By The Related Press
CANBERRA, Australia — The primary of 20 Bushmaster armored automobiles has left Australia for Ukraine, one week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy particularly requested the Australian-manufactured four-wheel drives.
A Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport jet that may carry 4 Bushmasters left the east coast metropolis of Brisbane for Europe on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated.
The 20 Bushmasters price 50 million in Australian {dollars}, which is $37 million in U.S. {dollars}.
The automobiles are along with $116 million in Australian {dollars} ($87 million in U.S. {dollars}) in army and humanitarian help beforehand dedicated to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy requested Bushmasters when he made a video handle to the Australian Parliament on March 31.
“And as quickly as he requested, we stated sure,” Morrison stated.
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:
— Ukraine girds for renewed Russian offensive on japanese entrance
— Congress votes to droop Russia commerce standing, enact oil ban
— Ukraine appeals to NATO for extra weapons
— Russia is shifting troops and focus towards the east, however that technique carries dangers as nicely
— U.N. Common Meeting votes to droop Russia from UN rights council
— Ukrainian refugees discover quickest route into US goes by Mexico
— Seeing Bucha atrocities is popping level for media, viewers
— Russia makes debt fee in rubles, a transfer that might end in historic default
— Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for extra protection
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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Thursday introduced it’s levying sanctions towards Russia’s largest army shipbuilding and diamond mining firms.
The transfer blocks their entry to the U.S. monetary system as the US seems to be to actual extra financial ache on President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine.
Alrosa is the world’s largest diamond mining firm and accounts for about 90% of Russia’s diamond mining capability, in keeping with the U.S. Treasury Division.
Alrosa generated over $4.2 billion in income in 2021. Diamonds are certainly one of Russia’s high 10 non-energy exports by worth.
The State Division additionally stated it was blacklisting the United Shipbuilding Company, in addition to its subsidiaries and board members.
The strikes towards the two-state owned firms come a day after the U.S. introduced it was concentrating on the 2 grownup daughters of President Vladimir Putin, two of Russia’s largest banks and banning new American funding in Russia.
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LVIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Thursday night time that work has begun to dig by the rubble in Borodianka, one other metropolis northwest of Kyiv that was occupied by the Russians.
He additionally stated “it’s a lot scarier” there, with much more victims of the Russian troops.
In his each day nighttime video handle to the nation Thursday, Zelenskyy stated the Russians had been getting ready to shock the world in the identical manner by exhibiting corpses in Mariupol and falsely claiming they had been killed by the Ukrainian defenders.
In the meantime, Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk stated Thursday on Ukrainian tv that investigators have discovered a minimum of three websites of mass shootings of civilians throughout the Russian occupation.
Fedoruk stated a whole bunch have been killed and investigators are discovering our bodies in yards, parks and metropolis squares.
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PHOENIX — A Ukrainian diplomat pleaded for the US to ship weapons to his beleaguered nation in a speech to the Arizona Legislature on Thursday.
Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraine’s consul normal in San Francisco, advised Arizona lawmakers that Ukraine wants three issues to repel Russian invaders and stop extra civilian deaths — “weapons, weapons and weapons.”
Kushneruk stated it’s a “conflict for the soul of humanity” and time is of the essence as Russia regroups for an anticipated offensive on the Donbas area of Japanese Ukraine.
In line with Kushneruk, immediate American assistance will save civilian lives and he pleaded for individuals to not look away even because the conflict drags on.
Kushneruk stated Ukraine wants planes, anti-aircraft programs, heavy artillery, tanks, rockets programs and long-range missiles that may goal Russian ships within the Black Sea.
The speech continued the outreach by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s authorities to political and cultural establishments all over the world.
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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden calls the United Nations vote Thursday to droop Russia from the physique’s Human Rights Council “a significant step by the worldwide group.”
He additionally stated that it additional demonstrates how Russian President Vladimir Putin’s conflict “has made Russia a world pariah.”
The U.N. Common Meeting voted Thursday to droop Russia from the U.N.’s main human rights physique over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian troopers in Ukraine.
The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions
The USA and Ukraine have referred to as Russia’s alleged rights violations tantamount to conflict crimes.
In an announcement, Biden stated the pictures out of Bucha and different areas of Ukraine as Russian troops withdraw are “horrifying” and “an outrage to our frequent humanity.”
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BRUSSELS — European Council president Charles Michel says the bloc’s high diplomat has proposed including a further 500 million euros ($544 million) to Ukraine below the “European Peace Facility,” the fund which has been used for the primary time throughout the conflict to ship defensive deadly weapons to a 3rd nation.
The EU has beforehand agreed to spend 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) on army provides for Ukrainian forces in an unprecedented step of collectively supplying weapons to a rustic below assault.
EU international locations and NATO have to this point excluded the choice of a direct army intervention in Ukraine.
