Real Madrid to donate €1 million for displaced Ukrainians: War updates: Ukraine, Russia disagree on neutrality model

Belarus supplies electricity to Chernobyl

Ukraine's Zelensky also held evening talks with EU leaders from nearby Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic : Deutsche Welle.

TT  |  Deutsche Welle   |   16.03.22  :  Ukraine, Russia disagree on neutrality model

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address US Congress
• US President Joe Biden is set to announce $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine
• Bilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine to reconvene later
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against a direct NATO military confrontation with Russia
• Some 20,000 civilians were able to flee the besieged port of Mariupol on Tuesday amid continued efforts to secure safe passage

Ukraine, Russia disagree on neutrality model

Ukraine's top negotiator, Mikhailo Podolyak, said Kyiv rejected proposals by Russia to adopt a neutral status comparable to Austria or Sweden as part of a cease-fire agreement.

Russia's chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, had earlier said that Ukraine offered an Austrian or Swedish model of demilitarization, "but at the same time a state with its own army and navy."

But Podolyak said, "Ukraine is now in a direct state of war with Russia. Consequently, the model can only be 'Ukrainian' and only on legally verified security guarantees."

Real Madrid to donate €1 million for Ukraine's displaced people

The Spanish soccer club Real Madrid will donate €1 million ($1.10 million) to support those displaced in Ukraine following Russia's invasion, the team tweeted on Wednesday.

Real Madrid said the funds will be donated to organizations such as the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and others working on the ground in Ukraine.

Around 2,97 million refugees have already fled the war-torn country since the start of Russia's invasion on February 24, according to UNHCR estimates.

Belarus supplies electricity to Chernobyl

Belarusian authorities said on Wednesday the country is supplying electricity to Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power station, which in 1986 was the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster.

Electricity at the power plant was cut on Monday after Rusian troops damaged the grid, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Later that day the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said external power had been restored and work is being done to reconnect the station's power.

"The electrical supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power station is completely restored," the Belarusian Energy Ministry said in a statement published on the Telegram page of the Gomel region.

"At the current time, the electricity supply is being provided from the Belarusian power grid," it added.

The station is less than 10 miles away from the Ukraine-Belarus border.

The nuclear reactors are bound in a giant steel and concrete structure, but electricity is needed to operate security systems, including the cooling systems for the nuclear fuel storage area.

Earlier this month,  the IAEA said the heat load and volume of the cooling pools are together "sufficient" to remove heat without electric power.

International Red Cross chief arrives in Kyiv

President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer arrived in Kyiv for a five-day visit to Ukraine.

"I find it utterly important that we have person-to-person contacts, that we are able to go in-depth into the understanding of neutral, independent and impartial humanitarian work, and that our license to operate in the country is fully understood by the authorities," Maurer said in a statement.

Maurer added that he also continued his regular humanitarian dialogue with government officials in Russia.

Norway to increase natural gas production

Norwegian energy operator Equinor announced plans to increase natural gas production in the coming months to increase supply to Europe this summer.

Equinor said adjusted government permits for the Oseberg field could boost gas exports by more than 1 billion cubic meters by September 30.

The operator said the increase will "meet the gas demand of around 1.4 million European homes during a year."

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck is traveling on Wednesday to Norway, Germany's second-largest supplier of natural gas, as part of efforts to broaden Germany's energy imports.

"The Russian war of aggression on Ukraine has made it abundantly clear that we must become independent of Russian energy imports," Habeck said.

Polish, Czech and Slovenian delegations return from Kyiv

The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia have "safely returned" from Kyiv to Poland, Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller said.

Delegations, including prime ministers, from the three countries had traveled to Kyiv by train to pledge support to Ukraine.

They met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Ukraine says no agreement on humanitarian corridors today

Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said there was still no agreement on safe evacuations of civilians out of embattled towns and villages.

"The question of humanitarian corridors for Izyum and Mariupol is open. It is currently impossible to get people out of there safely," Vereshchuk said in a video address.

"Ways for the delivery of food and medicines to captured cities are being worked out," she added.

The northeastern city of Izyum has been under siege by Russian forces, and the port city of Mariupol has been enclosed for days. 

Vereshchuk said Russian forces were in control of a hospital they captured on Tuesday in Mariupol and accused them of holding 400 staff and patients hostage.

Russian foreign minister says there is 'hope for compromise'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said some formulations for agreements with Ukraine are close to being finalized.

Speaking to the Russian RBC news outlet, Lavrov said that though peace talks with Ukraine were not easy, there was hope for compromise.

"I am guided by the assessments given by our negotiators. They say that the negotiations are not easy for obvious reasons. But nevertheless, there is some hope of reaching a compromise," Lavrov said.

He said that sticking points included not only the issue of the neutrality of Ukraine but also the usage of the Russian language in the country and what he called the question of freedom of speech.

Russian rockets hit refugee hub of Zaporizhzhia

The southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, which has been serving as a safe haven for thousands of people fleeing the besieged port city of Mariupol, came under fire from Russian forces on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said.

"Civilian objects have been bombed for the first time in Zaporizhzhia," the regional governor Alexander Starukh wrote on Telegram. "The rockets landed in the area of the Zaporozhye-2 railway station."

He said that there had been no casualties.

Zaporizhzhia is situated some 230 kilometers (143 miles) northwest of Mariupol, which aid agencies say is facing a humanitarian catastrophe amid drastic water, food and power shortages.

Russia denies targeting civilians.

