) respectively. The Danish brewer generates round 10% of its gross sales in Russia, the place it operates a number of breweries and has about 8,400 employees which might be laid off.
Heineken stated earlier Monday that it was looking for an “orderly switch of our enterprise to a brand new proprietor in full compliance with worldwide and native legal guidelines.”
Heineken will proceed to pay its 1,800 employees in Russia by way of the top of the yr. The corporate says it is not going to revenue from the sale of its Russian operations and expects to take a 400 million-euro ($438 million) cost consequently.
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MOSCOW — Main impartial Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which is edited by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, says it's suspending operations after receiving warnings from Russian authorities.
The newspaper reported being warned by Roskomnadzor, the state communications regulator.
“After this we're stopping the discharge of the newspaper on the web site, on (social) networks and on paper — till the top of the ‘particular operation on the territory of Ukraine,’” the newspaper stated in a press release Monday.
Russia strictly limits how media can describe occasions in Ukraine, which it labels a “particular navy operation.” A number of different Russian media retailers have already opted for suspending operations fairly than face heavy restrictions on what they'll report, and the Kremlin has additionally blocked a number of international information retailers.
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BERLIN — Germany’s vitality minister says the Group of Seven main economies have agreed to reject Russia’s demand to pay for Russian vitality imports in rubles.
Robert Habeck informed reporters Monday that “all G-7 ministers agreed fully that this (can be) a one-sided and clear breach of the present contracts.”
Habeck stated after an internet assembly with G-7 vitality ministers that “fee in ruble shouldn't be acceptable and we are going to urge the businesses affected to not comply with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s demand.”
Requested by reporters earlier Monday if Russia may reduce fuel provides to European prospects in the event that they reject the demand to pay for the Russian fuel in rubles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that “we clearly aren’t going to provide fuel free of charge.”
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BERLIN — German authorities are contemplating whether or not to prosecute individuals who use the “Z” image to indicate assist for Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
Russian troops in Ukraine have painted the letter Z on the aspect of autos and it has been adopted by some in Russia as a logo of assist for what the Kremlin describes as a “particular navy operation” within the neighboring nation.
A spokesman for the German Inside Ministry stated Monday that safety providers are conscious the image can also be getting used at rallies in Germany.
The spokesman, Marek Wede, informed reporters in Berlin that the letter can underneath sure circumstances be thought of an indication of assist for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The Russian assault on Ukraine is against the law and whoever publicly approves of this struggle can thereby grow to be criminally liable,” Wede stated.
He added that federal authorities welcomed bulletins by some German states to analyze whether or not particular person cases of the “Z” use represent legal acts.
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LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Slovenia says it has reinstated a diplomatic consultant in Kyiv and reopened the nation’s embassy in Ukraine.
The ministry says Slovenia’s embassy in Kyiv reopened on Monday after the arrival of the interim cost d’affaires Bostjan Lesjak. Slovenia’s ambassador to Ukraine stays in Rzeszow, a city on the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Slovenia’s transfer comes after Prime Minister Janez Jansa urged European Union international locations to revive their presence in Kyiv in assist for Ukraine. Jansa visited Kyiv this month together with the prime ministers of Poland and the Czech Republic.
He stated on Twitter on Monday that “we're again.” Jansa provides that “the Slovenian and European flags flutter once more in entrance of the Slovenian Embassy in Kyiv.”
Slovenia’s International Ministry stated that Lesjak stated upon arrival that town was abandoned, and that alarms and detonations may very well be heard within the distance.
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LVIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne has quoted the mayor of Mariupol as saying that round 160,000 individuals stay within the besieged port metropolis, and that a “humanitarian disaster” would ensue if extra evacuations should not potential.
Vadym Boychenko stated Monday that Russian forces had been stopping civilians from evacuating from town and had been turning again some who tried to make it out.
The town, which had a pre-war inhabitants of greater than 400,000, has seen among the worst circumstances since Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Feb.24. Russian forces have pounded town, and scores of civilians have been unable to flee, with no entry to necessities and reduce off from communication with the shelling of cell, radio and TV towers.
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MOSCOW — The Kremlin has voiced concern about U.S. President Joe Biden’s remark concerning the Russian President Vladimir Putin and stated it would rigorously comply with his rhetoric.
Capping a four-day journey to Europe Saturday, Biden stated of Putin: “For God’s sake, this man can not stay in energy,” phrases the White Home instantly sought to downplay.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters Monday that Biden’s assertion “undoubtedly causes alarm.” He added that the Kremlin will rigorously monitor the U.S. president’s statements.
Peskov stated beforehand that “it’s less than the president of the U.S. and less than the People to resolve who will stay in energy in Russia.”
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MOSCOW — Russia’s international minister says the presidents of Russia and Ukraine may meet for talks solely after the important thing parts of a possible deal are negotiated.
Sergey Lavrov stated Monday that “the assembly is critical as soon as we now have readability concerning options on all key points.”
Lavrov’s feedback comply with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s assertion that he’s prepared to debate Ukraine’s neutrality and safety ensures with Russian President Vladimir Putin to safe peace “directly.” Zelenskyy added that solely a face-to-face assembly with Russia’s chief may finish the struggle.
Russian and Turkish negotiators are set to carry one other spherical of talks in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday to attempt to draft an settlement.
