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Russia's President Vladimir Putin says his country will continue its yearlong "special military operation" in Ukraine, and he accused the US-led NATO alliance of fanning the flames.
Russia-Ukraine conflict would have cost world economy $1.6 trillion in 2022, according to a study published by the German Economic Institute.
Russian soldiers in Ukraine are fighting for their motherland because Russia was facing a direct threat and a plotted attack near its borders, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday before a Victory Day military parade in Moscow's Red Square.
The parade, marking the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union's Victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-45 Great Patriotic War, involved over 11,000 troops and 131 items of military and special hardware.
A planned flyover by Russian military aircraft was canceled due to bad weather.
Russia's defense minister, Army General Sergei Shoigu, reviewed the parade, which was commanded by Army General Oleg Salyukov, commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Forces.
Putin, war veterans and guests watched the parade from the central reviewing stand in Red Square.
Russian servicemen who took part in the battles of the "special military operation" in Ukraine's Donbass region also took part in the parade.
"You are fighting for the motherland, for her future, and so that nobody forgets the lessons of World War II, so that there is no place in the world for executioners, killing squads and Nazis," Putin said.
Russia's intervention in Ukraine was needed because the West was "preparing for the invasion of our land, including Crimea", Putin said.
He said Kyiv had announced the possible acquisition of nuclear weapons and NATO had begun "active military colonization". "So an absolutely unacceptable threat to us was created, directly near our borders," he said.
"Last year, we suggested to NATO countries that we sign a security treaty, but they did not want to hear us, they had completely different plans, and an attack on Crimea was being prepared," Putin said. "The alliance began military development of the territories adjacent to us," he added, calling the conflict "inevitable".
"The death of every soldier and officer is painful for us," Putin added. "The state will do everything to take care of these families."
Despite speculation from Western media that Putin might use the occasion to announce a mobilization of reservists for the war in Ukraine or proclaim a victory, there were no major political announcements. Nor did Putin's speech contain any threats to use nuclear weapons.
Putin said the United States had banned US war veterans from visiting Moscow for the parade.
"We honor the troops of all allied armies－the Americans, the British, the French－as well as those who participated in the resistance, the brave soldiers and partisans of China, all those who defeated Nazism and militarism," Putin said.
WASHINGTON - The United States and its Western allies on Sunday announced new sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, a move that aims to further cripple Moscow's economy but poses severe challenges for global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Group of Seven (G7) said Sunday that the bloc will phase out or ban the import of Russian oil following a video conference.
According to its statement, the group will carry out the oil ban over a period of time in order to find alternative supplies. It will also take further actions against Russian banks, and continue sanctions against additional individuals.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the G7 meeting, during which he asked the Western countries to provide more weapons and financial support for Ukraine.
Zelensky said Ukraine is interested in getting the M142 high mobility artillery rocket system and M270 multiple launch rocket system from the G7 countries, the presidential press service reported.
Ukraine, he said, needs up to $7 billion per month during the conflict with Russia, and would need about 600 billion dollars for the post-conflict recovery.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Kyiv early Sunday and attended the meeting together with Zelensky.
Besides its pledge to G7, the United States on Sunday announced new sanctions targeting Russian state media and the provision of US accounting and consulting services to Russia.
According to a fact sheet issued by the White House, the new sanctions package will target Russia's three major state-controlled media and prohibit U.S. persons from providing accounting, trust and corporate formation, and management consulting services to any person in Russia.
Briefing reporters on the sanctions package earlier in the day, a senior administration official said the ban does not expand to legal services for now, but the administration is constantly "reevaluating" the sanctions and could broaden them.
The United States has already moved to ban imports of Russian energy, including oil, natural gas and coal. It will also dial up its export control measures, prohibiting US exports of industrial products like engines and bulldozers to Russia, according to the fact sheet.
Over the past months, the Western countries have imposed severe sanctions on Russia in such fields as trade, economy, finance, technology, sports and culture, which has provoked much debate and potentially slowed the recovery of the world economy from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inflation in many countries surged to record highs following soaring global energy prices. Countries in Africa and the Middle East that rely on imports of foodstuffs and fertilizers from Russia and Belarus are facing worsening food insecurity.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said its World Economic Outlook report in April that increasing global energy prices have affected the euro area economy.
The shockwaves of the conflict hurt countries like Italy and Germany more than other European nations because they had "relatively large manufacturing sectors and greater dependence on energy imports from Russia," said the report.
In the report, the agency slashed global growth forecast for 2022 to 3.6 percent amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, 0.8 percentage point lower than the January projection.
