Tag: Ukraine

100 Days, A Grim Milestone in the Russia-Ukraine War

JAMEY KEATEN and YURAS KARMANAU – June 3, 2022

GENEVA (AP) — One hundred days into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war has brought the world a near-daily drumbeat of gut wrenching scenes: Civilian corpses in the streets of Bucha; a blown-up theater in Mariupol; the chaos at a Kramatorsk train station in the wake of a Russian missile strike.

Those images tell just a part of the overall picture of Europe’s worst armed conflict in decades. Here’s a look at some numbers and statistics that — while in flux and at times uncertain — shed further light on the death, destruction, displacement and economic havoc wrought by the war as it reaches this milestone with no end in sight.

THE HUMAN TOLL

Nobody really knows how many combatants or civilians have died, and claims of casualties by government officials — who may sometimes be exaggerating or lowballing their figures for public relations reasons — are all but impossible to verify.

Government officials, U.N. agencies and others who carry out the grim task of counting the dead don’t always get access to places where people were killed.

And Moscow has released scant information about casualties among its forces and allies, and given no accounting of civilian deaths in areas under its control. In some places — such as the long-besieged city of Mariupol, potentially the war’s biggest killing field — Russian forces are accused of trying to cover up deaths and dumping bodies into mass graves, clouding the overall toll.

With all those caveats, “at least tens of thousands” of Ukrainian civilians have died so far, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday in comments to Luxembourg’s parliament.

https://www1.cbn.com

Countries hoarding food supplies as prices spike, hunger crisis looms

Laurel Duggan – May 25, 2022

Countries are imposing export restrictions on food in light of shortage concerns sparked by the war in Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Export restrictions were quickly imposed after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine to increase domestic supply and slow the rise of prices, but the trend could exacerbate rising global food prices and shortages, according to the WSJ. Ukraine and Russia are both major exporters of grains and vegetable oils.

Restrictions on food or fertilizer exports were put in place in 26 countries in 2022, according to the WSJ. Economists told the outlet these restrictions would temporarily ease the pain of food shortages in the countries that use them, but are a temporary measure that contributes to higher food prices globally.

India, the world’s second-largest wheat producer, banned wheat exports May 13 as domestic prices jumped while Indonesia, which produces 60% of the world’s palm oil, blocked exports of the substance in late April before lifting the ban in late May. Ghana barred maize, rice and soybean exports; Argentina banned beef exports; and Iran and Egypt blocked the export of numerous foods, according to the WSJ.

“It’s one of these classic things where there’s really a short-term sugar high for the government … And then you end up with the same scarcity problem you had before,” said Simon Evenett, professor of international trade and economic development at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, according to the WSJ.

Food prices rose nearly 30% over the past year, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, with the trend accelerating following the invasion of Ukraine. President Joe Biden expressed concern about the food shortages March 24.

“With regard to food shortages, yes, we did talk about food shortages,” Biden said. “And it’s gonna be real.”

https://www.wnd.com

Russian TV warns that nuclear war is the only alternative to Russia obtaining victory in Ukraine

Ricky Scaparo – May 22, 2022

(OPINION) New threats of a nuclear strike were made on Russian state TV, as the head of state-controlled Russia Today (RT) Margarita Simonyan said on air that the war in Ukraine will either end with Russia’s victory or a catastrophe for all humanity.

“They all believe we’ll definitely lose, and the West will definitely win,” Simonyan said. “They say this, not understanding that it’s impossible. It’s just not possible, it will not happen. Either this ends badly for all humanity or we win. There’s no third option.”

It’s not the first time Simonyan made a nuclear threat on air. In late April, the RT editor-in-chief said that British support of Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil is leaving Moscow short of options besides the “complete destruction” of Ukraine and “a nuclear strike.”

On that occasion, there was no evidence that the Kremlin supported the threat made by the journalist on state TV. But the most recent comment by Simonyan comes as the head of Russia’s space agency has announced that Moscow will soon have 50 new nuclear missiles.

“The Anglo-Saxons are publicly calling on Ukraine to take the combat activity into Russian territory. And giving them the ammo to carry out that plan,” she said. “What choice are you leaving us, idiots? Complete destruction of what remains of Ukraine? A nuclear strike?”

There is no evidence that the Kremlin shares the same views as Simonyan on a nuclear attack, although it’s sure that Moscow is equally as annoyed with Britain for its recent statements in support of Ukraine.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

Oil Spikes After EU Says Russian Embargo ‘Imminent’ As Germany Drops Opposition

Tyler Durden – April 28, 2022

After throughout the whole month consistently rejecting a proposed European Union ban on Russian oil, but while also walking a delicate tightrope of opposing Putin’s demand of payments in rubles for Russian energy, Germany is now ready to pull the trigger on an embargo.

