Urgent assistance to Ukraine: High Representative Josep Borrell convenes extraordinary meeting of EU Foreign Ministers
This afternoon, at 18:00 CET, High Representative Josep Borrell will convene EU Foreign Ministers for an extraordinary meeting via VTC in view of the ongoing grave aggression of Russia against Ukraine.
Ahead of the meeting, Josep Borrell said: “I will propose to Ministers to use the European Peace Facility for two emergency assistance measures. These aim to finance the supply of lethal material to the heroic Ukrainian army, which is fighting with fierce resistance against the Russian invaders and provide urgently needed non-lethal supplies, such as fuel.”
The High Representative’s proposal follows a direct request made by the Foreign Affairs Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, on Friday, during his address to EU Foreign Ministers. The High Representative will propose to provide a measure composed of lethal equipment, such as ammunition, and a measure for non-lethal equipment and supplies to the Ukrainian army, such as fuel and urgent medical supplies.
The High Representative will also discuss with the EU Foreign Ministers the announcement of tough economic sanctions, made yesterday by a number of countries and the European Commission. These include the exclusion of a certain number of Russian banks from SWIFT, preventing the Russian Central Bank from deploying its international reserves and acting against the people and entities who facilitate the war in Ukraine and the harmful activities of the Russian government. Today’s discussion by EU Foreign Ministers will pave the way for the swift adoption of all necessary legal acts.
The High Representative will also put forward a number of additional possible measures to provide assistance to the people of Ukraine in the face of the senseless aggression by Russia.
Commissioner for humanitarian aid, Janez Lenarčič will provide an update on the EU’s humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and to Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries.
The High Representative will hold a press conference at around 20:00 CET to present the results of the meeting. Follow live on EbS and the Council.
“On February 22, Russian military forces crossed the border and entered Ukraine’s eastern regions. On February 24, 2017, the first strikes were launched against Ukrainian cities.
The categorical rejection of the war, its doom for the country, was publicly expressed by all kinds of people in Russia. From intellectuals to retired colonel generals and experts of the Valdai Forum.
One emotion sounded in different voices – horror at the very thought of a new round of war between Russia and Ukraine Horror at the realization that this could actually happen.
And now it has happened. Putin ordered a military operation against Ukraine, despite the terrible price that both Ukraine and Russia would surely pay for this war, despite all the voices of reason in and outside of Russia.
Russia’s official rhetoric claims that this is being done for the purpose of “self-defense.” But you can’t fool history. The Reichstag fire was exposed, but today no exposures are needed – everything is obvious from the very beginning.
We, the supporters of peace, acting in the name of saving the lives of the citizens of Russia and Ukraine, in order to stop the started war and prevent its outgrowth into a war on a planetary scale:
Declare the beginning of the formation of an anti-war movement in Russia, and support any peaceful forms of anti-war protest;
We demand an immediate ceasefire by the Russian armed forces and their immediate withdrawal from the territory of the sovereign state of Ukraine;
We consider as war criminals all those who made the decision to start military actions in the east of Ukraine, who authorized aggressive and war-justifying propaganda in the Russian media dependent on the government. We will seek to hold them accountable for their actions. May they be damned!
We appeal to all right-thinking people in Russia, whose actions and words make a difference! Join the anti-war movement, speak out against war. Do it at least to show the whole world, that there were, there are and there will be people in Russia, who will not accept the meanness, committed by the authorities, who turned the state and peoples of Russia into an instrument of their crimes.
Indian bishops seek fair deal for Dalit Christians, as discrimination battle extends as far as US
Roman Catholic bishops in southern Indian state of Kerala have launched a campaign to mobilize political support to end long-running discrimination against Dalit Christians in the country.
The discrimination against Dalits does not occur in India but extends even to the United States where efforts are being made against the caste system which is legally outlawed in India.
Dalits were once labelled as untouchable, are an officially Scheduled Caste, formerly Harijan, in traditional Indian society, it was name for any member of a wide range of low-caste Hindu groups and any person outside the caste system.
The bishops have handed over a document to India’s federal ministers, parliamentarians, and state legislators to seek their support for the cause, UCA Catholic news reported.
They are seeking to end all forms of social discrimination and economic deprivation suffered by Dalit Christians and appealed to all regional bishops to make similar efforts.
Dalits are the lowest stratum of the Hindu caste system.
Many of them have converted to Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity and Islam. Christian and Muslim Dalits are excluded from special welfare benefits such as reservations for government jobs, education institutions and elections.
Since the 1950s, Dalit Christians have been fighting this discrimination unsuccessfully. In 2004, Dalit Christians filed a petition with the Supreme Court for their constitutional rights to equality.
In the United States, in late January, California State University added caste to its non-discrimination policy, Time magazine reported on Feb. 11.
With more than 437,000 students and 44,000 employees statewide, it is the largest academic institution to do so.
