Photo : Reuters/Umit Bektas
08 March 2022, Tuesday | NIAS Europe Daily Brief #143
IN FOCUS
By Ashwin Dhanabalan and Joeana Cera Matthews
War in Ukraine: Day 13
War on the ground: Military actions and reactions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on a late-night video on 07 March, accused Russia of attacking fleeing civilians. Zelenskyy’s accusations came after Ukraine rejected Moscow’s humanitarian corridors, leading directly to Russia or Belarus. He also addressed the ongoing war and boosted the people's morale by promising to stay in the capital until the war was won.
Russian air attacks destroyed a bread faculty in the northern region. The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has been deepening and the country faces an imminent refugee crisis as food, water, heat, and medicine have grown increasingly scarce due to Russia intensifying its shelling.
On 08 March, Russian forces launched hundreds of missiles and artillery attacks in the residential areas of Chernihiv, Mykolaiv and Kharkiv. Ukrainian forces defended Ukraine’s largest port city of Odesa from Russian ships. The Ukrainian forces said they had killed more than 11,000 Russian troops. However, sources from Moscow only confirmed the loss of 500 soldiers. On the same day, nine civilians were killed, this included two children who were bombed by an airstrike in the Ukrainian city of Sumy. In addition, a senior Russian General, Vitaly Gerasimov, the first deputy commander of Russia’s 41st army, was killed in Kharkiv.
The Moscow view: Statements from Russia
On International Women's day, Russia's President Vladimir Putin addressed the mothers, wives, sisters, brides, and girlfriends of Russian soldiers and officers. He said: "I understand how you are worrying about your loved ones and family members.” He also assured that conscripts and reservists would not take part in the military operation against Ukraine. Kremlin mentioned: "Missions are carried out only by professional troops."
At the third round of Russian-Ukrainian talks held in Belarus, Russia said it wanted to settle the issue with Ukraine when the latter recognized the Russian ownership of Crimea. The Head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, also put forward the requirement of up-keeping the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. However, as reported by TASS: “The third round of Russian-Ukrainian talks, held in Belarus on 07 March, did not bring the desired results, representatives of both Moscow and Kiev stated.”
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak mentioned that if Germany and the West place a ban on Russian oil, Moscow may respond by cutting gas supplies. He said: "rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market.” The US had been pushing for a potential ban on its allies. However, later on 07 March, Germany and Netherlands rejected the plan. The EU gets about 40 per cent of its gas and 30 per cent of its oil from Russia. These critical energy sources do not have easy substitutes.
On 08 March the Russian armed forces organized a large-scale evacuation of 173,000 people from the Donbas region to Russia. The Ukrainians were accommodated in hotels, sanatoriums, and boarding houses. The Russian Interagency Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Relief also said they had made possibilities for children to go to kindergartens while they were also looking to arrange temporary employment for adults.
The West View: Responses from the UNHCR, UK and the US
On 08 March, the Commissioner of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi announced that the number of refugees displaced from Ukraine had reached two million. Grandi said: “If the war continues we will start seeing people that have no resources and no connections… That will be a more complex situation to manage for European countries going forward.” Meanwhile, Japan has announced that they would be ready to accept Ukrainian refugees.
Separately, the UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace acknowledged that the country’s visa application processing had not been quick and called for speeding of the process. Wallace further added that the war would end Putin, saying: “Whatever we think about President Putin, he is done. He is a spent force in the world… he is responsible for thousands of Russian soldiers being killed, responsible for innocent people being killed, civilians being killed in Ukraine.” During a press conference with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called on the West to seal loopholes present in the imposed sanctions. Kallas called for limiting cryptocurrencies and completely banning Russia and Belarus from the SWIFT payments system.
During the UN Security Council session, the US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that Putin intended to “brutalize Ukraine”. She added: “The humanitarian toll of President Putin’s war on Ukraine is mounting. Children are dying, people are fleeing their homes - for what?” Meanwhile, three Belarusian banks and more Russian oligarchs are set to be impacted by the European Commission’s new sanctions.
The Global Fallouts
The refugee crisis is likely to be a large fallout. The large-scale displacement of the Ukrainians is the fastest-growing refugee crisis since the Second World War. The numbers are only expected to increase, henceforth. According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the increased refugee inflow will call for long-term humanitarian solutions. The IRC’s Senior Global Communications Officer Nancy Dent added that it was not a situation with a quick fix.
