Live Blog | Ukraine expels the church with Russian ties from the world-famous monastery

Ukraine expels the church with Russian ties from the world-famous monastery

03:23 | The Ukrainian government wants the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to leave the world-famous cave monastery in Kiev before March 29. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church says it has received an official letter about it, it wrote on the monastery complex’s website on Friday.

The Kiev Cave Monastery was founded in 1051 and is today considered an important center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. The complex is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Until the end of last year, the complex was administered by the state and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has ties to the Russian Orthodox Church.

At the end of last year, the Ukrainian government decided to terminate the agreement with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the use of the buildings in the complex. The clearing concerns the part of the rock monastery where the entrances to the caves built by the monks in the Middle Ages are located.

Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, the Church joined the Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. He reacted with horror to the news of the eviction, calling it “the height of lawlessness.”

Friday 10 March

Zelensky: No Ukrainian involvement in Nord Stream explosions

20:19 | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls alleged Ukrainian involvement in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines “ridiculous”. Ukrainians “are certainly not” behind the action, the president said. Kiev had previously denied Ukraine’s involvement.

Earlier this week, German and American media indicated the possible involvement of a pro-Ukrainian group. According to Zelensky, the recent publications were intended to delay Western aid to Ukraine. “I find it very dangerous that some independent media, for which I have always had great respect, are taking such steps,” the president said. He added that the situation is turning out to be so good for Russia.

Moscow says the West is responsible for the gas pipeline explosion last September. No evidence has been provided for this. It is not yet clear who is behind the explosions. Germany, Sweden and Denmark have launched investigations. The two Nord Stream pipelines are located on the bottom of the Baltic Sea and were built to transport Russian gas to Germany.

EU foreign chief claims 3.5 billion more for armaments fund

18:40 | The European Union must allocate another 3.5 billion euros for military aid, in particular to Ukraine, says foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell. It will propose to EU countries to replenish the already empty fund intended for it, says a top EU source.

With the fund of originally 5.7 billion euros, the so-called European peace facility, the EU should actually be able to do this for seven years (until 2027). But since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 3.6 billion has already been used to send arms to that country. The end of the war is not in sight and Ukraine will need much more, we hear, while the EU also wants to help other countries, for example in the fight against jihadists. EU countries contributed 2 billion at the end of last year, but it will likely be immediately spent on munitions Ukraine desperately needs.