But it is not alone. Brandeis University was the first to take this step in 2019. University of California, Davis, Colby College, Colorado College, the Claremont colleges, and Carleton University followed suit.
In August 2021, the California Democratic Party added caste as a protected category to their Party Code of Conduct.
And in December 2021, the Harvard Graduate Student Union ratified its collective bargaining agreement, which included caste as a protected category for its members.
Time said, “Caste is a descent-based structure of inequality in which privilege works through the control of land, labor, education, media, white-collar professions and political institutions.
“Some 70 years after independence from colonial rule, the specter of casteism continues to haunt South Asia. The unequal inheritances of caste shape every aspect of social life, from education to marriage, housing, and employment.”
Caste discrimination still plagues all South Asian societies, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka reported Times.
Until today, oppressed castes are subject to stigma on the basis of perceived social and intellectual inferiority, and often consigned to the most exploitative segments of the labor market.
Scheduled Caste communities exist across India and comprised 16.6 percent of the country’s population, according to the 2011 Census of India.
Utar Pradesh (21 percent), West Bengal (11 percent), Bihar (8 percent) and Tamil Nadu (7 percent) between them accounted for almost half of India’s total Scheduled Caste population in 2017 according to the Times of India.
European Commission Statement Brussels, 27 Feb 2022
As the war in Ukraine rages on, and Ukrainians fight bravely for their country, the European Union steps up once more its support for Ukraine and the sanctions against the aggressor – Putin’s Russia.
For the first time ever, the European Union will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and other equipment to a country that is under attack.
This is a watershed moment.
HRVP Borrell will present to you the proposal in a few minutes.
At the same time, we are strengthening once more our sanctions against the Kremlin and its collaborator, Lukashenko’s regime.
First, we are shutting down the EU airspace for Russians.
We are proposing a prohibition on all Russian-owned, Russian registered or Russian-controlled aircraft.
These aircraft will no more be able to land in, take off or overfly the territory of the EU.
This will apply to any plane owned, chartered or otherwise controlled by a Russian legal or natural person.
So let me be very clear.
Our airspace will be closed to every Russian plane – and that includes the private jets of oligarchs.
Second, in another unprecedented step, we will ban in the EU the Kremlin’s media machine.
The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, as well as their subsidiaries will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin’s war and to saw division in our Union.
So we are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe.
Third, we will target the other aggressor in this war – Lukashenko’s regime.
Lukashenko’s regime is complicit in this vicious attack against Ukraine.
So we will hit Lukashenko’s regime with a new package of sanctions.
We will introduce restrictive measures against their most important sectors.
This will stop their exports of products from mineral fuels to tobacco, wood and timber, cement, iron and steel.
We will also extend to Belarus the export restrictions we introduced on dual-use goods for Russia.
This will also avoid any risks of circumvention of our measures against Russia.
In addition, we will sanction those Belarusians helping the Russian war effort.
All these measures come on top of the strong package that I presented to you yesterday, agreed by our international partners.
Under this package, important Russian banks will be excluded from the SWIFT system.
We will also ban the transactions of Russia’s central bank and freeze all its assets, to prevent it from financing Putin’s war.
And we will target the assets of Russian oligarchs.
We continue to coordinate closely with partners around the globe.
And we remain in close contacts with our Ukrainian friends.
President Zelensky’s leadership and his bravery and the resilience of the Ukrainian people are outstanding and impressive.
They are an inspiration to us all.
We welcome with open arms those Ukrainians who have to flee from Putin’s bombs and I am proud of the warm welcome that Europeans have given them.
We are mobilising every effort and every euro to support our Eastern Member States – to host and take care of these refugees.
We will do this in full solidarity.
With this, I invite HRVP Borrell to present more details.
AFGHANISTAN, February 27 – Institute for the Study of War, Russia Team
ISW published its most recent Russian campaign assessment at 3:00 pm, February 26.
This daily synthetic product covers key events related to renewed Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Key Takeaways February 26
Russia has failed to encircle and isolate Kyiv with mechanized and airborne attacks as it had clearly planned to do. Russian forces are now engaging in more straightforward mechanized drives into Kyiv along a narrow front on the west bank of the Dnipro River and on a broad front to the northeast.
Russian forces temporarily abandoned efforts to seize Chernihiv and Kharkiv to the northeast and east of Kyiv and are bypassing those cities to continue their drive on Kyiv. Failed Russian attacks against both cities were poorly designed and executed and encountered more determined and effective resistance than Russia likely expected.
Russian successes in southern Ukraine are the most dangerous and threaten to unhinge Ukraine’s successful defenses and rearguard actions to the north and northeast.
Russian forces in eastern Ukraine remain focused on pinning the large concentration of Ukrainian forces arrayed along the former line of contact in the east, likely to prevent them from interfering with Russian drives on Kyiv and to facilitate their encirclement and destruction.
