Ukraine invasion: US, EU, UK move to eject some Russian banks from Swift global payment system
- Move will ensure that targeted Russian banks ‘are disconnected from the international financial system’
- Decision on Swift follows pledges of financial and military support for Ukraine from Washington, London and Berlin
The agreement – announced jointly on Saturday by Britain, Canada, France, Italy and the European Commission – followed other moves to support Kyiv in its fight against the Kremlin’s military.
The additional support included Germany’s authorisation of weapon sales to Ukraine, a reversal of Berlin’s stance against such shipments to conflict zones, and London’s pledge to deliver more weaponry to Ukraine’s military as protests against Russia’s incursions into its neighbour spread worldwide.
Read below for the latest updates:
Western allies to cut Russia from Swift
European countries, joined by the United States and Canada, have agreed to cut off “selected Russian banks” from Swift, the international banking system, apparently overcoming some earlier opposition to the measure from countries including Germany.
“This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally,” the countries said in a statement. The US and Canada were joined by Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the European Commission.
The nations said they would also prevent the Russian Central Bank from deploying international reserves in order to “undermine the impact” of sanctions already imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, and committed to crack down on the sale of citizenship to wealthy Russians seeking access to overseas financial systems.
Diplomats intensify efforts to support Ukraine
The United Nations Security Council plans to convene an emergency meeting on Sunday to coordinate a response to Russia’s ongoing attacks against Ukraine following a request for the move by the US and Albania. EU foreign ministers are also preparing to meet on Sunday with similar objectives.
The body will meet to approve the passage of a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion to the wider General Assembly for a vote there, AFP reports. The council failed to adopt the resolution itself on Friday following a veto by Russia, but a vote to advance the measure to the General Assembly is not subject to vetoes by permanent members.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to strip Russia of its voting privileges on the Security Council, an appeal that is unlikely to succeed given that all amendments to UN charter provisions governing the council must be approved by all permanent members.
Sunday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers was announced by the bloc’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, who said the officials would be adopting further measures to counter Russia’s aggression. Borrell will also propose a package of emergency assistance for the Ukrainian military “to support them in their heroic fight,” he said.
US social media block Russian government-linked accounts
Google’s Youtube is now prohibiting multiple Russian channels from monetising their content on the video platform, following similar measures by Twitter and Meta Platform Inc’s Facebook and Instagram.
“In light of extraordinary circumstances in Ukraine … we’re pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetise on YouTube, including several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions,” Youtube said in a statement obtained by Reuters.
02:11
Ukraine conflict: Gunshots fired to disperse huge crowds at Kyiv train station
Facebook has established a “Special Operations Centre” to respond to the ongoing crisis, and said late on Friday that it had begun banning Russian state media from running ads on the platform, following an announcement from Moscow that it would start limiting access to the platform within Russia.
Twitter, which already bans advertising from all state-affiliated accounts worldwide, has now suspended all ads within Russia and Ukraine “to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads don’t detract from it.”
Lithuania to ban Russian airlines from its airspace
Lithuania, a Nato member, has become the latest country to ban Russian airlines from its airspace over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported.
The ban – which joins similar directives issued Saturday by Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia and Romania – is scheduled to take place later Saturday evening. The move will prevent Russian flights from taking the most direct route from the Russian mainland to its enclave of Kaliningrad.
Germany authorises arms shipments to Ukraine
The German government has authorised the Netherlands to sell 400 German-made rocket-propelled grenade launchers to Ukraine to aid its defence against Russia’s invasion, Politico reported, citing two European Union officials.
The move appears to be a reversal of Berlin’s longstanding policy to not sell lethal weaponry to areas of conflict and follows other announced sales of military equipment to Kyiv from European countries on Saturday. They include 2,000 machine guns from Belgium and 200 Stinger anti-aircraft defence systems from the Netherlands.
What lessons are there for China in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
And in a call with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Saturday, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock stressed that Beijing had a “special responsibility” regarding Ukraine given its seat on the UN Security Council.
Russia bans words ‘invasion’ and ‘assault’ in media
Meanwhile, Britain’s armed forces minister James Heappey said that his ministry was planning to send more weapons to Ukraine’s military and was working on plans to support a government in exile if Kyiv is overrun.
Kremlin websites down; Anonymous claims credit
The hacker group, Anonymous, previously claimed credit for a cyberattack on the website of state-controlled television network, Russia Today, in support of Ukraine.
Separately, Russian authorities were investigating bomb threats reportedly made by Anonymous regarding train stations and airports in Moscow, the RIA news agency reported. The Russian embassy in London also contacted British policy following phone threats related to Ukraine, the news agency said.
