Ukraine war live: Terror threat emerges in Moscow as Putin warns of full-scale war in Europe

In Beijing and Kyiv, the divide between China and Europe over the struggle in Ukraine was on show this week.

As a Chinese language envoy crisscrossed Europe for talks on ending the struggle, his boss, International Minister Wang Yi, trumpeted a pointy rise in China-Russia commerce — which the West sees as offering an financial lifeline to Moscow that undermines the sanctions it has imposed to attempt to stress Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.

“Russian pure fuel has entered hundreds of households in China, and Chinese language automobiles are driving within the streets of Russia, which totally demonstrates the sturdy resilience and broad prospects of mutually helpful cooperation,” Wang stated at an annual information convention on Thursday.

Hours later, Chinese language envoy Li Hui was given a rundown of the horrors of the struggle by Ukrainian officers in Kyiv. It wasn’t clear how Li reacted. China launched a terse assertion on Friday saying solely that Li arrived by practice at midday, held candid and pleasant talks, and departed by practice the identical night.

The struggle has created a deep division between the West and China that threatens Beijing’s relations with Europe, a significant buying and selling accomplice, and additional strained ties with the USA.

Learn the complete story right here…

Turkey is able to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to finish the struggle, President Tayyip Erdogan stated on Friday after talks along with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul.

In a gathering lasting about an hour, Erdogan and Zelensky mentioned developments within the Ukraine-Russia struggle, delivery safety within the Black Sea together with the defunct grain deal, and defence trade cooperation, in keeping with the 2 sides.

NATO member Turkey helps Ukraine‘s territorial integrity, but in addition maintains cordial relations with Russia, and often speaks with each side within the battle, notably as a sponsor of the Black Sea deal that lifted a de facto Russian blockade of Ukrainian grain exports.

“We mentioned developments concerning the struggle intimately as we speak, I said our observations with all my sincerity,” Erdogan stated at a press convention alongside Zelensky, whose journey comes earlier than an anticipated go to by Russian President Vladimir Putin following elections in Russia on March 15-17.

“We’re giving our utmost contribution for the struggle to finish on the idea of negotiations. We’re able to host a peace summit that Russia will attend too,” he stated, including he had reiterated Ankara’s assist for Ukraine‘s sovereignty.

Turkey had hosted peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, however has since complained that no diplomatic step has been taken to advance these discussions. It has repeatedly provided to host additional talks, saying a summit of leaders was wanted.

Zelenski stated Russia wouldn’t be invited to the primary peace summit on account of be held in Switzerland within the coming months, however {that a} Russian consultant could possibly be invited to the subsequent assembly after a roadmap for peace had been agreed upon with Ukrainian allies.

“We don’t see any representatives of Russia at this summit. We don’t see how one can invite individuals who block, destroy, and kill every thing. We need to get a outcome – a simply peace,” he stated.

Final week, Turkish International Minister Hakan Fidan stated after assembly Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that it was time for Ukraine and Russia to begin ceasefire talks, however added that this should not imply the popularity of Russia’s occupation.

The USA on Friday imposed sanctions on two entities it accused of advancing Russia’s “malign actions” within the Central African Republic (CAR) and enabling the Wagner mercenary group, the U.S. Treasury Division stated in an announcement.

The entities, a CAR-based timber firm and a Russia-based firm, sought to profit financially “from illicit pure useful resource extraction and supplied materials and monetary assist to the Wagner Group and different organizations” tied to Wagner’s former proprietor Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who died in a 2023 aircraft explosion in Russia, the Treasury stated.

The motion targets CAR-based Bois Rouge SARLU for its ties to Wagner and St. Petersburg-based Dealer Professional for its assist of Bois Rouge, it stated in an announcement.

“Russia has sought to leverage these Wagner-affiliated firms in its efforts each to safe further income from overseas and to advance its pursuits in Africa, usually on the expense of the host international locations, their establishments, and their residents, Treasury’s Below Secretary for Terrorism and Monetary Intelligence Brian Nelson stated within the assertion.

The USA stays centered on disrupting the networks that allow Russia’s illicit and destabilizing actions in Africa.”

The Central African Republic, a former French colony, has change into one among Russia’s closest African allies lately, taking part in host to one of many Wagner Group mercenary military’s largest international operations.