“As soon as swiftly accepted this may deliver to 1.5 billion the EU assist already offered for army gear for Ukraine,” Michel stated in a message posted on Twitter wherein he thanked EU international affairs chief Josep Borrell.
The proposal must be accepted by the 27 EU international locations. The EU stated the instrument ought to assist Ukraine armed forces “defend the nation’s territorial integrity and sovereignty” and shield the civilian inhabitants.
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The World Well being Group has verified greater than 100 “assaults on well being care” in Ukraine because the nation was first invaded greater than a month in the past, the group’s high official stated Thursday.
At the very least 103 assaults on hospitals and different health-care services within the nation, and a minimum of 73 had been killed and 51 injured in these incidents, stated WHO Director-Common Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, talking at a information convention in Washington, D.C.
The toll consists of medical staff in addition to sufferers, he stated.
He praised the US for supporting worldwide well being efforts in Ukraine, together with the supply of extra 180 metric tons of medical provides to hard-hit areas. “We’re outraged that assaults on well being care (in Ukraine) proceed,” he stated.
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BRUSSELS — European Union nations have accepted new sanctions towards Russia, together with an EU embargo on coal imports within the wake of proof of torture and killings rising from conflict zones exterior Kyiv.
The ban on coal imports would be the first EU sanctions concentrating on Russia’s profitable power trade over its conflict in Ukraine, stated an official on situation of anonymity as a result of the official announcement had not but been made.
The EU ban on coal is estimated to be value 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per 12 months. Within the meantime, the EU has already began engaged on further sanctions, together with on oil imports.
— Reported by Raf Casert.
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PARIS — The Worldwide Vitality Company says its member international locations are releasing 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves on high of earlier U.S. pledges to take intention at power costs which have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine.
The Paris-based group stated Thursday that the brand new commitments made by its 31 member nations, which embody the US and far of Europe, quantity to a complete of 120 million barrels over six months. It’s the biggest launch within the group’s historical past.
Half of that may come from the U.S. as a part of the bigger launch from its strategic petroleum reserve that President Joe Biden introduced final week.
The IEA agreed final Friday so as to add to the quantity of oil hitting the worldwide market. It comes on high of the 62.7 million barrels that the company’s members stated they’d launch final month to ease shortages.
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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Congress has overwhelmingly voted to droop regular commerce relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, ratcheting up the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid reviews of atrocities.
Home motion got here Thursday after the Senate accepted the 2 payments and the measures now go to President Joe Biden to be signed into legislation.
Biden has already taken government motion to ban Russian oil, liquefied pure gasoline and coal to the US. The laws places the trouble into legislation.
The invoice to finish regular commerce relations with Russia paves the way in which for Biden to enact larger tariffs on varied imports, akin to sure metal and aluminum merchandise, additional weakening the Russian economic system below President Vladimir Putin. It additionally ensures Belarus receives much less favorable tariff therapy.
The payments additionally present the president with the authority to return regular tariff therapy for Russia in addition to resume commerce in Russian power merchandise topic to sure circumstances.
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LONDON – Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and U.Okay. Prime Minister Boris Johnson have mentioned the necessity for ending imports of power sources from Russia as a type of robust sanctions on Moscow for its brutal invasion of Ukraine.
Following his talks with Johnson Thursday, Duda stated in addition they analyzed a proposal for Europe to levy further taxes on Russian gasoline, oil and coal till the imports are ended.
The U.Okay. stated it is going to cease importing Russian coal and oil by the top of this 12 months and gasoline imports will stop quickly after. Poland is to finish Russian coal imports by Might, gasoline by the 12 months’s finish and oil in 2023, probably.
“Russia isn’t a reputable accomplice and we must always not assume that it’ll ever be,” Duda advised reporters.
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NICOSIA, Cyprus – Ukraine’s president has requested Cypriot lawmakers to ratchet up strain on Russia by shutting Cypriot ports to all Russian ships, and to cease granting Russian businessmen conveniences together with Cypriot citizenship.
Addressing the Cypriot Parliament Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the east Mediterranean island nation for its humanitarian and monetary help and spoke of the destruction and dying the Russian invasion has wrought. He warned that the killings of civilians that occurred within the city of Bucha could also be taking place elsewhere.
Zelenskyy additionally pleaded for backing from Cyprus in Ukraine’s bid to affix the European Union. He stated EU membership for Ukraine would assist strengthen the 27-member bloc.
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STOCKHOLM — European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen has urged European Union members to remain collectively and never determine unilaterally on imposing sanctions towards Russia.
“We’ve got been profitable by being collectively. My plea is that we transfer ahead collectively,” von der Leyen stated throughout a go to to Stockholm the place she met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.
The EU chief on Friday will journey to Kyiv to fulfill Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Saturday, she attends a pledging occasion in favor of Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland.
