Due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said leaders are navigating “a dark hour in our common history,” adding that President Vladimir Putin’s assault appears to be aimed at obliterating his neighbor’s culture.
President Vladimir Putin “Trying To Eliminate A Culture”
As Russia’s assault on Ukraine enters its third month, US President Joe Biden declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “trying to eliminate a culture.” Biden stated at the Quad Summit in Tokyo on Monday that the world is in a “transformative moment” and that the Russia-Ukraine crisis is a global issue rather than a European one. During the conflict, he added, the Indo-Pacific states will lead a global response.
Biden also remarked that Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to be unconcerned about “military targets” in Ukraine, as his forces have stopped shooting at such targets.
According to news sources, Lithuania is seeking assistance for a naval alliance that would establish a protected corridor for grain supplies from Ukraine and breaks a Russian Black Sea blockade.
In a rare public official protest, a Russian diplomat in Geneva resigned over Moscow’s actions. A Kyiv court sentenced a Russian soldier to life in jail for murdering a Ukrainian civilian, bringing the first war crimes trial related to the invasion to a close.
Important Developments:
- Putin’s State Oil Champion Experiences the Largest Drop in Production
- In a rare public protest over the war in Ukraine, a Russian diplomat resigns.
- The European Union’s plan to replace Russian gas fails due to LNG bottlenecks.
- Russia relaxes capital controls as the ruble continues to rise.
- Zelensky Issues a Demand at Davos to Avoid Russia and Invest in Ukraine
- Putin’s war means that Russia’s wealth is no longer welcome in Davos.
Further, Production Drops in Putin’s State Oil Champion
Russia’s largest refinery’s primary throughput was down about 28% in the opening days of May compared to prewar levels.
According to data from the Energy Ministry, Igor Sechin, the CEO of Rosneft PJSC, has been in Putin’s inner circle for decades, and the company’s subsidiaries account for approximately two-thirds of Russia’s output decreases since the invasion of Ukraine.
Putin is causing a humanitarian crisis, Biden tells the Quad Meeting.
Russia’s “brutal and unprovoked assault against Ukraine has triggered a humanitarian tragedy,” Biden said at the opening of a leaders’ summit in Tokyo with other Quad members Australia, India, and Japan.
“It appears to me that Putin is simply attempting to eradicate civilization,” Biden stated, adding that “he is no longer aiming at military targets.” Biden is asking for support from the Quad as they deal with the aftermath of the conflict, which has shattered economies and triggered a food crisis.
“Putin is simply attempting to eradicate a culture.” This isn’t simply a European problem; it’s a worldwide problem. If Russia prevents Ukraine from exporting its wheat, the global food situation could intensify. “As long as Russia continues to wage war, the United States will cooperate with its allies,” he said.
“He’s closing every school, every church, every natural history museum—as if to eradicate Ukrainian culture,” Biden stated, adding that Russia’s attack on Ukraine has resulted in a humanitarian disaster and the deaths of innocent civilians on the streets.
Since February 24, the Russian army has launched 1,474 missile strikes on Ukraine, deploying 2,275 different missiles, according to Ukrainian officials. During that time, Russia fired around 3,000 airstrikes, the vast majority of which attacked civilian targets.
During the opening session of the World Economic Forum annual gathering, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia is waging “total war” on his country, which involves causing as many casualties as possible and destroying as much infrastructure as possible. He also demanded the worst sanctions on Russia, including an energy embargo and the expulsion of all foreign companies.