Ukraine's Kyiv hit by fresh shelling

Apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, have been hit by shrapnel from artillery fire, wounding two people, according to emergency services, as the city comes under intensified attack by Russian forces.

"Two residential buildings were damaged in an overnight bombardment in the central part of Kyiv, Shevchenkivskyi district. Two people reported wounded, 35 evacuated," the Ukrainian state emergency service said on Telegram.

Journalists from the AFP news agency confirmed that several explosions took place in the city in the early morning on Wednesday.

Kyiv was placed under curfew late on Tuesday, with its mayor speaking of a "difficult and dangerous moment."

Instigator of TV anti-war protest 'interrogated for 14 hours'

Marina Ovsyannikova, a Russian state television employee arrested for protesting live on-screen against the war in Ukraine, has said police subjected her to sleep deprivation during her detention.

"These were very difficult days of my life because I literally went two full days without sleep; the interrogation lasted for more than 14 hours and they didn't allow me to contact my family and close friends, didn't provide any legal support,'' Ovsyannikova said after she was released.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a briefing that Ovsyannikova's action was "hooliganism." So far, she has been fined about $270 (€246) but could end up facing a prison sentence.

In her protest during a live news broadcast on Monday evening, Ovsyannikova held a poster saying, among other things, "Stop the war, don't believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here."

Russia has introduced strict laws imposing possible 15-year prison sentences on those spreading what the Kremlin calls disinformation or "fake news" about Russia's military. That includes calling Russia's attack on Ukraine an invasion or a war.

Ukraine reports death of another Russian general

Ukraine says four Russian generals have now been killed since Moscow's invasion began on February 24.

Russian Major General Oleg Mityaev was killed on Tuesday in fighting around the southeastern city of Mariupol, said Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko.

Mityaev, 46, was the commander of the 150th motorized rifle division and saw action in Syria, Gerashchenko said.

The death of another Russian general was also mentioned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a nighttime address, though he did not mention the general's name.

There has been no confirmation from Russia of the death.

Instigator of TV anti-war protest 'interrogated for 14 hours'

Marina Ovsyannikova, a Russian state television employee arrested for protesting live on-screen against the war in Ukraine, has said police subjected her to sleep deprivation during her detention.

"These were very difficult days of my life because I literally went two full days without sleep; the interrogation lasted for more than 14 hours and they didn't allow me to contact my family and close friends, didn't provide any legal support,'' Ovsyannikova said after she was released.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a briefing that Ovsyannikova's action was "hooliganism." So far, she has been fined about $270 (€246) but could end up facing a prison sentence.

In her protest during a live news broadcast on Monday evening, Ovsyannikova held a poster saying, among other things, "Stop the war, don't believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here."

Russia has introduced strict laws imposing possible 15-year prison sentences on those spreading what the Kremlin calls disinformation or "fake news" about Russia's military. That includes calling Russia's attack on Ukraine an invasion or a war.

China: Taiwan 'taking advantage' of Ukraine war

The Chinese government criticized Taiwan's aid to Ukraine and sanctions on Russia.

China accused Taiwan of "taking advantage of other's difficulties" by providing aid and imposing sanctions.

A spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhu Fenglian, said Taiwan's government was using the issue for its own purposes.

"The Democratic Progressive Party authorities are using the Ukraine issue to validate their existence and piggy back on a hot issue, taking advantage of other's difficulties," she said. The Taiwanese nationalist and center-left Democratic Progressive Party has been in power since 2016.

On the other hand, Taiwan's government said it had a duty to stand with other democracies and support Ukraine.

Recently, Taiwan has engaged in military drills to deter what it sees as a threat from China.

IMF warns Ukraine war is a 'major blow to the global economy'

The IMF warned in a report published on its website that the crisis in Ukraine will cause slower growth and faster inflation around the world.

Higher prices for commodities like food and energy will push up inflation further, the IMF said. Ukraine and Russia are major wheat exporters and the war may strain on the global supply of the staple grain, while a number of countries depend on Russian energy exports. The price of wheat has reached a record high in recent days, the IMF said.

Countries dependent on oil imports may see wider deficits and more inflationary pressure, according to the IMF. Some oil-exporting countries in the Middle East and Africa may benefit from higher prices.

"The consequences of Russia’s war on Ukraine have already shaken not just those nations but also the region and the world", the IMF said. To this end, the IMF suggested a "global safety net and regional arrangments" as a way to "buffer economies."

Summary of events in Ukraine-Russia crisis on Tuesday

Talks between Ukraine and Russia resumed on Tuesday. This was the fourth round of talks between the two countries since Russia's invasion in late February.

Without going into specifics, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the positions in the negotiations were starting to sound "more realistic."

Polish, Czech and Slovenian leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Kyiv.

Poland's deputy PM and leader of the ruling PiS party Jaroslaw Kaczynski called for a peacekeeping force to be created for Ukraine, and said that the force could be sent by NATO or another international organization.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the other hand, said that "nobody can want" direct military confrontation between NATO and Russia, saying that sanctions were already hitting Moscow harder than the Kremlin had envisioned.

NATO itself has so far ruled out sending troops to Ukraine in any capacity.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said that around 20,000 people managed to escape Mariupol on Tuesday. Those fleeing the besieged port city left in private cars along a humanitarian corridor.

Ukrainian officials also said that forces in the second-largest city, Kharkiv, repelled an attempted Russian advance on Tuesday.

Explosions were reported in the capital Kyiv.

UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said that more than 3 million people had fled Ukraine since the invasion began.

Also on Tuesday, the European Union announced a fourth wave of sanctions against 15 individuals connected to the Kremlin.