The Ukraine crisis unfolds while the global economy is "on a mending path" but has not yet fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, it said, noting that global economic prospects have worsened "significantly" since the forecast in January.
KYIV/OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, announcing more military aid to Ukraine and more sanctions against Russia.
According to a news release on Sunday, Trudeau said that Canada would be providing Ukraine with an additional military aid worth of 50 million Canadian dollars ($40 million), including drone cameras, high-resolution satellite imagery, small arms as well as ammunition.
The prime minister also said Canada will impose new sanctions on 40 Russian individuals and five entities in connection with the Kremlin and Russia's defense sector.
Trudeau announced the reopening of the Canadian embassy in Kyiv, which was closed on Feb 12.
According to the Ukrainian presidential press service, Zelensky said "Canada's defense support for Ukraine was discussed in detail."
Zelensky said negotiations are underway with the Canadian side to lift trade restrictions for Ukrainian exporters and abolish the visa regime for Ukrainian citizens.
PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that France will offer a $2 billion aid for Ukraine during the international donors conference held in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, French presidential palace the Elysee announced.
In 2022, France has released a total of $1.7 billion towards Ukraine, Macron said, adding that the country's support will be at $2 billion, or an additional of $300 million.
"France released 100 million euros for humanitarian aid, which is used in particular to finance international organizations and NGOs present in the field. Already, 800 tons of humanitarian and medical goods have been sent to Ukraine and to the countries of the region", Macron said.
"France will continue to act in a concerted manner within the framework of the European Union, with our European partners, also within the framework of the G7 and international financial institutions", he noted.
The international donors conference for the support towards Ukraine was held on Thursday hosted by Poland and Sweden, gathering heads of state and government, the European Union and international organizations amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
More than 6 billion euros ($6.3 billion) were gathered at the international donors conference in support towards Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told the press.
The US has unveiled a new layer of sanctions on Russia, targeting services and its defense industry on the eve of Vladimir Putin's planned Victory Day parade.
The new measures were announced as leaders from the G7 group of industrialized democracies held a virtual summit with Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a show of solidarity.
They are primarily intended to close loopholes in the existing sanctions and to tighten the noose around the Russian economy by another few notches.
The new sanctions include:
-A ban on sales of US services to Russia, like accountancy and management consultancy
-No more US advertising or sales of broadcasting equipment to three Kremlin-controlled television stations
-Technology export bans including industrial engines, bulldozers and other items that can be used by Russian defense factories
-Visa restrictions on another 2,600 Russian and Belarusian individuals
Agencies via Xinhua
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Western weapons and intelligence being supplied to Ukraine will "slow down but won't stop" Russia from completing its "special military operation", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Peskov made the remarks as NBC News reported on Thursday that United States' intelligence helped Ukraine sink Russia's Moskva missile cruiser last month, as the Pentagon denied an earlier report which said US intelligence has also allowed Kyiv to kill Russian generals.
Ukrainian forces targeted the Moskva on April 13 after asking the US to help identify and confirm its location in the Black Sea, the broadcaster cited unnamed US officials as saying.
The officials added that Ukraine alone decided to target Russia's Black Sea Fleet flagship using its own anti-ship missiles without advance US knowledge.
The Russian Navy reportedly pulled back from the Ukrainian coast in the aftermath of the attack, in which one person was killed and 27 remain missing. The Russian side said the missile cruiser sunk due to a fire and the detonation of ammunition aboard.
The Pentagon also pushed back on another report on the US role in supporting Ukraine's killing of Russian generals.
"We do not provide intelligence on the location of senior military leaders on the battlefield or participate in the targeting decisions of the Ukrainian military," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said earlier on Thursday.
In the port city of Mariupol an estimated 200 civilians, along with Ukrainian fighters, are trapped in the Azovstal steel plant with little food or water.
The United Nations said a new operation was underway to evacuate more people from Mariupol.
Meanwhile, the steelworks was rocked by heavy explosions on Thursday as Russian forces fought for control of it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was prepared to provide safe passage for the civilians, but reiterated calls for Ukrainian forces inside the plant to disarm.
Aerial footage of the plant, released on Thursday by Ukraine's Azov Regiment, showed three explosions strike different parts of the vast complex, which was engulfed in heavy, dark smoke.
Ukraine evacuated 50 civilians from the Azovstal plant in the besieged city of Mariupol, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Friday.
"The evacuation was extremely slow. However, today we managed to free 50 women, children and the elderly from Azovstal," Vereshchuk wrote on Facebook.
