Russia warns US over arms delivery to Ukraine, EU unveils new sanctions on Moscow | Top updates on escalating conflict
Russia on Thursday warned United States against what it termed as “unacceptable” arms deliveries to Ukraine, after Ukrainian strikes killed three people, including a child, in Russia and in Moscow-annexed Crimea. This comes even as US-led talks on resolving the conflict have stalled since Washington’s attention shifted to West Asia.
Meanwhile, the European Union agreed to new sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war after weeks of haggling, AFP reported. The new package freezes the level of an oil price cap.
Rubio-Lavrov meet, strikes on Odesa: Latest on Russia-Ukraine war
EU’s 21st sanctions package
The European Union ambassadors reached an agreement on the 21st sanctions package against Russia, according to diplomats cited by AFP. This package includes a 2-month freeze on the Russian oil price cap, and a one-year exemption allowing the transfer of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to third countries, with automatic renewal, Reuters news agency reported citing two EU diplomats.
The technical work on the sanctions package will be concluded next, following which a written procedure for adoption will be launched on Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile Greece, whose veto had until now prevented a deal, secured an exemption to continue shipping Russian LNG to non-EU clients for the foreseeable future. “Member states showed solidarity with Greece and it’s expected that Greece will do the same with others in the future,” an EU diplomat said, Reuters reported.
Rubio holds ‘good, frank talks’ with Russia’s Lavrov
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday in the Philippines, with the former saying they had “good, frank talks.” While the US state department offered few details regarding the meeting, a spokesperson said “the US-Russia relationship and the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war” was discussed.
“We are prepared to play a constructive role in bringing about an end to a senseless war and we’re ready to do that,” Rubio said after the meeting on the sidelines of a gathering of top diplomats in Manila, according to Reuters.
Russia warns US on arms delivery to Ukraine
Speaking on his meeting with Rubio, Russia’s Lavrov said Moscow had warned Washington against arms deliveries to Ukraine, terming it “unacceptable.”
Lavrov told the US secretary of state “it was unacceptable to continue supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime”, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Three killed in Ukraine strikes in Russia and annexed Crimea
Ukrainian strikes in Russia and in Moscow-annexed Crimea on Thursday killed three people, including a child, AFP cited local authorities as saying. A “three-year-old boy died” on the outskirts of Voronezh, 500 kilometres (310 miles) south of Moscow, in a fire that broke out at his home after a drone crashed on it, regional governor Alexander Gusev wrote on Telegram.
In Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, one man was killed and another wounded when a Ukrainian drone struck a vehicle, regional authorities said in a statement on Telegram.
Russia strikes Ukraine’s Black Sea port
Meanwhile, Russia continued its strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, attacking the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, Reuters news agency cited Interfax news agency, which quoted the Russian foreign ministry. The information could not be independently verified.
However, both Kyiv and Moscow have tepped up military activity in and around the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in recent weeks, with each side striking ships, including oil tankers and cargo vessels.