Zelenskyy rejects the possibility of a Ukrainian ceasefire despite Putin's openness as grain supply issues threaten global food shortages



This weekend, the leaders of France and Germany pleaded with Russian President Vladimir Putin for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine to no avail as Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy each refused to make concessions to their counterparts and end the fighting in the eastern regions of Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pleaded with Putin to begin “serious direct negotiations” with Zelenskyy to reach a “diplomatic solution to the conflict,” the New York Post reported.

In response, Putin said that the West is complicit in perpetuating the violence because of its “dangerous” efforts to supply Ukraine with munitions, military equipment, and financial support. Putin warned Macron and Scholz that the West’s continued support for Ukraine risks “aggravation of the humanitarian crisis.”

Scholz and Macron also sought the release of 2,500 prisoners of war captured by Russian forces and an end to the Russian blockade of the port of Odessa. Ending the blockade of this port is crucial to normalizing global agricultural supply chains as it normally handles millions of tons of grain each year.

Despite Putin’s insistence of “the openness of the Russian side to the resumption of dialogue” with Ukraine, the Russian president moved forward with efforts to expand the size of his military and signed new legislation that will eliminate the upper age limit of the men recruited by the Russian military.

The new law passed the Russian Duma on Wednesday and will allow Russian citizens over the age of 40 to enlist. It also removes restrictions that previously limited the Kremlin’s hiring of foreign mercenary fighters.

Zelenskyy, who spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently, said that the ongoing invasion of Ukraine could cause a global food crisis.

Zelenskyy said, “We must work together to prevent a food crisis and unblock [Ukrainian] ports.”

Nearly 22 million tons of grains are stranded in Ukraine as Russian forces continue to blockade Odessa and other ports, Zelenskyy confirmed.

As fighting continues in the Donbas region of Ukraine, where Russia has claimed victory over Ukrainian cities and continues to advance forces throughout the region, Zelenskyy refused to accept any possible ceasefire that would forefit lands previsouly belonging to Ukraine. Echoing previous statements, Zelenskyy promised that Donbas would be “Ukrainian again.”

Zelenskyy said, “We have to increase our defense, increase our resistance, and Donbas will be Ukrainian again. Even if Russia will bring all suffering and ruination to Donbas, we will rebuild every town, every community. There’s no real alternative.”

Adam Kinzinger introduced a resolution authorizing the US military to engage Russia if Putin uses WMDs



On Sunday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said that he introduced a resolution to authorize the U.S. military to engage in combat with Russia should the Russian military use chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Kinzinger said while on CBS’ "Face the Nation" that any such attack in Ukraine would be a “clear red line.” He said that if his proposed resolution was passed by Congress, it would give President Joe Biden the authorization to allow the U.S. to provide military assistance to Ukraine.

The New York Post reported that Kinzinger said, “I don’t think we need to be using force in Ukraine right now. I just introduced an AUMF, an authorization for the use of military force, giving the president basically congressional leverage for permission to use it if [weapons of mass destruction] — nuclear, biological, or chemical — are used in Ukraine.”

Kinzinger said the authorization would provide Biden leverage while also serving as a deterrent to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kinzinger said that his resolution wouldn’t "compel the president to [use military force]. It just says if [WMDs are] used, he has the leverage. It gives him better flexibility, but also it is a deterrent to Vladimir Putin."

Shortly after his appearance on CBS, Kinzinger released a statement on his official Congressional Twitter account that said, “Words matter, but so do our actions. I’m introducing this AUMF as a clear redline so @POTUS can take appropriate action if Russia uses chemical, biological, and/or nuclear weapons. We must stand up for humanity and we must stand with our allies.”


Words matter, but so do our actions. I\u2019m introducing this AUMF as a clear redline so @POTUS can take appropriate action if Russia uses chemical, biological, and/or nuclear weapons. We must stand up for humanity and we must stand with our allies.https://bit.ly/3Ks1QE4
— Adam Kinzinger (@Adam Kinzinger) 1651418362

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001, Congress passed an AUMF. In doing so, the national legislature authorized former President George W. Bush to use the U.S. military to launch military campaigns in the pursuit of punishing the terror groups that launched the attacks.

Congress approved a similar AUMF for the 2002 invasion of Iraq.

Kinzinger said that the U.S. must similarly be ready to engage in military conflict on behalf of Ukraine.

