Latest on Russia-Ukraine: Ukraine, Russia agree to create safe corridors; Canada calling for Russian interpol membership to be suspended
The latest on Russia and Ukraine from Canada and around the world Thursday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
1:20 p.m. A member of Ukraine's delegation in talks with Russia says the parties have reached a tentative agreement to organize safe corridors for civilians to evacuate and for humanitarian supplies to be delivered.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who took part in Thursday's talks in Belarus near the Polish border, said that Russia and Ukraine reached a preliminary understanding that cease-fires will be observed in areas where the safe corridors are established.
12:45 p.m. Russian forces battled for control of a vital energy-producing city in Ukraine's south on Thursday and also gained ground in their bid to cut off the country from the sea, as Ukrainian leaders called on citizens to wage guerrilla war against the invaders.
The fighting at Enerhodar, a city on the Dnieper River that accounts for about one-quarter of the country's power generation, came as the two sides met for another round of talks aimed at stopping the bloodshed that has set off an exodus of over 1 million refugees.
The mayor of Enerhodar, the site of the biggest nuclear plant in Europe, said Ukrainian forces were battling Russian troops on the city's outskirts. Dmytro Orlov urged residents not to leave their homes.
11:54 a.m. Canada is calling for Russian Interpol membership to be suspended.
At a news conference in Ottawa, Trudeau says Canada and other close partners are calling to suspend Russia from Interpol.
"We believe that international law enforcement cooperation depends on a collective commitment to the (UDHR) and mutual respect between INTERPOL members," Trudeau said.
11:40 a.m. Stocks fell Thursday and oil prices eased back as markets remain concerned about the broader impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The S&P 500 fell 0.6 per cent as of 11:23 a.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 33,736 and the Nasdaq fell 1.2 per cent.
Bond yields edged lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 1.84 per cent from 1.86 per cent late Wednesday.
10:30 a.m. Hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered armed forces into Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine's two easternmost regions, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the beginnings of what would soon devolve into a barrage of economic sanctions and divestment aimed at Russia.
The much-anticipated Nord Stream 2 - an $11-billion pipeline poised to supply Germany with a tremendous amount of natural gas - would be cancelled effectively immediately, Scholz declared last week.
The Ukrainian government hailed it as a morally, politically and practically correct step."
Read the full story from the Star's Josh Rubin
10:03 a.m. (updated) Russian forces pressed their war on Ukraine on Thursday, seizing a strategic seaport even as the two sides were to hold talks in Belarus, a second round of face-to-face discussions since the invasion eight days ago.
In a video address to the nation earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Ukrainians to keep up their resistance, but didn't comment on whether the Russians have seized any cities.
They will have no peace here," Zelenskyy said, urging Russian soldiers to go home." His aide meanwhile called on compatriots to use guerrilla tactics against Russian forces, cut down trees and destroy rear columns of Russian troops.
9:30 a.m. (updated) The Canadian government will offer emergency travel permits for Ukrainian nationals to enter Canada to address an urgent crisis as the exodus from Russia's invasion grows.
The federal government rolled out new measures Thursday to help Ukraine and punish Russia and its military ally Belarus, including more lethal aid and a decision to slap tariffs of 35 per cent on all Russian imports to Canada.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said that Ottawa is creating an authorization for emergency travel" program and two new streams for Ukrainians who want to come temporarily or who wish to stay on a permanent basis: special work or study permits, and a family reunification sponsorship avenue for permanent residence.
Read the full story from the Star's Tonda MacCharles
9:25 a.m. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression can find a safe haven in Canada using expedited temporary visas for emergency travel.
The minister also announced a new reunification program for Ukrainians with family in Canada and wish to come on a permanent basis.
9:15 a.m. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Russian and Belarus imports to Canada will face a 35 per cent tariff. Canada is also revoking the most-favored-nation status of both countries, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday.
Canada says it is ready" to accept Ukranian refugees.
6:49 a.m.: German automaker Volkswagen says it is halting production of vehicles in Russia until further notice due to the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The VW Group said in a brief statement Thursday on Twitter that vehicle exports to Russia will also be stopped with immediate effect."
