UK condemns unprovoked Russian attack on Ukraine

The UK will respond decisively to Russia’s “unprovoked attack” on Ukraine, Boris Johnson has said.

The prime minister said he was appalled after President Putin launched a military assault on the country.

Mr Putin said he did not plan to occupy Ukraine, but Ukraine has branded it a “full-scale invasion”.

The PM – who chaired an emergency Cobra meeting earlier – will make a statement in the Commons at 17:00 GMT to detail new sanctions against Russia.

In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Johnson vowed the West “would not stand by as President Putin waged his campaign against the Ukrainian people”.

Mr Johnson wrote on Twitter: “President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer warned Putin’s attack on Ukraine would “have horrendous and tragic consequences that will echo throughout the world and throughout history”, and called for the “hardest possible sanctions” against the Russian leader and his associates.

He added: “There can be no space for equivocation when faced with the evil that Putin has unleashed. His actions pose a grave threat to the international order on which we all depend.”

Russian forces have launched an assault on Ukraine, with reports of explosions near major cities across the country early on Thursday morning.

Ukraine has declared a month-long state of emergency, as Russia said it had carried out air strikes on Ukraine’s military infrastructure and border guard units – but not targeting populated areas.

Russian military vehicles are reported to have breached Ukraine’s border in a number of places, in the north, south and east, including from Belarus.

At least seven people have been killed by Russian shelling, while another 19 are missing, Ukraine has said.

Warning sirens were heard blaring across the capital Kyiv – which is home to almost three million people – as traffic queued to leave the city during the night and crowds sought shelter in the underground.

President Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine’s Donbas region in a televised address to the Russian people earlier and said the Ukrainian people would be able “to choose freely” who ran the country.

Mr Putin also urged Ukrainian soldiers in the combat zone in the east of the country to lay down their weapons and return to their homes, warning that Moscow’s response would be “instant” if anyone tried to take on Russia.

On Wednesday, the UK announced a package of sanctions against Russia as part of a coordinated Western response to the crisis.

Mr Johnson announced that five Russian banks had had their assets frozen and three Russian billionaires would have travel bans imposed.

It followed the Kremlin ordering troops into the rebel-held Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk on recognizing them as independent.

Foreign Office minister James Cleverly warned Mr Putin’s comments in recent days suggested he wanted to create “a wider Russian empire in all but name”.

“We do fear that this is the start of quite an extensive military operation. This is not just limited to the east. There have been military strikes across a number of parts of Ukraine,” he told the BBC on Thursday morning.

He said new UK sanctions against Russia would be announced “in waves” and warned it would be “the largest and most severe economic sanctions” package Russia had ever seen.

Asked about the prospect of UK boots on the ground in Ukraine, Mr Cleverly said that while Ukraine was a “good friend” of the UK, it was not a member of the Nato military alliance – which obliges members to come to one another’s aid in the event of an armed attack against a member state.

The UK is providing additional military support to eastern Nato member states and will support Ukrainians in their defence of their homeland, he added.

UK nationals were advised two weeks ago to leave Ukraine while commercial flights were still available. Those remaining have again been urged to leave Ukraine immediately – if they judge it is safe to do so.

Ukraine has closed its airspace to civilian flights. The only airlines still flying from the UK, Wizz Air and Ryanair, have suspended all flights to the country.

Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the defence select committee, said the West had failed to alter the trajectory of the Russian invasion and accused the UK of dithering over the crisis.

He said the UK’s “baffling” decision to hold back sanctions until after Russia’s incursion into Ukraine had not deterred Mr Putin.

“If Kyiv falls, history will ask why the West did not do more and why Nato’s hard power deterrents – the one asset Putin fears – was not better harnessed.”

He said Ukraine needed tangible support including weapons and communication systems, counter cyber capabilities and that a Nato no-fly zone would be a “gamechanger” in deterring Russia.