Kinzinger said, “Prior to World War II, there were moments nobody ever wanted to get involved and eventually came to realize they had to. I hope we don’t get to that point here, but we should be ready if we do.”

Vladimir Putin will reportedly be 'undergoing medical procedures,' including cancer surgery



Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to undergo a cancer operation and will be handing the reins of power over to his deputy and espionage official Nikolai Patrushev, according to an insider from the Kremlin.

Putin’s health has been a topic of rampant speculation over the past several months since he launched his invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. Sun reported that there have been reports that Putin has been dealing with both a form of unidentified abdominal cancer and Parkinson’s Disease.

Putin, now 69-years-old, is expected to hand over power to the 70-year-old Patrushev who is believed to have been one of the leading advocates and thinkers behind the invasion of Ukraine. Reportedly, Patrushev was the man who convinced Putin that the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv was filled with neo-Nazis.

The neo-Nazi claim was reported on the Russian media outlet General SVR which first raised concerns over Putin’s health about a year-and-a-half ago.

The outlet quoted an anonymous former “high-ranking Kremlin military figure” who at the time said that “Putin has discussed that he will be undergoing medical procedures.”

The anonymous source also said, “Doctors insist that he needs an operation, but the date has not yet been determined.”

The source added that “[Putin] will have surgery” and that the Russian president would be incapacitated and that the leader “thinks it’ll be for a short time.”

While speaking on live television and using technology to disguise his voice, the source said that the decision to choose Patrushev came after a two-hour “heart to heart” with Putin and that selecting the spymaster to take over in his absence was the “worst option.”

The source also speculated that the Russian president’s health problems could get worse and his overall health could deteriorate.

He posed the hypothetical, “What if all of a sudden, Putin manifests particularly severe health problems?”

“We know very well that he has cancer, and Parkinson’s disease, as we have said many times,” the source continued. “It was possible to contain it for some time, but now the course of the disease is progressing.”

It is unclear when exactly when Putin will undergo surgery but it is believed that Putin won't go under the knife before May 9 as he intends to preside over Red Victory Day celebrations commemorating the role that the former-Soviet Union had in defeating Nazi Germany.

Ben Wallace, the United Kingdom’s Defense Secretary, said that he expects Putin to use the May 9 celebration to call for a final offensive in Ukraine.

Wallace said, “[Putin] is probably going to declare that we are now at war with the world’s Nazis and we need to mass mobilize the Russian people.”

American diplomats meet with Zelenskyy, agree to send hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Ukraine



The U.S. agreed to provide the Ukrainian government with millions of dollars in military aid following a secretive meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top U.S. diplomats on Sunday.

The New York Post reported that the diplomats announced President Joe Biden’s plans to nominate Bridget Brink as the American ambassador to Ukraine and that American diplomats will return to Ukraine this week after evacuating the country before the Russian invasion began.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Zelenskyy and told him that the U.S. would provide his country with more than $300 million in military financing. The American diplomats also approved a $165 million sale of ammunition not made in the U.S. that will be compatible with Ukraine’s Soviet-era weapons.

The U.S. will be providing a total of $713 million for foreign military financing for Ukraine and 15 allied and partner countries. Of this money, $322 million will go to Ukraine.

The rest of the money will be split between NATO member nations and other countries that have provided military supplies to Ukraine during the Russian invasion.

With this latest aid package, the U.S. government has provided Ukraine with $3.7 billion in assistance since the beginning of the war.

This past Thursday, Biden pledged to give an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, including heavy artillery and drones.

As part of the $13.6 billion spending package approved by Congress last month to provide aid and relief to Ukraine and the country’s allies, the American legislative branch committed to spending a total of $6.5 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy has made repeated pleas for military assistance from the U.S. since the Russian invasion began.

Before meeting with Blinken and Austin, Zelenskyy said, “We will talk about the list of weapons that we need and the pace of its supply. In recent weeks, the pace, the number has all improved. I’m grateful for that.”

Sunday’s meeting was kept very secret, as American officials refused to confirm that Zelenskyy and the American diplomats would be meeting even after the Ukrainian president announced the summit the day before.

Journalists who traveled with the American diplomatic contingent were not permitted to cross the border into Ukraine or disclose the location of the meeting. They were also barred from reporting on the trip until after it had concluded.

