Finland is formally assessing potential NATO membership
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto hold a joint press conference after their meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on January 24, 2022.
Dursun Aydemir | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The government of Finland is moving ahead with a formal assessment of whether to apply for NATO membership, and will present its findings to parliament next week, the Finnish foreign minister said in Brussels.
For decades, the Nordic nation that borders Russia has resisted invitations to join the North Atlantic security alliance. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced it to reconsider, and public opinion in Finland has swung in favor of joining NATO. Watching Russian troops invade peaceful, sovereign Ukraine has created “a situation in which we may need cooperation,” said Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, referring to NATO.
Haavisto said that if Finland’s parliament approves its application for NATO membership, it would expect member states to swiftly vote on the application. “It is clear that in this global political situation, we are ready to hurry up and put pressure on all NATO members” to quickly vote to accept Finland into the alliance, said Haavisto.
Finland shares an 800-mile border with Russia, and the Kremlin for years has tacitly threatened that if the country decides to join NATO, it would become a target for possible Russian aggression.
— Christina Wilkie
‘Either you help us now … or your help will come too late,’ Ukrainian foreign minister says
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks during a news conference, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium April 7, 2022.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged allies to speed up the delivery of weapons as Russia prepares to intensify its fight in eastern Ukraine.
“Either you help us now, and I’m speaking about days not weeks, or your help will come too late,” Kuleba told reporters at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels.
“I have no doubt that Ukraine will have the weapons necessary to fight. The question is the timeline. This discussion is not about the list of weapons. The discussion is about the timeline when do we get them and this is crucial,” he said, adding “people are dying today, the offensive is unfolding today.”
When asked about Kuleba’s comments, NATO Secretary-General said that “allies are providing and are ready to do more when it comes to military support.”
— Amanda Macias
UN slated to vote on suspending Russia’s Human Rights Council membership
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York on September 19, 2017.
Jewel Samad | AFP | Getty Images
The 193-member U.N. General Assembly is due to vote on suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council. The meeting is slated to begin at 10 a.m. ET.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield introduced the proposal earlier this week after accusations that Russian forces killed Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv.
A resolution to strip Russia of its membership in the Geneva-based council would require support from two-thirds of the voting members.
The 47 members that make up the Human Rights Council, which are expected to uphold high human rights standards, serve for three years and are not eligible for immediate reelection after two consecutive terms.
— Amanda Macias
Italian Red Cross convoy of refugees from Ukraine arrives in Turin
82 people originally from the Donbass and suffering from various medical conditions were evacuated from Lviv by the Italian Red Cross in collaboration with the Ukrainian Red Cross. Once in Italy the refugees will be distributed to three regions; Piedmont, Trentino and Puglia.
Ukrainian refugee looked after by Red Cross volunteers inside the Red Cross Headquarters on April 7, 2022 in Settimo Torinese near Turin, Italy.
Stefano Guidi | Getty Images
Ukrainian refugee looked after by Red Cross volunteers inside the Red Cross Headquarters on April 7, 2022 in Settimo Torinese near Turin, Italy.
Stefano Guidi | Getty Images
General view of Ukrainian refugees looked after by Red Cross volunteers inside the Red Cross Headquarters on April 7, 2022 in Settimo Torinese near Turin, Italy.
Stefano Guidi | Getty Images
Ukrainian refugee looked after by Red Cross volunteers inside the Red Cross Headquarters on April 7, 2022 in Settimo Torinese near Turin, Italy.
Stefano Guidi | Getty Images
Ukrainian refugee sleeps on a bed inside the Red Cross Headquarters on April 7, 2022 in Settimo Torinese near Turin, Italy.
Stefano Guidi | Getty Images
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Russian soldiers used civilians as human shields, witnesses say: Report
Russian soldiers used civilians as human shields against incoming Ukrainian fire, witnesses in the northern Ukrainian village of Obukhovychi told the BBC.
Residents of the village said Russian troops went from house to house, rounded up some 150 people at gunpoint, and held them in a school gym as protection for Russian troops.
“They took us from the cellars where we were hiding and forced us out,” Lydmila Sutkova, one of the villagers, told the BBC. “Old ladies, children, everyone. It was terrifying. They broke open the doors of anyone who wouldn’t open up.”
Another villager, Maryana, said, “I was afraid that we would all be shot in that gym. I was scared for my daughter. I don’t have the words.”