It’s another major Berlin U-turn happening in tandem with the decision to send heavy weapons to Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal is citing Berlin government officials who say “Germany is now ready to stop buying Russian oil.”

The WSJ underscores that this “clears the way” for a wider EU ban on Russian oil imports, given that Germany’s resistance was the chief holdout to imposing an embargo before this point.

Further the report indicates that an embargo now seen as “imminent” but it remains that no target date has been set yet, or at least hasn’t been disclosed publicly. While events earlier in the week made clear that this was coming, preparing markets, oil began surging on the news.

Which is not good news for President Biden as gas prices at the pump are already on the rise.

Germany appears to have lifted its objection based on prior negotiations to implement a phased-in Russian oil embargo, similar to the phased approach regarding the coal ban.

Additionally, other countries particularly in eastern Europe have lately appeared willing to step up in taking the pressure off Germany supply – for example Poland says it’s ready to supply a German refinery via Gdansk which is owned by Rosneft.

https://www.zerohedge.com

Finland, Sweden could join NATO as soon as this summer: report

– April 11, 2022

Finland and Sweden are poised to join NATO as early as this summer, a move that a US official said stemmed from Russia’s “massive strategic blunder” of invading Ukraine, according to a report published Monday. ​​

Membership of the two Nordic countries in the Atlantic alliance was a “topic of conversation and multiple sessions” last week during meetings of NATO foreign ministers that were attended by representatives from Stockholm and Helsinki, the Times of London reported.

Finland is expected to submit an application in June, with Sweden following soon after, the report said.

The addition of Sweden and Finland would increase the alliance membership to 32 countries — and extend its border with Russia by hundreds of miles.

​​​“How can this be anything but a massive strategic blunder for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin?”​ a​ senior American official ​told the publication.

“Sweden and Finland would be real feathers in ​NATO’s cap as net contributors. They are real players,” a European diplomat ​told the Times, noting that adding both countries would help expand the alliance’s capabilities, including in intelligence gathering and in air power.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said it was time for her country to reconsider becoming a NATO member and urged the alliance to consider any potential application “thoroughly but quickly.”

“Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was,” ​Marin said earlier this month, adding: “I think we will have very careful discussions, but we are also not taking any more time than we have to in this process, because the situation is, of course, very severe​.”

Stockholm is following Helsinki’s timetable and is conducting a security policy review that is expected to be concluded by the end of May.

https://nypost.com

Russia Could Use Nuclear Weapons in Ukraine War, Zelenskyy Warns

Jay Clemons – April 15, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sounded an alarm to the rest of the world Friday, warning that Russia could resort to using nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine.

While appearing with CNN host Jake Tapper, Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin does not value the lives of Ukrainian citizens, and that he could potentially go to extremes to win this war.

“I think all of the world, all the countries, have to be worried, because it can be not real information, but it can be truth,” said Zelenskyy, when pressed if Putin would ever authorize the usage of tactical nuclear weapons on the neighboring Ukraine.

Zelenskyy added: “[The Russians] could do it, for them the life of the people [means] nothing. … We should think, not be afraid, be ready. But that is not a question … only for Ukraine, but for all the world.”

Zelenskyy’s messaging is a tangible shift from last month, when the leader characterized Putin’s threat of implementing nuclear weapons on Ukraine as a “bluff.”

Back in March, Putin ordered that his nuclear forces be placed on higher alert after Zelenskyy repeatedly called for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

On Thursday, CIA Director William Burns echoed Zelenskyy’s weapons warning about Russia, while giving a speech in Atlanta.

“Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks that they’ve faced so far militarily, none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low-yield nuclear weapons,” said Burns, the CIA director since March 2021.

https://www.newsmax.com

Top US general warns that the Potential for ‘significant international conflict’ is increasing, Urges more troops to be deployed

Ricky Scaparo – April 5, 2022

The top US military officer told lawmakers Tuesday that the world is becoming more unstable and the “potential for significant international conflict is increasing, not decreasing.” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin appeared before the House Armed Services Committee in their first testimony before Congress since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The two Pentagon leaders said the threats from both Russia and China remain significant, while they defended the US approach to the war and the flow of arms the US is sending to Ukraine. Milley said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is “the greatest threat to peace and security of Europe and perhaps the world” in his 42 years serving in the US military, but added it was “heartening” to see the world rally around Ukraine.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is threatening to undermine not only European peace and stability but global peace and stability that my parents and a generation of Americans fought so hard to defend,” Milley said.

