Russia Ukraine War Updates: Biden says he wants Russia out of the G20

President Joe Biden says that he wants Russia out of the G-20.

Biden made the comments during a press conference Thursday in Brussels following a series of urgent NATO meetings on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The G-20, or Group of Twenty, is an intergovernmental forum of 19 countries and the European Union that works on major global issues. He said he raised the issue Thursday with other world leaders.

Biden said that he would prefer Russia is removed from the group, but should Indonesia or other nations disagree, he would ask that Ukraine leaders be allowed in for conversations.

Biden and Western allies on Thursday pledged new sanctions and humanitarian aid in response to the continued assault in Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution blaming Russia for humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival.

The vote Thursday on the resolution was 140-5 with only Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea joining Russia in opposing the measure. There were 38 abstentions, including China.

The resolution deplores the “dire humanitarian consequences” of Russia's aggression which it says is “on a scale that the international community has not seen in Europe in decades”. It deplores Russia's shelling, airstrikes and “besiegement” of densely populated cities, including the southern city of Mariupol, and demands unhindered access for humanitarian aid.

The vote was almost exactly the same as on the March 2 resolution the assembly adopted demanding an immediate Russian cease-fire and withdrawal of troops. It demands protection for all civilians and infrastructure indispensable to their survival. That vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions.

Russia has denounced the resolution as “anti-Russian” and accuses its supporters of not really being concerned about the humanitarian situation on the ground, saying they want to politicise aid.

The vote follows the Security Council's overwhelming defeat on Wednesday of a Russian resolution that would have acknowledged Ukraine's growing humanitarian needs -- but without mentioning Russia's invasion that has left millions of Ukrainians in desperate need of food, water and shelter.

The council acted few hours after the General Assembly started considering a separate resolution titled “Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine,” which was drafted by Ukraine and two dozen other countries from all parts of the world.

There were over 70 scheduled speakers and only 62 were able to deliver their remarks, so the final speeches and vote were postponed until Thursday.

The assembly will also consider a rival South African resolution, which doesn't mention Russia and is similar to the Russian resolution rejected by the Security Council.

The vote on the Russian resolution reflected Moscow's failure to get widespread backing for its military offensive in Ukraine, which marks its one-month anniversary Thursday.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the military alliance is stepping up its defenses against chemical and nuclear weapons as concern mounts that Russia might use such weapons in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg says that NATO leaders agreed at their summit Thursday to send equipment to Ukraine to help protect it against a chemical weapons attack.

“This could include detection equipment, protection, and medical support, as well as training for decontamination and crisis management,” he told reporters after meeting in Brussels.

But Stoltenberg says the 30 NATO allies are boosting their own “preparedness and readiness.”

The leaders agreed Thursday to deploy four new battlegroups, which usually number from 1,000-1,500 troops, to Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Four other battlegroups are stationed in the Baltic States and Poland.

NATO nations are concerned that Russia’s attempt to falsely accuse them of working on chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine is part of a ruse by Moscow to create a pretext for using such arms itself.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will remain in his role for an extra year to help steer the 30-nation military organization through the security crisis sparked by Russia's war on Ukraine.

Stoltenberg tweeted Thursday that he is “honoured” by the decision of NATO leaders to extend his term until Sept 30, 2023.

“As we face the biggest security crisis in a generation, we stand united to keep our alliance strong and our people safe,” he said.

The former Norwegian prime minister was named to NATO's top civilian post in October 2014. It's the second time that his term of office has been extended. His mandate was due to expire in September.

In February, Norway's government appointed Stoltenberg as head of the Scandinavian country's central bank and said it hoped he could start in his new role around Dec 1.

In Oslo, Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum confirmed that Stoltenberg had resigned from the job. Deputy governor Ida Wolden Bache has been nominated in Stoltenberg's place and her appointment is expected to be confirmed later Thursday.

“Of course I would like to see Jens Stoltenberg become our next central bank governor, but we are in the middle of a dramatic situation in Europe and I

have great understanding that he prioritizes continuing in the important role he has in NATO,” Slagsvold Vedum said.

Stoltenberg, 63, has described Russia's war on Ukraine as “the most serious security situation we have been in for decades”. Stoltenberg has been praised for steering NATO through a difficult and divisive period under the Trump administration, when the US threatened not to come to the aid of member countries that weren't spending enough on defense.

Speaking to reporters on an Air Force One flight to Brussels on Wednesday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that President Joe Biden “thinks very highly of Secretary-General Stoltenberg”.

“They've developed a relationship of trust,” Sullivan said. “Secretary-General Stoltenberg has played an instrumental role in helping secure the powerful unity you've seen at NATO through this crisis.”