Russia’s foreign ministry has not responded to a CNBC request for comment.
— Natasha Turak
G-7 members condemn Bucha atrocities, say Russia should be suspended from UN Human Rights Council
The G-7 major economies issued a joint statement that squarely held Russia responsible for atrocities against civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, where at least 300 dead bodies were found on streets and in mass graves after Russian troops withdrew.
“Haunting images of civilian deaths, victims of torture, and apparent executions, as well as reports of sexual violence and destruction of civilian infrastructure show the true face of Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and its people,” the statement said.
“The massacres in the town of Bucha and other Ukrainian towns will be inscribed in the list of atrocities and severe violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights, committed by the aggressor on Ukrainian soil.”
Ministers also said that Russia should be suspended from the U.N. Human Rights Council. They stressed their “unwavering support for Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders” and expressed their readiness to further assist the country by military and financial means.
— Natasha Turak
Kremlin says U.S. sending weapons to Ukraine won’t help peace talks
The Kremlin criticized Washington’s decision to continue sending military supplies to Ukraine, saying it wouldn’t bode well for the outcome of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
“Pumping weapons into Ukraine will not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian talks,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on a call with press, referring to U.S. weapons provisions to Ukraine. “Of course this will most likely have a negative effect.”
The Pentagon says it has committed more than $1.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia began its invasion on Feb. 24. A recent $300 million package of military supplies Washington said it is providing will include drones, armored vehicles and machine guns.
A serviceman of Ukrainian military forces holds a FGM-148 Javelin, an American-made portable anti-tank missile, at a checkpoint, where they hold a position near Kharkiv, on March 23, 2022.
Sergey Bobok | AFP | Getty Images
“Ukraine is fighting a defensive war, so this distinction between offensive and defensive weapons doesn’t actually have any real meaning in the defensive war that Ukraine is fighting,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday.
— Natasha Turak
Ukraine official says Russian air attacks concentrated in the east, Mariupol holding out
Russia has said the country’s military will now concentrate efforts on the “complete liberation” of Ukraine’s Donbas region.
Bulent Kilic | Afp | Getty Images
Russian air attacks are predominantly focused on parts of eastern Ukraine and Russian forces are seeking to encircle Ukrainian forces in the region, according to an advisor to Ukraine’s president, Reuters reported.
The besieged port city of Mariupol was holding out, Oleksiy Arestovych reportedly said in remarks delivered on national television, before adding that he believed Russian efforts would ultimately fail.
His comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin oversees a change in military strategy to the Kremlin’s unprovoked onslaught in Ukraine. Russian forces have been seen repositioning in the east in a bid to take control of the Donbas region.
— Sam Meredith
Ukraine criticizes Hungary’s willingness to buy Russian gas in rubles as “unfriendly act”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (not seen) give a press conference before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters, in Brussels, on April 7, 2022.
Dursun Aydemir | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Tension is growing between the governments of Ukraine and Hungary as Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticized Budapest’s unwillingness to take a harder stance on Moscow.
Kuleba said he views Hungary’s willingness to pay for Russian gas in rubles, something Putin has demanded, as an “unfriendly act.” Ukraine also said that Hungary, which opposes energy sanctions on Russia despite the evidence of Russian atrocities against civilians, fortifies Russia’s impunity and encourages it “to commit new atrocities against Ukrainians.”
“If Hungary really wants to help end the war, here’s how to do it: stop destroying unity in the EU, support new anti-Russian sanctions, provide military assistance to Ukraine, and not create additional sources of funding for Russia’s military machine,” said Oleg Nikolenko, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson. “It is never too late to get on the right side of history.”
Hungary pushed back, saying that interfering with its energy needs, for which it is heavily dependent on Russia, would be a red line. Hungary has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and taken in hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, but Hungarian President Viktor Orban has refused to criticize President Putin and recently referred to Hungarian President Viktor Orban as his “enemy.”
— Natasha Turak
Russian artillery and air strikes continue along Donbas line of control: UK’s Defence Ministry
Residents run near a burning house following a shelling Severodonetsk, Donbass region, on April 6, 2022, as Ukraine tells residents in the country’s east to evacuate “now” or “risk death” ahead of a feared Russian onslaught on the Donbas region, which Moscow has declared its top prize.
Fadel Senna | AFP | Getty Images
“Progressing offensive operations in eastern Ukraine is the main focus of Russian military forces,” Britain’s Defence Ministry said in a tweet.