Ukrainian forces retook the critical city of Kherson and Russian forces halted their drive on Odesa. Some Russian troops remain west of the Dnipro River and are advancing on Mykolaiv, but the main axes of advance have shifted to the north and east toward Zaporizhie and Mariupol respectively.
Russian forces have taken the critical city of Berdyansk from the west, threatening to encircle Mariupol with Russian forces in Donbas attacking Mariupol from the east, likely to pin defenders in the city.
Russian troops are facing growing morale and logistics issues, predictable consequences of the poor planning, coordination, and execution of attacks along Ukraine’s northern border.
The United States, Canada, and European allies removed select Russian banks from the SWIFT global financial network and agreed to additional measures that could significantly increase economic pressure on Russia.
The United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom facilitated a significant expansion of NATO countries’ lethal aid shipments to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began.
NATO countries began contributing forces to NATO Response Force (NRF) operations in Eastern Europe, reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is set to displace millions of Ukrainians internally and throughout eastern Europe; at least 150,000 Ukrainians have fled the country as of February 26 as urban fighting intensifies.
Kremlin censors increased crackdowns on independent media amid growing Russian opposition to the war.
Key Events February 25, 4:00 pm EST – February 26, 5:00 pm EST
Military Events:
Russian forces’ main axes of advance in the last 24 hours focused on Kyiv, northeastern Ukraine, and southern Ukraine. Russian airborne and special forces troops are engaged in urban warfare in northwestern Kyiv, but Russian mechanized forces are not yet in the capital. Russian advances from Crimea risk cutting off the large concentrations of Ukrainian forces still defending the former line of contact between unoccupied Ukraine and occupied Donbas. Ukrainian leaders may soon face the painful decision of ordering the withdrawal of those forces and the ceding of more of eastern Ukraine or allowing much of Ukraine’s uncommitted conventional combat power to be encircled and destroyed. There are no indications as yet of whether the Ukrainian government is considering this decision point.
Ukrainian resistance remains remarkably effective and Russian operations especially on the Kyiv axis have been poorly coordinated and executed, leading to significant Russian failures on that axis and at Kharkiv. Russian forces in northeast Ukraine face growing morale and supply issues, likely due to poor planning and ad hoc command structures, as ISW previously forecasted.[1] Russia has surprisingly failed to gain air superiority or ground the Ukrainian air force after three days of fighting. Russian forces will likely increase their use of bombardment in the coming days to overcome heavier-than-anticipated Ukrainian resistance, however. Russian forces remain much larger and more capable than Ukraine’s conventional military and Russian advances in southern Ukraine may threaten to unhinge the defense of Kyiv and northeastern Ukraine if they continue unchecked.
Russian ground forces are advancing on four primary axes, discussed in turn below:
Kyiv Axis: Russia’s likely main effort to rapidly isolate Kyiv and force the Ukrainian government to capitulate has failed as of February 26. Russian forces entered downtown Kyiv along the western bank of the Dnipro River the night of February 25, but Russian forces have so far failed to enter the city from the east. Russian troops have not yet committed heavy armor and artillery forces to fighting in Kyiv and will likely need to do so to take the city. Ukrainian forces are unlikely to capitulate. If the Russians have abandoned for now the attempt to encircle Kyiv and committed to frontal assaults from the northwest and east/northeast, then they have given the Ukrainians close to the optimal scenario for defending their capital. The Russians could change that situation either by getting forces from the northeast axis across the river south of Kyiv and encircling in that way, by using forces from Crimea to drive all the way to Kyiv from the south, or by re-attempting and finally succeeding in air-landing airborne troops to the southeast of the capital. Russia’s surprising failure to accomplish its initial planned objectives around Kyiv has given the Ukrainians an opportunity.
Northeast Axis: Russian forces advanced on a broad front between Chernihiv and Kharkiv on February 26 after Ukrainian forces halted direct Russian advances through both cities on February 24-25. Ukrainian forces continue to delay and inflict losses on the Russian advance but will likely be unable to halt further advances if the Kremlin commits additional reserves.
Donbas Axis: Russian forces continued to deprioritize direct assaults in Donbas or an enveloping maneuver through Luhansk Oblast. Russian forces likely intend to pin Ukrainian forces in place on the line of contact to enable Russian forces breaking out of Crimea to isolate them. The Russians may be content to leave them there while concentrating on capturing Kyiv and imposing a new government on Ukraine. They may alternatively seek to encircle and destroy them or force them to surrender.
Crimea Axis: Russian forces advancing north toward Zaprozhia and east toward Mariupol threaten to isolate Ukrainian forces on the line of contact in Donbas if Ukrainian forces do not withdraw. Russian forces from the Southern Military District continue to make the greatest advances and demonstrate the highest capabilities of Russia’s multiple axes of advance. Ukrainian forces recaptured Kherson the night of February 25-26. However, Russian forces will likely counterattack within the next 24 hours and Russian forces remain west of the Dnipro River, threatening Mykolaiv.
