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March
Ukraine says Russia refuses to guarantee humanitarian access
Written by Nur Yasmin
Ukraine said on Thursday Moscow had refused to guarantee humanitarian access to rescue hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped under bombardment, as the opposing sides yielded nothing at the highest level talks since the Russian invasion began.
Russia's war in Ukraine entered the third week with none of its stated objectives reached, despite thousands of people killed, more than two million made refugees and thousands cowering in besieged cities under relentless bombardment.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met Russia's Sergei Lavrov in Turkey, but said he had secured no promise from him to halt firing so aid could reach civilians, including Kyiv's main humanitarian priority - evacuating hundreds of thousands of people trapped in the besieged port of Mariupol.
"I made a simple proposal to Minister Lavrov: I can call my Ukrainian ministers, authorities, president now and give you 100% assurances on security guarantees for humanitarian corridors," he said.
"I asked him 'can you do the same?' and he did not respond."
Holding his own simultaneous news conference in a separate room, Lavrov showed no sign of making any concessions, repeating Russian demands that Ukraine be disarmed and accept neutral status. He said Kyiv appeared to want meetings for the sake of meetings and that a ceasefire was not meant to be on the agenda at the Turkey talks.
Russia calls its actions a special military operation to disarm its neighbour and dislodge leaders it calls neo-Nazis. Kyiv and its Western allies say this is a baseless pretext to invade a country of 44 million people.
Aid agencies say humanitarian aid is most urgently needed in Mariupol, where 400,000 people have been trapped for more than a week with no food, water or power. The city council said the port had come under fresh air strikes on Thursday morning, a day after Moscow bombed what Ukraine called a functioning maternity hospital there.
Lavrov said the building was no longer used as a hospital and had been occupied by Ukrainian forces. The Kremlin did not initially repeat that denial and said the incident was being investigated. read more
"What kind of country is this, the Russian Federation, which is afraid of hospitals, is afraid of maternity hospitals, and destroys them?" President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a televised address late on Wednesday, after posting footage of the wreckage.
Ukraine said a convoy trying to reach the city had again been turned back by Russian fire on Thursday, and accused Moscow of deliberately blocking aid. Daily attempts at a local humanitarian ceasefire have failed since Saturday.
Lavrov repeatedly lashed out at the West, accusing Western countries of inflaming the situation by arming Ukraine. Asked if the conflict could lead to nuclear war, he said: "I don't want to believe, and I do not believe, that a nuclear war could start."
LITTLE PROGRESS
Moscow's stated objectives of crushing Ukraine's military and removing its leaders have remained out of reach, with Zelenskiy unshaken and Western military aid pouring across the Polish and Romanian borders.
Russian forces have advanced in the south but have yet to capture a single city in the north or east. Western countries have said they believe a planned lightning strike on Kyiv failed in the early days of the war, and Moscow has instead turned to tactics that involve far more destructive assaults.
The UK Defence Ministry said on Thursday that a large Russian column northwest of Kyiv had made little progress in over a week and was suffering continued losses. It added that as casualties mount, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to draw from across the armed forces to replace the losses.
Western-led sanctions designed to cut the Russian economy and government from international financial markets have bitten hard, with the rouble plunging and ordinary Russians rushing to hoard cash. read more
Britain added several Russian businessmen to its blacklist on Thursday, including Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea soccer team. The sanctions would block an attempt to sell the club, but a special license would let it keep playing. read more
'HOSPITAL BOMBED'
Ukrainian officials said Russian aircraft bombed the children's hospital on Wednesday, injuring pregnant women and burying patients in rubble despite a ceasefire deal to allow people to flee Mariupol. The regional governor said 17 people were wounded.
The attack underscored U.S. warnings that the biggest assault on a European state since 1945 could become increasingly attritional after Russia's early setbacks.
The White House condemned the bombing as a "barbaric use of military force to go after innocent civilians".
