Category: World

Ukraine has stated it is going to name on different international locations to boycott the opening ceremony of the 2026 Paralympic Video games if Russian and Belarusian flags are raised.

Supply: a press release by Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's Overseas Minister, on X (Twitter)

Particulars: Andrii Sybiha stated it’s unacceptable for "the flags of aggressor states" to be raised whereas Russia's warfare in opposition to Ukraine continues.

Quote: "Permitting the flags of aggressor states to be raised on the Paralympic Video games whereas Russia's warfare in opposition to Ukraine rages on is flawed – morally and politically.

The choice to confess Russia and Belarus below nationwide symbols ignores a easy reality: these flags and anthems symbolize regimes that wage aggression, destroy cities, and weaponise sport for propaganda. They can’t be separated from the crimes dedicated below them."

Extra particulars: Sybiha stated fashionable Russia is utilizing Paralympic sport to glorify these preventing within the warfare in opposition to Ukraine. He warned that permitting Russian and Belarusian flags on the opening ceremony would ship out a harmful message by pushing accountability for crimes into the background.

Sybiha burdened sport ought to uphold the common human values that such felony regimes disregard, including that the Paralympics should not change into a stage for justifying Russia's actions.

Ukraine will subsequently be urging different international locations to boycott the Paralympics opening ceremony, Sybiha stated.

Quote: "I’ve instructed Ukraine's ambassadors to have interaction with officers of their host international locations and urge them to not attend the Opening Ceremony if this disgraceful resolution shouldn’t be reversed.

Ukraine will proceed to defend justice and dignity, in addition to to guard the integrity of worldwide sport from being exploited by aggressor states."

Background:

• Six Russian and 4 Belarusian athletes have been granted permission to compete below their nationwide flags on the 2026 Winter Paralympic Video games in Italy. This would be the first time the Russian flag has been raised on the Paralympics for the reason that 2014 Sochi Video games.
• Ukraine's Overseas Ministry has reacted robustly to the truth that a Russian citizen carried the placard for the Ukrainian workforce on the 2026 Olympics opening ceremony. The ministry has known as on the Worldwide Olympic Committee to conduct an inside investigation into the incident.

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Ukraine and Russia have held a separate assembly after the principle spherical of negotiations in Geneva.

Supply: Suspilne, citing Diana Davitian, Head of the Secretary's Service on the Nationwide Safety and Defence Council of Ukraine

Particulars: The assembly reportedly included the heads of the 2 delegations, Ukraine's consultant Rustem Umierov and Russia's consultant Vladimir Medinsky, in addition to Davyd Arakhamiia, chief of Ukraine's Servant of the Folks get together.

A Suspilne correspondent reported encountering Medinsky close to the lodge as he was leaving the assembly.

In a remark to Russian media, he confirmed that he met with the Ukrainian delegation. The talks lasted about an hour and a half, however the matters mentioned stay unknown.

Background:

• On the morning of 18 February, the second day of Ukraine-US-Russia talks on the settlement of Russia's battle in opposition to Ukraine started in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Later, Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said that the newest spherical of trilateral talks had concluded. He mentioned that the negotiations lasted about two hours and have been "troublesome however business-like".
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that in the course of the negotiations in Geneva, the events agreed that monitoring of compliance with a ceasefire can be carried out with the participation of the USA.

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Russian authorities officers have determined to not prohibit the operation of the Telegram messenger for Russian troopers within the fight zone of the struggle in Ukraine, the place they might use it to coordinate actions, transmit coordinates and monitor drones.

Supply: Russian propaganda outlet RIA Novosti, citing Russia's Minister of Digital Improvement Maksut Shadayev

Quote: "A choice has been taken to not prohibit Telegram's operation within the zone of the particular navy operation [as Russians refer to the war of aggression against Ukraine – ed.]."

