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Ukraine-Russia War LIVE Updates: US bans Russian oil, Zelenskyy says won't beg for NATO membership

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Amrutha Pagad
Amrutha PagadMar 09, 2022 | 13:41

Ukraine-Russia War LIVE Updates: US bans Russian oil, Zelenskyy says won't beg for NATO membership

It is Day 14 of the war between Ukraine and Russia. After the two weeks of fighting, millions made homeless, cities destroyed; there have been some major economic announcements and changes. The US has banned oil imports from Russia; and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that they no longer insist on joining NATO.

THE LATEST:

  • The International Atomic Energy Agency said that it lost contact with Chernobyl nuclear data systems, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986. The agency raised concerns about the safety of staff working under Russian occupation.
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  • American credit rating company, Fitch, has downgraded Russia’s sovereign debt by categorising it into junk territory from ‘B’ to ‘C’. The Junk category is reserved for countries that are at risk of not being able to repay their debt.
  • Russia announced another ceasefire on Wednesday, March 9 morning, on humanitarian grounds.
  • India rescued a Pakistani student stranded in Ukraine. She is on her way towards western Ukraine and will be out of the country soon.

WHERE ARE THE INDIAN NATIONALS?

  • India managed to evacuate some 600 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine’s Sumy region; and the last big group of Indians left the country on Tuesday, March 8. So far, India has brought back 17,100 nationals.
  • On the other hand, some Indians have shown interest in joining the Ukrainian forces in ‘fighting’ Russia. An Indian national Sainikhesh Ravichandran hailing from Tamil Nadu is reportedly said to be among the first group of foreign mercenaries to have joined the fight. Following this news, reports have emerged that a few naval veterans have written to the Indian Embassy in Ukraine seeking visas to go and fight for Ukraine. It is not clear whether India will be issuing visas to those wishing to join the military conflict. Ukraine recently sought the help of foreign volunteers willing to join their fight against Russia.
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CURRENT STATE OF WAR: There’s a momentary ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia in some cities on humanitarian grounds. However, the war is not yet over. However, several important announcements have come forth after two weeks of fighting.

  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a televised address said that the government has ‘cooled down’ on the question of joining NATO. He said that while they wanted to join the strategic alliance, NATO is not prepared for the confrontation with Russia or the controversies. He added that he didn’t want Ukraine to be a country begging on its knees. Ukraine joining NATO was the biggest reason why Russia said it was invading the country.
  • The US announced that it will be banning oil imports from Russia, earning praise from Ukraine. Similarly, Britain also said that it will phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022. The announcements were yet another major move in hurting Russia’s economy. However, the US ban is unlikely to have a major impact, as its imports make up a minor share of the market. It is the European countries that make up the major share, which have not yet announced any such ban.
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THE SITUATION IN RUSSIA: So far, the talks between Moscow and Kyiv at the Belarus border have failed to yield a positive result. Russia is also taking economic measures to cushion the economic devastation due to the sanctions. Recently, the Bank of Russia introduced temporary restrictions for operations with cash currency.

  • On the other hand, Russia’s currency ruble suffered major blows in overseas trade. The US said that the Russian ruble was now worth less than a US penny due to all the sanctions. Russia has also become the most sanctioned country in the world.
  • Inside Russia, the news coverage on the Ukraine war has been tightly controlled by Kremlin. Access to several western news outlets was temporarily disrupted in Russia, but services seem to have resumed now. Moreover, a new law punishes media outlets for reporting 'fake' and 'mendacious' news on the Russian Army. Ukraine also claimed that some journalists covering the war in the country were targetted by Russian military.   

THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE: Currently, on the ground, fighting is on in the northwest of the capital Kyiv, according to the UK Ministry of Defence data. Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol have been surrounded by Russian forces and shelling is underway.

  • The Ukrainian air force has been able to keep control of air defence so far against Russia’s modern combat aircraft.
  • Civilians who have not been able to leave the cities under attack are suffering from water and food shortages along with the constant fear of being bombed.

WHAT IS THE WORLD SAYING? The UN created a stir by banning the use of terms like ‘war’ and ‘invasion’ to address the Ukraine situation among its staff, earning a rebuttal from the Ukrainian government.

  • On the other hand, Poland took NATO by surprise when it announced that it was ready to provide its MiG-29 fighter jets immediately and free of charge to the US to help boost Ukraine’s airpower against Putin. However, Washington seemed to reject the offer by calling the plan ‘not tenable’.

Last updated: March 09, 2022 | 13:41
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