The evacuation will continue on Saturday morning, Vereshchuk said.
Earlier in the day, Ukraine's Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said that Ukraine had evacuated about 500 civilians from Mariupol.
Mariupol, a key Azov Sea port city in eastern Ukraine, saw one of the worst bouts of violence in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
FRANKFURT - The Russia-Ukraine conflict has exposed the double standards applied by Western countries in dealing with violation of international law, an international law expert wrote in a recent commentary in German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Among those who have long been concerned about interventionism by the United States and its allies, many see Western outrage over Russia's violation of international law as hypocritical, Nico Krisch, professor of international law at Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, pointed out.
"When Western interests are at stake, boundaries under international law play a minor role; but when the interests of others are at stake, those boundaries take center stage," he said.
Noting several military interventions by the West, the scholar said, "In the eyes of many experts, these interventions were not in accordance with international law."
However, when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the West is portraying itself as the guardian of international law, Krisch argued.
He warned that if the impression prevails that double standards are widely applied, this will lead to a loss of credibility, which can strike at the heart of international law.
"If the West wants to uphold the rules of international law on the use of force and wants other parts of the world to uphold them as well, it will have to learn humility and self-restraint ... In the future, it can no longer afford to apply double standards in the new world order," Krisch said.
MINSK - Belarus will not participate in Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press (AP).
Lukashenko said Belarus stands for peace and has repeatedly called for the end of the current Russia-Ukraine military conflict.
"We categorically do not accept any war. We have done and are doing everything now so that there isn't a war," Lukashenko told AP, adding that his country has advanced negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Washington's policy, he said, is the reason that Ukraine is not interested in negotiations, despite hostilities taking place on its territory.
The president said the use of nuclear weapons in the crisis was "unacceptable because it's right next to us -- we are not across the ocean like the United States."
"It is also unacceptable because it might knock our terrestrial ball flying off the orbit to who knows where," he said. "Whether or not Russia is capable of that -- is a question you need to ask the Russian leadership."
According to the Belarusian president, he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have the best relations that can be between the heads of independent states.
Mentioning the sudden check of the Armed Forces of Belarus from Wednesday, Lukashenko said the combat readiness check in Belarus has been carried out in response to NATO exercises in the Baltic states and Poland on the border with Belarus.
The number of NATO troops deployed on the border with Belarus was about 3,000 a few years ago, but now it reached around 32,000, said Lukashenko.
UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Thursday to end the "cycle of death and destruction" in Ukraine.
As he briefed the UN Security Council on his shuttle diplomacy last week in Russia and Ukraine, Guterres said that he "did not mince words" when he spoke with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine about ending the conflict.
The conflict must "end for the sake of the people of Ukraine, Russia, and the entire world...the cycle of death, destruction, dislocation and disruption must stop," the secretary-general said at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine.
"In my meeting with (Russian) President Putin, I therefore stressed the imperative of enabling humanitarian access and evacuations from besieged areas, including first and foremost, Mariupol," said Guterres, appealing strongly for a safe and effective humanitarian corridor for civilians to reach safety from the Azovstal plant, where hundreds have been living underground for weeks.
"We must continue to do all we can to get people out of these hellscapes," said the UN chief.
Reporting on "some measure of success," Guterres outlined the complex humanitarian operation underway, led by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"It began on April 29 and has required enormous coordination and advocacy with the Russian Federation and Ukrainian authorities," he said. "So far, two safe passage convoys have been successfully completed."
The first stage at the weekend saw 101 civilians safely evacuated to safety to the north of Mariupol, while the second phase on Wednesday night led to "more than 320" from the region finding a safe haven.
While a third operation is underway, Guterres would not provide any details until it is completed, "to avoid undermining possible success."
"It is good to know that even in these times of hyper-communications, silent diplomacy is still possible and is sometimes the only effective way to produce results," he said.
The UN chief said the United Nations will continue to scale up humanitarian operations to save lives and reduce suffering, and that he also discussed worldwide food security during his talks with both leaders.
"A meaningful solution to global food insecurity requires reintegrating Ukraine's agricultural production and the food and fertilizer production of Russia and Belarus into world markets, despite the war," he said.
China's Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun on Thursday called on the international community to step up efforts to promote a cease-fire and to minimize the humanitarian impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
During his remarks, which were made during a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine, Zhang also stressed that the lessons from that crisis "are profound and deserve serious reflections".