References:
Daniel Thomas and Micheal Race, “War in Ukraine: Russia says it may cut gas supplies if oil ban goes ahead,” BBC, 08 March 2022
Martin Farrer, “Russia Ukraine war: what we know on day 13 of the Russian invasion,” The Guardian, 08 March 2022
“Russia hopes to find solution with Ukraine on recognition of Crimea, DPR, LPR," TASS, 08 March 2022
“Conscripts, reservists don’t and won’t take part in operation in Ukraine — Putin,” TASS, 08 March 2022
“Donbass evacuates more than 173,000 people to Russia - Russian ministry,” TASS, 08 March 2022
“Russian general killed near Kharkiv, claims Ukraine as war enters day 13: Top points,” Hindustan Times, 08 March 2022
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: List of key events from day 13,” Al Jazeera, 08 March 2022
“Ukraine: Number of refugees reaches 2 million, UN says,” Deutsche Welle, 08 March 2022.
Andrew Sparrow, “UK politics live: war in Ukraine will contribute to Britons facing ‘biggest fall in real-terms disposable income for 50 years’,” The Guardian, 08 March 2022.
Jennifer Rankin. Miranda Bryant and Martin Farrer, “Russia-Ukraine war: humanitarian corridor opened from Sumy; Moscow threatens to cut gas supplies to Europe – live,” The Guardian, 08 March 2022.
IN BRIEF
By Padmashree Anandhan
GERMANY
Women workers in Amazon warehouses in Germany launch strike
On 07 March, Germany’s largest trade union Verdi gathered its employees in six Amazon warehouses in Germany to protest against bad working conditions. The strike comes as “Equal Pay Day and International Women’s Day,” which occurs on the same day. The trade union demanded recognition of labour agreements in the retail and mail-order areas. One of the woman leaders who took part in the strike said: “The individual, their performance and personal circumstances of employees are ignored. Those [employees] are often women, for example, single mothers.” In response, Amazon countered by indicating the recent rise in the salary of its logistics workers and saying that it gives a platform for professional development regardless of gender. (“Germany: Amazon workers stage 2-day strike,” Deutsche Welle, 07 March 2022)
Germany to accept inflow of refugees without asylum procedures
On 06 March, German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser said in the recent German newspaper that, regardless of the nationality of the refugees escaping from the Ukraine war will be accepted by Germany. The UN expects more than 1.5 million people to flee from Ukraine and settle in nearby countries. According to Faeser: “The vast majority of those who have fled are Ukrainian nationals. People from other countries who already had a permanent right of residence in Ukraine bring this status with them.” She also added that the complicated asylum procedures will be excepted for the ease of the refugees entering the country. (“Germany to accept refugees from Ukraine regardless of nationality,” Deutsche Welle, 06 March 2022)
Annalena Baerbock appreciated as a top diplomat across Europe
On 08 March, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock marked the completion of three months as the first woman to become Germany’s Foreign Minister. She has gained appreciation across Europe for “clarity and steadiness,” and for taking upfront changes in Germany’s Foreign Policy. On 03 March, the monthly Deutschlandtrend poll disclosed that Baerbock was considered the second most valued politician after the German Chancellor. The reason behind the growing support is due to her stance and approach to the Russian invasion. (“Annalena Baerbock: Germany's first female foreign minister flourishes in a crisis,” Deutsche Welle, 07 March 2022)
RUSSIA
Symbol “Z” invoke curiosity as found marked in the Russian military
On 07 March, Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak will face disciplinary procedure conducted by International Gymnastics Federation for wearing the symbol “Z.” In recent days, the symbol has been found to be present on the cars, advertisements, bus shelters, recently in the Serbian demonstrations and social media. When looked into, the audience of the Russian news channel mentioned that the “Z” was a marking to distinguish the Russian military. According to the US Air Force Lt Col Tyson Wetzel: “de-confliction measure to help prevent fratricide.” (Paul Kerley and Robert Greenall, “Ukraine war: Why has 'Z' become a Russian pro-war symbol?,” BBC, 07 March 2022)