Blinken currently plans to return to Washington from Poland, while Austin is planning to meet with NATO leaders in Germany.

Russia has begun a 'selective default' on foreign debts as it attempts to pay in rubles



The S&P credit rating agency has said that Russia’s attempts to pay bondholders in rubles, not dollars, amount to defaults on the country’s foreign debt.

Russia has now attempted to pay holders of two dollar-denominated bonds that recently finished maturing with rubles, CNN Business reported. The S&P said that this amounted to a “selective default” because the people redeeming these bonds are likely unable to convert the rubles into “dollars equivalent to the originally due amounts.”

A “selective default” is declared when an entity has defaulted on a specific obligation but not on its entire debt.

The Russian government is currently in the middle of a 30-day grace period that began April 4 that will enable Moscow to make payments of capital and interest on the redeemed bonds. However, the S&P does not expect that Russia will be able to convert the bonds into dollars given the thoroughgoing sanctions placed on Russia by Western nations.

These sanctions undermine Russia’s “willingness and technical abilities to honor the terms and conditions” of its financial obligations to bond holders.

If Russia issues a full foreign currency default, it will be the country’s first in more than 100 years. The last time Russian leaders issued a default was after the Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin rejected bonds that were previously issued by the regime of Tsar Nicholas II.

Currently, the Russian government cannot access the more than $310 billion it has stored in foreign currency reserves as a result of Western sanctions aggressively isolating the Russian economy. Up until last week, the U.S. allowed Russia to continue using some of these frozen assets to pay back specific investors with U.S. dollars.

Since then, the U.S. Treasury has blocked Russian banks from accessing its financial reserves held in American banks in a deliberate effort to diminish Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ability to finance his military.

JPMorgan estimates that Russia had around $40 billion of foreign currency debt at the end of 2021, and it believes that half of that was held by foreign investors.

The Russian government remains defiant in the midst of this default and intends to take legal action at the international level so that investors can receive what they are owed.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, said, “We will sue, because we undertook all necessary action so that the investors would receive their payments.”

He said, “We will show the court proof of our payments, to confirm our efforts to pay in rubles, just as we did in foreign currency. It won’t be a simple process.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held in-person discussions with Zelenskyy where he committed to providing Ukraine with military supplies



The United Kingdom is going to send more than one hundred armored vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems to Ukraine as the Russian invasion drags on.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the arrangement on Saturday during an in-person visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On Saturday, both Johnson and his Austrian counterpart, Chancellor Karl Nehammer, made in-person visits to Zelenskyy. The two leaders are the latest in a list of political figures who have made in-person visits to Ukraine in the midst of the ongoing Russian invasion.

The Ukrainian Embassy to the United Kingdom posted a picture of Johnson and Zelenskyy seated opposite one another at a table with the caption, “Surprise,” followed by a winking face emoji.

Surprise pic.twitter.com/AWa5RjYosD
— Embassy of Ukraine to the UK (@Embassy of Ukraine to the UK) 1649512581

CNN reported that The Press Service of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine said on its official Twitter account that Zelenskyy and Johnson engaged in diplomatic discussions in Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv.

On his Twitter account, Johnson said, “The Ukrainians have the courage of a lion. President [Zelenskyy] has given the roar of that lion. The UK stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine.”

The Ukrainians have the courage of a lion.\n\nPresident @ZelenskyyUa has given the roar of that lion.\n\nThe UK stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine.\n\nSlava Ukraini pic.twitter.com/u6vGYqmK4V
— Boris Johnson (@Boris Johnson) 1649533143

At the time of writing, this tweet is pinned to top of Johnson’s Twitter page.

In an official statement as Prime Minister, Johnson said, “Ukraine has defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century.”

Johnson also praised his Ukrainian counterpart’s "resolute leadership" and the “invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people.” He said that the UK “stands unwaveringly with them in this ongoing fight” and that “[the British] are in it for the long run.”

Acknowledging Johnson’s steadfast support of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said, “Boris was among those who didn’t doubt for a minute whether to support Ukraine. The leadership of Great Britain in providing our country help in defense, and also leadership in sanctions policy, will always be in history.”

He added, “Ukraine will always be grateful for this to Boris and Britain.”

During a press conference, Johnson said that the United Kingdom will continue to leverage sanctions against Russia and that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has dealt a “crushing blow” to his reputation and to the global standing of the Russian government.

