Author: Fworld

Explosions and gunfire could be heard Saturday in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as Russian and Ukrainian forces battled for control of the city. Ukrainian officials are urging the country’s citizens to help defend Kyiv against the Russian forces.  An army base in the capital was attacked, but Ukraine’s military said that attack was repelled. Ukrainian President …

Russia blocked a move Friday in the U.N. Security Council to condemn and halt its invasion of Ukraine, but several nations said they would seek accountability from the full U.N. membership in the General Assembly. “Let me put it plainly: Vote yes if you believe in upholding the U.N. Charter. Vote yes if you support …

The United States is joining the European Union in sanctioning Russian President Vladimir Putin and his top officials. The move came after NATO agreed to activate its Response Force, deploying additional forces to its eastern flank. VOA’s White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports. …

Hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war in a pre-dawn Thursday televised address, social media users living in countries near Ukraine began setting up online networks to support refugees. By Friday evening, at least 100,000 people had signed up to various groups on Facebook and other platforms, offering their homes, money and carpools to …

U.N. aid agencies are increasing humanitarian operations to help Ukrainians whose lives have been upended since Russia invaded the country. The Russian offensive has thrown the country into turmoil. Aid agencies are scrambling to assess the dangers and priority needs and to help millions of people in an environment of extreme insecurity. Preliminary figures of …

South Korean officials reiterated Friday that they willl implement U.S. and European sanctions on Russian exports but that Seoul will not impose its own. The sanctions were imposed this week in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “As a responsible member of the international community, the Korean government will support and join [its] efforts, including …

Hundreds of Australians of Ukrainian descent joined those with Russian heritage to demonstrate against the Russian invasion of Ukraine in downtown Sydney on Friday. It was an act of solidarity many thousands of kilometers away from the conflict in Ukraine. Protesters held signs urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the killing. The Australian government …

International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan on Friday expressed his concern over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and said his court may investigate possible war crimes in the country. “I have been closely following recent developments in and around Ukraine with increasing concern,” Khan said in a statement. “I remind all sides conducting hostilities …

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed again Thursday to Russian President Vladimir Putin to cease his invasion of Ukraine and withdraw his troops. “The decisions of the coming days will shape our world and directly affect the lives of millions upon millions of people,” Guterres told reporters at U.N. headquarters. The use of force by …

Security forces in Russia have broken up anti-war protests in several cities across the country. In Moscow, protesters chanted “no to war” after Russian troops launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine early Thursday. …

Russian police detained more than 1,300 anti-war protestors in 50 Russian cities Thursday, according to OVD-Info, an independent Russian human rights group. Anti-war rallies broke out after a military operation targeting Ukraine was announced. The human rights organization said most of the detentions, 660, were in Moscow. The group said arrests were also made in …

In the week after the Nazis began attacking Poland, the U.S. weekly newsmagazine Time declared in its September 11, 1939, edition, “World War II began last week at 5:20 a.m. (Polish time) Friday, September 1, when a German bombing plane dropped a projectile on Puck, a fishing village and air base in the armpit of …

Human Rights Watch warns Russian President Vladimir Putin’s battle plan for Ukraine will likely entail the deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure to weaken Ukraine’s resolve to fight on.  Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, says he fears Russia’s military will replicate in Ukraine the war strategy it employed to help the …

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has so far been met with diplomatic silence in Africa, except for a comment made by Kenya’s ambassador to the UN earlier this week. Analysts say that while many Africans disagree with Russia’s use of force, the continent’s governments are aware of Russia’s power on the world stage. Ukraine’s ambassador to …

The shockwave from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reverberated in the world’s financial markets Thursday.   London’s benchmark FTSE index was down 3.3% in midday trading, while both the CAC-40 index in Paris and Frankfurt’s DAX index were 5.5% lower.  Markets in Asia and Australia all closed in negative territory in the aftermath of Russia’s attacks on …

Viewed from Paris, London and Washington, the events unfolding in Ukraine may seem like a new Cold War taking shape in Europe. From the Baltic countries, it looks much worse. To Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians — particularly those old enough to have lived under Soviet control — Russia’s belligerence toward Ukraine has some worried that …

Ukraine said on Thursday it had closed its airspace to civilian flights because of a “high risk” to safety, and Europe’s aviation regulator also warned about the hazards of flying in bordering areas of Russia and Belarus because of military activities. Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine on Thursday in …

Russia fired missiles at more than half a dozen Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv, targeting air defense facilities and military infrastructure just before dawn Thursday and landed soldiers on the country’s south coast. The action unfolded shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on television what he described as a “special military operation,” but …

Top U.S. officials painted a grim picture of what a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine would look like, as Ukraine declared a state of emergency starting at midnight Thursday. Pentagon officials said Russia was set to invade. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. …

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a military operation in eastern Ukraine early Thursday, saying he was acting in response to threats from Ukraine and warning other countries not to intervene. He added in the televised address that those who oppose the Russian action in the Donbas region will face “consequences they have …

Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, is turning to tradition to alleviate soaring poverty and an ailing economy. His efforts have enhanced the mayor’s reputation as a possible challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …

Europe is facing calls to impose immediate, tougher sanctions on Russia, following President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of the separatist-held regions of Ukraine and his pledge to send in troops. Henry Ridgwell reports. …

The recognition by Russian President Vladimir Putin of two self-proclaimed republics within Ukrainian territory has created an uncertain scenario for Russians, as war and economic sanctions point to a troubled future. Along Russia’s border with eastern Ukraine, interviews with some members of the local population suggest some are eager to fight while others say there …

Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan, arrived in Russia Wednesday for a crucial meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Officials said the two sides will review bilateral ties, including energy cooperation. Pakistan’s state-run PTV broadcast live Khan’s arrival at the airport in Moscow, where he was received by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov. Khan is the …

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called up army reservists and ordered military exercises for volunteers in newly created territorial defense brigades, but senior opposition lawmakers and former ministers fear the country is ill-prepared for war with Russia — despite their pleas to the government to get organized. With credible reports mounting of more Russian forces …

With Russia announcing it will continue its military drills with Belarus, many observers believe it is just another step by Moscow to prepare for a wider invasion of Ukraine. Russia had originally said the drills would end on February 20 – as Maxim Moskalkov reports. …