Stoltenberg was twice prime minister in Norway — from 2005 to 2013 and from 2002 to 2014 — and he also served as finance minister, and industry and energy minister.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will remain in his role for an extra year to help steer the 30-nation military organization through the security crisis sparked by Russia's war on Ukraine.

Stoltenberg tweeted Thursday that he is “honoured” by the decision of NATO leaders to extend his term until Sept 30, 2023.

“As we face the biggest security crisis in a generation, we stand united to keep our alliance strong and our people safe,” he said.

The former Norwegian prime minister was named to NATO's top civilian post in October 2014. It's the second time that his term of office has been extended. His mandate was due to expire in September.

In February, Norway's government appointed Stoltenberg as head of the Scandinavian country's central bank and said it hoped he could start in his new role around Dec 1.

In Oslo, Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum confirmed that Stoltenberg had resigned from the job. Deputy governor Ida Wolden Bache has been nominated in Stoltenberg's place and her appointment is expected to be confirmed later Thursday.

“Of course I would like to see Jens Stoltenberg become our next central bank governor, but we are in the middle of a dramatic situation in Europe and I

have great understanding that he prioritizes continuing in the important role he has in NATO,” Slagsvold Vedum said.

Stoltenberg, 63, has described Russia's war on Ukraine as “the most serious security situation we have been in for decades”. Stoltenberg has been praised for steering NATO through a difficult and divisive period under the Trump administration, when the US threatened not to come to the aid of member countries that weren't spending enough on defense.

Speaking to reporters on an Air Force One flight to Brussels on Wednesday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that President Joe Biden “thinks very highly of Secretary-General Stoltenberg”.

“They've developed a relationship of trust,” Sullivan said. “Secretary-General Stoltenberg has played an instrumental role in helping secure the powerful unity you've seen at NATO through this crisis.”

Stoltenberg was twice prime minister in Norway — from 2005 to 2013 and from 2002 to 2014 — and he also served as finance minister, and industry and energy minister.

Ukraine’s president has pleaded with NATO to provide his embattled nation with military assistance.

In a video address to the NATO summit Thursday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs “military assistance without limitations,” as Russia is “using its entire arsenal” against the country.

Zelenskyy urged NATO to provide Ukraine with “1% of all your planes, 1% of all your tanks.” “We can’t just buy those,” Zelenskyy said. “When we will have all this, it will give us, just like you, 100% security.”

Ukraine is also in dire need of multiple launch rocket systems, anti-ship weapons and air defense systems, Zelenskyy said. “Is it possible to survive in such a war without this?," he asked.

Zelenskyy said Russia used phosphorous bombs on Thursday morning, killing both adults and children. He reminded NATO leaders that thousands of Ukrainians have died in the past month, 10 million people have left their homes, and urged NATO to give “clear answers.”

“It feels like we’re in a gray area, between the West and Russia, defending our common values,” Zelenskyy said emotionally. “This is the scariest thing during a war -- not to have clear answers to requests for help."

Zelenskyy did not reiterate his request for a no-fly zone or ask to join NATO, according to a senior Biden administration official.

China is rejecting accusations of helping Russia spread disinformation over Washington’s involvement in Ukraine, while repeating Moscow’s baseless claims about secret American biological warfare labs in Ukraine.

“Accusing China of spreading disinformation on Ukraine is disinformation in itself,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily Briefing Thursday. He said China has acted in “an objective and just manner."

Wang claimed the international community continues to have “grave concerns” about U.S. biolabs in Ukraine, despite rebuttals from independent scientists.

“The U.S. cannot muddle through with silence or claiming that as disinformation. The U.S. should make serious clarifications on whether that is disinformation or not,” Wang said.

The lab claims have also taken root in the U.S., uniting COVID-19 conspiracy theorists, QAnon adherents and some supporters of ex-President Donald Trump.

China claims it is neutral in the conflict, although it maintains what it calls a limitless friendship with Russia, which it calls its “most important strategic partner.” China has refused to criticize Russia over its invasion — or even to refer to it as such — and Chinese state media repeatedly regurgitate Moscow’s false claims over the conflict.

Ukraine President Volodymr Zelenskyy called on people worldwide to gather in public Thursday to show support for his embattled country as he prepared to address U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders gathered in Brussels on the one-month anniversary of the Russian invasion.

“Come to your squares, your streets. Make yourselves visible and heard,” Zelenskyy said in English during an emotional video address late Wednesday that was recorded in the dark near the presidential offices in Kyiv. “Say that people matter. Freedom matters. Peace matters. Ukraine matters.”

Zelenskyy said he would ask in a video conference with NATO members that the alliance provide “effective and unrestricted” support to Ukraine, including any weapons the country needs to fend off the Russian onslaught.

Biden was expected to discuss new sanctions and how to coordinate such measures, along with more military aid for Ukraine, with NATO members, and then talk with leaders of the G7 industrialized nations and the European Council in a series of meetings on Thursday.

