- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock rules out easing of Russia sanctions
- G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs to discuss Ukraine in Bali
- Zelenskyy labels Russia “terrorist state” after missile strike on Vinnytsia
This article was last updated at 01:12 GMT/UTC
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy labels Russia ‘terrorist state’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his nightly address reiterated Kyiv’s demand that Russia be recognized as a “terrorist state,” after a missile strike on the city of Vinnytsia killed 23.
“This day once again proved that Russia must be officially recognized as a terrorist state,” Zelenskyy said.
“No other state in the world allows itself to destroy peaceful cities and ordinary human life with cruise missiles and rocket artillery every day,” he added.
Ukraine’s president underscored that the death toll from the strike on Vinnytsia could increase. “Debris clearance is ongoing. Dozens of people are listed as missing. Heavily wounded are among those hospitalized,” he said.
Ukraine’s president called for the establishment of a “special tribunal” on Russia’s actions in Ukraine, alongside a “special compensation mechanism” that would take funds from Moscow and use them to compensate victims of the invasion.
Germany’s Baerbock rejects lifting of Russia sanctions
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock ruled out a relaxation of sanctions on Moscow while speaking with citizens in Bremen.
She said that Germany “would be doubly subject to blackmail” if it were to ease sanctions.
Baerbock argued that this would amount to “an invitation to all those who trample on human rights, freedom and democracy,” as Russia had broken international law “in the most brutal way.”
Germany’s foreign minister said that Berlin will support Ukraine “as long as it needs us. And therefore, we will also maintain these sanctions and at the same time ensure that society is not divided in our country.”
Lawmakers from the left-wing Die Linke and far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) have called for the easing of sanctions as a way to reduce pressure on the German economy. Germany is heavily dependent on Russian gas.
G20 finance chief meeting to discuss war in Ukraine
The G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs are set to meet in Bali, Indonesia and will discuss the economic impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called the war the “greatest challenge” to the global economy and said Russian officials had “no place” at the talks.
“We are seeing negative spillover effects from that war in every corner of the world, particularly with respect to higher energy prices, and rising food insecurity,” she said ahead of the meeting.
Yellen is expected to push for a price cap on Russian oil as a way to limit Moscow’s access to funds and bring down energy costs.
In April, Yellen lead a walkout of finance officials as Russian delegates spoke at a G20 meeting in Washington.
G20 chair Indonesia declined to exclude Russia from the meetings, despite pressure from Western countries and Japan to do so.
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov will participate in the meeting virtually. Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko will address the meeting virtually at the start of talks.
What happened Thursday in Russia’s war against Ukraine
The European Union strongly condemned what it called an “atrocity” after 23 people were killed in a Russian missile strike that hit Vinnytsia in central Ukraine. UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was “appalled” by the strike.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) expressed “grave concern” about the treatment of Ukrainians at Russia’s so called “filtration centers” in Ukraine.
The US along with 40 other nations vowed at The Hague to coordinate investigations into suspected war crimes carried out by Russian forces in Ukraine following the invasion on February 24.
Russian-installed officials in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine announced they are aiming to hold a referendum on joining Russia in September.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrew Rudenko outlined several conditions that Moscow “would respond positively to” in order to negotiate peace with Ukraine. The conditions included Ukraine becoming non-aligned and non-nuclear and accepting Russia’s occupation of Crimea and Donbas.
Officials from both Russia and Ukraine said that talks over the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea had made progress and that a deal could be reached as soon as next week.
Click here for more details on Thursday’s events in Russia’s war against Ukraine
sdi/wd (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
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