From 5d ago 00.39 UN Security Council issues first statement on war in Ukraine, omits the words ‘war’ The UN Security Council has issued its first statement on the war in Ukraine, but withheld from using the words “war”, “conflict” or “invasion”. The statement instead “expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine” and voiced “strong support” for Secretary General Antonio Guterres in seeking a peaceful solution to the “dispute”. “The Security Council expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine,” it reads.
“The Security Council recalls that all Member States have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.”
“The Security Council expresses strong support for the efforts of the Secretary-General in the search for a peaceful solution. Wielding veto power in the council, Russia has stymied all prior bids to adopt a statement on Ukraine.
Mexico’s UN ambassador, whose country helped draft the statement, was asked about criticism that it took two months to draft and merely supports the UN secretary general. Juan Ramon De La Fuente told the Associated Press there has to be a start somewhere and is “a very first initial step but it points on the right direction”. Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine.
As I have often said, the world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the @UN Charter. — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 6, 2022
Updated at 01.14 BST
4d ago 05.17 The UK will exempt Ukraine from its ban on providing public support for fossil fuel energy overseas as ministers look to make sure services can continue to operate during the protracted conflict. Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the energy-related announcements were part of policies aimed at “ramping up” support for Kyiv, according to a report from PA Media.
Officials said Ukraine and other parts of eastern Europe would benefit from time-limited exemptions to the UK government’s international fossil fuel support policy to ensure Britain can join global efforts to keep the embattled country’s energy supplies topped up. The policy prevents the UK providing any new direct financial or promotional support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas but ministers argued that exempting Ukraine would allow London to address the energy security impact of the conflict and quickly respond to requests for assistance.
4d ago 04.52 A senior official from the Russian parliament said Friday that Russia will remain in southern Ukraine “forever”, speaking on a visit to the Moscow-controlled city of Kherson, AFP reports.
“Russia is here forever. There should be no doubt about this. There will be no return to the past,” Andrey Turchak said, according to a statement from the ruling United Russia party. “We will live together, develop this rich region, rich in historical heritage, rich in the people who live here,” Turchak added. Turchak also announced the opening of humanitarian aid centre in Kherson, for the delivery of food, medicine and essentials. It is the first time a senior Russian official indicated Moscow’s intentions to remain present on Ukrainian territory. Kherson was the first major city to fall to Russian forces after the start of their military operation in Ukraine on 24 February.
4d ago 04.04 Over 40 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians captured by Russia, among them 11 women and a cleric, have been freed in a new prisoner exchange, Kyiv said Friday. “Another prisoner exchange has taken place: 41 people, including 11 women were brought home,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on Telegram. Among those released were 28 soldiers and 13 civilians, one of whom was a member of the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. She did not say how many Russians were released in exchange.
4d ago 03.38 Here are some of the latest images to come out of Ukraine today. An elderly lady in the bunker in Luch, Ukraine. Photograph: Vincenzo Circosta/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock Entrance to a bunker in Luch, a village on the border with Kherson Oblast which has been constantly bombed since the beginning of the war. Photograph: Vincenzo Circosta/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock A woman and her child walk past a residential apartment block damaged in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty Images A man cleans his damaged apartment from debris in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. Photograph: Roman Pilipey/EPA A man cleans an apartment in a damaged building after the recent Russian airstrike, in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. Photograph: Roman Pilipey/EPA
Updated at 03.41 BST
4d ago 03.35 US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a phone call on Friday, underscored their commitment to holding Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine and discussed efforts to provide security assistance to Ukraine, the White House said in a statement. Both leaders underscored their commitment to continue holding Russia accountable for its brutal actions in Ukraine, and reviewed their ongoing efforts to provide security assistance to the government of Ukraine and economic and humanitarian aid to the millions of Ukrainians affected by the violence.” Biden and Trudeau also discussed their upcoming participation in the Summit of the Americas in June in Los Angeles, it added.
4d ago 03.15 Here is a little more detail on the scheduled G7 meeting set to take place on Sunday. The Group of Seven (G7) leaders including US President Joe Biden will hold a video call on Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a show of unity the day before Russia marks its Victory Day holiday, the White House said. Talks will focus on the latest developments in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, efforts to bolster the country and ways to demonstrate “continued G7 unity in our collective response, including by imposing severe costs for Putin’s war,” a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council said on Monday. The leaders of the G7 countries, which include the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and Italy, will hold their virtual meeting with Zelenskiy on Sunday in the US morning, the spokesperson added. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden flew to Ohio for the day, Psaki said the timing of the session was significant because it will take place a day before Putin participates in Victory Day. The holiday on Monday marks the end of World War Two and includes military parades across Russia. Psaki also said US officials are discussing imposing more sanctions on Russian oligarchs and companies as well as taking steps to avoid Russians previously sanctioned from evading them. “I’ll be speaking with the members of the G7 this week about what we’re going to do or not do,” Biden told reporters this week.