Russian Activity
Kremlin-sponsored media continues to claim the Russian invasion of Ukraine is largely bloodless and only aimed at so-called “nationalists” to downplay the increasing unpopularity of the war. Russian state media framed Russian victories in Ukraine as largely bloodless peacekeeping operations “de-nazifying” critical civilian infrastructure.[2] Russian media largely misrepresented social media videos of missile strikes, claiming that nationalists opened fire on Kyiv residential areas to frame Russian forces. TV talk shows claimed that Russian forces rescued 82 Ukrainian servicemen with no casualties from Zmiinyi (Snake Island), despite Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s confirmation that a Russian warship killed all 13 servicemen stationed on the island on February 24.[3] TV news programs livestreamed the destruction of a Ukrainian dam blocking water supplies to Russian-occupied Crimea, claiming that Russian forces ended the “years long nationalist genocide” against the peninsula.[4] Russian media is framing a sharp distinction between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and so-called “Ukrainian nationalist units” within the military, claiming that normal Ukrainian forces will likely surrender soon and only “nationalists” are fighting.[5]
Two opposition Russian deputies issued public calls for Putin to end the war in Ukraine for the first time on February 25, and Kremlin media censors imposed new restrictions on any coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. RussianDuma (Parliament) Communist Party deputies Mikhal Matveev and Oleg Smolin called for Russia to end its war against Ukraine on February 25. Matveev stated he voted to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR) to achieve peace in Donbas, not bomb Kyiv, and called on Putin to immediately stop military action in Ukraine.[6] Anti-war protests occurred in 26 Russian cities on February 26.[7] Russian state-controlled media further cracked down on independent media outlets on February 26. The technology and communications regulator Roskomnadzor launched a probe into independent media outlets and stated that references to Russian operations in Ukraine as attacks, invasion, or war are “fake news.”[8] According to the Washington Post, Roskomnadzor is “highly sensitive about reporting on Russian military casualties, strikes on civilian neighborhoods, civilian casualties or Russian prisoners of war.” Independent media outlets face substantial fines and penalties if they continue this reporting. Roskomnadzor restricted Russian access to Facebook in retaliation for Facebook’s fact-checking of Russian state-controlled media outlets.[9] Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported widespread Twitter restrictions within Russia.[10]
The Kremlin likely lacks a coherent plan to adapt to stronger-than-anticipated Western sanctions, leading to an inconsistent reaction from Kremlin officials ranging from stressing mitigation strategies to bellicose denial that sanctions will have any effect. Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov acknowledged recent Western sanctions are “serious” but stressed that Russia prepared for them in advance.[11] Peskov stated that the Kremlin is currently developing responses that best suit Russian interests and is hopeful for potential opportunities for Russia amidst international sanctions. Contrarily, Russian Security Council Deputy Head Dmitry Medvedev claimed that Western sanctions “are an excellent occasion for a final review of all relations with states that have imposed them” and threatened to end diplomatic relations with all Western states.[12] Medvedev added that Western sanctions will not deter Russia from “protecting Donbas” nor harm Kremlin officials, falsely claiming that they do not have assets in Western banks. Medvedev threatened that Russia will seize the funds and properties of foreigners and foreign companies in Russia in response to Western sanctions.[13]
The Kremlin falsely claimed on February 25 to have set conditions for surrender negations with Kyiv before retracting its claims following Ukrainian dedication to fight on. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed on February 25 that Putin called on Russian troops to pause their military operation in Ukraine to plan Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire negotiations. Peskov claimed Putin reversed the pause after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky replied that Ukrainian forces will not surrender.[14] Kremlin officials demanded that Ukraine first demilitarize before Russia begins negotiations with Kyiv, indicating the Kremlin may have wrongly anticipated a rapid Ukrainian capitulation.
