UNITED NATIONS (AP) – A week before the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin’s U.N. ambassador claimed that the West is driven by its determination to destroy Russia and declared: “We had no choice other than to defend our country – defend it from you, to defend our identity and our future.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to Belarus in more than three years on Monday, using one of his few journeys outside Russia since the beginning of the Ukraine invasion to shore up his relationship with Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko and pressure Belarus to pour its own troops into the Ukrainian quagmire.
The EU’s eastern frontier with Belarus at the Polish border was the scene of violent clashes Tuesday morning after groups of migrants attempted to force their way across.
Poland´s prime minister on Friday expressed support for the army troops and the border guards protecting the frontier with Belarus.
EU will approve a fresh set of sanctions against scores of officials in Belarus and measures aimed at hurting the country´s economy.
Several countries in Europe have condemned the government of Belarus for diverting a Ryanair flight in its airspace to arrest a dissident journalist on board.
A 35-year-old man has been hospitalized in grave condition after setting himself on fire in Minsk’s Independence Square on Friday, the Polish news channel Belsat TV reported.
In the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Sunday, roughly 100,000 people turned out for the 50th consecutive day of anti-governmental protests in the country.
Thousands of people protested across Belarus on Tuesday after the government barred the country’s main opposition candidate from running in next month’s presidential election.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday called for the United States to have a role in negotiating between Ukraine and Russia, but the Kremlin immediately ruled out direct American participation.
Fighting continues to escalate in east Ukraine as Russian soldiers and pro-Russian rebels violate the alleged peace agreement established in February as at least seven Ukrainian soldiers died and almost 30 were wounded in the fresh fights.
The Group of Seven (G7) kicked off its annual summit this week with the situations in Ukraine and Greece on top of the agenda. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met privately on Sunday to hammer out details about the two countries.
Over the weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to endorse Ukrainian sovereignty when he told Italian publication Corriere Della Sera that Donetsk and Luhansk regions should remain with Ukraine, but only under certain conditions.
The body count in east Ukraine tops 6,000 as Russian soldiers and pro-Russian separatists continue to violate the “ceasefire agreement.”
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