Families sought shelter in Kyiv’s deep underground network

A stream of cars left Kyiv after Russia announced it was launching its military operation

Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, described the scenes of people abandoning their homes in Ukraine as “a human tragedy”.

He told BBC Breakfast: “To see these columns of people forced out by naked aggression by Russia and by Vladimir Putin is horrific and extremely painful, and we should be thinking very clearly about the families torn apart, the lives separated.”

The latest move by Russia has drawn international condemnation, with US President Joe Biden denouncing Russia’s military action as an “unprovoked and unjustified attack”, declaring “the world will hold Russia accountable”.

Writing on Twitter, he added the US and its allies and partners would impose “severe sanctions on Russia” and continue to provide support to Ukraine and its people.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Mr Putin of “bringing war back to Europe” and warned a raft of “massive” sanctions would be proposed later aimed at Russia’s economic base and its “capacity to modernize”.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg criticised Russia’s “reckless” attack on Ukraine and said despite weeks of tireless international diplomacy, Russia had chosen “the path of aggression”.

Mr Stoltenberg has called an emergency meeting of the North Atlantic Council this morning. A news conference is expected to be held in Brussels at 12:00 local time.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace branded Russia’s actions “naked aggression against a democratic country” and said no one had been fooled by the Kremlin’s “false flags and fake narratives”.

Fears of a Russian invasion into Ukraine have been rising for months.

Mr Putin has accused the West of ignoring Russia’s demands to prevent Ukraine from joining the western Nato military alliance and offer Moscow security guarantees.

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Kim Kardashian asks court to move forward on divorce with Ye

 Kim Kardashian has asked a court to igtnore Ye’s attempts to slow down their divorce and end their marriage as soon as possible.

She filed documents in Los Angeles Superior Court late Wednesday saying Ye, who legally changed his name from Kanye West, in his own recent filing, began adding conditions to the divorce that would mean changing the couples’ prenuptial agreement, and is seeking protections that are unnecessary and based on falsehoods.

Kardashian said it’s clear that he is simply attempting to delay, and is causing damage by doing so.

“Mr. West, by his actions, has made it clear that he does not accept that the parties’ marital relationship is over,” the court filing says. “Mr. West has disseminated on social media the parties’ private communications and misinformation about personal family matters and co-parenting, which has caused emotional distress.”

In December, Kardashian, as is common in complicated divorces, asked the court to declare her legally single before the details of child custody and property are worked out.

She said in Wednesday’s filing that Ye had agreed to the move, known in court as bifurcation, in advance. But on Feb. 16 Ye objected in in his own filing, and raised a host of new issues.

At first it appeared there would be a smooth end to of one of the most followed celebrity unions in recent decades, between the 41-year-old reality TV superstar Kardashian and the 44-year-old rap and fashion mogul Ye, who were married nearly seven years and have four children.

Kardashian filed the petition for the split a year ago. Two months later, Ye filed his response, which agreed on all the major points, including child custody. Neither discussed the split publicly. A prenuptial agreement prevented property fights.

But in recent months Ye has lashed out on social media against Kardashian, her family, and her boyfriend Pete Davidson. He has aired complaints that he is not being allowed to make major parenting decisions and has been excluded from birthday parties and other events for their children.

In a personal declaration included with her Wednesday filing, she said a judge declaring the two divorced might help with his moving on.

“I very much desire to be divorced. I have asked Kanye to keep our divorce private, but he has not done so,” Kardashian said. “I believe that the court terminating our marital status will help Kanye to accept that our marital relationship is over and to move forward on a better path which will assist us in peacefully co-parenting our children.”

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BREAKING NEWS: Bombs have begun raining on Ukraine

DNT BREAKING NEWS: Some parts of kiev , Kharkiv, Sumy , Odessa are under attack right this very moment

The war alarm has rang too in some areas .

I have seen videos of explosions taken from the windows from citizens and foreigners in these areas

The airport is shutdown , all flights are cancelled , The intercity train (subways ) stationS are not working either

Buses are not allowed to move either.