Russian attacks continue along the Donbas line of control in Ukraine’s east, the ministry said, adding that strikes against infrastructure targets in Ukraine are “likely intended to degrade the ability of the Ukrainian military to resupply and increase pressure on the Ukrainian government.”
Still, despite refocusing its forces and logistical operations in the Donbas, Russian forces “are likely to continue facing morale issues and shortages of supplies and personnel,” the ministry said.
— Natasha Turak
Ukrainianian foreign minister’s request to NATO: ‘Weapons, weapons, and weapons’
Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes, Canadian Foreign Minister Melaine Joly, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba attend a NATO foreign ministers meeting, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium April 7, 2022.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with G7 and NATO members on Thursday in a bid to gather more support for his country’s fight against Russia.
“I came here today to discuss three most important things: weapons, weapons, and weapons. Ukraine’s urgent needs, the sustainability of supplies, and long-term solutions which will help Ukraine to prevail,” he wrote in a tweet.
Kuleba asked specifically for planes, missiles, armored vehicles, and heavy air defense systems. The meeting came as Russia intensifies its strikes on Ukraine’s east and south after retreating from areas around the capital Kyiv.
— Natasha Turak
Shell to write off roughly $5 billion in assets after leaving Russia
Shell will write off between $4 and $5 billion in the value of its assets after pulling out of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, revealing some of the financial impact to Western oil companies of leaving Russia.
“For the first quarter 2022 results, the post-tax impact from impairment of non-current assets and additional charges (e.g. write-downs of receivable, expected credit losses, and onerous contracts) relating to Russia activities are expected to be $4 to $5 billion,” Shell said in a statement Thursday.
The company added that the additional charges “will not impact Adjusted Earnings.”
— Natasha Turak
UN says 63 children are among the 1,563 civilians killed in Ukraine
A young boy gives an offering of food to his mother’s grave as his younger brother and a neighbor stand next to it, in the town of Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, after the Ukrainian army secured the area following the withdrawal of the Russian army from the Kyiv region on previous days, Bucha, Ukraine, April 4th, 2022.
Narciso Contreras | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The United Nations has confirmed 1,563 civilian deaths and 2,213 injuries in Ukraine since Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24.
Of those killed, the UN has identified at least 63 children.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights adds that the death tolls in Ukraine are likely t higher, citing delayed reporting due to the armed conflict.
A resident searches for the graves of relatives in a cemetery in Chernihiv, northern Ukraine, on April 5, 2022.
Sergei Supinsky | AFP | Getty Images
The international body says that most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missile and airstrikes.
The UN says the war has created more than 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees, mostly the elderly, women and children.
Serhii Lahovskyi, 26, mourns next to the grave of his friend Ihor Lytvynenko, who according to residents was killed by Russian soldiers, after they found him beside a building’s basement, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Bucha, in Kyiv region, Ukraine, April 6, 2022.
Alkis Konstantinidis | Reuters
— Amanda Macias
U.S. charges Russian oligarch with Ukraine-related sanction violations
Konstantin Malofeev, chairman of the board of directors of the Tsargrad media group, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Moscow, Russia September 16, 2021.
Tatyana Makeyeva | Reuters
The Department of Justice charged Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev for conspiracy to violate and for violating U.S. sanctions that were imposed in 2014 following Moscow’s illegal annexation of Crimea.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Malofeyev, 47, eight years ago for playing “a leading role in supporting Russia’s 2014 invasion of eastern Ukraine.” He remains at large but is believed to be in Russia, according to U.S. authorities.
The FBI said Malofeyev “recently described Russia’s 2022 military invasion of Ukraine as a holy war.”
The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the charges.
— Amanda Macias
U.S. sanctions Putin’s adult children, bans all new investment in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Governor of the Novgorod Region Andrei Nikitin during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 22, 2022.
Mikhail Klimentyev | Sputnik | Reuters
The U.S. announced a slate of new sanctions on Russia as it tries to squeeze Moscow’s economy and elites in response to mounting Russian atrocities in Ukraine.
The Biden administration will ban all new investment in Russia and put full blocking sanctions on Sberbank and Alfa Bank, two of the country’s largest financial institutions.
The U.S. will also sanction two adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin and family members of other top Russian officials.
The Biden administration believes “many of Putin’s assets are hidden with family members, and that’s why we’re targeting them,” said a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
— Christina Wilkie