Live blog: Finland's NATO accession to weaken Europe's security - Moscow

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that northern Europe's security will weaken after Finland's accession to NATO.

Finland and Sweden fell victim to the "Russophobic frenzy" and could not put their own interests above the interests of the "collective West," Ryabkov said in an interview with Russian Rossiya 24 TV channel.

The diplomat warned that in response to NATO's expansion, Moscow will take "compensatory measures," including in the military and technical field.

Moscow will not hurry with the retaliatory steps, will work them out and make them public "at the right moment," he noted.

The official, referring to statements by some Western politicians who expect that Russia will not respond, said: "They are deeply mistaken. The reaction will follow."

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1906 GMT  — Russia summons French diplomat over Ukraine atrocity claims

Russia said it had summoned France's charge d'affaires in Moscow to protest "false publications" by the French embassy about alleged atrocities in Ukraine blamed on the Russian army.

Moscow "strongly protested against the statements published by the embassy on social media", the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. 

1822 GMT — US details new $2.6B military aid package for Ukraine

The United States unveiled details of $2.6 billion in new military aid for Ukraine's war against invading Russian forces, including ammunition for HIMARS precision rocket systems, artillery rounds, and small arms.

"The United States will continue... to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements," the Pentagon said in a statement.

The package also features munitions for Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems, as well as ammunition and anti-tank missiles used by Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles that Washington previously promised to Kiev.

And it includes 120 mm tank ammunition, which a senior US defence official told journalists "will support Ukraine's newly formed armoured tank battalions as well as Abrams tanks that the United States has committed."

1804 GMT — Russia says ready to return Ukraine children if parents request

Russia's children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, wanted by the International Criminal Court for the "deportation" of Ukrainian children, said Tuesday she is ready to send children back to Ukraine if their families request it.

Ukraine accuses Russia of having "stolen" more than 16,000 children since the start of its offensive more than a year ago.

Russia says it is "saving" the children from combat zones and that it has a procedure in place for them to be reunited with their families.

Last month, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Lvova-Belova and Russian President Vladimir Putin for the "unlawful deportation" of Ukrainian children. 

1734 GMT  — Ukraine’s future is in NATO: Stoltenberg

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg expressed support for Ukraine’s NATO membership.

“Ukraine’s future is the Euro-Atlantic family,” Stoltenberg told reporters at a news conference after the reunion of the NATO-Ukraine Commission on the first day of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also participated in the session.

Stoltenberg confirmed that NATO allies remain committed to NATO’s open-door policy, but warned that the “first step is to ensure that Ukraine prevails as an independent nation.”

He welcomed the pledge of NATO allies in supporting Kiev, and announced that NATO will “develop a multi-year support initiative for Ukraine” to assist the transition of the Ukrainian army from “Soviet-era equipment and doctrines to NATO standards.” 

1722 GMT — Putin urges gov't to propose reforms for overcoming sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that sanctions against Russia will last long, urging the government to carry out medium- and long-term reforms aimed at "ensuring the strategic goals of the country's sovereign development."

Speaking at a videoconference meeting of the State Council Presidium on the development of the Russian industry in conditions of sanctions pressure, Putin said restrictive measures affected many sectors of the Russian economy.

Putin said the Russian government managed to ensure economic stability, however, along with the measures to replace imported technologies and products, the Russian industry needs changes that will lead to economic development.

He mentioned, as one of the measures, tax incentives for buyers of Russian high-tech equipment, noting that the process must be fully transparent to prevent any corrupt elements.

1718  GMT  — Zelenskyy invited to NATO summit in July: Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he hoped to see Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a summit of the alliance's leaders this summer.

"A strong independent Ukraine is vital for the stability of the Euro-Atlantic area, and we look forward to meeting President Zelenskyy at our Vilnius summit in July," Stoltenberg said after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. 

1533 GMT — Russian cafe bomb suspect remanded in custody

A Moscow court ordered that Darya Trepova, the suspect in the fatal bomb attack on a high-profile military blogger, be held in custody for at least two months.

The 26-year-old woman was detained after an explosion ripped through a cafe in Russia's second city Saint Petersburg at the weekend, killing Vladlen Tatarsky, a high-profile supporter of Moscow's assault on Ukraine, and wounding dozens.