The U.N. Human Rights body said it was trying to verify the number of casualties. The incident "adds to our deep concerns about indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas," it added through a spokesperson.
Russia has repeatedly pledged since Saturday to halt firing so at least some trapped civilians could escape Mariupol. Both sides have blamed the other for the failure of the evacuations.
Half of the more than 2 million total refugees from Ukraine are children. The International Committee of the Red Cross said houses had been destroyed all across Ukraine. "Hundreds of thousands of people have no food, no water, no heat, no electricity and no medical care," it said.
Ukraine's gas transit company said Russian forces were occupying gas pumping stations threatening shipments to Europe. So far gas is still flowing normally. read more
Russia has been hit by Western sanctions and the withdrawals of foreign firms, the latest including Nestle, cigarette maker Philip Morris and Sony. read more
Rio Tinto (RIO.L), (RIO.AX) on Thursday became the first major mining company to announce it was cutting all ties with Russian businesses. read more
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to rush $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine, sending the legislation to the Senate. (Reuters)
March
Cambodia says ASEAN-U.S. summit postponed, seeking new date
Written by Nur Yasmin
A summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) due to be held later this month has been postponed and organisers will seek a new date, Cambodia's foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday.
"It has been postponed to a later date because some ASEAN leaders cannot attend the meeting on the proposed dates," Minister Prak Sokhonn said in a text message. Cambodia is the current chair of ASEAN.
The United States had announced the summit would be held on March 28 and 29. read more
But Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen suggested this week that the meeting should be delayed after some ASEAN countries had asked for it to be held two days earlier.
Indonesia, which is the coordinator of the summit, did not immediately confirm the postponement after an official earlier said options for the schedule were still being discussed.
The summit is seen as part of U.S. efforts to step up engagement with a region Washington sees as critical to its efforts to push back against China's growing power. It had been expected earlier in the year, but was delayed by COVID-19 concerns.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last month the summit in Washington was "a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration" and that it would also commemorate 45 years of U.S.-ASEAN relations.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in December the summit was expected to discuss the crisis caused by last year's military coup in Myanmar and issues such as pandemic recovery, climate change, investment and infrastructure.
The United States said last week it intended to follow ASEAN's lead by inviting a non-political representative from military-ruled Myanmar to the summit.
The bloc has since last year barred the junta from key meetings over its failure to honour an agreement to end hostilities in Myanmar that have killed hundreds of civilians and displaced more than 300,000. (reuters)
March
Global LNG demand growth shifts from Asia to Europe on Russia sanctions
Written by Nur Yasmin
Asia's liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand growth may cool this year as buyers baulk at record-high spot prices pushed even higher by Europe's shift to the super-chilled fuel amid the Ukraine crisis, analysts and industry sources said.
High spot prices since late last year have already slowed trade and are likely to crimp demand growth of the fuel in Asia - the largest consuming region - even as some countries see widening gas supply deficits as domestic production falls.
This comes just as new LNG buyers in Asia, the Philippines and Vietnam, are set to enter the market later this year.
"The LNG market has been evolving in an unfavourable manner for buyers as the supplies are forecast to be tight during the 2021-2025 period while demand is picking up after the pandemic," said Vietnamese state firm PV Gas, which is set to trial the country's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the fourth quarter.
"This will lead to a strong price rising trend over the next years with no signs of easing in the short term."
Asia's spot LNG benchmark price assessed by S&P Global Platts, known as Platts JKM, jumped to a record $84.762 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) on Monday on the back of strong prices in Europe as buyers scour global markets for LNG cargoes to replace Russian gas and LNG.
It currently trades around $51 per mmBtu, compared with $6 in March 2021, according to Refinitive Eikon data.
Consultancy Wood Mackenzie expects Asian LNG demand growth to slow to 2% year-on-year in 2022, from 8% in 2021.
"In contrast, European LNG demand is expected to spike up by at least 20% in 2022, reflecting reduced Russian pipeline flows and the need to replenish depleted European gas storage levels," said Valery Chow, a vice president at WoodMac.