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PODGORICA, Montenegro — NATO-member Montenegro is becoming a member of quite a few international locations that expelled Russian diplomats over the previous week.
The international ministry stated in an announcement Thursday that the 4 diplomats have per week to go away the small Balkan nation.
The choice is predicated on data offered by safety authorities in regards to the diplomats’ actions in Montenegro, the ministry stated. No different particulars had been instantly accessible.
Montenegro final month expelled one other Russian diplomat. Native media stated on the time that he was believed to be an intelligence officer.
Montenegro isn’t a member of the European Union however has joined Western sanctions towards Moscow.
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UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Common Meeting has voted to droop Russia from the U.N.’s main human rights physique over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian troopers in Ukraine, which the US and Ukraine have referred to as tantamount to conflict crimes.
Russia is the second nation to have its membership rights stripped on the Human Rights Council, which was established in 2006. In 2011, the meeting suspended Libya when upheaval within the North African nation introduced down longtime chief Moammar Gadhafi.
The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions. That’s considerably decrease than votes on two resolutions the meeting adopted final month demanding a right away cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and safety for civilians. Each resolutions had been accepted by a minimum of 140 nations.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield launched the marketing campaign to droop Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council within the wake of movies and photographs of streets within the Ukrainian city of Bucha strewn with corpses of what gave the impression to be civilians after Russian troopers retreated. The deaths have sparked world revulsion and requires harder sanctions on Russia, which has denied its troops had been accountable.
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. moved Thursday to choke off U.S. exports to a few Russian airways as a part of what officers described as an unprecedented enforcement motion.
The Commerce Division stated the transfer would stop the Russian nationwide flag service Aeroflot, Utair and Azur Air from receiving gadgets from the U.S., together with components to service their plane.
The actions, referred to as non permanent denial orders, do permit the Commerce Division to grant exceptions when the security of a flight could be in danger. The orders lengthen for 180 days, although they are often renewed.
The non-public sector has additionally taken its personal motion towards Russian airways in response to the conflict towards Ukraine, with Delta Air Strains in February suspending its codesharing partnership with Russian nationwide airline Aeroflot.
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LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday introduced plans to construct extra nuclear energy vegetation, increase renewable power manufacturing and additional faucet home oil and gasoline reserves to assist the U.Okay. cut back its dependence on Russian power following the invasion of Ukraine.
Johnson introduced the technique three weeks after he stated Western international locations had made a “horrible mistake” in failing to wean themselves off Russian power following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
The objective is to construct eight new nuclear reactors by 2050, tripling U.Okay. manufacturing of nuclear power to 24 gigawatts, or 1 / 4 of projected electrical energy demand.
As well as, the technique targets a 10-fold improve in manufacturing of electrical energy from offshore wind farms and an unspecified increase from onshore wind farms in a “restricted variety of supportive communities.”
The federal government additionally introduced a brand new spherical of licensing for oil and gasoline tasks within the North Sea, saying these fuels could be key to U.Okay. power safety and as a transition to low-carbon renewable power. Different components embody selling solar energy and growing hydrogen manufacturing to be used in gas cells.
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WARSAW, Poland – A surgeon in Poland says a significantly wounded 13-year-old boy from Ukraine would require lengthy, specialised therapy for the accidents he suffered within the early days of Russia’s invasion.
Pediatric surgeon Professor Jan Godzinski, of the T. Marciniak hospital in Wroclaw stated Thursday {that a} detailed diagnostic scan has been carried out on the “very severe” accidents that Volodymyr, or Vova, has suffered to his again, backbone and facial nerves.
Vova was injured and his father was killed in late February when the automobile wherein the household had been making an attempt to flee Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv was shelled by Russian forces. Medical doctors in Kyiv had been in a position to save his life, and he was later transferred to Lviv, however he’s now in a wheelchair because of the backbone accidents and one facet of his face is paralyzed.
Some shrapnel particles in his physique nonetheless must be eliminated, Godzinski stated.
“What moved me most was that he smiled after we advised him we will assist him,” Godzinski stated on Poland’s non-public TVN24.
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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is asking for his nation to be included in negotiations about ending the conflict in Ukraine.
“There could be no negotiations with out the participation of Belarus,” Lukashenko stated at a gathering Thursday of his nationwide safety council. “There could be no separate agreements behind the again of Belarus.”
Russia has launched missile assaults on Ukraine from Belarus and Russian troops invaded Ukraine from Belarus. There was no affirmation of claims that Belarusian forces entered Ukraine.
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ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish International Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says scenes which have emerged from the Ukrainian city of Bucha, which was recaptured from Russian forces, have “solid a shadow” over negotiations between Russia and Ukraine however says the edges should proceed to speak below all circumstances.
Talking after a NATO international ministers’ assembly on Thursday, Cavusoglu stated he advised his Ukrainian counterpart that Turkey was ready to host doable peace talks.
