The European Union approved a tenth package of Russia sanctions on Friday night, the anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the Swedish EU presidency said. Follow our live blog for the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).
8:46 a.m.: Biden says he doesn’t “anticipate” China providing arms to Russia
United States President Joe Biden said Friday that he does not “anticipate a major initiative” by China to provide weapons to Russia in its war against Ukraine.
His comments come days after Foreign Minister Antony Blinken told CBS that China was “considering providing lethal support” to Moscow, ranging from ammunition to the weapons themselves – which Beijing denied.
In a wide-ranging television interview with ABC News — covering his re-election bid and the war in Ukraine — that aired Friday night, Biden appeared to backtrack on Blinken’s comments.
“I don’t expect – we haven’t seen it yet – but I don’t expect a major initiative on the part of China providing weapons to Russia,” he said.
07:50: Belarus President Lukashenko will visit China in the coming days
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko will visit China on February 28 for a state visit, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
“At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will pay a state visit to China from February 28 to March 2,” spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
Lukashenko is a close ally of the Russian president Vladimir Putin and has supported Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
02:27: China calls for talks between Russia and Ukraine, UN supports no nuclear clause
China on Friday called for urgent peace talks as it released its plan to end the war in Ukraine, but several Western powers rejected the proposals while warning of Beijing’s increasingly close ties with Moscow.
The United Nations expressed cautious optimism over the Chinese proposals, particularly over the document’s call to avoid using nuclear weapons.
Russia responded positively to Beijing’s efforts and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky offered a muted response, saying Kiev needed to “cooperate with China” on methods to end the year-old war.
Zelensky told reporters he plans to meet Xi Jinping after the Chinese leader’s government called the peace talks, saying it would be “important for world security”.
22:19: EU approves 10th package of Russian sanctions on anniversary of invasion
The European Union approved a tenth package of Russia sanctions on anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukrainesaid the Swedish EU presidency late on Friday.
“Together, EU member states have imposed the most powerful and far-reaching sanctions ever to help Ukraine win the war,” the Swedish EU presidency said on Twitter.
“The EU stands united with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We will continue to support Ukraine, as long as it takes.”
The package includes tougher export restrictions on dual-use items as well as measures against entities that support the war, spread propaganda or supply drones used by Russia.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)
Originally published on France24
Source: sn.dk