During a subsequent press conference, Johnson said, “We will influence Russia’s ability to use its energy sources. The war determines the vision of Ukraine’s future, so our partners and I will supply Ukraine with equipment, technology, intelligence so that Ukraine never faces the horrors of invasion and blackmail.”

'This guy is brutal': Biden calls for Putin to be tried for war crimes



Russian President Vladimir Putin was met with intense Western condemnation on Monday, as President Joe Biden and his Western allies called for the Russian leader to stand trial for war crimes.

These alleged war crimes were discovered as Ukrainian forces worked to reclaim the areas around Kyiv from withdrawing Russian troops. The Los Angeles Times reported that Ukrainian forces found mass graves in the suburbs of Kyiv. Reportedly, these graves were filled with the corpses of civilians, and the suburban streets are also said to be littered with civilian corpses.

Many of the slaughtered civilians bore mark marks of torture and execution. Bodies were found with their hands tied behind them and seemingly fatal gunshot wounds at the base of their skulls.

“This guy is brutal,” Biden said. “What’s happening in Bucha is outrageous.”

The Ukrainian government said that it has counted more than 400 civilian deaths so far in the suburbs of Kyiv, including those in Bucha.

Biden’s rhetoric towards his Russian counterpart, Putin, has been intensifying as the conflict in Ukraine drags on.

In mid-March, Biden referred to Putin as a “war criminal” in remarks that the White House quickly disavowed, saying the statement reflected the president’s personal opinion and not formal U.S. policy.

About a week later, the U.S. government formally accused the Russian Federation of war crimes.

Toward the end of March, Biden referred to Putin as “a dictator bent on rebuilding an empire.”

Most notably, however, Biden at one point appeared to call for regime change in Russia.

“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” the president said.

True to form, White House officials subsequently had to walk back Biden’s statements.

One official said that Biden “was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change” but was instead insisting that Putin “cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region.”

This past Monday, Biden said, “[Putin] is a war criminal, but we have to gather information, we have to continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons they need to continue to fight.”

His comments come as Russian forces continue to withdraw from Kyiv and the surrounding northern regions of Ukraine. However, this withdrawal is not a retreat, as Russian forces have continued to strike Ukraine’s southern coastal cities and move offensive operations into the country’s eastern region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited parts of Ukraine’s recently vacated northern region and described the decimated residential areas as a “genocide.”

In a recent address to the Romanian parliament, Zelenskyy said, “Ordinary residents of an ordinary city near Kyiv. Their hands were tied behind their backs, they were shot in the back of the head or in the eye, killed just in the streets. Civilian vehicles were crushed by military equipment. Vehicles with people! They raped women and girls.”

Russia will cease collaborating on the International Space Station until Western sanctions are lifted



Russia announced on Saturday that it will stop collaborating with Western-led nations on the International Space Station (ISS) until these nations stop sanctioning Russia.

Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos wrote a lengthy thread on Twitter explaining the agency's decision to end its cooperation with the West, the Daily Mail reported.

In the thread, he said, "I believe that the restoration of normal relations between partners in the International Space Station and other joint projects is possible only with the complete and unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions."


\u0441\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430\u044e, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0432\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u043d\u043e\u0440\u043c\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u043e\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0448\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u043c\u0435\u0436\u0434\u0443 \u043f\u0430\u0440\u0442\u043d\u0435\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u041c\u0435\u0436\u0434\u0443\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043a\u043e\u0441\u043c\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0446\u0438\u0438 \u0438 \u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433\u0438\u043c \u0441\u043e\u0432\u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u043c \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0430\u043c \u0432\u043e\u0437\u043c\u043e\u0436\u043d\u043e \u043b\u0438\u0448\u044c \u043f\u0440\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0438 \u0431\u0435\u0437\u043e\u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0442\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0435 \u043d\u0435\u0437\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u0441\u0430\u043d\u043a\u0446\u0438\u0439.\n\u041a\u043e\u043d\u043a\u0440\u0435\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f "\u0420\u043e\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0441\u043c\u043e\u0441\u0430" \u043f\u043e \u0441\u0440\u043e\u043a\u0430\u043c \u0437\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f \u0441\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430 \u0432 \u0440\u0430\u043c\u043a\u0430\u0445
— \u0420\u041e\u0413\u041e\u0417\u0418\u041d (@\u0420\u041e\u0413\u041e\u0417\u0418\u041d) 1648884104

Rogozin went on to say in the thread that he will submit a timetable for the completion of projects currently in the works to the Kremlin.

