Live blog: Russian referendums will destroy possibility of talks - Ukraine

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Ukraine: Russian referendums will destroy possibility of talks

Any referendums on joining Russia in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories would destroy any remaining window for talks between Kiev and Moscow, Ukrainian publication Liga.net cited the Ukrainian president's office spokesperson as saying.

"Without the referendums, there is still the smallest chance for a diplomatic solution. After the referendums - no," Liga.net quoted Serhiy Nykyforov as saying.

He made the comments in response to Russian-backed officials in four occupied Ukrainian regions announcing plans for referendums over the next week on formally joining Russia.

Ukraine to keep liberating its territories: Ukrainian FM

Ukraine will keep liberating its territories despite “sham referendums” announced by Russian-backed representatives, the Ukrainian foreign minister has said.

"Sham referendums will not change anything. Neither will any hybrid mobilisation. Russia has been and remains an aggressor illegally occupying parts of Ukrainian land," Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

"Ukraine has every right to liberate its territories and will keep liberating them whatever Russia has to say," Kuleba said.

Russia warns France about 'unacceptable' arms deliveries to Ukraine

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko in a meeting with France's ambassador to Moscow Pierre Levy warned Paris against the "unacceptable" delivery of weapons to Ukraine.

"Attention was focused on the unacceptability of further pumping Ukraine with Western, including French, weapons that the Kiev regime uses to shell civilian and infrastructure facilities," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russian stocks plunge on martial law fears, Ukraine referendums

Russian stocks plunged to their lowest in a month as Moscow reignited martial law fears with new legislation and plans to hold referendums on Russian-controlled regions in east Ukraine sped forwards apace.

Stocks hit their lowest since mid-August, with the dollar-denominated RTS index down 9.2 percent to 1,155.1 points. The rouble-based MOEX Russian index was 8.7 percent lower at 2,218.0 points, earlier sinking to 2,171.92 points, its lowest point since August 16.

Russia's parliament approved a bill to toughen punishments for a host of crimes such as desertion, damage to military property and insubordination if they were committed during military mobilisation or combat situations.

Ukraine calls for bespoke IMF and World Bank programmes

Ukraine will push for unprecedented and bespoke International Monetary Fund and World Bank packages worth tens of billions of dollars in the coming weeks to shore up its war-ravaged finances, the country's top debt management chief said.

Ukraine's army has regained swathes of its territory from Russia in recent weeks but the financial and humanitarian costs of the nearly eight-month-old war continue to rise.

Its budget this month estimated it faces a $38 billion shortfall next year, money that will need to either come from the Western backers and multi-laterals or else be printed. Those Western backers and multi-laterals are already set to provide around $20 billion this year.

Putin accuses EU of blocking Russian fertiliser 

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the European Union of blocking 300,000 tonnes of Russian fertiliser from reaching the world's poorest countries. 

"The height of cynicism is that even our offer... to transfer for free 300,000 tonnes of Russian fertiliser blocked in European ports because of sanctions to countries that need it is still without an answer," he said in televised remarks. 

"It's clear - they do not want to let our companies make money," he said, "but we would like to donate (the fertiliser in question) to countries that need it."

Russia will not enter Euro 2024 qualifying draw

Russia will not take part in the draw for qualifying for Euro 2024, the country's football federation announced.

The Russian national team was banned by UEFA and FIFA earlier this year following the attack against Ukraine.

"The Russian national team will not participate in the draw for the qualifying stage of Euro 2024," the Russian Football Union said in a statement.

Russia ex-leader says Donbass vote would bolster Ukraine mission

Russia's former president has said if Ukraine's breakaway regions vote to join Russia, it will allow Moscow to utilise its full military capability in the Donbass region.

Dmitry Medvedev, who is also a former prime minister, said that ballots in the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk republics to integrate into Russia would help protect residents of the east Ukraine region by expanding Moscow's military mandate.

"Encroachment into Russian territory is a crime and if it is committed, that allows you to use all possible force in self-defence," Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's security council said on social media. Medvedev said the votes would correct "historical justice" and be irreversible.

Russian-backed separatists in Kherson say they will hold vote on joining Russia

Russian-backed officials in the Kherson region of Ukraine say they have decided to hold a referendum on joining Russia and have urged the Kremlin to give its permission as soon as possible, the separatist head of the region has said.

In a post on the Telegram messaging app, Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed head of Kherson, said he hoped Kherson would become "a part of Russia, a fully-fledged subject of a united country." 

Russian forces control around 95% of Ukraine's Kherson territory in the south of country. Saldo did not name a date for the proposed vote.