5d ago 02.27 The UK government has said it will give Ukraine 287 mobile generators in addition to 569 generators it had donated earlier. The new generators, which are enough to power nearly 8,000 homes, will be used for hospitals, shelters and other essential services in the face of ongoing destruction in eastern Ukraine, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said in a statement on Saturday as reported by Reuters. The government has also relaxed rules on support for overseas fossil fuels to boost supply of vital energy to Ukraine, the statement added.
5d ago 02.20 US First Lady Jill Biden arrived in eastern Europe on a four-day trip on Friday intended to reaffirm the US commitment to Ukraine. Biden will meet national leaders and US troops, as well as displaced Ukrainian parents, children, educators and aid workers in Romania and Slovakia. She began her visit by greeting and serving food to troops stationed at a Romanian air base. On Sunday, she is expected to spend Mother’s Day with refugee mothers and their children in Kosice, a border city in eastern Slovakia. “On my way to Romania and Slovakia to spend Mother’s Day with Ukrainian mothers and children who were forced to flee their homes because of Putin’s war,” Biden tweeted on Friday. “I will also visit US troops and express gratitude for the relief efforts of neighbouring countries and aid workers.” On the ground in Romania and heading to serve a meal to our U.S. troops stationed here at Milhail Kogălniceanu Air Base. pic.twitter.com/vRuuPcgiqe — Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) May 6, 2022
5d ago 01.54 US intelligence to Ukraine is ‘legitimate, lawful, limited’, Pentagon says Here is a little more detail on US officials deflecting questions that US intelligence helped Ukraine kill top Russian generals and sink the Moskva missile cruiser. The US defence department’s spokesperson, John Kirby, held a press conference on Friday where he was asked about reports that the Pentagon has provided information with Ukrainian leaders to help them target and kill Russian generals. Kirby would not corroborate the reports, instead saying Ukraine “makes the decisions” when it comes to how they use US intel and emphasising the importance of being careful when discussing intelligence-sharing with other countries. Kirby told reporters: We provide [Ukrainians] what we believe to be relevant and timely information about Russian units that could allow them to adjust and execute their self- defence to the best of their ability. …
The Pentagon spokesperson also emphasised that other countries have provided Ukraine with information on Russian troop movements: We are not the only sole source of intelligence and information to the Ukrainians. They get intelligence from other nations as well. And they have a pretty robust intelligence collection capability of their own. …
And if they do decide to do something with that intelligence, then they make the decisions about acting on it…. The kind of intelligence that we provide them – it’s legitimate, it’s lawful, and it’s limited.” Kirby also stressed that Ukraine combines intelligence from many countries and the US is “not the sole source of intelligence and information to the Ukrainians”.
5d ago 01.47 Zelenskiy accuses Russia of ‘outright nuclear blackmail’ Ukraine’s president Zelenskiy has accused Russia of “outright nuclear blackmail” during a speech to Chatham House, the international affairs think tank. Zelenskiy outlined Russia’s “contempt for all international conventions” and what he claimed to be a sense of impunity. Russia is openly talking about nuclear weapons. The time it takes for Russian missiles to reach European cities. They do this because of the sense of impunity. Russia is blackmailing Europe through threats.” “Why is Russia doing all this? Because they think that if they can be held responsible for such crimes, criminal actions, it will be decades later,” he added. “They simply do not believe that the international community can hold those responsible for the war crimes to justice as they are hiding behind the nuclear force.”
Zelenskiy continued: Russian state propagandists on their media resources calculate how long it takes for nuclear missiles to hit European capitals. They talk about it publicly, openly. They tell how to detonate nuclear explosives in the ocean to wash away everything in the British Isles with a radioactive wave. They prepare infographics, that is, they are serious about it. They boast that Russia can destroy any state leaving only ‘nuclear ashes’. Moreover, ‘nuclear ashes’ is their quote, which they repeat as a mantra. Why is this happening? This is a feeling of impunity, and we are sure of it. They are accustomed to the fact that business ‘as usual’ has always returned to the relations of all states with Russia.” “Russia is openly talking about nuclear weapons. The time it takes for Russian missiles to reach European cities. They do this because of the sense of impunity. Russia is blackmailing Europe through threats.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa)#CHevents — Chatham House (@ChathamHouse) May 6, 2022
5d ago 01.24 US announces $150m military aid package The latest US military aid package to Ukraine, announced by president Joe Biden on Friday, is worth $150m, secretary of state Antony Blinken confirmed. I have authorised $150 million in additional US arms, equipment, and supplies for Ukraine to reinforce its defences to counter Russia’s offensive in the East,” Blinken said. The latest tranche of assistance includes 25,000 155mm artillery rounds, as well as counter-artillery radars, jamming equipment, field equipment and spare parts. I have authorized $150 million in additional U.S. arms, equipment, and supplies for Ukraine to reinforce its defenses to counter Russia’s offensive in the East. We stand #UnitedwithUkraine. — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 6, 2022 I am announcing another package of security assistance that will provide additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment to Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement. “US support, together with the contributions of our Allies and partners, has been critical in helping Ukraine win the battle of Kyiv and hinder Putin’s war aims in Ukraine,” he added. With the latest $150m US security aid package to Ukraine, Washington’s military assistance to Kyiv since the Russian invasion began has reached around $3.8bn, Blinken said. Today, the U.S. is continuing our strong support for the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their country. I am announcing another package of security assistance that will provide additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment to Ukraine. https://t.co/lpvJbFF9Q3 — President Biden (@POTUS) May 6, 2022
5d ago 00.49 Evacuation operations are continuing from the besieged southern city of Mariupol with 40 civilians rescued on Friday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed in his latest national address We continue the evacuation mission from Mariupol, from Azovstal, with the mediation of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. During the day, our team organised rescue for more than 40 civilians – women and children. We hope that soon they will be able to arrive in a safe area after two months of shelling, just underground – in shelters. We are also working on diplomatic options to save our military who still remain at Azovstal. Influential mediators are involved. Influential states.”