Milley was asked about the need to reallocate forces to Europe’s eastern flank, where NATO allies are worried that they may be Russia’s next target. “My advice would be to create permanent bases but don’t permanently station (forces), so you get the effect of permanence by rotational forces cycling through permanent bases,” he said.

“I believe that a lot of our European allies, especially those such as the Baltics or Poland and Romania, and elsewhere — they’re very, very willing to establish permanent bases. They’ll build them, they’ll pay for them.” Austin added that he recently visited and spoke with leaders in the Baltics, noting that they made it clear they value U.S. troops there.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

Collapse Incoming: European Nations Start RATIONING Food And Fuel

Arsenio Toledo – April 4th, 2022

Countries all over the world, especially in Europe, have started implementing policies that ration food and fuel.

Europe’s struggles with its food and fuel supplies began after most nations on the continent imposed economic sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. This threatened the flow of already-critical commodities in Europe and threatened to collapse already-struggling global supply chains.

As a result, the prices of everything from oil to wheat have soared, leading to multi-decade high inflation rates. Supplies of these essential products have also dwindled after exports from Russia were completely strangled.

In Spain, the country started experiencing sporadic shortages of different products like eggs, milk, and other dairy products almost immediately following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. In early March, major supermarkets like Mercadona and Makro began rationing sunflower oil.

Spain’s left-wing government even went further and gave stores the option to temporarily impose limits on the number of certain products customers purchase.

In Greece, at least four national supermarket chains have started rationing food products like flour and sunflower oil due to critically low supplies caused by the crippled supply chains coming out of Russia and Ukraine.

The supermarkets claim the current rationing is only a preventive measure that will be rolled back once Greece’s supplies of flour and sunflower oil stabilize. Around 30 percent of Greece’s wheat imports come from Russia and Ukraine.

“The reason for the cap on these products is only precautionary, as our customers are concerned about the war in Ukraine,” said one official from supermarket chain Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos. “We want to ensure we will be able to serve our customers’ needs in the future too.”

https://www.shtfplan.com

Talks Resume as Ukraine Denies Hitting Depot on Russian Soil

Newsmax – April 1, 2022

Talks to stop the fighting in Ukraine resumed Friday, as another desperate attempt to rescue civilians from the shattered and encircled city of Mariupol failed and Russia accused the Ukrainians of launching a helicopter attack on a fuel depot on Russian soil.

The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said a fiery cross-border raid by two helicopter gunships left two people wounded, though state oil company Rosneft denied anyone was hurt.

“Certainly, this is not something that can be perceived as creating comfortable conditions for the continuation of the talks,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, five weeks after Moscow began sending upwards of 150,000 of its own troops across Ukraine’s border.

The Russian claim could not immediately be verified, and Ukraine denied responsibility.

“For some reason they say that we did it, but in fact this does not correspond with reality,” Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s national security council, said on Ukrainian television.

Russia has reported cross-border shelling from Ukraine before, including an incident last week that killed a military chaplain, but not an incursion of its airspace. The Rosneft depot is about 35 kilometers (21 miles) from the Ukraine border.

https://www.newsmax.com

As Ukraine invasion stalls, Russia launches nuke threats to rest of world

WND Staff – March 23, 2022

A lot of the details about the costs of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and its attempt to destroy the nation including its women and children – remain murky.

While bombed-out cities are apparent on video postings, death tolls are only estimates, although when the numbers are in the thousands it doesn’t look good.

But now, amid reports the Russia aggressors are stalling out in mud, in frostbite weather, and more, Russian officials are ramping up their threats to the rest of the world.

One such attempt to intimidate is coming from Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, who told Christianne Amanpour on CNN that his nation will use nuclear weapons if faced with an “existential threat.”

There also was the warning from Igor Korotchenko, a military expert on Russian TV, who claimed, “The West will never lift the sanctions … This is war. What should be our reaction? Tactical nuclear weapons…”And Putin’s propagandist Vladimir Soloviev warned, “If you decide to prepare NATO peacekeepers and bring them in, this will mean a nuclear war. This was told to French journalists on February 8. Brave Poles, your Warsaw will disappear in a split second. Brave Germans, brave Estonians, brave Baltic states. By the way, brave Baltic states, I know there are big problems at the border in Kaliningrad. Maybe it’s time we think about a corridor to Kaliningrad? A land corridor to Kaliningrad. Why not? If we are making one to Transnistria, why not?”

https://www.wnd.com