Live Blog | Majority of UN Security Council Concerned About Nuclear Weapons in Belarus Related Articles

0:27 | The vast majority of the UN Security Council is concerned about the placement of nuclear weapons in Belarus. Only Russia, which owns the warheads, thinks there is nothing wrong with positioning in the neighboring country. Russia has a veto in the Security Council, so there will be no resolution.

Western countries present at the council meeting see nuclear weapons in Belarus as a threat. “This is a serious blow to stability in Europe and to international peace and security,” said the French ambassador. The UK representative stressed that Russia is not being provoked, as Moscow claims. “No one threatens Russia’s sovereignty.”

Russia believes that there is no difference between the presence of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus and US nuclear weapons in European NATO countries.

China and Brazil have generally spoken out against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Even if the Kremlin was provoked by the West, that would not justify this action in the eyes of Brasilia. “Responding to any perceived nuclear threat by placing weapons in a non-nuclear force is a violation of non-proliferation,” the Brazilian ambassador referred to the treaty that aims to prevent the proliferation of nuclear warheads. “This isn’t going to make anyone safer, regardless of who made the first move.” China has called for the withdrawal of all nuclear weapons located abroad.

The council meeting was requested by Ukraine, which has been fighting the Russians in its own country for more than a year. Belarus, Russia’s closest ally, has said it welcomes nuclear weapons so it can protect itself from the West.

Friday 31 March

IMF loan of $15.6 billion to Ukraine formally approved

20:20 | The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a four-year financing package of 15.6 billion dollars (about 14.4 billion euros) for Ukraine. This formally confirms the decision, after the IMF and Ukraine concluded a preliminary agreement a week and a half ago.

Ukraine is fighting a war with Russia, which invaded the country more than a year ago. This has caused great damage to the economy and that is why Ukraine is desperate for financial aid. This loan is the first the IMF has granted to a country in an active war. Previously it was not possible to come to the aid of countries that were facing an extraordinary amount of uncertainty, such as a war with a neighboring country. But the IMF has since adjusted its rules.

The billion dollar aid is expected to help stabilize public finances, reconstruction and economic recovery. In the long run, the money should also contribute to EU membership. The IMF expects Ukraine’s allies to provide additional financial aid under the new package.

The program that Ukraine will now go through consists of two stages. In the first phase, which lasts from twelve to eighteen months, the country must take measures to strengthen, among other things, financial stability. The second phase concerns the reforms aimed at the reconstruction of the country. The IMF expects Ukraine to return to pre-war policy frameworks during that phase.

Kazakhstan wants to increase oil supplies to Germany fivefold

18:40 | Kazakhstan wants to increase oil exports for April from 20,000 tons to 100,000 tons. Kazakhstan started supplying the oil earlier this year, making Germany less dependent on Russian oil.

The oil is transported through the Russian pipeline network. Throughout 2023, the Kazakh government has applied to the network operator, the Russian Transneft. In total, Kazakhstan wants to send 1.2 million tons of oil to Europe this year. Oil enters Germany at Schwedt, northeast of Berlin.

Until the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the refinery mainly processed crude oil from Russia. Due to Western sanctions on Russia, the refinery switched to oil from other countries. However, supplies from Kazakhstan are still beneficial to Russia, because Moscow gains from transit rights.