The company said it takes its responsibility for the affected employees in Russia very seriously" and all those affected will receive short-time working benefits, paid by Volkswagen.
6:48 a.m.: A senior European Union official says that in the wake of Ukraine's formal application this week to join the bloc, bids for entry are also expected imminently" from Moldova and Georgia.
The two eastern European countries are already part of EU outreach programs, but a membership request would be a major development in their relations with the 27-nation bloc.
Any membership application and consideration is a process that would take many years and involve fundamental political adjustments, ranging from trade, to rule of law measures and anti-corruption commitments.
The EU official who spoke Thursday asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of recent geopolitical developments after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
6:25 a.m.: French authorities say they have seized a yacht linked to Igor Sechin, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of European Union sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The French Finance Ministry said in a statement Thursday that customs authorities carried out an inspection of the yacht Amore Vero in the Mediterranean resort of La Ciotat.
The boat arrived in La Ciotat on Jan. 3 for repairs and was slated to stay until April 1. When French customs officers arrived to inspect the yacht, its crew was preparing an urgent departure, even though the repair work wasn't finished, the statement said. The boat was seized to prevent its departure.
It says the boat is owned by a company that lists Sechin as its primary shareholder. Sechin runs Russian oil giant Rosneft.
6:13 a.m.: Russia's foreign minister says Moscow is ready for peace talks but will press its effort to destroy Ukraine's military infrastructure, which the Kremlin claims is threatening Russia.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that the Russian delegation to the talks submitted its demands to Ukrainian negotiators earlier this week and is now waiting for Kyiv's response in a meeting set for Thursday.
Lavrov said that Russia will insist on provisions that Ukraine will never again represent a military threat to Russia. He said it will be up to Ukrainians to choose what government they should have.
Lavrov voiced regret for civilian casualties during the Russian action in Ukraine, which started last week, and insisted that the Russian military is using only precision weapons against military targets.
He tacitly acknowledged that some Russian strikes could have killed civilians, saying that any military action is fraught with casualties, and not just among the military but also civilians."
6:13 a.m.: China is denouncing a report that it asked Russia to delay invading Ukraine until after the Beijing Winter Olympics as fake news" and a very despicable" attempt to divert attention and shift blame over the conflict.
The New York Times report is purely fake news, and such behaviors of diverting attentions and shifting blames are very despicable," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Thursday.
The Times article cited a Western intelligence report" considered credible by officials, which indicated that senior Chinese officials had some level of direct knowledge about Russia's war plans or intentions before the invasion started last week," the Times wrote.
China also commented on its decision to abstain in Wednesday's U.N. General Assembly emergency session vote to demand an immediate halt to Moscow's attack on Ukraine and the withdrawal of all Russian troops.
Regrettably, the draft resolution submitted to the General Assembly emergency special session for vote had not undergone full consultations with the whole membership, nor does it take into consideration the history and the complexity of the current crisis," Wang said.
6:12 a.m.: A Hercules C130 transport aircraft with some 2,000 anti-tank missiles for Ukraine has taken off from Norway.
The weapons are to help Ukrainian forces resist Russia's invasion, which began last week.
Norway's national news agency NTB said the shipment was being sent from Oslo on Thursday to a third country before being transported to Ukraine.
Also Thursday, Germany's economy ministry approved sending 2,700 anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, the dpa news agency said.
The agency quoted unnamed Economy Ministry officials saying the weapons are Soviet-made, shoulder-fired Strela surface-to-air missiles left over from East German army supplies.
Germany reversed its previous refusal to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons last week, following Russia's attack.
6:11 a.m.: A British military expert says the longer Ukrainian cities can hold out against Russian attacks, the fewer troops Moscow will have at its disposal to encircle Kyiv, its main objective.
Jack Watling, an expert in land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute, said Thursday that if cities are able to resist they can draw out the conflict.
If the conflict protracts, the Ukrainians have more leverage to be able to negotiate," Watling said.
His assessment came as Russia claimed its troops had taken the southern city of Kherson, even as the head of the local administration said he was working to keep the Ukrainian flag flying over the city.
