US President Joe Biden meets leaders of NATO’s eastern flank on Wednesday to show support for their security after Moscow suspended a landmark nuclear arms control treaty. Biden arrived in Warsaw after a surprise visit to Kyiv just days ahead of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Follow FRANCE 24’s live blog for all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).
6:05am: India says ‘era is not for war’ at G20 finance meeting
India has restated its position on the Ukraine war, repeating a call for dialogue and diplomacy as G20 finance officials started a meeting on Wednesday near Bengaluru.
“Today’s era is not for war. Democracy, dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward,” Anurag Thakur, India’s information minister, told a news conference after welcoming delegates to the meeting which ends on Saturday.
His comments came days ahead of the February 24 anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war.
India has adopted a “neutral” position on the Russian invasion – like many countries in the Global South. Critics say the neutrality, in effect, benefits Russia.
6:00am: Biden to meet with ‘Bucharest Nine’ leaders
US President Joe Biden is set to meet leaders of the “Bucharest Nine”, the countries on NATO‘s eastern flank who joined the Western military alliance after being dominated by Moscow during the Cold War.
The Bucharest Nine includes Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Most are among the strongest supporters of military aid to Ukraine, and officials from countries in the group have called for additional resources such as air defence systems.
At the meeting in Warsaw, Biden plans to reaffirm security commitments and discuss support for Ukraine before he returns to Washington.
5:20am: Russia’s first criminal case against Ukraine’s forces goes to court
Russia’s first criminal case against a member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, accused of forcibly seizing power and ill-treatment of civilians, went to court, the state TASS news agency reported on Wednesday.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said on the Telegram messaging platform in June that it had charged Senior Sergeant Anton Cherednik of the Marine Corps of Ukraine’s forces with the alleged crime of cruel treatment of civilian population.
TASS, citing unnamed sources at the Southern District Military Court in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don, said that Cherednik was also charged with murder and training for the purpose of carrying out terrorism.
4:07am: UN General Assembly set for invasion anniversary vote
Russia has urged UN states to vote against an “unbalanced and anti-Russian” move at the General Assembly by Ukraine and others to mark one year since Moscow’s invasion.
The 193-member UN General Assembly is due to vote later this week on a draft resolution stressing “the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace” in line with the founding UN Charter.
The draft resolution, sponsored by some 60 countries, is to be voted on after the close of debate – not expected until at least Thursday.
The text, which unlike a Security Council resolution would not create a binding law, demands Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
Ukraine, one year on (C) Studio graphique France M?dias Monde
