Politics & Economics

China’s Xi sits down for the second day of talks with Russia’s Putin. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida visits Bucha. Russia has likely requested lethal aid from China, NATO Secretary General said. The UK is planning to send armor-piercing depleted uranium shells to Ukraine. Xi’s visit to Moscow erodes world’s trust in China’s “peacemaking” intentions Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed China’s peace proposal for Ukraine on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. He did not elaborate further, refraining from comments until official statements were made. In a joint news conference after talks with Xi ended, Putin…

On March 21-22, a coalition of 33 states working on the creation of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine will meet in Strasbourg. This was announced on Twitter by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrinform reports. "Today & tomorrow in Strasbourg, Ukraine is gathering the coalition of 33 states working to create a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine. The tribunal is critical to ensure accountability for the initial crime that led to all subsequent Russian atrocities," said the head of Ukrainian diplomacy. Read also: Austria joins coalition of countries supporting…

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has visited Bucha as part of his unannounced trip to Ukraine. That's according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports. He laid a wreath outside a church in Bucha before observing a moment of silence and bowing, the report said. "The world was astonished to see innocent civilians in Bucha killed one year ago. I really feel great anger at the atrocity upon visiting that very place here," Kishida said. He extended his condolences to the all victims and the wounded on behalf of the Japanese nationals. "Japan will keep aiding Ukraine with the greatest effort to regain…

Hungary denied Bloomberg's report that Budapest had blocked a joint statement by EU member states regarding the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was stated by the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mate Pazolai, Ukrinform reports with reference to The Eastern Herald. "The truth is that Hungary has declared the following position to the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell: Hungary takes note of the decision of the ICC and does not wish to comment on it in any way,” the news agency MTI quoted the…

Hungary blocked the joint statement of the EU member states on the issuance of an international arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is reported by Bloomberg with reference to its own sources, Ukrinform saw. Budapest's veto meant that the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, instead issued a statement on his own behalf, "taking note" of the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC). "The EU sees the decision by the ICC as a beginning of the process of accountability and holding Russian leaders to account for the crimes and atrocities they are ordering, enabling or committing in…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar for joining a "core group" of countries supporting the creation of a special tribunal on Russian aggression and discussed the intensification of humanitarian cooperation. The head of state said this in a post on his Twitter account, Ukrinform reports. "During a call with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar I noted Ireland's important support for Ukrainian & Ukrainians. I thanked [him] for joining the Core Group on creating a Special Tribunal for aggression," Zelensky said. He added that both parties had also discussed Ukraine's peace formula and the intensification of…

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has described Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow in the context of the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for Putin as China's refusal to hold the Russian regime accountable. He said this at a press conference at the State Department on Monday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "That President Xi is traveling to Russia days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine," Blinken said. He added that instead of…

Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (VRU) calls on the Rome Statute parties to take measures to implement the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision. The latter is to issue an arrest warrant for Putin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova. This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak in Telegram, Ukrinform says. "The VRU approved an appeal to the Rome Statute parties to take all possible measures to implement the ICC's decision," Zheleznyak wrote. According to him, the corresponding resolution (on the need to prosecute those responsible for committing the most serious crimes under international law in Ukraine, No. 9122) was supported by…

German authorities will comply with the ruling of the UN International Criminal Court in The Hague and be forced to arrest Russian warmonger Vladimir Putin if he dares to enter their country. That’s according to the Federal Minister of Justice, Marco Buschmann, Ukrinform reports citing Bild. "I expect that the ICC will quickly turn to Interpol and the contracting states and ask them to ensure compliance," the minister said, adding that then Germany "will be forced to arrest Putin and hand him over to the ICC if he enters German territory." Read also: ICC arrest warrant for Putin "historic decision" -…

Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia is for "peace" and China will uphold its "objective and impartial position" on international and regional issues including the Ukraine crisis. That's according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, Ukrinform reports with reference to CNN. "China's proposition boils down to one sentence, which is to urge peace and promote talks," Wang said at a press briefing on Friday. Xi's trip comes as Beijing attempts to present itself as a neutral peace broker in the Ukraine war and as it struggles to balance its "no-limits" relationship with Moscow and fraying ties with the West.…