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) repeated eastward expansion after the Cold War has not only failed to make Europe any safer, but also has sown the seeds of conflict, he said.
NATO claims to be an organization defensive in nature, but it "wantonly launches wars against sovereign countries, causing colossal causalities and humanitarian disasters", the ambassador said.
On May 7, 1999, NATO fired a number of precision-guided missiles at the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia, killing three Chinese journalists and injuring more than 20 Chinese diplomats.
Noting that May 7 marks the anniversary of that attack, Zhang said "the Chinese people will never forget this barbaric atrocity and will never allow such history to repeat itself".
He went on to emphasize that "security of all countries is indivisible". To base one country's security on the insecurity of other countries is neither reasonable nor operable, he said.
Because the Cold War ended decades ago, NATO should "naturally size up the situation and make necessary adjustments", Zhang said.
"Clinging to the anachronistic doctrine of security and keen to provoke bloc confrontations and create tensions in Europe and even the Asia Pacific region and the wider world, such practices are as harmful to others as they are deleterious to the perpetrators themselves, and deserve nothing less than China's firm opposition," he said.?
"The world does not need a new Cold War, and it cannot afford greater turmoil and division," he said.
China urges all countries to "reaffirm their commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, earnestly uphold the principle of indivisibility of security, forge synergy through consultations, and build together a balanced, effective and sustainable global and regional security architecture", Zhang said.
Plan for bloc-wide phaseout teeters on resistance from Hungary, Slovakia
A proposal by the European Commission on Wednesday to gradually phase out Russian oil imports might meet its Waterloo after Hungary and Slovakia said that they could not support the plan.
Unanimity among the European Union's 27 members is required under the EU rules for any such proposal to become a reality.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday unveiled the proposal to impose an EU-wide ban on Russian oil imports, including giving member states up to six months to phase out purchases of Russian crude and until the end of this year to import Russian refined oil products.
"Let us be clear: it will not be easy. Some member states are strongly dependent on Russian oil. But we simply have to work on it," von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg as she sought support for the sixth round of EU sanctions on Russia.
"We maximize pressure on Russia, while at the same time minimizing collateral damage to us and our partners around the globe."
The new sanctions also include removing Sberbank, the largest Russian bank, and two other major banks from the SWIFT international payments system, and banning three big Russian state-owned broadcasters from EU airwaves.
Hungary, which depends heavily on Russian oil, has continued to express reservations on the EU moves against Russia's energy sector, saying on Wednesday that it saw no guarantee for its energy security in the EU proposal.
"We don't see any plan or guarantee on how even a transition could be managed on the basis of the current proposals," the government press office told AFP.
This is despite the fact that the European Commission proposal asks that Hungary and Slovakia be given more time to meet the embargo target.
The Hungarian government did not say if it meant that Hungary will veto the EU proposal.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday that his country cannot support the Russian oil ban in the proposal's current form. He said that stopping Russian oil imports would destroy Hungary's energy security.
About 65 percent of Hungary's oil and 85 percent of its gas supplies come from Russia.
Slovakia also warned that it would not be able to agree on the current proposal and urged that more time be granted for the country to find alternative fuel supplies.
Karol Galek, Slovakia's deputy economy minister in charge of energy policy, told the Politico news website that Slovakia is not opposed to the sanctions and wants to agree to measures that put pressure on Russia. But he said the commission's proposal to give Slovakia and Hungary an extra year to adapt to the oil embargo is not enough. "We are expecting at least three years," he said.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries warned earlier that a ban on Russian oil would cause a market disruption like the energy crisis in the 1970s, which prompted a long and painful period of stagflation in the West.
"We could potentially see the loss of more than 7 million barrels per day of Russian oil and other liquids exports," OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said in a meeting with EU officials last month.
The EU is the largest buyer of Russian oil, with purchases of more than 73 billion euros ($77.5 billion) in 2021.
Agencies contributed to this story.
MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday to discuss the Ukrainian situation.
The leaders paid special attention to humanitarian issues, including the evacuation of civilians held by militants of nationalist battalions from the Azovstal steel plant, the Kremlin said in a statement.
The Russian military is ready to ensure the safe exit of civilians, Putin said, adding that the Kyiv authorities should order the remaining militants at the Azovstal plant to lay down arms.
"On the eve of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, which Russia and Israel celebrate on May 9, Putin and Bennett emphasised the special importance of this date for the people of both countries," the statement added.
KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that he had separate conversations with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Zelensky tweeted that he discussed future joint international legal events and the issues of defensive support for Ukraine at the talks with Johnson.