After investigators charged Trepova with terrorism, Moscow's Basmanny district court ruled that she should remain in custody until June 2.

Video footage showed the young woman looking grim in the courtroom.

1400 GMT — UN demands access to Ukrainian children deported to Russia

The United Nations Human Rights Council demanded that Russia provide access to and information about Ukrainian children and other civilians forcibly transferred to territory under its control.

The top UN rights body passed a resolution demanding that Moscow "cease the unlawful forced transfer and deportation of civilians and other protected persons within Ukraine or to the Russian Federation."

The text, which passed with 28 of the 47 council members voting in favour, 17 abstaining and only China and Eritrea opposed, highlighted in particular the transfer of "children, including those from institutional care, unaccompanied children and separated children."

1343 GMT —  'Proud' to welcome Finland to NATO membership: Biden

US President Joe Biden said he is "proud" to welcome Finland into NATO, expanding the Western military alliance in direct response to Russia's offensive on neighbouring pro-Western Ukraine.

"Together - strengthened by our newest ally Finland - we will continue to preserve transatlantic security, defend every inch of NATO territory," Biden said in a statement.

1341 GMT — NATO to assess long-term military assistance programmes for Ukraine

NATO foreign ministers will assess ways to support the transformation of the Ukrainian army, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg was speaking at a joint news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba ahead of their bilateral meeting.

Kuleba will later meet NATO foreign ministers at the reunion of the NATO-Ukraine Commission. 

Stoltenberg said the NATO ministers will discuss “how to sustain and further step up the urgent support for Ukraine.”

They will also see how the alliance “can develop more long-term programs” to ensure that Ukraine moves “closer to the Atlantic family, to our alliance with more interoperability, transition to NATO doctrines, equipment standards,” he further said.

1337 GMT — Leaving New START gives new security options: Russia

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia had gained new opportunities to guarantee its security from suspending its participation in the New START nuclear arms control treaty, the TASS news agency reported.

Ryabkov also said the West should acknowledge realities after Russia's decision to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and not "provoke Moscow". 

1326 GMT — Congratulating Finland, UK urges Sweden next for NATO entry

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed Finland's "historic" accession to NATO and urged the military grouping to admit Sweden next. 

Finland's formal accession as the 31st member of NATO "has made our Alliance stronger and every one of us safer", Sunak said. 

"All NATO members now need to take the steps necessary to admit Sweden too, so we can stand together as one Alliance to defend freedom in Europe and across the world." 

1234 GMT — Finland’s admission to NATO draws stern Russia's warning

Finland's NATO membership will force Moscow to take countermeasures, the Kremlin has warned.

"The Kremlin believes that this is another aggravation of the situation, that NATO expansion is an encroachment on our security, the interests of the Russian Federation.

This is exactly how we perceive it. We will take countermeasures to ensure our own tactical and strategic security," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing.

Peskov said the countermeasures that Moscow "deems necessary" will be taken, adding that the Russian Armed Forces will report on the response to NATO actions in Finland. 

1010 GMT — Germany urges Russia to stop using landmines on Ukrainian farmland

Germany has urged Russia to stop planting mines in Ukrainian agricultural fields.

"I call on Russia to finally stop its ruthless and widespread use of landmines on agricultural land in Ukraine," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement, marking International Mine Awareness Day.

Baerbock said Russia's use of landmines in Ukraine was not only causing civilian casualties and suffering, but also preventing farmers from cultivating their fields, disrupting food production.

"Russia is thereby causing food shortages in the global marketplace, thus exacerbating hunger in the world," she said.

0940 GMT — Officials: US providing Ukraine $2.6 billion in military aid

The US will send Ukraine about $500 million in ammunition and equipment and will spend more than $2 billion to buy an array of munitions, radar and other weapons in the future, US officials have said. 

The ammunition rounds, along with grenade launchers and vehicles, will be taken from military stockpiles so they can be in the war zone quickly, the officials said.

The $2.1 billion in longer-term aid, which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, will buy missiles for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), as well as radar and other weapons, according to the officials.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the aid had not yet been announced. An announcement is expected as soon as Tuesday. 