US to send additional US$350 million to Ukraine
The United States will send an additional US$350 million in “immediate” military assistance to Ukraine, part of the US$1 billion in security support it has committed to the nation in the past year, according to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
“This package will include further lethal defensive assistance to help Ukraine address the armored, airborne, and other threats it is now facing. It is another clear signal that the United States stands with the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereign, courageous, and proud nation,” Blinken announced.
Britain cancels Belarus basketball team visas
Britain cancelled the visas of the Belarus men’s basketball team, which was set to compete in Newcastle on Monday night, according to Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Bulk of Russian forces ‘within 30km of Kyiv’s centre’
Most of the Russian forces advancing on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, are within 30km (19 miles) of its city centre, according to Britain’s Ministry of Defence.
Russia has yet to gain control over Ukraine’s airspace and Ukrainian armed forces continue to put up “staunch resistance”, the ministry said in a tweet on Saturday. A day earlier, the British military said most of the Russian forces were within 50km of the city centre.
News of the Russian advance came amid reports of skirmishes near Maidan, the site of 2014 democracy protests in the city.
Russian missiles and artillery hit Kyiv, other cities
This came as Russian forces launched coordinated missile and artillery attacks on Ukrainian cities including the capital, Kyiv, where gunfire erupted near government buildings in the city centre, military officials said.
Troops had captured the city of Melitopol in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, Interfax cited the country’s defence ministry as saying on Saturday.
Zelensky, speaking in a video message from outside his Kyiv office, was defiant.
“I am here. We will not lay down any weapons. We will defend our state, because our weapons are our truth,” he declared, denouncing as disinformation claims that he had surrendered or fled.
Overnight curfew in Kyiv
An overnight curfew will come into effect in Kyiv from Saturday as Russian forces advance on the city, according to mayor Vitali Klitschko.
“All civilians who will be on the street during the curfew will be considered members of the enemy’s sabotage and reconnaissance groups,” he said in a tweet.
City leaders have been encouraging residents to stay at home or in shelters set up inside the city’s subway system.
The curfew will start at 5pm and end at 8am.
France seizes Russian cargo ship: BBC
France has seized a Russian cargo ship in the English Channel, following European Union sanctions on Russia, the BBC reports.
The vessel, named the Baltic Leader, was intercepted by the French Navy and escorted to the Port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer in northern France, an unnamed French official was quoted as saying.
The ship was hauling a load of cars and bound for St Petersburg, according to the official.
Russian forces ‘shell ships in Black Sea’
Ukrainian officials say that at least three civilian cargo ships have been shelled by Russian warships in the Black Sea since Thursday, Reuters reported, citing Ukraine’s border guards service.
The vessels include a Japanese-owned freighter, which came under fire on Friday.
Russian forces also have closed off the northwestern part of the Black Sea to navigation.
Meanwhile, Turkey has agreed to a request by Ukraine to close its straits to Russian warships, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Turkey’s foreign minister had previously said it could not block Russian ships from returning to their home ports under an international navigation pact.
Following Zelensky’s tweet, a Turkish official told Reuters on Saturday that the country “has not made a decision to close the straits to Russian ships”.
Russian ‘disregard’ for UN duties
Russia’s veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning its actions in Ukraine shows its “disregard for its responsibilities and obligations” as a permanent council member, European Commission vice-president Josep Borrell said.
The resolution was sponsored by the United States and Albania and endorsed by 11 members of the Security Council on Friday. China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstained.
As one of five permanent members, Russia has the right to veto Security Council resolutions.
More countries banned from Russian airspace
Russian authorities have banned airlines and aircraft registered in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Poland from crossing its airspace.
The decision came a day after Russia banned flights by British airlines and was in response to similar restrictions on Russian carrier Aeroflot, according to Rosaviatsiya, Russia’s civil aviation authority.
Flights from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic or Poland would require a special permit issued by the Federal Agency for Air Transport or the Russian foreign ministry, the agency said.
Separately, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania agreed on Saturday to bar Russian aircraft from their airspace, according to a Facebook post by Lithuanian Transport Minister Marius Skuodis
Poland cancels World Cup qualifier against Russia
Poland’s national football team will not play Russia in a 2022 World Cup qualifier match set for Moscow next month, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“No more words, time to act!” Cezary Kulesza, president of the Polish Football Association, said in a tweet.
“Due to the escalation of the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine, the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match against Russia.”