The Ukrainian leader said he thanked Johnson for addressing the Ukrainian parliament earlier this week.
Commenting on the conversation with Steinmeier, Zelensky said it was "good, constructive, and important".
The Ukrainian president said he informed his German counterpart about the situation on the frontline, in particular in Mariupol, and voiced the hope that Germany's support for Ukraine would be intensified.
Russia has dismissed speculation that President Vladimir Putin plans to formally declare war on Ukraine on May 9, when the country has its Victory Day Parade, but also announced it has successfully carried out simulated nuclear missile strikes on Wednesday near its border with the European Union.
The Russian government has so far called its conflict with Ukraine a "special military operation", but some Western media speculated that Putin could be preparing for a major announcement on Monday during Russia's annual commemoration of the victory of the former Soviet Union and its allies in World War II over Nazi Germany.
Some Western experts said the announcement they predict could include a range of possible scenarios ranging from an outright declaration of war to a declaration of victory.
"There is no chance of that. It's nonsense," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to the reports. He added that people should not listen to speculation that there might be a decision on national mobilization.
Victory Day on May 9 is one of Russia's most important national events－a remembrance of the enormous Soviet sacrifices made to defeat the Nazi Germany in what is known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War. The dress rehearsal of the military parade in Red Square will be held on Saturday as planned.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that apart from Moscow, parades will take place in 28 Russian cities and involve about 65,000 personnel and more than 460 aircraft.
Russian forces also carried out on Wednesday simulated nuclear missile strikes in the western enclave of Kaliningrad, which lies on the border with EU members Lithuania and Poland.
During Wednesday's war games, Russia practiced "electronic launches" of nuclear-capable Iskander mobile ballistic missile systems near those borders, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
The Russian forces practiced single and multiple strikes on targets imitating missile systems, airfields, infrastructure, military equipment and command posts, the statement said. The units involved also practiced "actions in conditions of radiation and chemical contamination".
Russia placed its nuclear forces on high alert shortly after the start of its operation, and Putin has warned of a "lightning fast" retaliation if the West directly intervenes in the Ukraine conflict.
Wednesday marked the 70th day of the start of Russia's "special military operation", and Western countries, as well as Japan and South Korea, have imposed rounds of sanctions against the Russian government and its senior officials.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced sanctions on Wednesday against 63 Japanese officials, journalists and professors for engaging in what it called "unacceptable rhetoric" against Moscow.
The sanctions bar the targeted individuals from entering Russia indefinitely, the ministry said.
NEW YORK - Oil prices rose sharply on Wednesday after the European Union (EU) unveiled a plan to phase out Russian oil, triggering concerns over tight supplies.
The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for June delivery added 5.4 U.S. dollars, or 5.3 percent, to settle at 107.81 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for July delivery increased 5.17 dollars, or 4.9 percent, to close at 110.14 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that the EU will phase out Russian supply of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year. The plan is part of a sixth package of sanctions targeting Moscow over its military operation in Ukraine.
EU countries imported on average 3.5 million barrels of crude oil and oil products per day from Russia in the fourth quarter of 2021, said Carsten Fritsch, energy analyst at Commerzbank Research, citing data from the International Energy Agency.
"This quantity now has to be sourced elsewhere on the market, which is likely to tighten supply if all other things remain equal and should in turn push up prices," he added.
COPENHAGEN - A senior official of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic and military conflict in Ukraine have affected the mental health of millions of people.
"A pandemic has thrown an unprecedented spotlight on mental health. An armed conflict is profoundly affecting the mental health of millions of people," said WHO European Regional Director Hans Kluge here on Wednesday.
More than two months of conflict in Ukraine has led to incalculable uncertainty, insecurity, grief and loss, said the WHO official. He added that health care facilities in the country were damaged seriously, leaving thousands of people with no access to services.
Neighboring countries to Ukraine are also experiencing a significant increase in demand for health services, including mental health services, as a result of the massive influx of refugees, he said.
The UN body also voiced its concern about the food crisis raging in Ukraine and its neighboring countries.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the US on Wednesday stressed that China's position on the Ukraine issue is "impartial, objective and beyond approach", urging the US to stop spreading disinformation.
The spokesperson's remarks were in response to a statement issued by the US State Department on Monday, which claimed that Chinese officials and media "routinely amplify Kremlin propaganda, conspiracy theories, and disinformation" on the Ukraine issue.