Belarusian Activity
N/A
Ukrainian Activity
The Ukrainian government stated its refusal to abandon Kyiv and emphasized growing international support for Ukraine in messaging to Ukrainian citizens on February 26. Ukrainian government officials maintained effective communication with Ukrainian citizens in real-time via social media platforms despite Russian cyberattacks disabling most Ukrainian government websites and disrupting internet service providers on February 26.[15] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated on February 26 that Ukraine would not surrender.[16] Zelensky reassured Ukrainians on February 25 that the government would not abandon Kyiv and relocate to Lviv or abroad.[17] Zelensky said that Ukraine’s defenses and diplomatic measures “have broken the scenario of occupation” and led to the European consensus to disconnect Russia from SWIFT, reminding Ukrainians that they “have more powerful friends than enemies.”[18] Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov urged Ukrainian citizens to report, detain, or destroy Russian sabotage groups, their equipment, and signals and said the “whole world knows” of Russian aggression.[19] Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he is leading a battalion of 300 Ukrainian civilians with small arms in Kyiv. Poroshenko said they are determined to hold out “indefinitely” against the Russian assault.[20]
US Activity
The United States, Canada, and European allies removed select Russian banks from the SWIFT global financial network and agreed to additional measures that could significantly increase economic pressure on Russia on February 26.[21] Severing targeted Russian banks from SWIFT will prevent them from operating internationally and significantly curtail Russian imports and exports. Signatory states also announced an effort to limit the sale of citizenship to wealthy Russians, to work together to combat Russian disinformation, and to convene a transatlantic task force to ensure the enforcement of sanctions against Russia. The German government decided on February 26 to support a limited removal of Russia from the SWIFT financial messaging network after significant pressure from its allies, removing the final barrier to SWIFT sanctions.[22] Germany insisted that the action must be tailored to target the right people and to limit potential negative consequences for European business and financial institutions.[23]
European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen claimed during a February 26 press conference that the EC will work with the United States to freeze Russian Central Bank assets.[24] Neither the EC nor the US Treasury Department provided further details on the scope or method of this action. The unprecedented targeting of a major power’s central bank may prevent Russia from spending the foreign currency reserves it has accumulated in preparation for a sanctions and economic pressure campaign by Western powers. Russian Central Bank illiquidity could accelerate the devaluation of the ruble and threaten the overall stability of the Russian financial system.
NATO and EU Activity
The United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom have facilitated a significant expansion of NATO countries’ lethal aid shipments to Ukraine since February 24, accelerating on February 26. UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace hosted a conference with 27 countries on February 25 to reaffirm their commitments to send military aid to Ukraine, during which multiple states pledged to provide lethal assistance to Ukraine.[25] Germany reversed its long-standing prohibition on providing lethal aid and on partner countries sending German-made weapons and munitions to Ukraine on February 26, enabling several European countries to subsequently announce lethal aid shipments.[26] European NATO states’ expansion of lethal aid shipments indicates a shift in urgency and willingness to implement more aggressive measures to counter Russian advances in Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden authorized an additional 350 million USD aid package containing Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger surface-to-air missiles, and other unspecified lethal and non-lethal equipment on February 26.[27] The United States has provided Ukraine with a total of 1 billion USD worth of security assistance since January 1, 2022.[28]
The Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany committed to sending Ukraine a combined 2,000 machine guns, 400 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 1,000 anti-tank weapons, and 700 Stinger surface-to-air missiles on February 26.[29]
Germany, Belgium, and Australia also promised to send medical supplies, 3800 tons of fuel, 5,000 military helmets, and other non-lethal aid on February 26.[30]
The Czech and Slovakian governments respectively approved 9 million USD and 12 million USD worth of ammunition and fuel on February 26.[31]
French President Emmanuel Macron promised on February 25 to send 300 million Euros in budgetary assistance and unspecified military equipment.[32]
Estonia shipped anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft munitions, and non-lethal supplies to Ukraine on February 18, and Estonian Defense Ministry Secretary-General Kusti Salm announced on February 25 that Estonia is preparing to send another shipment.[33]
Canada followed up a February 19 lethal aid shipment with another shipment on February 23 consisting of rifles, machine guns, tactical equipment, and surveillance devices altogether worth approximately 8 million USD.[34]
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters on February 24 that the United States is exploring alternative methods to train Ukrainian forces on these weapons platforms.[35] Austin said that delivering equipment and training has become difficult as Russian forces advance further into Ukraine. A lack of training may prevent some Ukrainian forces from using new lethal aid shipments with maximal efficacy. Russian forces may seek to open a new line of advance into western Ukraine to sever NATO aid deliveries.