Background:

• Previous to this, the Baza Telegram channel reported that Russia may totally block Telegram from 1 April. The Russian censorship company Roskomnadzor neither confirmed nor denied this.
• The Kremlin has not given a transparent reply concerning a possible block. In accordance with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the state of affairs surrounding Telegram and different platforms falls inside the remit of Roskomnadzor. "The Kremlin doesn’t cope with blocking both Telegram or different platforms. That is dealt with by Roskomnadzor," he mentioned.
• In the meantime, as Bloomberg reviews, the Russian authorities' assault on Telegram has gone too far, prompting criticism and feedback from surprising sources, together with Russian troopers who use Telegram to speak within the trenches, pro-war bloggers and regional officers.

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An 83-year-old man from Kherson has died in hospital after struggling extreme accidents in a Russian assault on town's Korabelnyi district on the morning of 13 February.

Supply: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Army Administration on social media

Particulars: Prokudin stated medical doctors fought to avoid wasting the person's life till the tip, however his accidents proved to be deadly.

He prolonged condolences to his household and mates.

Background: One individual was killed and one other was injured because of Russian strikes on Kherson and its suburbs on the morning of 13 February. One other metropolis resident was injured after stepping on a Lepestok (Petal) landmine scattered by Russian forces.

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The Kremlin is silent on a brand new initiative from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to fulfill Russian ruler Vladimir Putin in Geneva.

Supply: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as quoted by Russian information outlet Interfax

Quote: "The negotiations are persevering with for a second day. If there may be any data, our chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky will share it with you. For now, it’s hardly applicable to discuss what has been mentioned; we have to watch for this spherical to conclude."

Particulars: Relating to the end result of the talks in Switzerland, Peskov mentioned it was too early to attract conclusions.

"In fact, there are direct experiences to the president, however it’s too early to talk of any assessments," the spokesman instructed journalists when requested whether or not Putin had been briefed on the interim outcomes of the third spherical of negotiations on Ukraine happening in Geneva.

Background:

• On 18 February, the second day of negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine, the USA and Russia started in Geneva. The periods are closed to the media.
• On 17 February, a brand new spherical of talks started in Geneva, throughout which, in line with Ukraine's chief negotiator Rustem Umierov, the delegations have been specializing in safety and humanitarian points.
• In the meantime, Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported that the Geneva talks had "acquired caught", including that the explanation was the positions introduced by Russia's chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky.
• Commenting on the course of the negotiations in Geneva, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Russia is making an attempt to tug out the talks.

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Ukraine's nationwide postal service Ukrposhta will droop operations within the city of Orikhiv and the village of Preobrazhenka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast because of the safety state of affairs within the settlements.

Supply: Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilianskyi

Quote: "For greater than two years, Ukrposhta remained the one firm that continued working within the city of Orikhiv and the village of Preobrazhenka of the Polohy hromada in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Right this moment we have now made the troublesome resolution to shut these branches." [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]

Particulars: Smilianskyi added that in what was as soon as a city of 20,000 residents, simply over 800 folks stay in Orikhiv, not counting service members.

Over the previous week, Ukrposhta misplaced a car within the space of the settlements, and the native administration misplaced one other whereas attempting to help.

"In the meantime, the overwhelming majority of pensions and Winter Assist funds have already been delivered, and we are going to proceed serving residents of Orikhiv and Preobrazhenka within the village of Tavriiske," Smilianskyi stated. [Winter Support is a Ukrainian government assistance programme providing additional financial aid during the winter – ed.]

Roughly 9 km separate Orikhiv and Preobrazhenka from the road of contact, in accordance with DeepStateMap, an interactive map of the hostilities in Ukraine.

Background: For the reason that begin of the full-scale warfare, Ukrposhta has misplaced 418 automobiles, together with 281 in the course of the non permanent occupation of some Ukrainian territories by Russian forces in 2022.

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US President Donald Trump's Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff has mentioned there was "significant progress" in efforts to achieve a peace settlement following trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US and Russia in Geneva.

Supply: European Pravda, citing Witkoff on X (Twitter)

Quote: "President Trump's success in bringing each side of this struggle collectively has caused significant progress, and we’re proud to work underneath his management to cease the killing on this horrible battle."

