Ukrainian MPs call on Zelensky to start talks with Putin. Those who understands a war they will tell you that wars are not good for civilians and in most cases innocent people are the ones who get affected the most.
RT reported that
A group of Ukrainian MPs have called on their president to start negotiations with Moscow. Any further escalation of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine might turn into a “real catastrophe” for all sides that would see “no winners,” seven MPs said in an open letter to Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.
“Millions of our fellow citizens strive for a peaceful … life,” said the group, led by Vadim Novinsky – a Ukrainian billionaire and one of the co-leaders of the Opposition Bloc – an association of more than a dozen political parties. The MPs have said they “insist on [Zelensky] using all options” to protect human life and de-escalate the situation.
The lawmakers called on their leader to start talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and “reach an agreement” on “stopping the bloodshed.” They urged Ukraine’s parliament to form a delegation to hold “strategic consultations” with the Russian parliament.
“We believe that a new compromise is still possible,” the MPs have said, adding that a diplomatic option should still be explored even if it has “one chance in a hundred” to be successful. The MPs have not outlined any specific ideas for a potential agreement with Russia.
Novinsky is said to be close to Viktor Medvedchuk, another Ukrainian MP and one of the leaders of the Opposition Platform – For Life party. Medvedchuk is known for his anti-NATO views and for siding with Moscow when Crimea rejoined Russia back in 2014.
Medvedchuk met with senior Russian officials on various occasions long after relations between Moscow and Kiev soured over the conflict in eastern Ukraine. In May 2021, he was accused of state treason. The politician, who is currently under house arrest, has claimed that all the charges against him are politically motivated.
Early on Thursday, Putin announced a “special operation” in Ukraine, with the aim of “securing the peace” in the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics in the Donbass region, which were officially recognized by Russia earlier this week.
Later, Moscow said it was ready to discuss terms of surrender with Kiev. Putin was particularly willing to talk to Zelensky about obtaining a guarantee of Ukraine’s neutral status and a promise of no weapons being deployed on its territory. The Ukrainian president has so far not responded to Russia’s proposal or the MPs’ letter.
Boris Johnson has outlined a range of further economic sanctions being imposed on Russia by the UK
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced fresh economic sanctions against Russia in Parliament on Thursday, describing them as the “largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen,” in response to the military assault on Ukraine.
Addressing the House of Commons, Johnson said the new measures would work to “exclude Russian banks from the UK financial system,” stopping them from accessing sterling and clearing payments through the UK. He added that there would be a limit on how much money Russian nationals could deposit in their British bank accounts, while banning Russian airline Aeroflot from the UK. London will also be working with NATO allies, he said, to cut Russia off from the SWIFT payment system, and reiterated the urgency of ending Europe’s reliance on Russian oil and gas.
“I can confirm that nothing is off the table,” Johnson added, hinting at further action down the line.
The move also targets over 100 entities and wealthy Russian individuals with state ties, something US President Joe Biden previously announced he was likewise planning to put into effect. Among the individuals being sanctioned by the UK government is Kirill Shamalov, the former husband of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughter, Petr Fradkov, the chairman and CEO of PSB bank, and Denis Bortnikov, the deputy president of VTB bank.
Sanctions will similarly be imposed on Belarus “for its role in the assault on Ukraine,” Johnson added.
In an earlier televised address to the British public, the PM had signaled new sanctions would be unveiled later in the day which, he hoped, would “hobble” the Russian economy amid the escalating Ukraine crisis. In that address, Johnson accused Russia of attacking a “friendly country without any provocation.”
“We are with you, we are praying for you and your families and we are on your side,” Johnson said of Ukraine.
Iran claims NATO provoked Russia
Russia’s attack against Ukraine was provoked by the US-led military bloc, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said.
“The Ukraine crisis is rooted in NATO’s provocations,” the Islamic Republic’s top diplomat said, adding that Tehran does not “believe” in a military solution to the crisis and is therefore calling for a ceasefire and a “political and diplomatic solution” instead.
Iran has been following the developments in Ukraine “with deep concern,” the Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said on Thursday. He also blamed the escalation on “continued NATO provocative actions,” in which Washington “plays a central role.” Now, the entire Eurasian region is “on the verge of an all-out crisis,” he warned.
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