NATO’s 31 member states decided to prolong the mandate of Jens Stoltenberg as its General Secretary with one year until 1 October 2024. He has led the organisation for ten years. Stoltenberg was appointed NATO General Secretary shortly after Russia’s…
UN documents summary execution of 77 Ukrainian civilians
A United Nations mission in Ukraine has expressed grave concern over the summary execution of more than 70 Ukrainian civilians by Russian forces while also documenting other breaches of international law by both warring sides. The UN Human Rights Monitoring…
Ukraine war: Zelensky admits slow progress but says offensive is not a movie
President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged battlefield progress has been “slower than desired”, weeks into Ukraine’s military offensive to recapture areas occupied by Russia. “Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It’s not,” he told the…
EU’s von der Leyen says frozen Russia assets will rebuild Ukraine
A proposal for the European Union to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine will be put forward in the coming weeks, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. The European Commission will put forward a plan to do…
Russia legalises recruitment of offenders for military service
The Russian parliament legalised the recruitment of criminals for military service in Ukraine, according to a statement published on the Russian State Duma’s website on Tuesday. It said the validity of the document did not extend to those who had…
Ukraine war must end, South African President Ramaphosa tells Putin
The war in Ukraine must end, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has told Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin. Mr Ramaphosa’s remarks came as he met Mr Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday as part of a peace mission with six other…
Kiev hit with fresh missile attack as African leaders seek to mediate
Kiev was bombarded in a fresh missile attack as African leaders visited the city in an attempt to mediate in the ongoing conflict. “Explosion in the capital in the Podil district,’’ Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, without providing further…
Kremlin says no positive prospects for Black Sea grain deal renewal
The Kremlin said on Thursday it saw no positive prospects when it came to renewing the Black Sea grain deal given that parts of the accord affecting Russia remained unfulfilled. The agreement allowing Ukraine to resume sea-borne grain exports was…
Kherson flooding: Ukraine evacuation boat attacked by Russia, killing 3
Three people were killed after Russia attacked a boat carrying evacuees from a flooded area in Kherson, the regional governor said. Ukraine has been trying to rescue people trapped on the Russia-held eastern bank of the Dnipro River since the…
Ukraine counter-offensive actions have begun, Zelensky says
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to have confirmed that his country’s long-awaited counter-offensive against Russia has started. “Counteroffensive and defensive actions are taking place,” he said on Saturday. But he added that he would not talk in detail about which…