Fuel stations are full , Long queues at the ATM machines , everyone is trying to get hold of their last cash

Internet was cut at some parts in Kharkiv city

Emergency Evacuation points , shelters and road to bunkers have been released this dawn .

We are advised to go the basements of our buildings or subways in case it gets worse and I just received a call from a friend this very moment , she reported that she saw a lot of people inside the subways with their luggage . She was returning from work where she was told “Closed till further notice “

There is rumour amongst foreigners of LVIV city being the safest place to be in Ukraine now , so we are all trying to move there but unfortunately no flights , subways are not working either , buses can’t move too ..so we are trying to move in groups with people who have vehicles to this city which shares borders with Poland , approximately 10km from Poland . Polish’s Government is willing to receive up to a million refugees from Ukraine If need Arises so that’s one major reason we are trying to get to LVIV now .

The President just asked we Remain calm and stay indoors

Source: Magdalene Nonkwia, DNT News, Kharkov City

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Mozambique floods kill 11 as thousands more homeless

Mozambican relief authorities say 11 people have died and almost 2,700 have been left homeless due to flooding in the past week.

It follows intense rains across the country caused by tropical storm Dumako between 15 and 22 February.

The worst-affected provinces are Niassa, Nampula and Zambézia.

In total 34 houses were fully destroyed, 292 were partially damaged and 111 submerged, said Nelma Araújo, spokeswoman for the national disaster agency.

The weather also forced the closure of three accommodation centres in Nampula.

Since the beginning of the rainy and cyclone season in October, Mozambique has registered rains, strong winds, atmospheric discharges, fires and tropical storms Ana and Dumako.

These weather events have affected more than 250,000 people and caused 72 deaths and 251 injuries, Ms Araújo said.

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Caribbean Community (CARICOM) “strongly condemns” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

 

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) strongly condemns the military attacks and invasion of Ukraine by The Russian Federation and calls for the immediate and complete withdrawal of the military presence and cessation of any further actions that may intensify the current perilous situation in that country. The recognition by The Russian Federation of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk represents a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

The hostilities against Ukraine go counter to the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state and the prohibition on the threat or use of force, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, which are the bedrock of this Community.

#CARICOM maintains that the principles of universal respect and adherence to these norms and principles of international law are fundamental to the maintenance of the international system and global peace and security.

CARICOM calls on all parties involved to urgently embark on intensified diplomatic dialogue to immediately de-escalate hostilities and work towards a sustainable peace.

CARICOM Secretariat

Georgetown, Guyana

24 February 2022

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Sturgeon calls for severe consequences for Russian assault

 Scotland’s first minister has called for the “severest consequences” for Russia’s military assault on Ukraine.

Nicola Sturgeon described the Russian air strikes and border breaches as “appalling and horrific”.

Ukraine says Russia has launched a “full-scale invasion” of what is Europe’s second largest country.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced “the largest and most severe” package of economic sanctions to target the Russian economy.

Ukraine has declared a month-long state of emergency as Russia said it had carried out air strikes on Ukraine’s military infrastructure and border guard units – but said it had not targeted populated areas.

Russian military vehicles are reported to have breached Ukraine’s border in the north, south and east of the country, including from Belarus.

At least seven people have been killed by Russian shelling, while another 19 are missing, Ukraine has said.

This shell landed in a street in Kyiv hours after Russia launched its attack

The Scottish Parliament unanimously passed a motion of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, after all party leaders voiced condemnation of Russia’s actions.

Ms Sturgeon said Mr Putin must face the “severest consequences”, with sanctions targeted against himself, Russian oligarchs, banks, energy and mineral companies.

She said the world “must now help and equip Ukraine to defend itself and resist Russian aggression”, while encouraging “anti-Putin forces” within Russia.

She said: “This is a clash between oppression and autocracy on one hand, and freedom and democracy on the other. We must make sure that freedom and democracy prevail.”