Natural gas and power prices hit all-time highs in Europe as the European Union rolled out plans to cut EU dependency on Russian gas by two-thirds this year, and end its reliance on Russian supplies of the fuel "well before 2030". Europe, which relies on Russia for 45% of gas supplies, could demand more U.S. LNG.
"Asian buyers will need to pay a premium to pull cargoes over from Europe, so Asia spot LNG prices will be supported by European gas prices," said Edmund Siau, LNG analyst at consultancy FGE.
However, Rystad Energy analyst Wei Xiong said Asia's appetite to pay for LNG may not be as high as Europe's so the upside risk for Asia spot prices is likely to be lower than that of the TTFs, or Dutch gas prices, in Europe.
"Demand growth in India is likely to be muted due to very high spot prices and an increase in domestic production," she said.
The spike in prices and limited supplies in a tight global market could erode demand.
"This may result in demand destruction as gas-to-coal or gas-to-oil switching would become more economical," said Rystad Energy analyst Lu Ming Pang.
However, world's top LNG importer China will continue to drive demand growth in Asia this year as it adds more regasification terminals to switch away from coal in the power and industrial sectors.
China's imports are expected to increase by 8.5 million tonnes year-on-year in 2022 and account for about 45% of Asia's LNG imports growth, Rystad Energy said.
Still, China-based industry players are less bullish, pegging growth at 4 million tonnes or lower this year, adding that China could largely shy away from the red-hot spot market by relying on newly signed term supplies from countries such as Qatar and the United States. (Reuters)
March
Food crisis grows as spiralling prices spark export bans
Written by Nur Yasmin
A global food crisis sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine escalated on Wednesday as Indonesia tightened curbs on palm oil exports, adding to a growing list of key producing countries seeking to keep vital food supplies within their borders.
The conflict in Ukraine is threatening global grain production, the supply of edible oils and fertiliser exports, sending basic commodity prices rocketing and mirroring the crisis in energy markets.
Palm oil is the world's most widely used vegetable oil and is used in the manufacture of many products including biscuits, margarine, laundry detergents and chocolate. Palm oil prices have risen by more than 50% this year.
Indonesia's Trade Minister Muhammad Lufti said the export curbs aimed to ensure that cooking oil prices at home remain affordable to consumers. read more
The rise in prices comes at a time when affordability of food is a major challenge as economies seek to recover from the coronavirus crisis and is also helping to fuel a broader surge in inflation across the globe.
Russia and Ukraine are also important suppliers of edible oils as well as contributing nearly 30% of global wheat exports.
Ukraine announced on Wednesday it had banned a wide range of agricultural exports including barley, sugar and meat until the end of the year. read more
The conflict has not only disrupted shipments from the Black Sea region but is also jeopardising prospects for harvests as fertilizer prices soar and supplies shrink in response to a sharp rise in the cost of natural gas - a key component in the manufacturing process for many products.
World food prices rose to a record high in February to post a year-on-year increase of 20.7%, according to the United Nations food agency, while many markets have continued to climb this month. read more
Malaysian palm oil futures rose to an all-time high following Indonesia's announcement while soybean oil prices jumped to a 14-year peak.
Soybean oil prices have climbed by almost 40% this year.
SCRAMBLING FOR SUPPLIES
Russia and Ukraine are both major producers of sunflower oil and the two countries account for almost 80% of global exports, leaving customers such as India scrambling to secure supplies of alternatives such as palm oil and soyoil. read more
Chicago wheat futures have climbed around 60% so far this year, threatening to raise the cost of key food staples such as bread.
The loss of two major exporters in Ukraine and Russia has been compounded by news that the condition of the wheat crop in the world's top producer, China, may be the "worst in history" according to the country's agriculture minister. read more
Poor growing conditions in drought-affected parts of the U.S. Plains look set to further tighten supplies.
