- The United States has warned of a chemical weapons attack in Ukraine
- Zelensky denounces hospital bombing as “genocide”
- Russian and Ukrainian Foreign Ministers to Meet in Antalya, Turkey
- US House approves $ 13.6 billion aid to Ukraine, European allies
- EU leaders will discuss the economic implications of the Russian attack
This article was last updated at 08:34 UTC / GMT
Find out about Wednesday’s events as Russia admits it used troops in its invasion of Ukraine
Ukraine’s accession to the EU “will take time”
Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is not an imminent prospect, according to French Minister for European Affairs Clement Bon, as EU leaders gathered in Versailles to discuss the Russian invasion of its neighbor.
“It will take time,” Beaune said after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for Ukraine to join the bloc quickly came on the sixth day of the invasion.
More than 10,000 Ukrainians leave at night
More than 10,000 people were evacuated from villages and towns around Kyiv overnight, local media reported.
In addition to the areas around Kyiv, the evacuees also fled along routes to Sumy and Enerhodar.
On Wednesday, Poland received a total of 1.43 million people from Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Polish border guards said on Thursday.
The number of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine reached 2 million on Tuesday, with the latest figures reaching 2,155,271, according to the UN.
Russia is leaving the Council of Europe
Russia will no longer participate in the Council of Europe, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing the Moscow Foreign Ministry.
The foreign ministry said the NATO alliance and EU countries were undermining a European body designed to defend human rights, the rule of law and democracy.
Ukrainian Paralympic athletes call for peace with raised fists
Ukrainian athletes and officials called for peace at the Beijing Winter Paralympics on Thursday.
As part of their appeal, they unfurled a banner, observed a minute’s silence, and called for an end to the war.
Led by National Paralympic Committee President Valerii Sushkevych, the entire 20-member mission raised a “peace for all” banner with clenched fists.
“This one minute concerns the thousands of people, including children and others with disabilities, returning to Ukraine,” Suskevich said. “If humanity is civilized, then this war must stop. People, women and children deserve to live, not die.”
Head coach Andriy Nesterenko said: “The Russians have bombed many hospitals and schools … we need your support today, not later. People attacking civilian areas can not be people … we kindly ask for a safe haven Ukraine. “
WHERE: 18 medical facilities were attacked by the invasion
The World Health Organization has confirmed 18 attacks on medical facilities since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
The confirmation comes after Ukraine accused Russia of bombing a children’s hospital on Wednesday.
Russia denies bombing Mariupol children’s hospital
Russia has called Ukraine’s bombing of a children’s hospital in Mariupol “fake news”.
Moscow claimed the building was a former maternity hospital that had long been occupied by troops.
“This is how fake news is born,” Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said on Twitter, adding that Moscow had warned on Monday that the hospital was a military facility.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of genocide after Ukrainian officials said Russian planes had bombed a children’s hospital on Wednesday.
At least three people, including a girl, were killed in the attack, local officials said on Thursday.
EU leaders will discuss Ukraine at the Palace of Versailles
EU leaders will meet at the Palace of Versailles in France on Thursday for a summit on the crisis over the Ukraine war.
“Russia ‘s aggressive war is a tectonic change in European history,” a draft of the meeting’ s final statement said.
The leaders will discuss “how the EU can meet its responsibilities in this new reality, protecting our citizens, our values, our democracies and our European model”.
Diplomats said they would discuss ways to boost Europe’s autonomy, especially in the energy sector. The EU imports about 40% of its gas from Russia.
US House of Representatives approves $ 13.6 billion bailout for Ukraine
The US House of Representatives has approved a $ 13.6 billion (€ 12.3 billion) bailout for Ukraine and its European allies.
The bill will also fund the US federal government by September 30th.
The Ukrainian part of the bill included $ 6.5 billion to send US troops and weapons to Eastern Europe and equip NATO allies there, and another $ 6.8 billion to provide refugee care and financial assistance to refugees. allies.
Carlsberg stops production and sales in Russia
Danish brewery Carlsberg has said it will stop production and sales in Russia.
Carlsberg is the fourth largest beer producer in the world.
Last week, Carlsberg announced it would halt new investment and exports to Russia.
Carlsberg is the majority owner of Baltika Breweries based in St. Petersburg. Baltika Breweries will continue to operate but as a separate company.
Sony stops Playstation in Russia
Sony announced on Thursday that it would suspend all software and hardware shipments and operations of the PlayStation Store in Russia.
Sony has said it will donate $ 2 million (€ 1.8 million) to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) and Save the Children.
Zelensky: At least 35,000 civilians have been evacuated
At least 35,000 civilians were evacuated from Ukrainian cities on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a daily video speech.
Zelensky said three humanitarian corridors had allowed residents to flee the northeastern city of Sumy, the southeastern city of Enerkhodar and areas around the capital Kyiv.
He said he hoped more routes would continue on Thursday with routes to evacuate from the southeastern cities of Mariupol and Volnovaka and the eastern city of Izium.
Rio Tinto reportedly ends trade relations with Russian companies
Reuters reported on Thursday that mining giant Rio Tinto would end all trade relations with Russian companies.
“Rio Tinto is in the process of ending all its trade relations with any Russian company,” a spokesman for the news agency said.
The German government will help Ukrainian artists
The German federal and state governments plan to help Ukrainian artists, Federal Culture Commissioner Claudia Roth said after a meeting with ministers.
“We have already started a hosting program,” Roth said.
Roth added that 1 million euros ($ 1.1 million) had been allocated for this purpose.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Europe of waging a “witch hunt” against Russian artists.
Zelensky calls for tougher Western sanctions after Mariupol airstrike
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy has called on the West to step up sanctions on Russia in his daily video speech following an airstrike on a maternity hospital in Mariupol.
“There is a genocide of Ukrainians,” Zelensky said. He called the strike at the hospital a “war crime”.
Zelensky said 17 people were injured in the attack on the maternity hospital, including pregnant women. He added that people, including children, were trapped under the rubble after the strike.
Mariupol has been under siege by Russian troops for nine days. Zelensky said the siege was “beyond brutality”.
Summary of events in the Ukraine-Russia crisis on Wednesday
The International Monetary Fund has given the green light to $ 1.4 million (€ 1.26 million) in emergency support to help Ukraine deal with the “massive humanitarian and economic crisis”.
Germany’s conservative Christian parties (CDU / CSU) have called on the federal government to suspend imports of Russian gas through the Nord Stream 1. German Chancellor Olaf Solz has also rejected the idea of sending Polish jets to Ukraine via US.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has acknowledged that troops were sent to Ukraine despite repeated denials by President Vladimir Putin.
The ministry said it was launching an investigation to punish those who allegedly disobeyed orders not to use conscripts and that “virtually everyone [conscripts] have retired to Russia. “
Russia and Ukraine have announced changes in exports amid the crisis. Observers said the cuts in wheat exports from Russia and Ukraine could be catastrophic for North Africa and the Middle East, which are heavily dependent on both suppliers.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of bombing a children’s hospital and a maternity hospital in the southeastern port city of Mariupol.
An Mariupol official later said the city was “on the verge of death” as there was still no humanitarian corridor to evacuate residents.
The White House has warned that Russia could use chemical or biological weapons as part of a “false flag” attack on Ukraine.
jsi, sdi / wd (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)
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