Ukraine

A string of Russian attacks on port and grain facilities in Ukraine which began over a month ago, have intensified in recent days, drawing condemnation from the UN’s top humanitarian official there.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen invoked the “call of history” as she urged Europeans to bring Ukraine into an EU of more than 30 countries, casting enlargement as an epoch-defining decision for the 27-nation bloc. 

The Group of 20 adopted a consensus declaration at a summit on Saturday that avoided condemning Russia for the war in Ukraine but called on all states not to use force to grab territory.

The so-called elections held by Russia in occupied areas of Ukraine “have no legal grounds”, a senior political affairs official said on Friday, reiterating UN’s commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The Pentagon said on Wednesday that depleted uranium ammunition for US-made Abrams tanks would be part of a new military package worth up to $175m, out of more than $1bn in civilian and defence support that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

A senior Ukrainian official on September 5 rebuffed a suggestion by Turkey that Kyiv should soften its stance to revive the Black Sea grain deal, saying Ukraine would not support sanctions relief for Moscow or a policy of "appeasement." 

Turkey said Monday that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will “soon” visit Russia for talks with Vladimir Putin on reviving a Black Sea grain deal that could be used as a springboard for broader Ukraine peace negotiations.

Rights activists says migrants from Central Asian countries are being pressured into signing contracts with Russia's Defense Ministry as the Kremlin tries to bolster the pool of recruits to help fight its war against Ukraine.

The World Court will hear Russia's objections to its jurisdiction in a genocide case brought by Ukraine in hearings starting on September 18, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on August 22. Ukraine filed a case with the ICJ shortly after Russia's invasion began on February 24, 2022, which accused Moscow of falsely applying genocide law to justify the attack.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday welcomed a recent Saudi-led summit on a peace settlement to end the fighting in Ukraine and called for further diplomatic efforts. Representatives from around 40 countries, including China, Germany, India and the United States, took part in last weekend's gathering in Jeddah, though Russia was not invited.