Vladimir Putin visited troops in the occupied part of Ukraine’s Kherson and Luhansk regions, marking the Russian president’s second public visit to the occupied territories since he ordered the February 2022 invasion.
(Bloomberg) — Vladimir Putin visited troops in the occupied part of Ukraine’s Kherson and Luhansk regions, marking the Russian president’s second public visit to the occupied territories since he ordered the February 2022 invasion.
The Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Japan vowed to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes” in its fight against Russian forces.
The US ambassador to Russia visited detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in a Russian prison, more than 2 1/2 weeks since his arrest on spying charges, the US Embassy in Moscow said.
Key Developments
- Putin Stages Surprise Visit to Troops in Occupied Ukraine
- China’s Defense Minister Lauds Putin for ‘Promoting World Peace’
- G-7 to Back Ukraine Indefinitely, Seeks Stability With China
- Brazil’s Foreign Minister Criticizes Russia Sanctions
- Ukraine Says Vital Black Sea Crop Exports Remain Disrupted (1)
(All times CET)
Ukraine’s Vital Black Sea Crop Exports Remain Disrupted (11:45 a.m.)
Kyiv said its crop shipments through the Black Sea safe-passage corridor remained suspended for a second day with Russia blocking the inspection of vessels.
The latest disruption to the seaborne shipments comes at the same time as three of Ukraine’s European Union neighbors have stopped allowing imports of some of its agricultural cargoes — threatening a key alternative route to export markets.
Ukraine’s delegation is in Poland to discuss the issue while the infrastructure minister is visiting Turkey for talks on a possible grain deal.
Estonia Says Ukraine Needs Pathway to NATO (11:45 a.m.)
Kyiv needs a clear message on how it can move toward full NATO membership at the organization’s Vilnius summit in July, Estonia’s new foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, said on TV late Monday night after taking office earlier in the day.
Tsahkna added that if Western allies begin to tire of the war and pressure Ukraine to seek peace terms, it would mean the continuation of Putin’s regime and a new “test” for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the region in three or four years.
Putin Makes Surprise Visit to Occupied Ukraine (9:03 a.m.)
The Russian president visited officers of the Vostok National Guard in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk and at the headquarters of the Dnepr grouping of troops in the southern Kherson region, according to video shown on state TV.
Putin said he wanted to hear about military developments and also congratulated troops on the past Sunday’s Orthodox Easter. He presented a copy of an icon to the Dnepr forces that he said had belonged to “one of the most successful defense ministers of the Russian Empire.”
G-7 Pledges to Support Ukraine Indefinitely (9:03 a.m.)
In a communique released Tuesday after top G-7 diplomats met in Japan, the bloc condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine “in the strongest possible terms.” The nations reiterated support for Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s peace plan, while assailing Russia’s “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.”
“We recommit today to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes and to providing sustained security, economic, and institutional support to help Ukraine defend itself, secure its free and democratic future, and deter future Russian aggression,” the ministers said.
Brazil’s Foreign Minister Complains About Sanctions (9:03 a.m.)
Economic sanctions placed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine are taking an unnecessary toll on nations that aren’t involved in the conflict, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said after meeting his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Monday.
“Aside from not having the approval of the United Nations Security Council, [sanctions] have a negative impact on economies around the world,” Vieira said in a statement to the press after he and Lavrov met in Brasilia.
Brazil is among the nations that have not participated in sanctions imposed on Russia since its February 2022 invasion.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.