“The reality is that (President) Vladimir Putin has already crossed the red line into barbarism,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters as he arrived for summit of NATO leaders. Johnson says that “it's now up to NATO to consider together the appalling crisis in Ukraine, the appalling suffering of the people of Ukraine, and to see what more we can do to help the people of Ukraine to protect themselves. ” As an organization, NATO is not providing weapons to Ukraine.

The Russian stock market has resumed limited trading under heavy restrictions, almost one month after prices plunged and the market was shut down following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Trading of a limited number of stocks including energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft took place under curbs that are meant to prevent a repeat of the massive selloff that took place Feb. 24 in anticipation of Western economic sanctions. Foreigners cannot sell and traders are barred from short selling, or betting prices will fall. The benchmark MOEX index gained 8% in the first minutes of trading.

Britain's treasury chief is defending his spending priorities after have critics attacked him for not doing enough to help families struggling with the biggest cut in living standards on record.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said Thursday that he understood families were struggling with rising prices but his options were limited because he is focused on shoring up government finances after the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, the government is increasing spending on health care, law enforcement and schools, he said.

“I think most people will understand that an exceptional experience like (the pandemic) does lead to an exceptional response and that's what we're now grappling with,” Sunak told Sky News.

“But also we are continuing to invest in public services … and that, of course, needs to be paid for.”

Sunak on Wednesday announced a package of measures to reduce the squeeze on consumers, including a cut in motor fuel taxes, more money for local government aid to low-income residents and raising the threshold at which workers begin to pay social insurance taxes.

But he failed to take bolder steps such as delaying a 1.5% income tax increase set to take effect in April or introduce a tax on windfall profits of energy companies benefiting from soaring oil and natural gas prices.

The new spending plans were announced as the independent Office for Budget Responsibility said inflation would reduce household disposable incomes by 2.2% this year, the biggest drop in living standards since records began in 1957.

The Resolution Foundation, a think tank focused on improving living standards, said the lack of support for low-income families could see 1.3 million people fall below the poverty line this year.

“The big picture is that Rishi Sunak has prioritised rebuilding his tax-cutting credentials over supporting the low-to middle-income households who will be hardest hit from the surging cost of living, while also leaving himself fiscal flexibility in the years ahead,” Chief Executive Torsten Bell said in a statement.

87 residential buildings damaged in Kyiv since Feb 24. As per Kyiv City State Admin, Russian attacks have also damaged 10 pvt houses, 12 schools, & 6 kindergartens in the Ukrainian capital since the beginning of the full-scale invasion: The Kyiv Independent

UEFA is exploring fresh sanctions to thwart Russia's attempt to host soccer's European Championship after the country launched a surprising bid, one month after invading its neighbor and seeing its teams suspended from international competitions over the war in Ukraine.

A meeting of the Russian Football Union executive committee on Wednesday decided to submit an initial bid to UEFA for the 2028 and 2032 tournaments ahead of the deadline for expressions of interest.

The late declaration of interest by Russia is a challenge to the joint UK-Ireland entry, which expected to be unchallenged to host the UEFA showpiece in 2028 until Turkey also entered the contest on Wednesday. Italy is the only declared bidder for Euro 2032 apart from Russia.

As the war in Ukraine grinds into a second month, President Joe Biden and Western allies are gathering to chart a path to ramp up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin while tending to the economic and security fallout that's spreading across Europe and the world.

Over the course of a half-day Thursday, the European diplomatic capital will host an emergency NATO summit as well as a gathering of the Group of Seven industrialised nations and a summit of the 27 members of the European Union. Biden will attend all three meetings and plans to hold a news conference at the end of the day.

Biden arrived here late Wednesday with the hopes of nudging allies to enact new sanctions on Russia, which has already seen its economy crippled by a steady stream of bans, boycotts and penalties over the last four weeks.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is set to considerably increase forces deployed on its eastern flank, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said.

Addressing a news conference on the eve of an extraordinary NATO summit to discuss the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Stoltenberg added that he expected allies to agree to strengthen NATO's position "on land, in the air, and at sea".

"The first step is the deployment of four new NATO battlegroups. In Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. Along with our existing forces in the Baltic countries and Poland, this means that we will have eight multinational NATO battlegroups all along the eastern flank. From the Baltic to the Black Sea," he said.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was set to meet with US lawmakers Wednesday to discuss a possible freeze on Russian reserves of gold. The move comes after several lawmakers introduced the Stop Russian GOLD Act, meant to target Russia's ability to sell its gold reserves to avoid the impact of sanctions.

Current sanctions on Russian elites, the country's Central Bank, President Vladimir Putin and other measures do not impact Russia's gold stockpile, which Putin has been accumulating for several years. Russia holds roughly $130 billion in gold reserves, according to lawmakers.

