The United States and its allies have started imposing sanctions against Russia after Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops Monday into areas of eastern Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists
incoming update…
A state of emergency is set to be imposed across all regions of Ukraine, according to National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov.
The Russian-backed Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway regions are exceptions, where a special status has remained since 2014.
The state of emergency must be approved by parliament, though limited opposition is expected.
Posted by Trey Yingst
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a video address Wednesday, asserted that the country’s core interests were “non-negotiable” amid tensions with Ukraine – and with the U.S. and other Western nations.
But Putin also said Russia was “always open for direct and honest dialogue,” and was willing to address “the most difficult issues” through diplomacy, according to reports.
Putin’s remarks came on Defenders of the Fatherland Day, the Russian equivalent of Veterans Day in the United States, according to Max Seddon, Moscow bureau chief of The Financial Times of Britain.
Click here to read more on Fox News.
Posted by Brie Stimson
As tensions continue to rise in Ukraine and Russia, U.S. intelligence officials are on the watch for manipulated video and audio that could result in multiple cases of misinformation.
The FBI continues to wage a campaign against illegal deepfakes, as the technology continues to improve.
“Audio, video, text and images that are created to show something that didn’t necessarily happen, or never occurred,” FBI Cyber Division Unit Chief Pranav Shah said of deepfakes.
Shah tells FOX News the technology, once reserved for cyber wizards, is becoming more user-friendly. He says it is getting easier to make these digital deceptions, and they aren’t always illegal.
Click here to read more on Fox News.
Posted by Brie Stimson
Pope Francis on Wednesday urged Russia and Ukraine to take a step back from the threat of war, saying the latest developments “discredit international law.”
“Once again, the peace of everyone is threatened by vested interests,” the pope said.
The Vatican is walking a fine line as the Church has been attempting to reach out to the Russian Orthodox Church and set up a meeting with its leader.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Posted by Brie Stimson
After Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen ordered the island’s armed forces to be on alert amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Beijing on Wednesday balked at the comparison, calling the move “self-serving.”
“Taiwan is not Ukraine,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, according to Reuters. “Taiwan has always been an inalienable part of China. This is an indisputable legal and historical fact.” Taiwan considers itself an independent state.
Last weekend, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson drew parallels between the Russia-Ukraine situation and mainland China and Taiwan.
“If Ukraine is endangered, the shock will echo around the world,” he said at the Munich Security Conference. “And those echoes will be heard in east Asia, will be heard in Taiwan. People would draw the conclusion that aggression pays, and that might is right.”
Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that could be taken by force if deemed necessary.
Beijing Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang accused Taiwan of trying to stir anti-mainland sentiment by playing up “so-called military threats” from China, which he called “self-serving,” according to the South China Morning Post.
Posted by Brie Stimson
Sanctions imposed by the White House against Russia “cannot solve a thing” Anatoly Antonov, Russian ambassador to the U.S., told reporters. His response was posted to the embassy’s Facebook page.
“I don’t remember a single day when our country lived without any restrictions from the Western world,” he said. “We have learned to work in such conditions. And not only to survive, but also to develop our state.”
He continued, “Anti-Russia sanctions will solve nothing. It is difficult to believe that someone in Washington expects Russia to revise its international political line under the threat of restrictions.”
On Tuesday, President Biden announced economic sanctions on Russian banks and Moscow officials, including imposing “full blocking” on two large Russian financial institutions and “comprehensive sanctions” on Russian debt.
Posted by Brie Stimson
Kenyan ambassador to the United Nations Martin Kimani condemned Russia’s actions late Monday, drawing parallels to colonialism in Africa, the Washington Post reported.
“This situation echoes our history,” he told the U.N. Security Council in the viral speech. “Kenya and almost every African country was birthed by the ending of empire. Our borders were not of our own drawing. They were drawn in the distant colonial metropoles of London, Paris and Lisbon, with no regard for the ancient nations that they cleaved apart.”
Posted by Brie Stimson
Stock markets in Asia rebounded on Wednesday after global stock prices fell Tuesday over Vladimir Putin ordering troops into eastern Ukraine and sanctions placed on Moscow by the U.S.
“Current U.S. sanctions on Russia are less-than-feared by the market,” said Anderson Alves of ActivTrades in a report. Alves noted American officials have more “acute options” including reducing Russia’s access to the SWIFT system for global bank transactions.
On Wednesday, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.6% to 3,476.15 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 0.7% to 23,682.90.The Kospi in Seoul advanced 0.5% to 2,720.20 and Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 added 0.5% to 7,196.40.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 fell to 4,304.76 Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.4% to 33,596.61. The Nasdaq composite lost 1.2% to 13,381.52.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Posted by Brie Stimson
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday night announced he would be calling up the country’s military reservists to active duty but isn’t ordering a general mobilization because he is seeking a diplomatic solution, according to Reuters.
The decision came after Russia recognized the Russian-backed separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as “independent.”
“We must increase the readiness of the Ukrainian army for all possible changes in the operational situation,” Zelenskyy said in a video.
Posted by Brie Stimson
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday said the country will impose financial sanctions and travel bans on eight members of Russia’s national security council who he said are helping with the invasion along with two areas of eastern Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists, according to ABC News Australia.
“The invasion of Ukraine has effectively already begun. This invasion is unjustified, it’s unwarranted, it’s unprovoked and it’s unacceptable,” the prime minister said. “Australians always stand up to bullies, and we will be standing up to Russia.”
Posted by Brie Stimson
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the country’s first round of “severe” economic sanctions against Moscow after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into eastern Ukraine Monday.
Moscow also voted to officially recognize the separatist-backed Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent.
“Russia’s brazen provocations are a threat to security and peace in the world,” Trudeau said in a news conference.
He said Canada will sanction members of Russia’s parliament who voted to recognize the two regions as independent, Canadians will be banned from doing business there and will prohibit dealings with two state-backed Russian banks, according to Reuters. Canadians will also be prohibited from purchasing Russian sovereign debt.
“I am also authorizing the deployment of up to 460 members of the Canadian Armed Forces to Operation Reassurance. This involves more troops to Latvia, as well as the deployment of an additional frigate and maritime patrol aircraft,” he said.
Posted by Brie Stimson
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