Serbia announced on Wednesday it will ban exports of wheat, corn, flour and cooking oil as of Thursday to counter price increases while Hungary banned all grain exports last week.
Bulgaria has also announced it will increase its grain reserves and might restrict exports until it has carried out planned purchases.
Grain supplies in Romania, a major exporter, have also tightened as international buyers seek alternatives to Russia or Ukrainian supplies although there are currently no plans to restrict shipments.
Global grain production could also decline as the production of fertilizers, which help to boost crop yields, is curtailed following a rise in natural gas prices.
Yara (YAR.OL), one of the world's largest fertiliser makers, said on Wednesday it was curtailing its ammonia and urea output in Italy and France.
The Norwegian company warned last week that the conflict was threatening global food supplies. read more
Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" rather than an invasion, had been a major supplier of fertilisers but the country's trade and industry ministry recommended on Friday that producers temporarily halt exports. (reuters)
March
UNHCR head estimates 2.1-2.2 million people have now fled Ukraine
Written by Nur Yasmin
The number of people fleeing Ukraine since the Russian invasion began has probably now reached 2.1-2.2 million people, the head of the United Nation's refugee agency UNHCR said on Wednesday.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi told a news conference during a visit to Stockholm that "the time is now to try to help at the border", rather than discussions on the division of refugees between countries.
Grandi added that non-EU-member Moldova in particular was very vulnerable in the current situation. (reuters)
March
Taiwan says China is too busy with party congress to raise tensions now
Written by Nur Yasmin
China is too busy with ensuring stability for a key Communist Party congress at the end of the year where President Xi Jinping will likely get a third term in office to suddenly escalate tensions with Taiwan, Taipei's government said on Wednesday.
Taiwan, claimed by China as its own territory, has raised its alert level since Russia invaded Ukraine, wary of Beijing making a move on the island at the same time, though it has reported no unusual Chinese military movements.
In a report to parliament on the security implications of the war, Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said Beijing would continue to "increase its unilateral actions" against the island.
"But the current priority is to ensure the stability of the internal and external environment before the 20th Party Congress, to pave the way for Xi's reappointment, and not to suddenly escalate tensions in the short term," it said.
The congress is likely to take place towards the end of the year, where Xi is widely expected to be confirmed for a third term as China's leader, an event unprecedented in modern times.
Over the past two years China has increased military activity around Taiwan, mostly by sending fighter jets into its air defence identification zone.
Taiwan calls these incursions "grey zone" warfare designed to test its pilots' response times and wear them out with constantly having to scramble.
The Mainland Affairs Council said China's failure to condemn the invasion, which Russia calls a "special operation", or to place any sanctions on the country was in contravention of the United Nations Charter and rules of international relations.
"It will also become a security risk for the Taiwan Strait," it added.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and stand-off between the two remains a potentially dangerous military flashpoint. China recognises no claims of sovereignty by Taiwan.
Speaking in Beijing earlier on Wednesday, the Communist Party's fourth-ranked leader Wang Yang said "uncertainties and instabilities" over the Taiwan Strait had increased.
"But the times, momentum and righteousness are always on our side," said Wang, who heads China's top political advisory body.
"We have the overall strength and sure-win confidence to cope with various complex situations." (reuters)
March
Ukraine warns of risk of radiation leak at occupied Chernobyl nuclear plant
Written by Nur Yasmin
Ukraine appealed to Russia for a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday to allow repairs to be made to a power line to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, warning that there could be a radiation leak if the electricity outage continued.
Ukraine’s state-run nuclear company Energoatom said fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces made it impossible to immediately repair the high-voltage power line to the plant, which has been captured by Russian forces. read more
Energoatom said radioactive substances could be released if the plant cannot cool spent nuclear fuel, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said reserve diesel generators can power the plant for only 48 hours.
"After that, cooling systems of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel will stop, making radiation leaks imminent," Kuleba said on Twitter.
"I call on the international community to urgently demand Russia to cease fire and allow repair units to restore power supply."