Particulars: Witkoff added that "each events agreed to replace their respective leaders and proceed working in the direction of a deal".

Background:

• Rustem Umierov, Secretary of the Nationwide Safety and Defence Council of Ukraine and head of the Ukrainian delegation, mentioned the talks centered on sensible points and the mechanics of potential options. He added that the groups had continued their work in teams by space after the joint session.
• Nationwide safety advisers from the UK, France, Germany and Italy arrived in Geneva and had been anticipated to carry conferences with the Ukrainian and US groups.
• Trump mentioned forward of trilateral talks in Geneva that Ukraine "higher come to the desk quick".

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Ukraine's Deputy Vitality Minister Anatolii Kutsevol and US senators Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse have visited a mixed warmth and energy plant in Kyiv that had been broken in Russian assaults.

Supply: Ukraine's Ministry of Vitality, as reported by European Pravda

Particulars: Kutsevol briefed the American companions on the influence of strikes on the ability, which had equipped heating to greater than 1,000 residence blocks in addition to faculties, nurseries, hospitals and different components of Kyiv's social infrastructure earlier than the assault.

He additionally thanked the US for humanitarian help that was delivered to Ukraine. Ukraine acquired three consignments of humanitarian help weighing about 5 tonnes in complete.

The general US grant contribution to the Ukraine Vitality Help Fund stands at €35.5 million.

Blumenthal stated at a press convention the day earlier than that Russia had opened a "hunt" for US corporations in Ukraine.

He additionally stated the US ought to present Ukraine with extra navy help as a result of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin isn’t considering ending the struggle.

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Two thousand Ukrainian youngsters have been introduced again from the briefly occupied territories and Russia because the begin of the full-scale invasion. Greater than 1.6 million stay in briefly occupied territories.

Supply: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X (Twitter); Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets

Particulars: The Human Rights Commissioner Workplace has facilitated the bringing again of 419 youngsters. Of these, 83 had been introduced from the briefly occupied territories of Ukraine and from Russia with the assist of the State of Qatar, whereas 19 had been introduced again by the mediation of US First Woman Melania Trump.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Hundreds of Ukrainian youngsters are nonetheless held captive by Russia, turning into victims of its crimes day by day. However we is not going to cease till each Ukrainian little one is again dwelling."

Extra particulars: Dmytro Lubinets stated greater than 1.6 million Ukrainian youngsters nonetheless stay within the briefly occupied territories, the place they had been uncovered to propaganda and makes an attempt to erase their identification.

Quote from Lubinets: "The training system there was was a device of ideological affect. Kids are being minimize off from Ukraine, from the language, from the reality. Day by day in deportation or occupation is a day of a misplaced childhood. A day with out their native language. With out household. With out security."

Background: Lubinets defined earlier that it’s harder to convey youthful youngsters from Russia again to Ukraine as a result of they’re too younger to defend their identification.

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Ukraine, the US and Russia have completed talks on the political and navy sections of the peace negotiations in Geneva.

Supply: Ukrainska Pravda supply within the Ukrainian delegation; Rustem Umierov, Secretary of the Nationwide Safety and Defence Council of Ukraine and head of the Ukrainian delegation

Particulars: A supply within the Ukrainian delegation instructed Ukrainska Pravda that by Tuesday night the delegations had wrapped up discussions within the political part, with the navy group persevering with its work.

Replace: Umierov later stated that each the political and navy sections have completed work for the day.

The teams will resume their work on Wednesday morning.

After the joint session, Umierov stated, they continued in working teams by space.

Quote: "Discussions targeted on sensible points and the mechanics of potential options."

Extra particulars: The Ukrainian delegation will report on the outcomes of the primary day of the Geneva peace talks to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Each the political and navy teams will resume their work on the morning of 18 February.

Statements from the perimeters are anticipated on 18 February following the talks.

Background: A brand new spherical of peace negotiations in a trilateral format between Ukraine, america and Russia started in Geneva on 17 February.

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