NATO countries began contributing forces to NATO Response Force (NRF) operations in Eastern Europe on February 26, reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank. The United States placed between 10,000 and 12,000 troops on “prepare to deploy orders” on February 25 to take part in NRF or unilateral operations.[36] The UK Ministry of Defense stated on February 26 it will send approximately 1,000 troops to Estonia to supplement the UK tanks and armored vehicles already present there. UK Typhoon fighter jets began patrolling NATO airspace over Romania and Poland on February 25, and the HMS Diamond will join NATO naval forces conducting exercises in the eastern Mediterranean.[37] Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo also said Belgium will send 300 troops to Romania.[38] Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said Lithuania is preparing to receive 70 additional Dutch soldiers as well.[39] US President Joe Biden emphasized that NATO’s unity in the face of Russia’s invasion demonstrates that Russian President Vladimir Putin has miscalculated and is driving NATO and its non-member partner states like Sweden and Finland closer together.[40]
Other International Organization Activity
N/A
Individual Western Allies’ Activity
Turkey continued to call on Russia to end its war in Ukraine and offered itself as a neutral mediator on February 26, seeking to maintain both its economic relationship with Ukraine and its political and economic ties with Russia. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to end Russia’s military operation in Ukraine during a February 26 phone call.[41] Cavusoglu reiterated Turkey’s readiness to mediate talks between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky falsely claimed on February 26 that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would deny Russian vessels access to the Black Sea.[42] Erdogan did not confirm Zelensky’s claim; Reuters reported that anonymous Turkish officials refuted the claim altogether.[43] Cavusoglu previously stated that the 1936 Montreux Convention, which governs passage through Turkey’s Dardanelles and Bosphorus strait, allows Black Sea littoral states to return their ships to their bases during wartime. The wartime provision consequently permits Russian vessels access to the Black Sea regardless of Turkey’s decision.[44] Separately, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar assured Ukrainian Defense Minister Olekseii Reznikov on February 26 that Turkey will continue providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.[45] Turkey has conducted itself as a neutral party since the conflict began and abstained from voting on Russia’s suspension from the Council of Europe on February 25.[46] Turkey is positioning itself for a greater peacekeeping role possibly to hedge against economic and political consequences, regardless of the conflict’s outcome. Erdogan told Zelensky on February 26 that Turkey was attempting to secure an immediate ceasefire of hostilities in Ukraine.[47]
Other International Activity
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is set to displace millions of Ukrainians internally and throughout eastern Europe; at least 150,000 Ukrainians have fled the country as of February 26 as urban fighting intensifies. Russian officials have denied reports of Russian shelling in residential neighborhoods and missile strikes against civilian targets.[48] The intensification of fighting in urban areas, including Ukraine’s two largest population centers of Kyiv and Kharkiv, will likely displace hundreds of thousands more Ukrainians in the coming days, presaging a refugee crisis within Ukraine and throughout Eastern Europe. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said more than 150,000 people have fled Ukraine since February 24 and an unknown number are internally displaced.[49] Polish Deputy Interior Minister Pawel Szefernaker said Poland has set up reception points for the 100,000 Ukrainians who have arrived in Poland.[50] Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said at least 19,000 Ukrainians entered Romania since February 24 and 11,000 have remained in Romania.[51]
18.00 Beginning of the informal video conference of foreign affairs ministers
Russian aggression against Ukraine (Exchange of views)
At the end of the meeting (+/- 20.00) – Press conference in live streaming.
Arrangements for the press conference
The technical press briefing will take place online only. The press conference will take place in a hybrid format: EU accredited journalists will be able to participate and ask questions either remotely or in person at the Justus Lipsius press room*.
If you haven’t registered for previous Foreign Affairs Council press events, please use this link to do so and have the possibility to ask questions remotely.
Deadline for registration: Sunday, 27 February 2022, 16.00
Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants shortly after the deadline.
*Media access to Justus Lipsius building will be open from 13.00 via the main entrance. Visit the meeting page
The first successfully evacuated Bulgarians from Ukraine arrived in Moldova.
The House of Lords in England called for solidarity with Bulgaria against the background of the difficult situation in Ukraine, where battles are being fought in areas with a compact Bulgarian minority, BGNES reported.
During today’s meeting, Baroness Patricia Rawlings said that Russia’s hostilities were taking place very close to “our Bulgarian allies.”
“It is a fact that in the first hours of the Russian aggression most victims fell around the city of Odessa, south of which lives a 300,000-strong Bulgarian minority closely linked to Bulgaria,” she said, adding: “At any moment we can expect humanitarian crisis and waves of refugees that could pose even greater challenges to our Bulgarian allies. “
For this reason, Baroness Rawlings calls for a strong and extreme expression of British solidarity and support for the countries on the southern tip of NATO’s eastern flank.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the latest information on the evacuation from Ukraine
Meanwhile, the first successfully evacuated Bulgarians from Ukraine arrived in Moldova.
Two buses with Bulgarian citizens evacuated from Odessa, Ukraine, crossed the Moldovan border. With the assistance of our Consul General in Odessa, the buses were escorted by the Ukrainian police services for their smooth movement to the border.
Our compatriots traveling in personal motor vehicles were also included in the column, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
Diplomatic representatives of the Republic of Bulgaria have been sent to Romania and Moldova to provide the necessary assistance to our compatriots.
On the initiative and under the leadership of the new regional governor of the District with administrative center Varna – Blagomir Kotsev, a Regional Coordination Council was formed in connection with the crisis in Ukraine, the Regional Administration in Varna announced.
Its main activity will be related to the preparation for the reception of refugees in the region. The composition of the Council will include representatives of the Municipality of Varna, RHI – Varna, Border Police, OD of the Ministry of Interior – Varna, RDSP – Varna, hospitals and others. institutions.
The Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association is ready to open some of the hotels in Sunny Beach for refugees from Ukraine. A proposal was also made by the Ministry of Tourism, BGNES reports. The hoteliers set a condition for the state to cover the costs of accommodation and food for the people, because the hotels are currently closed and staff has to be hired. Talks have already been held with some of the hoteliers in the resort, and they have sent a letter to the relevant ministry with a proposal to set a price for all hotels. At this stage, 10,000 beds can be provided.