"It is the US officials and media who have spread such rumors as China knew in advance and tacitly supported Russia's military action, as China helped Russia evade sanctions and provided military support to Russia. These are disinformation in every sense of the word," the spokesperson said.
Over the years, the US has waged wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, killing 335,000 civilians, "this is not disinformation," the spokesperson said.
The vast majority of countries in the world stand for resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and negotiation. None of them wants to see the situation escalate or even get out of control, the spokesperson said.
The US admitted that it has 26 bio-labs in Ukraine in the working document it submitted to the meeting of the State Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in November 2021.
Furthermore, according to the fact sheet released by the US Department of Defense in March 2022, the US is supporting 46 facilities in Ukraine, the spokesperson said.
"The US should welcome joint verification by the international community under the UN and the BWC," the spokesperson said.
Instead of finger-pointing, China and the US, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should work together with the rest of the international community for an early political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, the spokesperson said.
"We should work together to realize a ceasefire as soon as possible, increase humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and protect the civilians. We should strengthen coordination for greater world energy, food and supply chain security. Blaming and smearing just won't solve the problem," the spokesperson said.
BUCHAREST - Germany's dependency on Russian energy resources has been significantly reduced, German President Frank Walter Steinmeier said on Wednesday during a visit to Bucharest.
Germany's dependency on Russian oil is currently 15 percent, Steinmeier told a joint press conference with his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis.
The Romanian president said that his country supports the European Commission's proposed ban on Russian oil, which would be implemented through a phase-out period of six months.
Authorities in Bucharest are now working on sustainable solutions that can be rapidly mobilized, Iohannis said.
"Romania wants to play an active role in achieving the EU's strategic objectives for diversifying its natural gas supply," he said.
Talks between the two leaders also focused on the support granted to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, support for the EU accession of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia, and Romania's expectations regarding accession to the Schengen area.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Tuesday on retaliatory sanctions against individuals and entities in response to their "unfriendly actions" over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Russian government was ordered to compile a list of individuals under sanctions within 10 days.
In decree signed by Russian president, individuals also targeted in measures
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Tuesday that bans economic relations with sanctioned individuals from "unfriendly countries" on a soon-to-be-published list.
The move was a response to "unfriendly" actions contradictory to international law that have been taken by the United States and other countries, as well as international organizations, according to a Kremlin statement that adds those actions "are aimed at illegally depriving and restricting Russia's and Russian citizens' property rights".
The export of products and raw materials to "unfriendly" people and entities will be forbidden under the decree.
As part of the measures, Putin ordered the Russian government to draft a list of sanctioned figures within 10 days, and determine additional criteria for deals and obligations to be categorized as banned in compliance with the decree.
In a related move, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it has banned entry to several dozen Japanese officials, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, after Tokyo joined international sanctions against Moscow over its military campaign in Ukraine.
On the day that Putin signed the decree he had a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in which he said that despite Kyiv's "unpreparedness for serious work", Russia remains open to dialogue.
Putin told the French leader that the West must stop supplying weapons to Ukraine and accused Kyiv of not taking seriously the talks to end the conflict.
Push for more evacuations
Macron asked Putin to restart evacuations at the besieged Azovstal steel plant, the last holdout of Ukrainian forces in the southern port city of Mariupol, in coordination with humanitarian units. He also said that the evacuees must be allowed to choose their destinations, as provided for under international law.
Russian forces reportedly launched a major assault on Tuesday on the Azovstal plant, as 101 civilians who had been trapped in the site for weeks were finally brought to safety.
However, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia was not "storming" the plant.
The United Nations and Red Cross said the 101 people were moved out as part of a five-day operation.
"Without a doubt, we will continue doing everything we can to get all our people out of Mariupol, out of Azovstal," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address.
A further 58 people joined the civilians' convoy to Zaporizhzhia from the city of Mangush, outside Mariupol, said Osnat Lubrani, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine.
She said that there "may be more civilians who remain trapped" in Azovstal, adding that the UN was ready to return to bring them to safety.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday pledged a further 300 million pounds ($376 million) in military aid to Ukraine, as he became the first foreign leader to address the nation's parliament since Russia's special military operation began.
Envoys from European Union countries failed to reach an agreement on Wednesday on a proposed embargo against Russian oil, but they were expected to move closer to a deal at a meeting on Thursday, an official familiar with the talks told Reuters.
In response to the possible ban, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russia has been looking into various options as it braces for an EU oil embargo.
The bloc also pledged to "significantly increase" its support for Moldova, Ukraine's neighbor that has seen a series of attacks.
Agencies contributed to this story.