Putin blasts US attempts to preserve global domination

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blasted what he described as US efforts to preserve its global domination, saying they are doomed to fail.

Speaking while receiving credentials from foreign ambassadors to Moscow, Putin said that “the objective development toward a multipolar world faces resistance of those who try to preserve their hegemony in global affairs and control everything — Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa.”

He added that “the hegemon has succeeded in doing so for quite a long time, but it can't go on forever...regardless of the developments in Ukraine."

The Russian leader described Western sanctions against Russia over its action in Ukraine as part of efforts by the US and its allies to strengthen their positions, but charged that that they have backfired against their organisers and also hurt poor countries.

McDonald's re-opens in Ukraine, but for delivery only

McDonald's in Kiev has re-opened for the first time since Russia's offensive, a sign life was returning to normal in the capital after nearly seven months of fighting.

The US burger chain said in a statement earlier that after talks with Ukrainian officials, security specialists and suppliers it would re-open at first for delivery only.

AFP reporters on Tuesday saw a queue of delivery company employees outside one of restaurants waiting to collect orders. "In October, these three restaurants will fully re-open along with McDrive and express windows," McDonald's said in the statement.

Ukraine, using captured Russian tanks, firms up its lines

Ukraine is now deploying captured Russian tanks to solidify its gains in the northeast amid an ongoing counteroffensive, a Washington-based think tank has said, as Kiev vows to push further into territories occupied by Moscow.

The Institute for the Study of War, citing a Russian claim, said that Ukraine had been using left-behind Russian T-72 tanks as it tries to push into the Russian-occupied region of Luhansk.

“The initial panic of the counteroffensive led Russian troops to abandon higher-quality equipment in working order, rather than the more damaged equipment left behind by Russian forces retreating from Kiev in April, further indicating the severity of the Russian rout,” the institute said.

Hungary says EU should not consider new sanctions against Russia

Hungary's foreign minister has said the European Union should not consider new sanctions against Russia as that would only deepen the energy supply crisis and hurt Europe.

"The EU should ... stop mentioning an 8th package of sanctions, should stop flagging measures that would only further deepen the energy supply crisis," Peter Szijjarto said in his statement.

Russia's Black Sea fleet is relocating some of its submarines, UK says

Russia's Black Sea fleet has relocated some of its submarines from port of Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea to Novorossiysk in Krasnodor Krai, the British military has said.

The relocation is likely due to the recent change in the local security threat level in the face of increased Ukrainian long-range strike capability, the Defence Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on Twitter.

"In the last two months, the fleet headquarters and its main naval aviation airfield have been attacked", the Ministry added.

Russia weighs hike in taxes on oil, gas: Kommersant

Russia is considering raising taxes on the oil and gas sector in order to plug the 2023 budget gap, the Kommersant daily has said, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

The government wants, in particular, to raise the export duty on gas to up to 50%, start levying a duty on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and raise domestic gas prices so that companies pay more in minerals extraction tax, the paper said.

The finance ministry has also proposed hiking the oil export duty and increasing state revenue from the oil products trade.

Eight more grain ships leave Ukrainian ports under Istanbul deal: Türkiye

Eight more ships have left Ukrainian ports under the landmark Istanbul grain export deal, the Turkish National Defence Ministry has said.

A ministry statement, which did not disclose the ships’ points of departure or destinations, said the shipments from Ukrainian ports are continuing as planned.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed an Ankara-brokered agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted in February.

Türkiye works to solve Russia-Ukraine hostage crisis — Erdogan

Türkiye is working to resolve a hostage crisis between Russia and Ukraine to de-escalate tensions between the two countries, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"We are now working to resolve the hostage crisis. We are taking steps and we have reached a certain point. On the other hand, we took the steps regarding the grain corridor," Erdogan said in an interview with the US TV show PBS NewsHour.

"I had extensive meetings with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin in Uzbekistan. I realised that they are actually trying to finish this as soon as possible," he said, noting that the hostage crisis is a huge problem for both sides.

"At this point, for example, an agreement has been reached on the exchange of 200 hostages," Erdogan said.

UK to provide at least $2.6B Ukraine assistance — report

British Prime Minister Liz Truss will tell world leaders this week that the UK will next year match or exceed the 2.3 billion pounds ($2.63 billion) it committed to support Ukraine’s efforts against Russia in 2022, the Financial Times reported.

This comes as British politics returns to centre stage on Tuesday after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, with Truss flying to her first major summit in New York.

For live updates from Monday (September 19), click here