Wagner has additionally battled in Libya, Syria, Mali and different international locations, and has fought a number of the bloodiest clashes of the struggle in Ukraine. It was based in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine‘s Crimea peninsula and began supporting pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine‘s jap Donbas area.

The USA has beforehand imposed sanctions on Wagner and has repeatedly warned of what it says are Wagner’s destabilizing actions and human rights abuses as Washington has ramped up sanctions in opposition to the non-public military following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine final yea

Russian drones killed three individuals in Ukraine‘s south and north on Friday, whereas a missile strike a day earlier killed two and wounded dozens extra, native authorities stated.

The missile strike on Thursday broken a hospital, an emergency medical care centre, and a water utility within the northern metropolis of Sumy, bordering Russia, the regional navy administration stated on Friday.

Two individuals have been killed and 26 wounded, of whom six remained in hospitals, it added.

On Friday afternoon, a civilian automobile was hit by a kamikaze drone in Kharkiv area, killing a person and a lady, the regional governor stated on the Telegram messenger app.

One other drone hit a village within the southern Kherson area, its governor added. A girl was killed.

All three areas regularly come underneath Russian drone and missile assaults.

Moscow has denied intentionally focusing on civilians, although many have been killed in frequent air strikes throughout Ukraine in the middle of the two-year-old struggle.

Ukraine’s international minister Dmytro Kuleba has warned that the nation wants unrestricted and well timed arms provides to combat Russia’s invading forces.

“The technique of dripping assist for Ukraine drop by drop doesn’t work anymore,” he instructed a press convention within the capital of Lithuania.

“What’s required is an unrestricted and well timed provide of all varieties of weapons and ammunition to make sure that Ukraine defeats Russia and the struggle in Europe doesn’t spill over,” he stated.

The U.S. embassy in Russia warned that “extremists” had imminent plans for an assault in Moscow, hours after Russian safety companies stated they’d foiled a deliberate taking pictures at a synagogue by a cell from the Afghan arm of Islamic State.

The embassy, which has repeatedly urged all U.S. residents to depart Russia instantly, gave no additional particulars concerning the nature of the risk, however stated individuals ought to keep away from live shows and crowds and pay attention to their environment.

“The Embassy is monitoring stories that extremists have imminent plans to focus on massive gatherings in Moscow, to incorporate live shows, and U.S. residents must be suggested to keep away from massive gatherings over the subsequent 48 hours,” the embassy stated on its web site.

It issued its warning a number of hours after Russia’s Federal Safety Service (FSB), the principle successor to the Soviet-era KGB, stated it had foiled an assault on a synagogue in Moscow by a cell of the militant Sunni Muslim group Islamic State.

It was unclear if the 2 statements have been linked.

U.S. allies together with Britain, Canada, South Korea and Latvia repeated the U.S. warning and instructed their residents to not journey to Russia.

Most Western international locations advise in opposition to all journey to Russia and say their residents ought to depart. The U.S. has the very best degree of warning for Russia – purple “4 – Don’t journey” – the identical degree as Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and South Sudan and Iran.

The struggle in Ukraine has triggered the deepest disaster in Russia’s relations with the West because the 1962 Cuban Missile Disaster.

A senior official on the US State Division who was closely concerned in US-Ukraine coverage and earned Moscow’s wrath consequently is stepping down within the coming weeks, stated Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Victoria Nuland was the company’s Below Secretary of State for Political Affairs and beforehand served as assistant Secretary of State for Europe; in each positions, she was a fervent advocate for US assist of Ukraine whereas drawing from her deep skilled historical past of working in Russia.

Ms Nuland departed from the State Division when Donald Trump took workplace in 2017 however returned underneath his successor Joe Biden.

In an announcement, the secretary of State wrote that Ms Nuland’s “management on Ukraine” can be a call which “diplomats and college students of international coverage will examine for years to come back”.

Turkey is able to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to finish the struggle, President Tayyip Erdogan stated on Friday after talks with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul, and added Ankara supported Kyiv’s territorial integrity.

Talking at a press convention alongside Zelensky, Erdogan stated he had mentioned developments in regards to the struggle intimately, in addition to navigational safety within the Black Sea, together with the defunct grain deal.

He additionally stated Turkey would strongly contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine as soon as the struggle ends.