The Bank of Russia announced Feb. 28 that it would resume the purchase of gold on the domestic precious metals market.

A senior US defence official said Wednesday that Russian ground forces appear to be digging in and setting up defensive positions between 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) outside Kyiv, as they continue to make little to no progress moving toward the city center.

The official said it appears the forces are no longer trying to advance into the city and, in some cases east of Kyiv, Ukrainian troops have been able to push Russian soldiers further away. The official said Russian forces had been 20-30 kilometers (12-19 miles) away to the east and northeast, and are now about 55 kilometers (34 miles) away.

The official said that, instead, Russian troops are exerting more energy and effort in the eastern Donbas region, specifically in Luhansk and Donetsk. The official said the U.S. is seeing Russia prioritize the fight there, in what could be an effort to cut off any Ukrainian troops in those areas and prevent them from moving west to defend other cities.

Russia plans to reopen its stock market for limited trading on Thursday, nearly one month after shares plunged and the exchange was shut down following the invasion of Ukraine. There will be heavy restrictions on trading intended to prevent the kind of massive selloff that took place on Feb. 24 in anticipation of crushing financial and economic sanctions from Western nations.

Trading will be allowed in 33 of the 50 companies that are part of the country's benchmark MOEX index, including air carrier Aeroflot, state-owned gas producer Gazprom and the oil company Rosneft, according to the central bank announcement about the reopening.

Stocks last traded in Moscow on Feb. 25. A day earlier the MOEX sank 33% after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking on the eve of the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the alliance to provide “effective and unrestricted” support to Ukraine, including any weapons the country needs to fend off the Russian invasion.

“We ask that the alliance declare that it will fully assist Ukraine to win this war, clear our territory of the invaders and restore peace in Ukraine,” he said late Wednesday during his nightly video address to the nation.

Zelenskyy will speak to the NATO summit by video, the president's office said.

He appealed to Western countries to stay united in the face what he says are Russia's efforts to “lobby its interests” with “some partners” to bring them over to its side.

Russia has expelled several American diplomats from the US Embassy in Moscow and declared them "persona non grata", a State Department spokesperson has said, days after the US ousted Russian staff at the United Nations.

Earlier this month, the US expelled 12 diplomats from Russia’s mission to the UN, saying they engaged in “espionage activities”. The move was described by Russia as a “hostile action” and gross violation of the commitments by the US as the host country of the United Nations headquarters.

"We can confirm that the US Embassy received a list of diplomats declared "persona non grata" from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 23,” a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.

After the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, the war of words and sanctions have intensified between the two countries.

Britain will send thousands more missiles to Ukraine's government as Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Western allies to boost the supply of military aid to Ukraine. Johnson is travelling to Brussels on Thursday for talks with NATO and leaders of the Group of Seven. He is expected to provide further details of the new British aid during the visit, including the donation of 6,000 more missiles comprising anti-tank and high-explosive weaponry.

“The United Kingdom will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight,” Johnson said.

Russian military forces, led by President Vladimir Putin, have committed war crimes in Ukraine by hitting civilian targets and have unleashed unrelenting violence that has caused death and destruction across the war-torn country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

On February 24, Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine, three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities.

Russian troops have targeted areas where civilians are present, including apartment buildings, schools and hospitals.

Russian journalist Oksana Baulina, who worked for the investigative news outlet The Insider, was killed when Russian troops shelled a residential neighbourhood in the Ukrainian capital, the outlet said Wednesday, the latest reporter to die in war: AFP News Agency

US President Joe Biden will unveil new sanctions against Russian politicians and oligarchs during a series of summits in Brussels on Thursday, according to a media report. The US President will also discuss NATO's force posture on its eastern edge and contingency plans for the potential use of chemical or nuclear weapons by Russia, reported CNN citing a statement by US national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who was aboard the flight as Biden headed to Europe.

Speaking on the new sanctions to be imposed against Russia, Sullivan said that during a G7 meeting, Biden and fellow leaders will "agree on an initiative to coordinate on sanctions enforcement" aimed at disallowing Russian efforts to evade existing sanctions.

India abstained from voting on a Russian-drafted resolution in the UN Security Council over a Ukraine humanitarian situation, which has been widely criticized for not referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

India and UAE joined the West in abstaining from the resolution that failed at the UNSC meeting with only Russia and China voting in favour and the remaining 13 members abstaining.

"Russia is the aggressor, the attacker the invader, the sole party in Ukraine, engaged in a campaign of brutality against the people of Ukraine. And they want us to pass a resolution that does not acknowledge their culpability," US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the UNSC.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urges global protests against Russia

"From March 24, come with Ukrainian symbols to support Ukraine, to support freedom & life, come to your squares, to your streets, make yourselves visible & heard," Zelensky said in a video address