The U.N. nuclear watchdog said the loss of power does not have a critical impact on safety.
"Heat load of spent fuel storage pool and volume of cooling water at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant sufficient for effective heat removal without need for electrical supply," the IAEA said in a statement.
But Energoatom said there were about 20,000 spent fuel assemblies at Chernobyl that could not be kept cool during a power outage, and that their warming could lead to "the release of radioactive substances into the environment.
The radioactive cloud could be carried by wind to other regions of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and Europe," it said in a statement.
Without power, ventilation systems at the plant would also not be working, exposing staff to dangerous doses of radiation, it added.
On Tuesday, the IAEA had warned that the systems monitoring nuclear material at the radioactive waste facilities at Chernobyl had stopped transmitting data. read more
The still-radioactive site of the world's worst nuclear disaster lies some 100 km (62 miles) from Kyiv.
Its fourth reactor exploded in April 1986 during a botched safety test, sending clouds of radiation billowing across much of Europe. (reuters)
March
Germany certainly not sending warplanes to Ukraine, says Scholz
Written by Nur Yasmin
Germany will certainly not send warplanes to Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday after the United States rejected an offer by Poland to transfer its Russian-made MiG-29 jets to a U.S. base in Germany.
"We have provided all kinds of defence materials and .. have sent weapons that we have told you about but it is also true that we have to consider very carefully what we do concretely, and definitely warplanes are not part of that," said Scholz at a news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Asked about whether Germany was categorically opposed to a ban on Russian energy imports, Scholz said he had for several months been working on reducing the country's dependency on fossil fuel imports. "There are many technical questions to be addressed," he said. (reuters)
March
UN World Food Programme aims to help over 3 million Ukrainians, director says
Written by Nur YasminThe United Nations' World Food Programme aims to help over 3 million Ukrainians with food donations, Director General David Beasley said on Wednesday.
Beasley spoke during a news conference in Warsaw with Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau about efforts to support refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine into Poland. (reuters)
March
Italy's Salvini challenged over Putin praise in Polish visit
Written by Nur Yasmin
The mayor of a Polish town near the Ukraine border confronted Italian rightist politician Matteo Salvini on Tuesday while he was visiting the region, denouncing him as a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Video of the encounter went viral on Italian social media, with political opponents delighting in Salvini's discomfort as the mayor of Przemysl, Wojciech Bakun, brandished a T-shirt emblazoned with the face of the Russian leader.
Speaking in Polish and standing alongside Salvini, Bakun said he wanted to go with him to the border and to a refugee camp to "see what his friend Putin has done".
Salvini, who in 2019 praised Putin as "the best statesmen currently on earth", was in Poland to show his solidarity with refugees fleeing the fighting in Ukraine -- a trip that raised eyebrows back home given his previous anti-migrant stance and his staunch support for Russia.
During a visit to Moscow in 2014, Salvini, who is leader of the League party, was photographed in Red Square wearing the same T-shirt of Putin that Bakun waved in his face.
Former prime minister and centrist politician Matteo Renzi urged Salvini to come back home immediately. "I told Salvini in every way that at this stage we need politics, not antics," Renzi said on Facebook.
Salvinihad earlier met Italian business and Vatican representatives in Poland, saying he wanted to "coordinate the aid, organise travel and accommodation in Italy" for the Ukrainian refugees.
More than 1.7 million Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion have so far crossed into Central Europe, the United Nation's refugee agency said. More than 1 million of them are currently in Poland, where Salvini is now visiting. read more
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has plunged several far-right movements across Europe into confusion, forcing some of them to swiftly abandon previous allegiance to Putin. read more
Salvini has also sought to change tack, saying last week that there was "clearly an attacker and an assaulted" in the Ukrainian crisis and that Italy had to side with the latter.
However he has not condemned Putin by name,and after the mayor's words he ignoreda call by an onlooking Italian for him to do so. (reuters)