Hoteliers in Sunny Beach are also ready to hire people from Ukraine. “You know that in our country there is a lack of staff in all industries, especially in our industry, in tourism. I work with Ukrainians and Bulgarians from Ukraine and I am very pleased with them for several years,” said the association.
We, the leaders of the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States condemn Putin’s war of choice and attacks on the sovereign nation and people of Ukraine. We stand with the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people in their heroic efforts to resist Russia’s invasion. Russia’s war represents an assault on fundamental international rules and norms that have prevailed since the Second World War, which we are committed to defending. We will hold Russia to account and collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for Putin.
This past week, alongside our diplomatic efforts and collective work to defend our own borders and to assist the Ukrainian government and people in their fight, we, as well as our other allies and partners around the world, imposed severe measures on key Russian institutions and banks, and on the architects of this war, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As Russian forces unleash their assault on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, we are resolved to continue imposing costs on Russia that will further isolate Russia from the international financial system and our economies. We will implement these measures within the coming days.
Specifically, we commit to undertake the following measures:
First, we commit to ensuring that selected Russian banks are removed from the SWIFT messaging system. This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally.
Second, we commit to imposing restrictive measures that will prevent the Russian Central Bank from deploying its international reserves in ways that undermine the impact of our sanctions.
Third, we commit to acting against the people and entities who facilitate the war in Ukraine and the harmful activities of the Russian government. Specifically, we commit to taking measures to limit the sale of citizenship—so called golden passports—that let wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government become citizens of our countries and gain access to our financial systems.
Fourth, we commit to launching this coming week a transatlantic task force that will ensure the effective implementation of our financial sanctions by identifying and freezing the assets of sanctioned individuals and companies that exist within our jurisdictions. As a part of this effort we are committed to employing sanctions and other financial and enforcement measures on additional Russian officials and elites close to the Russian government, as well as their families, and their enablers to identify and freeze the assets they hold in our jurisdictions. We will also engage other governments and work to detect and disrupt the movement of ill-gotten gains, and to deny these individuals the ability to hide their assets in jurisdictions across the world.
Finally, we will step up our coordination against disinformation and other forms of hybrid warfare.
We stand with the Ukrainian people in this dark hour. Even beyond the measures we are announcing today, we are prepared to take further measures to hold Russia to account for its attack on Ukraine.
The FSB prevented a terrorist attack in an Orthodox church in Crimea, which was being prepared by supporters of the Right Sector banned in the Russian Federation, six people were detained, TASS reported from Simferopol on February 23, 2022 at the Center for Public Relations (CSP) of the FSB, Patriarchia.ru reports.
“The Federal Security Service prevented a terrorist act in theSimferopol diocese – Republic of Crimea. As a result of the measures taken, six Russian citizens were detained, who are supporters of the Ukrainian extremist organization Right Sector, who were preparing to detonate an improvised explosive device in one of the Orthodox churches in the region in order to intimidate the population, ”the CSO stressed.
The FSB reported that components for the manufacture of an explosive device with damaging elements and explosives were confiscated in the garage of one of the detainees. “Instructions for making them were found in the means of communication of the radicals, as well as correspondence with a discussion of the planned terrorist attack, which also confirms the involvement of the detainees in the propaganda of radical ideology on the Internet,” the security service added. In addition, the symbols of the “Right Sector” were confiscated from them.
Supporters of the Right Sector organization, banned in Russia, detained by the FSB were preparing a terrorist attack in the temple of Simferopol, a source in Crimea told TASS on Wednesday. According to the interlocutor of the agency, we are talking about a church in the urban-type settlement of Aeroflotsky, which is part of the borders of Simferopol.
On the website of the Simferopol deanery of the Simferopol and Crimean diocese, it is reported that an Orthodox church is operating in the village in the name of the icon of the Mother of God “Guide”. The whole life of the village is connected with aviation, local residents work in organizations related to the airport. The church was founded in 2008 and consecrated in 2011. It is located near the highway leading to the airport.
Bloody massacre without rules and regulations – this is how most people imagine gladiatorial battles. We still know from Spartacus that all gladiators were slaves and only men fought in the arena. And did you know that gladiatorial fights and sumo fights have a common cause, what role women have been given in battle, and how people have used gladiator sweat and blood? We have selected little known facts about gladiatorial battles – one of the most popular ancient spectacles.
Women also fought
Robins were regularly sent to the arena with men, but some free women grabbed the sword of their own accord. Historians are not sure exactly when women appeared in the ranks of gladiators, but by the first century AD they have become a common sight in battle. A relief dating from around the 2nd century depicts a battle between two gladiators called the Amazon and Achilles.
