Russia Will Be Beaten, Ukrainians Say – Follow Live

ICYMI: Turkey says Russia and Ukraine closer to peace deal

Turkey’s foreign minister has said that Russia and Ukraine were getting closer to an agreement on “critical” issues.

Mevlut Cavusoglu said that he was hopeful for a ceasefire if the sides don’t take a step back from the progress they have made toward an agreement.

Mr Cavusoglu told Turkish media that there had been “rapprochement in the positions of both sides on important subjects, critical subjects.

“We can say we are hopeful for a ceasefire if the sides do not take a step back from the current positions,” he said.

Holly Bancroft20 March 2022 14:02

Trucks queue 45 miles as protesters block trade route to Belarus

Officials in Poland have said that trucks headed to Belarus are backed up for 25 miles while they wait to reach the border.

Protesters are blocking the road at the Koroszczyn border point and calling for a ban on trade with Russian and its ally Belarus.

The protesters have been blocking access to the crossing – on and off – for some two weeks.

Some 950 trucks were waiting to cross into Belarus early Sunday, according to a spokesperson for the local tax office. The waiting time is 32 hours, he said.

Holly Bancroft20 March 2022 13:50

Ukraine claims death of a sixth Russian general

Advisor to the Ukrainian president, Myhailo Podolyak, has claimed that a sixth Russian general has been killed.

In a post on social media, he said: “High mortality of RF senior officers is striking. Already 6 generals killed: Maj Gens Tushayev, Gerasimov, Kolesnikov, Sukhovestsky, Mityaev & Lt Gen Mordvichev.

“Dozens of colonels and other officers. RF army is fully unprepared and fights only with numbers and cruise missiles.”

Holly Bancroft20 March 2022 13:37

Ten million people have fled their homes in Ukraine – UN

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has said that 10 million people have now fled their homes in Ukraine.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Grandi said: “Among the responsibilities of those who wage war, everywhere in the world, is the suffering inflicted on civilians who are forced to flee their homes.

“The war in Ukraine is so devastating that 10 million have fled – either displaced inside the country, or as refugees abroad.”

Holly Bancroft20 March 2022 13:24

‘Massacre’ in Ukraine ‘senseless’ and ‘repugnant’ – Pope Francis

Pope Francis has denounced Russia’s “repugnant war” against Ukraine as “cruel and sacrilegious inhumanity.”

His comments appear to be his strongest condemnation of Russia’s invasion since it was launched on 24 February – but, as typical of pontiffs, he stopped short of naming Russia as the aggressor.

In Vatican City, he told thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square that every day brings more atrocities in what is a “senseless massacre.”

He said: “There is no justification for this … Again this week, missiles, bombs, rained down on the elderly, children and pregnant mothers.”

The pope said: “I feel great pain for those who don’t even have the chance to escape.”

He added, before leading a moment of silent prayer: “Above all, defenseless life should get respected and protected, not eliminated.”

Lamiat Sabin20 March 2022 13:00

Dozens attend pro-Putin rally in Lebanon – pictures

Dozens of people attended a pro-Russia rally in Lebanon today holding Russian and Syrian flags.

Some of the attendees wore t-shirts or held banners with Vladimir Putin’s face printed on them.

Lebanese, Syrians and Russians gathered outside the United Nations’ offices in Beirut to show support for Putin amid his brutal invasion of Ukraine.

In 2015, Russian troops had joined Syria’s civil war and helped tip the balance of power in Syrian president Bashar Assad’s favour.

Lamiat Sabin20 March 2022 12:20

Almost all Ukrainians believe Russia will be defeated – poll

A massive 93 per cent of Ukrainians believe Ukraine will defeat Russia, according to a new poll.

This level of faith expressed by Ukraine’s civilians is the highest relating to this question so far, the survey suggests.

There are almost no people who do not believe in a Ukrainian victory, the polling group known as ‘Rating’ said.

Just 17 per cent were unable to answer the question, it added.

Nearly half of respondents said they hope a victory will be won over the next few weeks.

Almost a quarter believe that the war will last several months. Only 12 per cent said they expect it to last more than six months.

Lamiat Sabin20 March 2022 12:00

Calls for bigger sanctions as ‘majority of Russia backs war on EU’

A Ukrainian former minister is calling for stricter sanctions against Russia, and cited a poll that suggests the vast majority of Russians support the idea of attacking European Union countries.

A huge 86.6 per cent of Russians polled have said they would support Vladimir Putin if he decided to invade Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and others – according to the survey results released earlier this week.

More than 75 per cent of Russians would approve of invading Poland, the results also suggest.

Volodymyr Ogrysko, former foreign affairs minister for Ukraine, said the West should impose harsher sanctions against Russian individuals and sanctions.

He tweeted: “Dear Europeans, according to some pools 86,6% of Russists (Russia + faschists) support the possible military attack against some EU countries (former ‘socialist’ countries).

“Their barbarism should not be forgiven, their crazy plans should be stopped. Sanctions MUST be strengthened!”

Lamiat Sabin20 March 2022 11:40

Protests around the world, and Putin toilet paper – in pictures

Demonstrations against Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine have continued this weekend across the globe.

The protests have taken place in countries including South Korea, the US, and European nations.

In Los Angeles, California, rolls of toilet paper – with Vladimir Putin’s mugshot printed on the sheets – were brought to a rally.

Lamiat Sabin20 March 2022 11:20

China says abstentions of UN anti-invasion vote ‘responsible’

China defended its decision – and those of other countries including Algeria – to abstain from voting on a United Nations motion earlier this momth that opposed the invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign ministers Wang Yi and Ramtane Lamamra met at a press conference today where a journalist asked them about the invasion by Russia, a strong ally to China and Algeria.

The Chinese official said, according to a report by China’s embassy in the UK: “China, Algeria and quite a number of countries abstained in the voting.

“Abstention is also an attitude. It is to give peace a chance and shows disapproval of using war and sanctions to address disputes, and it is a responsible attitude.

“At the same time, we are of the view that the Ukraine issue has not come to this point by accident. It is the result of the confluence of various factors and an eruption of the tensions that have built up over the years.

“What lies at the heart is the issue of European security, and Nato’s move of expanding eastward without limit merits reflection.”

Lamiat Sabin20 March 2022 10:50