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At the Brussels conference, EU leaders will support Ukraine as a candidate

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At a session in Brussels on Thursday, the European Commission is expected to accept Ukraine as a candidate for membership in the EU. Days after the Russian invasion in February, Ukraine submitted an application, and the procedure has since advanced at a record pace. According to its envoy to the EU, it would provide Ukrainians a psychological lift.

However, Vsevolod Chentsov acknowledged that “true integration” couldn’t begin until the conflict was done. The first official step toward EU membership is candidate status, and France stated last week that there was “complete accord” on Ukraine. However, joining can take a long time, and success is not guaranteed.

Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia are Western Balkan nations that have been candidate nations for years—in some cases, for more than a decade. Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted a candidacy application in 2016, but has yet to be accepted.

Edi Rama, the prime minister of Albania, said it was good that Ukraine was granted candidate status as he arrived for an EU summit with Western Balkan leaders, but Kyiv should not be deceived: “North Macedonia is a candidate [for] 17 years if I have not lost count, Albania eight, so welcome to Ukraine.” Although it is not anticipated, several member states are lobbying for Bosnia to receive candidate status.

In exchange for prerequisites being met before accession talks can start, including as judicial and anti-corruption reforms, some EU member states have agreed to support Ukraine’s candidacy.

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News Trending War

Ukraine moves step closer to EU membership

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Ukraine’s attempt to join the European Union has been boosted significantly by a proposal that it be granted candidate status. However, the European Commission has stated that the government needs reform in areas such as the rule of law, oligarchs, human rights, and corruption. Ukrainians have demonstrated that they are “willing to die” for their European dreams, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The group cautioned that the country needed to make reforms in the areas of the rule of law, oligarchs, human rights, and corruption. It comes after four European politicians visited Kyiv on Thursday and publicly backed Ukraine’s membership bid. Ukraine also claims that Russia is preparing an assault on the eastern city of Slovyansk, as battle for control of Severodonetsk continues.

“Europe can construct a new history of freedom precisely because of the bravery of the Ukrainians,” Mr Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address, “and ultimately remove the grey zone in Eastern Europe between the EU and Russia.” “Ukraine has gotten closer to the EU than at any other moment since independence,” he remarked, hinting at “positive news” on the way.

Ukraine would be the EU’s largest country by area and fifth most populous if entered. All three candidates are significantly poorer than any existing EU member, with per capita income roughly half that of Bulgaria, the poorest.

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News Trending War

Ukraine war: Putin warns Finland joining Nato would be ‘mistake’

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President Vladimir Putin of Russia has warned Finland’s Prime Minister Juha Sipila that joining Nato and abandoning its neutral status would be a “mistake.”

He assured Sauli Niinistö that Finland’s security was unaffected.  The conversation took place during a phone call by Finland’s president, ahead of a formal request that Finland is expected to make soon.

Finland and Russia share a 1,300-kilometer (810-mile) border. To avoid antagonising its eastern neighbour, it has stayed out of Nato until now. Mr Putin did not directly threaten retaliation in response to Finland’s move, but the Russian foreign ministry has indicated that retaliation will occur.

However, Russia’s decision to halt electricity supplies to Finland is being interpreted as a precursor. RAO Nordic, a Russian energy supplier, mentioned payment issues in its statement.

Reima Paivinen, the head of Finland’s national grid, told the BBC that the Russian suspension had caused no problems.
He claimed that Russian imports made up about 10% of the country’s supply, but that they could be replaced with alternative sources.

The Kremlin said after Mr Niinistö’s phone call with Mr Putin on Saturday that the Russian leader had stressed that “ending the traditional policy of military neutrality would be a mistake because there is no threat to Finland’s security.” “Such a shift in the country’s political orientation could have a negative impact on Russian-Finnish relations, which have been built over many years in a spirit of good neighbourliness and cooperation between partners,” it continued.

Mr Niinistö said he told Mr Putin about how Russia’s recent actions, combined with the invasion of Ukraine, “have changed the security environment of Finland.”

“The conversation was direct and to-the-point, and it was carried out without a hitch. The importance of avoiding tensions was emphasised “he said.

Turkey could be a stumbling block to Sweden and Finland joining Nato, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused both countries of harbouring “terrorist organisations” and said he did not support their membership applications.

It was interpreted as a reference to the PKK, which Turkey considers to be a terrorist organisation. The PKK has been fighting Turkey for a Kurdish homeland for decades.

In 1949, Nato, a Western military alliance, was formed in part to counter the Soviet Union’s threat.

One of the reasons for the invasion of Ukraine, according to President Putin, is Ukraine’s desire to join the alliance.

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At a meeting, Roman Abramovich was allegedly poisoned

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According to sources close to Roman Abramovich, he experienced symptoms of suspected poisoning while attending peace talks on the Ukraine-Belarus border earlier this month.