Not all gladiators were slaves
Not all gladiators were brought to the arena in chains. By the first century, the excitement of battle and the roar of the crowd began to attract many free people, who began to enroll voluntarily in gladiatorial schools in the hope of gaining fame and money. These were often ex-soldiers, and the fame of gladiators haunted some high-class patricians, knights, and even senators.
Gladiators did not always fight to the death
The most famous arena was the Colosseum. The second largest amphitheater is located in modern Tunisia. Arenas have been preserved in Paris and even in the Croatian city of Pula. Hollywood often portrays gladiatorial fights as bloody fights without rules, while most of the competitions were held under very strict rules. The competition was usually a duel between two men of equal height and experience. There were even judges who stopped the fight as soon as one of the participants was seriously injured. In addition, the match could end in a draw if the audience gets bored of the long battle. Because maintaining gladiators was expensive, their masters did not want the fighter killed in vain. However, the life of a gladiator was short: historians have estimated that every 5-10 battles one of the participants died, and rarely did a gladiator live to 25 years.
Gladiators have seldom fought animals
Whether we like it or not, the Colosseum and other Roman arenas today are often associated with animal hunting (or vice versa). First, the battle with wild animals was reserved for bestiaries – a special class of warriors who fought against all kinds of animals: from deer and ostriches to lions, crocodiles, bears and even elephants. Hunting animals was usually the first event of the games, and it was not uncommon for many unfortunate creatures to be killed in a series of battles. Nine thousand animals were killed during the 100-day opening ceremony of the Colosseum. Second, wild animals were also a popular form of execution. Convicted criminals and Christians were often thrown to predatory dogs, lions and bears as part of daily entertainment.
One of the most poignant such scenes is depicted in Henrik Senkiewicz’s historical novel Quo Vadis from 1896. The fights were originally part of funeral ceremonies. that gladiatorial battles arose as a funeral ritual for the rich. By the way, in this they are similar to the ancient Japanese sumo wrestling, which was also originally part of a funeral rite.
The Romans believed that human blood helped purify the soul of the deceased, and competitions could replace human sacrifices. Funeral games later expanded during the reign of Julius Caesar, who organized fights between hundreds of gladiators. Spectacles proved so popular that by the end of the first century BC. officials began to fund the fighting to gain the disposition of the masses. Emperors also participated in battles Gladiator games were an easy way for Roman emperors to win the love of the people, but some of them went further and did not limit themselves to organizing spectacles. Caligula, Titus, Adrian, Commodus (he fought 735 battles. Staged, of course) and others performed at the arena. Naturally, under strictly controlled conditions: with blunt weapons and under the strict supervision of security.
“Thumbs down” did not always mean death
Cinema often misrepresents history. The legendary gesture with the thumb is no exception. Here it is worth clarifying: about the legendary gesture described by the phrase Pollice Verso (Latin “inverted thumb”), scientists are still arguing. Some historians believe that the sign of death may have been “thumbs up”, while “thumbs down” may have meant mercy and was interpreted as “swords down”. Whatever gesture was used, it was usually accompanied by the piercing shouts of the crowd “Let go!” or “Kill!”. The gesture was popularized in 1872 by the French artist Jean-Leon Jerome in the painting “Pollice Verso”, which today has impressed Ridley Scott during the filming of “Gladiator”. Gladiators had their own categories. By the time the Colosseum was opened around 80 AD, gladiatorial games had gone from unorganized battle to death to a well-regulated, albeit bloody, sport. The fighters were divided into classes according to their achievements, level of skills and experience, each had its own specialization in the weapons and combat equipment used. The most popular were the Thracians and their main opponents the Myrmilons. In Raphael Giovanioli’s novel Spartacus, the protagonist fights in the arena with Thracian weapons. There were also equities that entered the horse arena; esedarii, who fought on chariots; and smokers who wielded two swords at once.
Gladiators were real stars
There are legends that Spartacus – the brave leader of the slave revolt against Rome, was born in the Sandanski region. Nowadays, the statue of Spartacus is one of the symbols of the city. Photo: tourism.government.bg Portraits of many successful gladiators decorated the walls in public places. The children played with clay figures of gladiators. The most enterprising fighters advertised food. Many women wore jewelry soaked in the blood of gladiators, and some even mixed gladiator sweat, which was considered a special aphrodisiac, into face creams and other cosmetics. Fascinating … isn’t it? The whole atmosphere is felt. And what other facts about gladiators exist?
Gladiators united in unions
Although they were regularly forced to fight to the death, gladiators considered themselves a kind of brotherhood, and some even united in alliances with a kind of leaders and guardian deities. When a warrior died in battle, these groups organized a dignified funeral for their comrade and, if he had a family, paid monetary compensation to relatives for the loss. Here are some interesting features of gladiatorial battles.
Photo: The painting “Pollice Verso” by Jean-Leon Jerome. Public Domain
