- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly rebuffs Henry Kissinger and others in the West who have suggested Ukraine should cede control of areas occupied by Russian forces for the sake of reaching a peace agreement.
- The US State Department says evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine continues to mount.
- The US, EU and UK launch a new mechanism to help ensure accountability for abuses in Ukraine.
- “It’s hard right now to see how we avoid a recession,” says World Bank President David Malpass.
- Swedish and Finnish delegations hold talks in Ankara over Turkey’s concerns regarding the Nordic countries’ NATO bids.
Here are all the latest updates:
11 mins ago (00:19 GMT)
Australia to treat some severely wounded Ukrainian soldiers: Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy has held a meeting with the Chancellor of Austria, Karl Nehammer, on the situation in the Donbas and “other areas of hostilities”, Ukraine’s president has said.
“We agreed that Austria would take our severely wounded servicemen for treatment. Cooperation in the European integration of Ukraine was discussed in detail,” Zelenskyy said in his nighttime address.
Held talks with
Chancellor @karlnehammer. Informed about the situation on the frontline. The prospects of
membership in the EU were discussed. Thanked for the humanitarian aid, as well as for the readiness to provide treatment and medical rehabilitation for
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 25, 2022
15 mins ago (00:15 GMT)
Zelenskyy in call with Liberian president on food crisis
Zelenskyy has held a meeting with the President of Liberia, George Weah, and “expressed gratitude for Liberia’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in particular within the UN,” he said in a tweet.
The two also “discussed ways out of the food crisis provoked by Russia.”
Liberia was one of around 50 percent of African countries that voted in favour of the UN resolution on March 2, 2022 to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On Africa Day, I had a substantive conversation with President of Liberia @GeorgeWeahOff. Expressed gratitude for
’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 25, 2022
2 hours ago (22:55 GMT)
Zelenskyy rebukes suggestions that Ukraine should cede territory
Zelenskyy has strongly rebuffed those in the West who have suggested Ukraine should cede control of areas occupied by Russian forces for the sake of reaching a peace agreement.
Those “great geopoliticians” who make that suggestion are disregarding the interests of Ukrainians, “the millions of those who actually live on the territory that they propose exchanging for an illusion of peace”, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation.
“We always have to think of the people and remember that values are not just words,” he said.
“It seems that Mr. Kissinger’s calendar is not 2022, but 1938, and he thought he was talking to an audience not in Davos, but in Munich of that time,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that in 1938, Kissinger was 15 years old and his family fled Nazi Germany. “And nobody heard from him then that it was necessary to adapt to the Nazis instead of fleeing them or fighting them.”
3 hours ago (21:48 GMT)
Ukraine will not make concessions on territorial integrity: Former MP
Former Ukrainian legislator Aliona Hlivco has said her country will not make concessions on territorial integrity, stressing that any Russian advances in the eastern Donbas region will be tactical – not strategic – victories for Moscow.
“Ukrainians have so far showcased an enormous bravery and resolve to do what we can and everything that we’re willing to sacrifice for our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Hlivco told Al Jazeera.
“So of course we are counting on the help from the West that we are getting quite extensively these days. We’ll still stand by our sovereignty and territorial integrity, and I don’t think there will be any concessions made.”
4 hours ago (20:47 GMT)
Putin announces minimum wage hike
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a 10 percent raise to the minimum wage rate and pensions in the coming weeks, as the Russian economy faces an unprecedented wave of international sanctions.
The bump will bring the minimum wage to about $250 per month and the average pension to $320, according to the Interfax news agency.
“Our key and unchanging priority is to increase the welfare and quality of life of citizens,” Putin said.
He also tasked government officials with increasing pay for Russian soldiers serving abroad as the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth month.
4 hours ago (20:31 GMT)
Evidence of Russian war crimes continues to mount, US says
The US State Department has said evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine continues to mount.
“In addition to continued bombardments and missile strikes hitting densely populated areas, causing thousands of civilian deaths, we continue to see credible reports of violence of a different order,” Spokesperson Ned Price said.
He said that includes reports of “unarmed civilians shot in the back; individuals killed execution-style with their hands bound; bodies showing signs of torture, and horrific accounts of sexual violence against women and girls”.
4 hours ago (20:20 GMT)
World Bank president says war in Ukraine may trigger global recession
World Bank President David Malpass has suggested that the war in Ukraine and its effects on food and energy prices could trigger a global recession.
Malpass told an event hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce that Germany, the world’s fourth-largest economy, has already seen a substantial economic slowdown due to higher energy prices. He also said limited access to fertiliser could worsen conditions elsewhere.
“As we look at the global GDP … it’s hard right now to see how we avoid a recession,” Malpass said.
4 hours ago (20:12 GMT)
US, EU, UK announce new war crimes accountability initiative
The United States, European Union and the United Kingdom have announced they are launching a new mechanism to help ensure accountability for war crimes in Ukraine.
Dubbed the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA), the new initiative aims to support the office of the prosecutor general of Ukraine in its investigation of war-related crimes, the Western allies said in a joint statement.
“The ACA seeks to streamline coordination and communication efforts to ensure best practices, avoid duplication of efforts, and encourage the expeditious deployment of financial resources and skilled personnel to respond to the needs of the OPG [office of the prosecutor general],” the statement said.
4 hours ago (20:06 GMT)
Zelenskyy ends visa-free travel for Russians
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered an end to visa-free travel to Ukraine for Russian citizens, citing the need to improve border security.
In an order posted on the presidential website, Zelenskyy said he backed a petition submitted by a citizen asking for this practice to end.
“Against the backdrop of full-scale Russian aggression, the issue raised is important and vital. I support the need to strengthen controls on the entry of Russian citizens,” he said.
With Russia in control of most of the border region, it is unclear whether Zelenskyy’s decision will have practical implications during the war.
5 hours ago (19:56 GMT)
Turkey demands ‘concrete steps’ from NATO hopefuls Sweden and Finland
A senior Turkish official has insisted after talks with Swedish and Finnish delegations that Turkey will not agree to the two Nordic countries joining NATO unless specific steps are taken to address Ankara’s objections.
“We have made it very clear that if Turkey’s security concerns are not met with concrete steps in a certain timeframe, the process will not progress,” Ibrahim Kalin said after talks in Ankara that lasted about five hours.
Turkey has accused the two European countries of harbouring “terrorists”, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Gulen movement.
Kalin said Ankara’s proposal for the two countries to lift their arms export limits to Turkey was met with a “positive attitude”. Turkey also expects the extradition of 28 “terrorism” suspects from Sweden and 12 from Finland, he added.
Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Read all the updates from Wednesday, May 25 here.
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