The move was backed in a separate tweet by Poland’s star player, Robert Lewandowski, and came as the football associations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic said none of the upcoming qualifier matches should take place in Russia. All three nations were set to play in qualifiers in Russia in March.
Thousands flee as fighting intensifies
More than 120,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries since Russian forces invaded earlier this week, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
The number is expected to increase in the coming days, Kelly Clements, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, told CNN.
Many were fleeing to neighbouring Moldova and Poland, but refugees were also streaming into Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, she said.
“I demand the world: fully isolate Russia, expel ambassadors, oil embargo, ruin its economy,” Kuleba posted on Twitter, along with a picture showing a residential building in Kyiv being hit.
It came as Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the Russian army had only targeted military infrastructure without damaging “residential and social infrastructure”.
EU moves closer to Swift ban for Russia
In a U-turn, Italy has said it will support a ban on Russian financial institutions using Swift, the international fund transfer system.
Cyprus, Greece and Hungary, as well as France, have also publicly expressed support for a Russian bar, putting further pressure on Germany, one of the few holdouts among European Union nations, to agree to a ban.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said “it seems there’s no longer any strong opposition” to the proposal.
Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the world must brace for a long war between Russia and Ukraine.
“This crisis will last, this war will last and all the crises that come with it will have lasting consequences,” Macron said. “We must be prepared.”
Military installations under fire
The Russian army on Saturday targeted Ukraine’s military infrastructure with air- and sea-based cruise missiles.
“During the night, the armed forces of the Russian Federation launched a strike with long-range precision weapons using air- and sea-launched cruise missiles against the military infrastructure of Ukraine,” defence ministry spokesman Konashenkov said in televised remarks.
02:15
Trapped families in eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol caught in escalating Russian assault
Ukrainian officials said Russian forces fired cruise missiles from the Black Sea at the cities of Sumy, Poltava and Mariupol and there was heavy fighting near the southern city of Mariupol.
A Panamanian-registered cargo ship owned by a Japanese company was hit by a shell off Ukraine’s southern coast and one of its 20 crew members suffered a non-life-threatening injury, according to owners Nikko Kisen KK.
Ukrainian president stands his ground
This came as Russian troops stormed toward Ukraine’s capital early Saturday, and street fighting broke out as city officials urged residents to take shelter.
Earlier, President Zelensky was asked to evacuate from Kyiv at the behest of the US government but turned down the offer.
“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” Zelensky said, according to a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation, who described the leader as upbeat.
Biden says ‘Putin chose this war’, announces US steps against Russian assets
It was not immediately clear how quickly the aid would flow.
Chinese agency lowers Ukraine rating in Russian invasion aftermath
S&P cuts Russia’s credit rating to junk status
S&P Global Ratings cut Russia’s foreign-currency debt rating to below investment grade, or junk, status, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Moody’s Investors Service said it had put the country’s rating on review for a downgrade.
“The announced sanctions could have significant direct and second-round effects on economic and foreign trade activity, domestic resident confidence, and financial stability,” S&P said.
Ukraine’s credit rating also was cut to B- from B by S&P, while Moody’s put Ukraine’s rating on review.
Ukraine ‘remains ready to talk peace’
Even as the fighting grew more intense, the Russian and Ukrainian governments signalled an openness to negotiations as a spokesman for Zelensky said the two sides would consult in the coming hours on a time and place for talks.
The Kremlin said earlier it had offered to meet in the Belarusian capital Minsk, after Ukraine expressed a willingness to discuss declaring itself a neutral country.
Kyiv had proposed Polish capital Warsaw as the venue. That, according to Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov, resulted in a “pause” in contacts.
“Ukraine was and remains ready to talk about a ceasefire and peace,” Zelensky’s spokesman, Sergii Nykyforov, said in a post on Facebook. “We agreed to the proposal of the President of the Russian Federation.”
01:24
Ukrainian woman sings national anthem in bombed-out Kyiv flat
‘We are all here. Our soldiers are here’
Earlier, Zelensky had warned that Russian troops would attempt to take the capital Kyiv before dawn on Saturday, as Western nations announced personal sanctions targeting Putin.
On Friday, Zelensky had posted a video of himself with aides on the streets of the capital, vowing to stay and defend Ukraine’s independence.
“We are all here. Our soldiers are here. The citizens are here and we are here. We defend our independence. And it will continue to be this way,” he said in the video.
Russian troops attack Kyiv army base
Russian troops attacked an army base located on a main avenue in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv but the assault was repelled, the Ukrainian military said early on Saturday.
“Military criminals of Russia attacked one of the military units in Kyiv on Victory Avenue. The attack has been fought back,” the armed forces of Ukraine said in an English-language post on Facebook.