The Chelsea FC owner reportedly suffered from sore eyes and peeling skin, but has since recovered. According to reports, two Ukrainian peace negotiators were also harmed.

According to one report, the alleged poisoning was planned by Russian hardliners who wanted to derail the talks.

Shortly after the allegations surfaced, Reuters quoted an unnamed US official as saying that intelligence indicated the men’s symptoms were caused by “environmental” factors rather than poisoning. Later, Ihor Zhovkva, a spokesman for Ukraine’s president, told the BBC that while he hadn’t spoken to Mr Abramovich, members of the Ukrainian delegation were “fine” and one had said the storey was “false.”

However, as BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner points out, it’s not surprising that the US would want to downplay claims that anyone – particularly Russia – used a chemical weapon in Ukraine, as this could lead to retaliatory action that the US is hesitant to take.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Abramovich’s and the Ukrainian negotiators’ conditions have improved since the March 3 incident, which included Ukrainian MP Rustem Umerov. According to a source close to Mr Abramovich, he has recovered and is continuing to negotiate to end the war in Ukraine. The incident sheds light on Mr. Abramovich’s alleged role as a middleman in Ukraine-Russia talks. His exact role is unknown, but a spokesman for the oligarch previously stated that his influence was “limited.”

Mr. Abramovich was sanctioned by the European Union and the United Kingdom earlier this month for alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he denies.

Mr Zelensky, on the other hand, is said to have asked the US to hold off on sanctioning Mr Abramovich because he could help negotiate a peace deal with Moscow.

Mr Abramovich played an early role in peace talks, according to the Kremlin, but the process is now in the hands of the two countries’ negotiating teams.

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Netflix has put future projects in Russia on hold

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Streaming behemoth Netflix has announced a halt to all future Russian projects and acquisitions.

The company stated that it was assessing the impact of Ukraine’s current invasion. The production of the Russian language series Zato will be halted. Oracle, a cloud computing company, has also announced the suspension of its operations in Russia. The two companies are the most recent US technology firms to take action against Russia as the number of attacks on Ukrainian cities has increased.

Apple also announced on Tuesday that it would suspend sales in Russia. Oracle’s Twitter announcement came three hours after Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation tweeted the company, requesting assistance. In recent days, global brands such as Shell, Nike, H&M, and Boeing have severed ties with Russia or temporarily suspended sales.

Moscow has responded to foreign companies withdrawing from Russia by temporarily restricting foreign asset sales in Russia.

On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin met with the president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs to discuss how the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs would attempt to mitigate the impact of the sanctions announced thus far.

Netflix declined to comment on the number of people who use its streaming service in Russia.

However, it confirmed earlier this week in a Hollywood Reporter report that it would not carry Russian state channels.

“Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service,” said a Netflix spokesperson in a statement to the magazine.

According to a law that took effect on March 1, “audiovisual services” in the country with more than 100,000 users will be required to carry 20 major state television channels.

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Entertainment News Trending

Ukraine Conflict: Disney, Warner Bros., and Sony have halted the release of films in Russia

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Following the invasion of Ukraine, Warner Bros., Disney, and Sony have halted the release of films in Russian theatres.

The announcements mean that major films such as The Batman, Turning Red, and Morbius will not be released in the country as planned. They come at a time when governments around the world are tightening sanctions against Moscow.

Global corporations, including automakers and energy behemoths, have severed ties with Russia in recent days.

The Batman, a Warner Bros. blockbuster, was set to be released in Russia on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Russian release of the Pixar animated film Turning Red has been postponed by Disney.

The entertainment conglomerate also stated that it would collaborate with its non-governmental organisations to provide “urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.”

Sony has also halted the release of Morbius, its Marvel adaptation, in the country.

Meanwhile, Netflix has stated that it will not comply with new Russian regulations requiring it to carry state-sponsored channels.

Tech platforms Twitter and Facebook have also moved to limit the presence of Russian state-backed news outlet information on their platforms as these have been accused of spreading misinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Meta, which owns Facebook, said it would restrict access in the European Union to state-owned media outlets RT and Sputnik.

Twitter also said it would add warnings to tweets that share links to Russian state-affiliated media.

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Why Ukraine: Know The Back Story…..

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By invading Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has provoked one of Europe’s worst security crises since World War II, with missiles and artillery barrages accompanying troops as they entered the nation from various directions. In a video by WION YouTube Channel, Palki Sharma Upadhyay pointed out her view point about the matter ‘Why putin wants Ukraine’.

The Ukraine-Russia problem does not begin in 2021 or 2014; rather, it begins in the ninth century. Once these two countries were united. Ukraine used to hand over its nuclear weapons to Russia. But what happened now that they ready for the war.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a military assault against Ukraine. The armies entered Ukraine from multiple routes, sparking fears of a European conflict over Russia’s demands for a stop to NATO’s eastward expansion.

