The OSCE member states approved a study in early March, and the three professors selected to conduct it – Wolfgang Benedek, Veronica Bilkova and Marco Sassoli – were selected by Ukraine. Their report, released on Wednesday, said that if Russian forces had complied with their obligations “in terms of discrimination, proportionality and precautions in the attack and on specially protected items such as hospitals, the number of civilians killed or injured” it would remain much lower. “ Experts have found “certain violations and problems” in Ukrainian practices, expressing concern about the treatment of prisoners of war. The report said Russia responded by saying it considered the mechanism by which the experts were appointed “largely outdated and unnecessary” and declined to name a link, citing official government statements and briefings.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: – Ukrainian investigators claim poisonous substance fell in Mariupol – A look at the military goals and challenges facing Russia – “It’s not the end”: The children who survived the horror of Bouha – Russian war exacerbates fertilizer crisis, endangering food supplies – The Czechs provide free shooting training for local Ukrainians – Go to for more coverage
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: LONDON – Britain has announced a new round of sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting 178 people who have helped support Kremlin-backed separatist areas in the east of the country. Foreign Minister Liz Trass said on Wednesday that the sanctions were coordinated with the European Union. The move comes after rocket attacks targeting civilians in eastern Ukraine. Among those sanctioned were Alexander Ananchenko, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, and Sergei Kozlov, the prime minister of the Luhansk People’s Republic. Also in the spotlight are Pavel Ezubov, a cousin of Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, and Nigina Zairova, an executive aide to Russian tycoon Mikhail Friedman. Trash says Britain is imposing sanctions on “those who support the breakaway territories and are complicit in atrocities against the Ukrainian people.” “We will continue to target all those who help and incite Putin’s war.”
BERLIN – The German government is defending the country’s president after a diplomatic snub by Ukraine. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the highly ceremonial head of state, said on Tuesday that his presence was clearly “undesirable in Kyiv”. He said his Polish counterpart had suggested that they both travel to Ukraine with the presidents of the three Baltic states. The German newspaper Bild quoted an unknown Ukrainian diplomat as saying that Steinmeier was not welcome in Kyiv at the moment because he had close relations with Russia in the past. Steinmeier was a former German foreign minister and recently admitted mistakes in his policy toward Russia. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Wednesday that she regretted that Steinmeier could not visit. Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany said Chancellor Olaf Solz would be welcome, but some German lawmakers said contempt for Steinmeier would complicate matters. Government spokesman Wolfgang Buechner defended Steinmeier, saying he “has clearly taken a side with Ukraine.”
COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Sweden announced on Wednesday that Scandinavian customs would donate 8,000 respirators, 263 chemical and gas protection uniforms and 88 protective uniforms to Ukrainian colleagues, as well as vests and helmets. The Swedish government said that Swedish customs had requested consent for the shipment of the equipment to Ukraine.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Latvia says it will train Ukrainian troops to operate drones. “Right now, we must do everything we can to promote Ukraine’s victory and defend the principles of self-determination and sovereignty,” said Defense Minister Artis Pamprix. He added that two Latvian companies had delivered unmanned aerial vehicles. Latvia has already provided, among other supplies, Stinger anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine as well as weapons, personal equipment, dry food supplies, ammunition, anti-tank weapons, worth more than 200 million euros ($ 222 million), the defense minister said.
NICOSIA, Cyprus – A Cypriot government spokesman says the country is moving to revoke the citizenship of four Russians and 17 members of their families, who are among those sanctioned by the European Union following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Marios Pelekanos confirmed to the Associated Press on Wednesday that procedures are underway to remove the citizenship of 21 people. Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiadis had earlier said that the government had authorized the Interior Ministry to launch recall proceedings against the four unnamed Russians. The four received Cypriot passports as part of the country’s once-profitable citizenship program per investment, which was abolished in 2020. The end of the program came after a secret TV report allegedly showed the speaker of parliament and a powerful lawmaker claiming that they could circumvent the rules for issuing a passport to a fictitious Chinese investor allegedly convicted of home fraud. A 2021 report found that more than half of the total 6,779 passports were illegally issued to relatives of wealthy investors during the 13-year operation of the program, which brought in more than 8 billion euros.
PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron has refrained from calling Russia’s actions in Ukraine genocide. Asked on France-2 television on Wednesday about the use of the term by US President Joe Biden, Macron said: “I would say that Russia has unleashed an extremely brutal war unilaterally. “War crimes have been found to have been committed by the Russian military,” Macron said. “We have to find those responsible and bring them to justice.” “I’m wise with the terms today … Genocide makes sense. The Ukrainian people and the Russian people are brotherly peoples. What is happening today is madness. “It’s incredible barbarism and a return to war in Europe,” he said. “At the same time, I’m looking at the facts and I want to continue to do my best to stop the war and restore peace. “I’m not sure if the escalation of the words serves our purpose.”
BUCHAREST, Romania __ Visiting a Black Sea air base in Romania, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine and said “Europe has changed forever.” De Croo joined Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Wednesday at Mihail Kogalniceanu Southeastern Air Base, home to NATO troops. The Belgian leader said that “armed aggression and war crimes were unleashed on innocent people, innocent people of Ukraine”. The aggression, he said, “was aimed at denying the fact that the population has the right to choose freedom.” He described Russia’s actions as “a turning point for Europe – because it’s a brutal attack on Europe’s core values”, he said. President Ioannis said NATO would continue its “strong response”. “The fact that we are together at this military base is a further demonstration of the unity, cohesion and solidarity that exists at NATO level,” Ioannis said. He told the troops that it was “the concrete expression of our determination to further strengthen NATO’s deterrent and defensive position in the Black Sea region”.
NEW YORK – JPMorgan Chase has written off $ 1.5 billion in assets when the bank reported its quarterly results, most of which are linked to the bank’s exposure to Russian and Ukrainian assets.
Wednesday’s write-offs partly led JPMorgan to report a significant drop in earnings in the first quarter and to lose Wall Street estimates. JPMorgan is the first of Wall Street giants to report its results. Analysts expect the big banks to write off billions of assets linked to Russia.
WARSAW, Poland – Top aide to Polish President Andrzej Duda says Duda and the presidents of the three Baltic states have arrived in Ukraine for talks on specific aid to the country invaded by Russia. “Duda, along with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, are currently in Ukraine, where they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” Pawel Szrot, Duda’s chief of staff, said on Wednesday. For security reasons he did not give details. Duda brings “symbolic support” along with political support, Srrote said. He added that all four countries “extend their support to Ukraine, which is of a humanitarian nature and not necessarily of a humanitarian nature.” He was not more specific. The four countries, all bordering Russia or the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, supply Ukraine with weapons they describe as “defensive.”
Russia says more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops have surrendered in the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol. The representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General. Igor Konashenkov said 1,026 soldiers from the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade had been handed over to a metal factory in the city. Russian forces moved to Mariupol in late February and units in the city have run out of supplies. Konashenkov said the 1,026 Ukrainian Marines included 162 officers and 47 female staff and that 151 wounded had received medical treatment. Ukraine’s presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych did not comment on the alleged mass surrender, but said in a Twitter post that elements of the 36th Marine Brigade had managed to connect with other Ukrainian forces in the city as a result of a “dangerous maneuver”.
ROME – Pope …
