It is day 362 of the war in Ukraine. Follow the latest news about the war and all its aftermath in this live blog.
Hoekstra: war in Ukraine not even half done
05:00 | Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra warns that the war in Ukraine could go on for a long time. In an interview with the CEO, before a speech at the College of Europe in Bruges on Monday, he says we have a long battle to deal with.
“It will take perseverance,” the minister told the newspaper. According to Hoekstra, there is a Russian aggressor who is not being corrected and who is willing to sacrifice the lives of his people. “We have to take into account the scenario where another hundred thousand Russians are sent, another hundred thousand and another hundred thousand.”
The minister estimates that the war is not even halfway through. “There really will be a lot more perseverance required.”
Because it is not possible to stop supporting Ukraine now, according to Hoekstra in a conversation with the CEO. Then it was all in vain. Helping Ukraine is our moral obligation towards a people so under attack and a geopolitical necessity against an aggressor who otherwise goes ahead,” he explains. “But it’s also a litmus test for our credibility. This war will radiate well beyond today or tomorrow. You can see it in Moscow, in Beijing and in Tehran. The aftertaste of this struggle must be: “I will never again stumble over this stone”. You cannot cross the border of a sovereign country and sow death and destruction with impunity” .
Therefore, according to the minister, there really is no other choice but to continue sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine for months, perhaps years. “Otherwise you don’t even have to talk about negotiations. Those who are strong on the battlefield will ultimately succeed at the negotiating table.’
Sunday 19 February
Macron assures Zelensky that he supports the Ukrainian peace plan
21:50 | French President Emmanuel Macron has reassured his Ukrainian counterpart Volodimir Zelensky that France supports Ukraine’s peace terms with Russia, the Elysee reported. The two heads of state spoke by telephone on Sunday.
Zelensky’s Macron-backed peace plan calls for all Russian-occupied territory to be returned to Ukraine, including Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014. Macron also told Zelensky he would support the Ukrainian plan at an “international diplomatic level” as well. .
Zelensky is “happy” with the “ongoing friendly dialogue” with Macron, he said via Twitter.
Last Sunday, Macron told some French newspapers that in his eyes the war between Russia and Ukraine can only end with negotiations. “I want a Russian defeat in Ukraine, but I am convinced that the end of the conflict will not ultimately be achieved militarily.”
Ukraine is not present at the OSCE meeting due to the Russian presence
19:10 | A delegation of Ukrainian parliamentarians said they will not attend next week’s OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) parliamentary meeting in Vienna. They boycotted the meeting due to the presence of Russian delegates.
The OSCE meeting will be held in the Austrian capital on 23 and 24 February, exactly one year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The security organization is the largest in Europe and is based in Vienna. The parliamentary assembly consists of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries.
The Ukrainian delegation will travel to Vienna, reports the Ukrainian media. The delegation wants to speak with the country’s allies, but only “will not participate in any official events,” said a lawmaker.
Members of twenty OSCE member states have previously requested that Russian representatives be denied access to Austria for the meeting. Austria has stated that it cannot do this because the OSCE headquarters are located there. The country would then be obliged to grant access to representatives of all member states, including the Russians. Last year, Poland and the UK banned Russians from OSCE meetings.
Media: US plans new sanctions against Russia
18:20 | The US government plans to impose a new round of sanctions on Russia. This was reported by the Bloomberg news agency on the basis of anonymous government sources.
The new measures, according to Bloomberg, like previous US sanctions, are intended to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The soon-to-be-announced measures would affect the Russian defense and energy sector, financial institutions and some individuals. The United States would also like to make further efforts to prevent Russia from evading sanctions and receiving support from other countries.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