WHAT IS NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, often known as the North Atlantic Alliance, is a military alliance made up of 28 European and two North American countries. The organisation was founded in the aftermath of World War II to carry out the North Atlantic Treaty, which was signed on April 4, 1949.

For months, Putin denied that he was plotting an invasion. In a televised statement, he said he had ordered “a special military action” to safeguard Russian citizens who had been victims of “genocide” in Ukraine.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have existed for many years. Tensions rose in 2021, however, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed US President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to join NATO. Ukraine is a democratic country with a population of 44 million people and a history dating back over 1,000 years. It is also, after Russia, the largest country in Europe by area.

It voted for independence from Moscow after the demise of the Soviet Union. Putin sees Ukraine as a man-made country ripped out of Russia by adversaries. He has also referred to Ukraine as a Western puppet. Russia was enraged by Zelensky’s request to join NATO, and it began stationing troops along the Ukraine border. The US observed unexpected Russian army movements near the Ukrainian border on November 10, 2021. On November 28, Ukraine announced that Russia has amassed about 92,000 troops in preparation for an attack in late January or early February.

Moscow, on the other hand, denied it and accused Kyiv of conducting its own military build-up. President Biden warned in December that if Russia invaded Ukraine, he would face heavy consequences. Putin has insisted on assurances from the West and Ukraine that the country will not join NATO.

This isn’t the first time that relations between Russia and Ukraine have risen. In 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine and occupied the Crimean peninsula. President Putin’s backed rebels captured significant swaths of eastern Ukraine and fought the army. When its pro-Russian president was overthrown, the attack began. Since then, the battle has taken the lives of over 14,000 people.

He claims that contemporary Ukraine was totally built by communist Russia and that it is now a puppet state under Western influence. President Putin has also said that if Ukraine joins NATO, the alliance will attempt to reclaim Crimea.

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Ukraine Invasion: Facebook Access Restricted by Russia

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During the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has restricted access to Facebook due to the platform’s stance on the accounts of several Moscow-backed news outlets. Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications regulator, accused the network of “censorship” and violating “Russian citizens’ rights and freedoms.”

Facebook stated that it would not stop fact-checking and labelling content from state-owned news outlets. The announcement came just one day after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine. It’s unclear what the regulator restrictions mean or how much Facebook parent company Meta’s other platforms – WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram – are affected. The regulator had demanded that Facebook remove the restrictions it imposed on state news agency RIA, state TV channel Zvezda, and pro-Kremlin news sites Lenta.Ru and Gazeta.Ru on 24th February.

Many state-owned Russian media outlets have painted a largely positive picture of Russia’s military advances in Ukraine, describing the invasion as a “special military operation” forced on Moscow. On 24th February, Meta announced the establishment of a “special operations centre” to monitor content related to the Ukrainian conflict.

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Ukraine: Russia Accused of Imposing Sea Blockade

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Ukraine has accused Russia of obstructing its access to the sea, as Russia prepares for naval exercises next week amid rising regional tensions. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Russian forces have completely blocked the Sea of Azov and have cut off almost all access to the Black Sea.

Despite amassing more than 100,000 troops at the border, Russia has repeatedly denied any intention of invading Ukraine. However, it has only recently begun massive military drills with neighbouring Belarus. Belarus is a close Russian ally with a long border with Ukraine. The drills, which are believed to be Russia’s largest deployment to Belarus since the Cold War, were dubbed a “violent gesture” by France. Ukraine claims they are the result of “psychological pressure.”

The US urged Americans in Ukraine to leave immediately due to “increased threats of Russian military action” on 10th February. Meanwhile, amid the tensions, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared that Europe was facing its worst security crisis in decades.

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Iran gives back black box of downed Ukrainian plane

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The Middle East country of Iran has given back the black box of a Ukrainian plane downed accidently in early this year as Tehran mistakenly identified the plan as a missile.

The incident happened at the time the rivalry between Tehran and Washington was at its peak. Initially, Iran denied any involvement in the attack. Later, when the western intelligence agencies confronted the country with undeniable evidences suggesting the involvement of the country in the crime, Iran admitted the wrong doing and apologized publicly describing it as an unforgivable mistake.

As many as 176 persons was killed in the accident. The fight was travelling to the European country of Ukraine. The incident happened shorty after the take off of the flight.

The black box may help to determine the actual cause of the attack.

The accident has tainted the image of the Middle East country of Iran badly. It has deteriorated the relation between the west and Iran.

In a sense, it has helped the United States to push through its strategy of isolating Iran.

The incident has weakened the strength of Iran considerably.

The latest develop will reopen the discussion around the tropic – which is hiding in the pit of history.

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