6:10 a.m.: Greek authorities say a convoy of dozens of Greek citizens and staff from the Greek consulate in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol are making their way toward Ukraine's western borders.
The convoy of 21 vehicles and more than 80 people left Mariupol on Wednesday, arriving in the town of Zaporizhzhia that night. Greek authorities said the convoy set out again Thursday morning from Zaporizhzhia, heading toward the border with Moldova.
Greek Ambassador Frangiskos Kostelenos, who was heading the convoy, told Greek state television ERT the convoy had been delayed Wednesday by checkpoints and a destroyed bridge but the vehicles had arrived in Zaporizhzhia without serious incident.
6:08 a.m.: Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the Winter Paralympic Games for their countries' roles in the war in Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee said Thursday in Beijing.
The about-face comes less than 24 hours after the IPC on Wednesday said it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete when the Games open on Friday, but only as neutral athletes with colors, flags and other national symbols removed.
The IPC received immediate criticism for its initial decision. It was termed a betrayal that sent the wrong message to Russia's leadership. The IPC also said it was evident that many athletes would refuse to compete against Russians or Belarusians, creating chaos for the Paralympics.
The IPC now joins sports like soccer, track, basketball, hockey and others that have imposed blanket bans on Russians and Belarusians.
6:07 a.m.: The United Arab Emirates says Ukrainian passport holders continue to be eligible for visas on arrival to the Gulf state.
The UAE's Foreign Ministry statement on Thursday came in response to media coverage quoting Ukraine's Embassy in the UAE saying that the Gulf country is reimposing visa requirements on Ukrainians and suspending an agreement for visa-free travel between the two countries.
The energy-rich UAE, which relies on Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports, is home to some 15,000 Ukrainian residents among its roughly 8 million foreign residents and 1 million Emirati citizens. Before the coronavirus pandemic, around a quarter-million Ukrainian tourists visited the UAE.
6:07 a.m.: A string of seven bus-size Russian military ambulances - their windows blocked with gray shades - pulled up to the back entrance of the main hospital about 30 miles (48 kilometres) from the border with Ukraine on Tuesday evening, ferrying casualties from the front.
The convoy was part of what residents and doctors said has in recent days become a steady flow of Russian soldiers wounded in fierce fighting around Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, where a Russian advance has stalled in the face of strong resistance.
A doctor at the hospital - which is in southern Belarus's Gomel region, a main staging ground for Russia's offensive - said injured Russian troops began arriving on Monday. I hope they don't jail me for sharing this," she said.
6:06 a.m.: The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe says one of its members died during shelling in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
Maryna Fenina was killed while getting supplies for her family, the group said in a news release Wednesday. Fenina worked with the organization's monitoring mission in Ukraine.
In Kharkiv and other cities and towns in Ukraine, missiles, shells and rockets are hitting residential buildings and town centres, killing and injuring innocent civilians - women, men and children alike," it said.
The organization's chairperson, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, and Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid extended their condolences.
6:05 a.m.: The U.N. refugee agency says 1 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion less than a week ago, an exodus without precedent in this century for its speed.
The tally from UNHCR amounts to more than 2 per cent of Ukraine's population on the move in under a week. The World Bank counted the population at 44 million at the end of 2020.
The U.N. agency has predicted that up to 4 million people could eventually leave Ukraine but cautioned that even that projection could be revised upward.
In an email, UNHCR spokesperson Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams wrote: Our data indicates we passed the 1M mark" as of midnight in central Europe, based on counts collected by national authorities.
Thursday 6:04 a.m.: In a video address to the nation early Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave an upbeat assessment of the war and called on Ukrainians to keep up the resistance.
We are a people who in a week have destroyed the plans of the enemy," he said. They will have no peace here. They will have no food. They will have here not one quiet moment."
Zelenskyy didn't comment on whether the Russians have seized several cities, including Kherson.
If they went somewhere, then only temporarily. We'll drive them out," he said.
He said the fighting is taking a toll on the morale of Russian soldiers, who go into grocery stores and try to find something to eat."
These are not warriors of a superpower," he said. These are confused children who have been used."