0940 GMT —  Putin triggered 'historic" Nordic enlargement of NATO with Ukraine war: Stoltenberg

Finland's accession to NATO later will be a historic event and direct result of Russia's offensive in Ukraine, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said, adding the alliance would ensure that Sweden will also become a full-fledged member.

"(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin had as a declared goal of the invasion of Ukraine to get less NATO," he told reporters ahead of a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers.

"He is getting exactly the opposite... Finland today, and soon also Sweden will become a full-fledged member of the alliance," he said. 

READ MORE: Finland set to join NATO in historic shift that tests Russia's Putin

0838 GMT — Russia spy chief says Poland wants to seize parts of Ukraine

The head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin, has said that Poland wanted to seize parts of western Ukraine and that the West was encouraging Georgia to engage in a military conflict with Moscow, state news agencies reported.

0834 GMT — Russia says it has accepted over 5 million refugees from Ukraine since February 2022

Russia has accepted more than 5 million refugees from Ukraine's Donbass region, including 730,000 children, since February 2022, Russia's commissioner for children's rights has said.

Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for children's rights, said that the children came with their parents or guardians.

She told a Moscow news conference her commission was not aware of a single case of a child from eastern Ukraine being separated from their blood relatives and being transferred to a foster home.

Lvova-Belova was responding to allegations from the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) which on March 17 issued arrest warrants for her and President Vladimir Putin for the war crime of unlawfully deporting children from areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces.

0824 GMT —  US, EU to discuss curbing European energy dependence on Russia: Blinken

The United States and the European Union are exploring ways to further reduce Europe's dependence on Russian energy, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

"Russia's weaponisation of energy is underscoring the urgency of that task and an opportunity to accelerate our progress (in the global clean energy transition)," Blinken told reporters after a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Brussels.

"We will focus on how we can further reduce European dependence on Russian energy and boost the Euro-Atlantic region's clean energy production," he said. 

0810 GMT — Russian children's commission dismisses ICC war crime allegations

Russia's commission for children's rights, whose boss was accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) alongside Vladimir Putin of war crimes in Ukraine, has said that the ICC's allegations were unclear.

It said in a statement it had also not received any documents about the case from the ICC, whose jurisdiction Russia does not recognise.

0808 GMT — China has 'moral duty' to contribute to peace in Ukraine: EU's Borrell

China has a moral duty to contribute to the establishment of peace in Ukraine, and must not support the aggressor in the war started by Russia's war in Ukraine, the European Union's top diplomat has said.

"China has a moral duty to contribute to a fair peace, they cannot be siding with the aggressor," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Brussels. 

0713 GMT —  Russia says Western support for Ukraine led to creation of ‘terrorist state’

Russia has claimed that Western support to Ukraine has led to the creation of a “terrorist state,” amid Moscow’s accusation of Kiev being responsible for the killing of a prominent Russian military correspondent in St. Petersburg.

“The support of Washington and Brussels for the Kiev authorities led to the creation of a terrorist state in the centre of Europe,” Vyacheslav Volodin, the head of State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament, said in a message on Telegram.

Volodin said that Russia’s Federal Security Service has prevented a number of attacks against journalists, including Vladimir Solovyov, Margarita Simonyan, Dmitry Kiselyov, Yevgeny Popov, Olga Skabeyeva, Tigran Keosayan, and Konstantin Malofeev.

0652 GMT — Macron heads to China for delicate talks on Ukraine, trade

French President Emmanuel Macron will muster all his diplomatic adeptness and political acumen on a three-day state visit to China where the war in Ukraine will be front and centre, along with tough talks on trade.

Macron is expected to warn China against sending weapons to Russia and instead ask that the country use its influence to support peace efforts.

A top French official acknowledged that Paris isn't expecting to see a major shift in the position of China’s, which has refused to criticize Russia for its actions in Ukraine.

0517 GMT —  Putin ally accuses Western leaders of blood on their hands for supporting Ukraine

Russia's parliament speaker has said that Western leaders have blood on their hands for supporting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and that support has led to the creation of a "terrorist state" in Europe's centre.