Talking in an internet interview with Serbian media, Lavrov alleged that Ukraine solely need to “imitate talks” whereas Russia wants particular outcomes that will be secured by the international locations’ leaders.
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BEIJING — China says the U.S. ought to take significantly Beijing’s issues about punishing financial sanctions towards Russia.
China, which has what it calls a “no limits” partnership with Moscow, has strongly objected to the sanctions, saying they'll worsen the worldwide financial outlook with out bringing an finish to the battle.
International Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated at a day by day briefing Monday that China and different nations imagine “individuals of all international locations haven't any accountability to pay for geopolitical conflicts and nice energy video games.”
“The issue now shouldn't be about who desires to assist Russia bypass sanctions, however concerning the regular financial and commerce relations between international locations, together with China, and Russia have been unnecessarily broken,” Wang stated.
“We urge the U.S. to take China’s issues significantly when coping with the Ukraine challenge and relations with Russia, and to not harm China’s reliable rights and pursuits in any manner,” Wang stated.
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands — European Union judicial coordination company Eurojust says it has helped Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine to determine a joint investigation staff to probe struggle crimes, crimes towards humanity and different crimes dedicated in Ukraine.
The Hague-based company stated Monday that the three nations signed an settlement on Friday establishing the staff. Eurojust says it offered authorized and technical assist.
Eurojust says the primary goal of the staff is to “assist the gathering of proof and its swift and safe alternate between companions, in addition to the transmission of data and proof.”
Eurojust provides that the staff will assist the three nations cooperate with Worldwide Legal Court docket prosecution workplace, which additionally has opened an investigation in Ukraine.
Inside the first month of Russia’s struggle towards Ukraine, Polish prosecutors stated they'd collected some 300 witness testimonies from refugees pouring over the border.
Joint investigation groups assist nations pool sources and information throughout complicated worldwide investigations. The Netherlands and different international locations arrange such a staff to analyze the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airways flight MH17 over jap Ukraine.
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ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s protection ministry says navy groups are working to disable a second naval mine that was detected floating off Turkey’s Black Beach.
On Monday, the ministry stated Underwater Defence Groups that had been dispatched to the location off the coast of Igneada, close to the border with Bulgaria, had managed to safe the mine and had been now working to “neutralize” it.
On Saturday, authorities closed the Bosporus — the landmark waterway between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara — to site visitors as a precaution because the Turkish coast guard responded to studies of a drifting mine-like object which was later “neutralized.”
The sighting of the explosive units follows warnings that mines laid on the entrances to Ukrainian ports may break away in heavy climate and cross the Black Sea.
On March 18, Turkey issued a Navtex alert advising ships to maintain a “sharp look out” and report any potential mines that had drifted from ports akin to Odesa.
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GENEVA — The Workplace of the UN Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights says it has recorded 1,119 civilian deaths and 1,790 individuals injured since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
The UN company stated Sunday most casualties had been attributable to use of explosive weapons with a large affect space, together with shelling from heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket techniques, and missile and air strikes. It stated it believes precise figures are “significantly increased,” given delays in acquiring data and in corroborating the studies.
Of these killed, 224 had been males, 168 ladies, 15 women and 32 boys. The intercourse of one other 52 kids and 628 adults has not but been decided.
The report stated allegations of many civilian casualties within the besieged southern metropolis of Mariupol and in Volnovakha, Izium, Popasna, Rubizhne and Trostianets had been nonetheless being corroborated and should not included within the newest totals.
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LONDON — Russian forces have made no vital progress up to now 24 hours amid persevering with provide issues and aggressive resistance from Ukrainian fighters, U.Okay. protection officers say.
Poor morale and an absence of momentum have compounded the issues dealing with Russian forces, Britain’s Ministry of Protection stated in its newest intelligence briefing.
Heavy preventing continues round Mariupol as Russian forces attempt to seize the port on the Sea of Azov, which connects to the Black Sea, the ministry stated in a briefing posted on Twitter.
Earlier, the ministry stated Russia was sustaining a blockade of Ukraine’s Black Beach, reducing off maritime commerce with the nation. The Russian navy can also be launching “sporadic” missile strikes towards targets in Ukraine, the ministry stated.
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BEIJING — China’s ambassador to the U.S. says that of all events involved within the Ukraine, solely China has Russia’s ear.
Qin Gang’s feedback to the Phoenix Tv channel, which has shut ties with China’s ruling Communist Occasion, come as Beijing’s tacit assist for Moscow is receiving rising scrutiny from Washington and others.
China has refused to criticize Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and even seek advice from it as such. It has additionally vigorously opposed punishing financial sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West.
Qin stated China was uniquely positioned to assist peacefully resolve what he referred to as “the disaster.”
“Now, all events involved are in severe confrontation with Russia besides China. Solely China has the ear of Russia,” Qin informed the channel’s “Discuss With World Leaders” program in an interview broadcast on Sunday.
Qin blamed NATO’s eastward enlargement for having provoked Russia. “Russia feels duped by NATO on its eastward enlargement. It feels threatened and cornered,” Qin stated.
Whereas Beijing claims it's neutral within the battle, Chinese language state media has repeated false and unsupported claims made by Moscow.
Phoenix has itself acquired consideration for embedding a reporter with Russian troops who has produced a gradual stream of pro-Moscow studies.