It gave no details and the report could not be immediately confirmed.
Peremohy, or Victory, Avenue is located just to the west of the centre of Kyiv. Ukraine’s military also said it has shot down a Russian military transport plane with paratroopers on board.
According to a statement from the military’s General Staff, the Il-76 heavy transport plane was shot down near Vasylkiv, a city 40km south of Kyiv. The Russian military has not commented on the incident so far, and the report could not be immediately verified.
Russian forces had earlier attacked a heating and electricity unit on the northeastern outskirts of Kyiv, according to Ukraine. “Right now, in some areas of the capital, shots and explosions can be heard,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a video address.
“Ukraine’s military are neutralising groups of Russian saboteurs. The enemy is already in Kyiv. We must hold the capital, which the enemy wants bring to its knees and destroy.”
Ukrainian forces were still in control of Kyiv, the defence ministry said.
US, EU sanction Putin and Lavrov. China urges talks
At the United Nations, a Security Council resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calling for the immediate withdrawal of its forces was vetoed by Russia’s ambassador to the world body.
The resolution, sponsored by the US and Albania, won support from 11 nations while China, the United Arab Emirates and India abstained.
As a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia has veto power. It is also the current rotating chair of the council.
00:48
Russia could start ‘a big war on the European continent’, Ukraine President Zelensky says
After it abstained from the UN Security Council vote, China urged all parties to “return immediately to the track of diplomatic negotiations,” without criticising Moscow’s actions.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on soldiers in Russia’s war on Ukraine to “return to their barracks”. “We must never give up. We must give peace another chance,” he told reporters after Moscow vetoed the UN resolution condemning its “aggression” in Ukraine.
Nato, meanwhile, condemned “in the strongest possible terms” Russia’s moves, with President Zelensky accusing Russia of targeting civilian areas.
Chinese foreign minister holds series of talks
On Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a telephone conversation with his British counterpart Liz Truss, said both countries “should do more to ensure the stability of the world,” according to Xinhua.
According to a readout of their call, Wang said that, “in the current volatile international situation, China and Britain, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should do more to ensure the stability of the world.”
The two sides gave special attention to the situation in Ukraine during their exchange of views, Xinhua added.
In a Twitter post following the call, Truss said: “As a permanent member of the UN Security Council we expect China to stand up for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Ukraine crisis draws into question China’s crude oil insufficiency
Wang also spoke to the French president’s diplomatic counsellor and EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy on Friday about Ukraine, Xinhua reported.
The readout of the call between Wang and Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic counsellor to French President Emmanuel Macron, said the two sides deemed it “imperative to prompt the parties concerned to start diplomatic negotiations as soon as possible to ease tensions”.
“They also called for abandoning the mentality of bloc confrontation and seeking a solution that accommodates the concerns of all parties,” it added.
Chinese in Ukraine told to keep low profile
The Chinese embassy in Ukraine on Saturday urged citizens not to identify themselves or “display identifying signs”, two days after it advised citizens to display Chinese national flags in their cars when travelling.
02:23
‘The entire window was shaking’: Chinese students trapped in Ukraine as Russia attacks
In a statement published on Saturday morning, the statement cautioned citizens to stay indoors and away from military facilities, military personnel and gun owners to reduce security risks.
“Do not take pictures of ongoing firefights and personnel, and do not take pictures without the consent of the other party. Do not freely identify yourself and display identifying signs,” the statement said.
The embassy said citizens should “attach great importance to getting along with the Ukrainian people in a friendly manner”, avoid disputes over specific issues and try to solve problems through friendly means, citing an increase in extremist behaviour in Ukrainian society.
Little semiconductor impact: Taiwan
Taiwan expects little impact from the war in Ukraine on the supply of key raw materials for semiconductors, the island’s government said on Saturday.
The Taiwanese cabinet said three key raw materials for making chips – the gases neon and C4F6 as well as the metal palladium – would not see much impact.
Taiwan is a major chip manufacturer, home to the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer and Asia’s most valuable listed company, TSMC. It is also key to alleviating a global shortage of semiconductors which have in some cases forced auto production lines to shutter.
Taiwan joins international sanctions against Russia over Ukraine invasion
Taiwanese chip makers use little palladium, and neither Ukraine nor Russia is a major source for that which the island does use, the cabinet said in a statement.
Domestic companies also have the ability to refine and “remanufacture” palladium, so there should be no impact, it said.
For neon and C4F6, there are already stocks on the island and supply chains are diversified, so “the near term impact is not big”, the cabinet said.