Vyacheslav Volodin, an ally of Putin, said that the killing of prominent war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in St Petersburg over the weekend was a "terrorist act" committed by Kiev.

"The support of Washington and Brussels for the Kiev authorities has led to the creation of a terrorist state in the centre of Europe," Volodin said on the Telegram messaging app.

"The blood of the dead and wounded is on the hands of (U.S. President Joe) Biden, (President Emmanuel) Macron, (German Chancellor Olaf) Scholz and other heads of state who support the Zelenskyy regime." 

0431 GMT — Ukraine destroys 14 out of 17 drones Russia launched overnight

Ukrainian defence forces have destroyed 14 out of 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones Russia launched overnight, Ukraine's military said, with 13 drones destroyed over the Odessa region in the country's southwest.

"In total, up to 17 launches of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attacks were recorded, presumably from the eastern coast area of the Sea of Azov," the command said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine's South military command said one drone hit an enterprise in the Odessa region, causing a fire, which was eliminated by the morning.

"According to preliminary information, there were no human losses," the command said in a statement. 

0112 GMT — Brazil presidential adviser met Putin to discuss peace talks for Ukraine

An adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has met with Putin in Moscow to discuss opening peace negotiations with Ukraine.

An official in the Brazilian presidency told AFP that Celso Amorim, head of a special advisory group to the Brazilian president, met with Putin on March 25 in the Kremlin, in a meeting that lasted for an hour and had been kept confidential.

The trip by Lula's top adviser on international affairs came less than two weeks before the Brazilian president visits China, another country that is also pushing for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

0100 GMT — German arms manufacturer builds maintenance centre in Romania for tanks donated to Ukraine

German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has established a centre in Romania for the maintenance of tanks provided to Ukraine by Western allies.

Speaking to the German press, a company spokesman said on Monday that the centre has been launched in the city of Satu Mare near the Ukrainian border which will be operating this month.

"Maintenance is expected to play a central role in preserving the Western combat systems used in Ukraine and ensuring the availability of logistical support," media reports cited the spokesman as saying.

2359 GMT — Russian drones strike Ukraine's port of Odessa

Russian drones struck the strategic Ukrainian port of Odessa, local authorities said, adding that "damage" had been recorded.

"The enemy has just struck Odessa and the Odessa district with attack UAVs," local authorities said in a statement on Facebook, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles. 

"There is damage," the statement said without providing further details.

2139 GMT — Russia may get 'tough' with hostile Europe: Lavrov

The European Union has become hostile and "lost" Russia, and Moscow will deal with Europe in a tough fashion if need be, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview.

"The European Union has 'lost Russia. But it is its own fault," Lavrov told the website Argumenty i Fatky. 

"It is the EU member countries and EU leaders who openly declare it is necessary to inflict, as they call it, a strategic defeat on Russia."

Lavrov said Russia had decided how to approach Europe as it was supplying the "criminal regime" in Kiev with weapons and instructors.

"In reply to hostile steps, we will act in a tough manner if necessary, based on Russia's national interests and the principles of reciprocity accepted in diplomatic practice." 

He said the West is trying to put a wedge into the friendship between Russia and China by talking about their unequal relations and Moscow's dependence on Beijing.

"We see this as an attempt to cast a shadow on our successes, to drive a wedge into the friendship between Moscow and Beijing," Lavrov said.

He also added that he has a "sense of comradeship" and readiness to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with his Chinese counterpart to defend their countries' interests.

2112 GMT — Over 500 children killed in Ukraine since war began: UNICEF

More than 500 children have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale aggression against its neighbour, the executive director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said.

''Another tragic milestone for Ukraine's children and families. Since the escalation of the war in February 2022, at least 501 children have been killed,'' Catherine Russell said on Twitter.

She said the real figure is ''likely far higher'' than the numbers verified by UNICEF.

Russell also said that almost 1,000 children have been injured, leaving them with wounds and scars – both visible and invisible – that could last for life.

''Behind every number is a family torn apart and changed forever. It’s heart-wrenching,'' she said.

''Ultimately, children and families need peace. It cannot come soon enough.''

For our live updates from Monday (April 3), click here.