5d ago 00.39 UN Security Council issues first statement on war in Ukraine, omits the words ‘war’ The UN Security Council has issued its first statement on the war in Ukraine, but withheld from using the words “war”, “conflict” or “invasion”. The statement instead “expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine” and voiced “strong support” for Secretary General Antonio Guterres in seeking a peaceful solution to the “dispute”. “The Security Council expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine,” it reads.
“The Security Council recalls that all Member States have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.”
“The Security Council expresses strong support for the efforts of the Secretary-General in the search for a peaceful solution. Wielding veto power in the council, Russia has stymied all prior bids to adopt a statement on Ukraine.
Mexico’s UN ambassador, whose country helped draft the statement, was asked about criticism that it took two months to draft and merely supports the UN secretary general. Juan Ramon De La Fuente told the Associated Press there has to be a start somewhere and is “a very first initial step but it points on the right direction”. Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine.
As I have often said, the world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the @UN Charter. — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 6, 2022
Updated at 01.14 BST
5d ago 00.16 Today so far That’s it for me today but our coverage will continue with Samantha Lock. Here’s what happened over the last few hours: US defense department spokesperson John Kirby deflected questions about whether the Pentagon provided information to Ukraine that helped military leaders target Russian generals.
to Ukraine that helped military leaders target Russian generals. Howitzer systems provided by the US required training for Ukrainian soldiers, and Kirby told reporters 220 have received training and 150 more are currently being trained.
The British ambassador to Moscow was s ummoned to the Russian foreign ministry to discuss UK sanctions on Russian media.
to discuss UK sanctions on Russian media. On Monday Biden will sign a bill to ease restrictions on aid his administration plans to provide to Ukraine.
on aid his administration plans to provide to Ukraine. Biden also announced that a $150 million aid package in the works that will include 25,000 artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars and jamming equipment.
that will include 25,000 artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars and jamming equipment. A yacht belonging to Putin was reportedly seized by Italian officials.
was reportedly seized by Italian officials. Biden urged top intelligence and defense officials to stop leaks about the US providing key information to aid Ukrainian forces.
Updated at 02.20 BST
5d ago 23.59 In a call with top defense and intelligence officials, Biden called for fewer leaks about US intelligence sharing with Ukraine, NBC News reports: On the phone with CIA Director William Burns, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Biden’s message was that such disclosures “distract from our objective,” one official said. The other official said Biden conveyed that the leaks should stop.
The CIA and the Office of the DNI declined to comment. The Pentagon and the National Security Council did not respond to requests for comment. US officials previously confirmed claims that American intelligence helped Ukrainian forces, aiding both in the killing Russian generals and the location of the Russian warship Moskva, which was sunk last month. The Guardian’s Dan Sabbagh wrote today that confirmation of the information sharing around the Moskva is a “a fresh demonstration of the close intelligence support Kyiv is receiving from Washington”: It is unclear how far the US intelligence helped Ukraine launch an accurate double missile strike on the Moskva, and the US officials briefing the information insisted the targeting decision was a matter for the Ukrainians alone.
But the fact that the US was willing to confirm it had at least some involvement, three weeks after the Moskva went down on 14 April, shows how far Washington is willing to acknowledge its critical backseat role in the 10-week-long war, even at the risk of openly antagonising Moscow.” US shared location of cruiser Moskva with Ukraine prior to sinking Read more It appears now that the President is uncomfortable with the reports. Administration officials have expressed fears that the close association and intelligence sharing could provoke Putin into an escalation. Despite the reports, the Administration denied claims that the US was involved in the attack on the Russian ship and that information was aided in targeting the Russian generals.