Russia's decision to end collaborative efforts on the ISS comes after weeks of threatening to do so and delaying and outright canceling projects on the ISS in response to Western sanctions placed on the Russian economy and Russian oligarchs.

Previously, Rogozin suggested that the Roscosmos would stop collaborating with the West and allow the ISS to crash into the Earth.

He asked, "Who would save the ISS?"

This prompted Tesla CEO Elon Musk to offer the support of his spacefaring company SpaceX.

Historically, astronauts aboard the ISS return to Earth on the Russian Soyuz crafts. However, Elon Musk's SpaceX Crew Dragon has made four visits to the ISS since 2020 and is able to drop off and return astronauts aboard the station.

When asked if SpaceX would keep the ISS from falling onto the Earth, Musk replied: "Yes."

The United States supplies the ISS with life support technology while Russia provides it with propulsion, so without Musk stepping in to offer to keep the station afloat, Russia's threats to let it drop crash into the planet posed a tangible threat.

Rogozin previously said that Russia pulling out of the ISS would require either the US or one of its European allies to take on additional responsibilities for the station's maintenance. US officials, in the past, have said that it would be "very difficult" to operate the ISS independently.

Despite the ongoing and seemingly increasing diplomatic tensions between the US and Russia, the two countries were able to safely return three astronauts — two Russian, one American — to Earth from the ISS.

Polish national team refuses to play Russia in the World Cup playoffs, Swedish and Czech teams also boycott



Poland’s national soccer team is refusing to play Russia in a 2022 World Cup playoff match in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The president of the Polish football association, Cezary Kulesza, said that the Polish national team “does not intend” to participate in the playoff match, the BBC reported.

In a joint statement, members of the Polish team said, “We, the players of the Polish national team, together with the Polish Football Association, decided that as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, we do intend to play in the playoff match against Russia.”

“It is not an easy decision,” the statement continued, “But there are more important things in life than football. Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian nation.”

Polish footballer Robert Lewandowksi said, “It is the right decision! I can’t imagine playing a march with the Russian National Team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues. Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we can’t pretend that nothing is happening.”

It is the right decision! I can\u2019t imagine playing a match with the Russian National Team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues. Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we can\u2019t pretend that nothing is happening.https://twitter.com/Czarek_Kulesza/status/1497489152434061315\u00a0\u2026
— Robert Lewandowski (@Robert Lewandowski) 1645866878

Cezary Kulesza, the current president of the Polish Football Association, said, “Due to the escalation of the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match against Russia.”

No more words, time to act! Due to the escalation of the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match against Russia. We are in talks with and federations to bring forward a joint statement to FIFA.
— Cezary Kulesza (@Cezary Kulesza) 1645871093

Polish President Andrezj Duda replied to Kulesza’s statement saying, “Rightly so, Mr. President. You don’t play with bandits!”

Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, also chimed in saying, “You cannot play a match against Russia under such circumstances … Thank you so much for this decision.”

National teams from Sweden and the Czech Republic joined Poland in a joint statement.

The Swedish and Czech teams are to play each other in a playoff match and whichever team wins would likely advance to play the Russian team in the World Cup tournament.

The Swedish team said on Twitter that they “will not play against Russia – regardless of where the match is played.” In a statement, the team said, “The Federal Board also urges FIDA to cancel the playoff matches in March in which Russia participates.”

SvFF\u00b4s besked: Herrlandslaget kommer inte att spela mot Ryssland \u2013 oavsett var matchen spelas.\n\nF\u00f6rbundsstyrelsen uppmanar samtidigt FIFA att st\u00e4lla in de play off-matcher i mars d\u00e4r Ryssland deltar.
— Svensk Fotboll (@Svensk Fotboll) 1645886279

On Saturday, Roman Abramovich, Russian billionaire and owner of the Chelsea Football Club, handed over the “stewardship and care” of the Premier League club to the trustees of its charitable foundation. Abramovich, who has owned Chelsea since 2003, forfeited ownership of the team after the British parliament pressured him to do so in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Associated Press reported.

Abramovich said, “I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart. I remain committed to these values. That is why I am today giving trustees of Chelsea’s charitable Foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea.”