The military airport at Chuhuyev near Kharkiv was among those targeted

Scotland’s other party leaders echoed Ms Sturgeon’s comments, with Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross saying the world had woken up in a “far darker and most unstable place”.

Labour’s Anas Sarwar said Mr Putin should “pay a heavy price”, while calling for “urgent humanitarian assistance against the horrors of war” for people in Ukraine.

And Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton noted that Ukrainian capital Kyiv is twinned with Edinburgh, saying that “we must be prepared to offer all of those fleeing the conflict safe harbour in the towns and villages of Scotland”.

Explosions are getting closer, I’m scared witless

Sean Cusick was speaking to BBC Scotland when he heard a tank approaching and ended the call

Sean Cusick from Glasgow, his wife and their two-year-old stepson are stranded in Ukraine with no way out.

The family are living near the Russian border in Kharkiv, where air strikes have destroyed the airport. They cannot afford food or rent and have relied on support from family.

They hope to scrape enough money together to travel to Poland and, eventually, the UK – but Sean said bureaucracy has prevented his Ukrainian wife from obtaining a valid passport or national ID.

Speaking to the BBC, Sean said: “I woke up to the house shaking and the sounds of distant thunder and explosions – I didn’t know what was happening.

“The sounds are getting much closer, I’m getting exceedingly more terrified.

“Even though I’m scared witless, I’m not in any current danger that I’m aware of – but that can change in a matter of seconds.”

Sean was forced to end the interview and go indoors as he heard the sound of a nearby tank.

Mr Johnson, in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, vowed the West “would not stand by as President Putin waged his campaign against the Ukrainian people”.

In a televised address to the nation, the prime minister said Vladimir Putin had “unleashed war in our European continent without any provocation and any credible excuse”, referring to the president as a “dictator”.

He added: “Our mission is clear – diplomatically, politically, economically and eventually militarily, this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure.”

Mr Johnson later announced the “largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen”.

He said all major Russian banks would have their assets frozen and be excluded from the UK financial system.

And Russian airline Aeroflot will also be banned from landing in the UK.

Nicola Sturgeon said Vladimir Putin should be hit personally by sanctions

On Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon met the acting consul general of Ukraine, Yevhen Mankovskyi, and Linda Allison, the chairwoman of the Scottish branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain.

In the wake of those talks she urged the UK to impose tougher sanctions against Russia, saying while there had been “some very tough rhetoric from Boris Johnson” this now needed to be “matched by action”.

Meanwhile, former First Minister Alex Salmond has announced that he will be suspending his weekly TV show on Russian state broadcaster RT “until peace is re-established”.

Ms Sturgeon had criticised her predecessor for continuing to host the talk show, saying she was “appalled”, and urging him to “reflect” on matters.

The UK government has asked broadcast watchdog Ofcom to review the channel’s licence to air in the UK in light of the crisis in Ukraine.

Mr Salmond has always insisted he has total editorial control and RT’s deputy editor-in-chief, Anna Belkina, had earlier said she was sure the former SNP leader would not listen to “the inappropriate remarks of Ms Sturgeon”.

The programme did not air in its usual slot on RT on Thursday morning, but was posted in full on the broadcaster’s website and adverts for it continued to appear during rolling news coverage.

The weekly talk show is produced by Slainte Media, a firm set up by Mr Salmond and another former SNP MP, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh.

In a statement released on Thursday evening, Mr Salmond said: “The efforts of every single person should be to re-establish the peace.

“That certainly is our focus, and therefore Slainte Media have decided to suspend the Alex Salmond show until that can be secured”.

Meanwhile, supporters of Ukraine held a demonstration outside the Russian Consulate in Edinburgh.

The Church of Scotland has called on the UK government to work towards a ceasefire and “prepare a generous humanitarian response”, including preparing to resettle refugees from the conflict and support neighbouring countries to respond locally.

Lord Wallace, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said: “Our prayers are with the Ukrainian people who are now under attack and in fear of their lives.”

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