“The one manner is diplomacy,” he advised Turkish journalists in Brussels.
Turkey, which has maintained its shut ties with each Moscow and Kyiv, has hosted a gathering between the 2 international locations’ international ministers in addition to talks between the 2 negotiating groups.
The minister stated Turkey was additionally speaking with each Russia and Ukraine in regards to the doable evacuation of civilians from the besieged metropolis of Mariupol by sea.
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BRUSSELS — Ukraine’s international minister says he’s cautiously optimistic that some NATO member international locations will improve their weapons provides to his nation, serving to it resist Russia’s invasion, however he urged swift choices and motion.
Talking Thursday after talks in Brussels with NATO international ministers, Ukrainian International Minister Dmytro Kuleba declined to say which international locations could be offering gear or what type they’d be, however he stated the weapons should get to Ukraine rapidly as Russia gears up for a brand new offensive within the japanese Donbas area.
Kuleba stated: “Both you assist us now, and I’m talking about days, not weeks, or your assistance will come too late.”
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HELSINKI — Finland and Estonia say they’re collectively planning to hire a floating liquefied pure gasoline, or LNG, terminal to make sure gasoline provide within the two international locations in efforts to interrupt power dependence on neighboring Russia.
Finnish Minister of Financial Affairs Mika Lintila and his Estonian counterpart Taavi Aas stated in an announcement Thursday {that a} movable off-shore LNG terminal would provide a fast resolution in guaranteeing gasoline provide within the two European Union members separated by the Baltic Sea.
“Because of the conflict in Ukraine, we should put together for doable interruptions of gasoline import” by pipelines from Russia, Lintila stated, including {that a} floating LNG terminal “is an environment friendly method to safe gasoline provide, together with in trade.
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BRUSSELS — The Group of Seven main world powers are warning Russia they are going to preserve ramping up sanctions till its troops depart Ukraine and that these chargeable for alleged conflict crimes will likely be prosecuted.
G7 international ministers vowed Thursday to “maintain and improve strain on Russia by imposing coordinated further restrictive measures to successfully thwart Russian skills to proceed the aggression towards Ukraine.”
Western nations have already slapped a number of rounds of sanctions on Russia, together with on President Vladimir Putin, his household and associates, however have been reluctant to hit the nation’s power sector.
The G7 ministers, assembly on the sidelines of NATO talks in Brussels, say they “are taking additional steps to expedite plans to cut back our reliance on Russian power, and can work collectively to this finish.”
Following allegations this week of conflict crimes within the metropolis of Bucha, the ministers insist that “these chargeable for these heinous acts and atrocities, together with any assaults concentrating on civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure, will likely be held accountable and prosecuted.”
Additionally they repeated warnings about using chemical, organic or nuclear weapons, saying that “any use by Russia of such a weapon could be unacceptable and end in extreme penalties.”
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MOSCOW — Russia’s high diplomat has accused Ukraine of derailing talks with Moscow by altering its negotiating stance.
International Minister Sergey Lavrov stated Thursday that Ukraine had walked again its proposal that worldwide ensures of its safety don’t apply to Crimea.
Russian annexed the Black Sea peninsula in 2014 and desires Ukraine to acknowledge Moscow’s sovereignty over it.
Lavrov additionally accused Ukraine of modifying a provision in a draft deal it had submitted earlier that stated that army drills on Ukrainian territory might be organized with the consent of all guarantor international locations, together with Russia.
Lavrov added that Russia intends to proceed the talks regardless of the Ukrainian “provocations.”
There was no quick response to his claims from the Ukrainian authorities.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia intends to answer U.S. sanctions towards Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughters because it sees match.
“Russia will certainly reply, and can do it because it sees match,” Peskov stated Thursday.
The U.S. on Wednesday introduced that it’s sanctioning Putin’s two grownup daughters as a part of a brand new batch of penalties on the nation’s political and financial programs in retaliation for its alleged conflict crimes in Ukraine.
Peskov advised a convention name with reporters that the sanctions “add to a totally frantic line of assorted restrictions” and the truth that the restrictions goal relations “speaks for itself.”
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ATHENS, Greece — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his nation wants anti-aircraft protection programs, artillery programs, munitions and armored automobiles to carry Russia’s invasion at bay.
“The earlier Ukraine receives this assist, the extra lives we are able to save in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy stated in an handle to Greek parliament Thursday.
Zelenskyy emphasised the destruction wrought on the southern port metropolis of Mariupol, dwelling to a sizeable Greek-Ukrainian group, and urged Greece to assist stop the identical destiny befalling Odesa, one other Ukrainian port metropolis with deep ties to Greece.
The Ukrainian president referred to as for sanctions on all Russian banks and a ban on Russian ships from getting into ports as a manner of hindering Russia’s capacity to finance the conflict.
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