Live blog: Biden urges US House to vote ‘now’ on Ukraine aid

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

1804 GMT — US President Joe Biden has urged the House of Representatives to vote immediately on billions of dollars in Ukraine aid, as Speaker Mike Johnson hesitates in the face of far-right pressure.

"There's overwhelming support for Ukraine among the majority of Democrats and Republicans. There should be a vote now," Biden told reporters.

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1654 GMT — Ukraine says four killed in Russian missile attack on Odessa region

Russian missiles have hit Ukraine's Odessa region, killing four people, including one child, and injuring seven more, a regional governor said.

"Missiles fired in the evening by the Russians on the Odessa region left four dead, including a child, a girl of 10," said Governor Oleg Kiper on Telegram social media.

He added that one of the injured had lost both legs and was in critical condition.

1608 GMT — Three killed in Ukraine drone attack inside Russia: governor

A Ukrainian drone attack inside Russia has killed three people, including two children, said the governor of the Kursk border region.

The Ukrainian drone fired a rocket at a civilian car in a village in the Korenevski district, said governor Roman Starovoyt on Telegram social media.

"Unfortunately three people who were in the car at this time were killed, including two children," he added.

1533 GMT — Kiev scraps demobilisation clause in draft law, causing anger

Ukrainian lawmakers have sparked anger by scrapping a clause in a draft law that would have allowed soldiers having spent long periods fighting on the front lines a chance to return home.

With Ukraine's army outnumbered by Russia on the battlefield, military leaders had pressured politicians to ditch a draft amendment that would have given soldiers serving for more than 36 months the possibility to be discharged.

"The offensive continues along the entire front line. And currently, it is impossible to weaken the defence forces," Dmytro Lazutkin, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Defence Ministry has said on state TV.

"We cannot make hasty decisions now," he said, explaining the military's opposition to the provision.

1506 GMT — Russia sanctions 22 UK nationals

The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced that UK officials, representatives of IT and law firms were blacklisted in response to an analogous move by London.

The ministry published a list of 22 people on its website, noting that Russia has closed entry to its territory for those individuals.

The list includes Joanna Jane Crellin from the UK Department for Business and Trade, Joseph Martin Robinson from the Skyral Defense, five representatives of Micro Focus Group Limited, as well as employees of TechUK, Helsing Limited and Fieldfisher, three each, and NEC Software Solutions, Improbable and Cisco that had two each.

1443 GMT — Switzerland hosts Ukraine peace conference without Russia

The Swiss government has announced that it would host a high-level peace conference for Ukraine in mid-June, but said Russia would not attend.

The conference will take place at the luxury Burgenstock resort near the central city of Luzern on June 15-16 and would be hosted by Swiss President Viola Amherd.

"This is a first step in a process towards a lasting peace," she told reporters in Bern.

Amherd acknowledged that "we will not sign a peace plan at this conference", but said she hoped "there will be a second conference".

"We hope to start the process."

1440 GMT — Germany plans measures to help companies rebuild Ukraine

The German cabinet has signed off on a package of measures to support businesses involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine, including grants and favourable interest rates.

"Ukraine needs more than just weapons to survive this war. It is also important that the economy continues to function and that the country can finance reconstruction," said Development Minister Svenja Schulze.

The 15-point plan includes grants and loans for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ukraine as well as investment guarantees for German companies, according to a statement from the development and economy ministries.

1437 GMT — US general warns time running out for Ukraine without US aid

The top US general in Europe has told Congress that Ukraine will run out of artillery shells and air defence interceptors "in fairly short order" without US support, leaving them vulnerable to a partial or total defeat.

"If one side can shoot and the other side can't shoot back, the side that can't shoot back loses. So the stakes are very high," General Christopher Cavoli, the commander of European Command, told the House Armed Services Committee.

Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson is refusing to call a vote on a bill that would provide $60 billion more for Ukraine and the White House is scrambling to find ways to send assistance to Kiev, which has been battling Russian forces for more than two years.

1423 GMT — Moscow criticizes US-backed Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland

Russia's Foreign Ministry has criticised plans to hold a Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland as a futile initiative of the US Democratic Party ahead of this year's US presidential election.

"American Democrats, who need photos and videos of events that supposedly indicate their project 'Ukraine' is still afloat, are behind this," the state-run TASS news agency quoted foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying.

She accused Washington of being primarily motivated by its election process.

"The elections are everything. Ukraine is nothing," she said.

1354 GMT — Russia will not take part in Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland

Russia will not take part in a Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland in mid-June, the Swiss foreign minister has said, stressing the aim to include Moscow in future talks.

"A peace process cannot happen without Russia, even though it will not be there during the first meeting," Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told reporters.

1350 GMT — NATO chief says Ukraine 'cannot wait' for air defences

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said Ukraine "simply cannot wait" for more air defences as Kiev pleads with Western allies to step up deliveries to stave off Russia's attacks.

"Delays in delivery of air defences will allow Russian missiles to hit more targets and delays in delivery of ammunition will allow Russia to press along the front line," Stoltenberg said.

"Ukraine simply cannot wait. It needs air defences, ammunition and aid now."

1341 GMT — Three killed in Russian strike on Kharkiv region

Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine's Kharkiv region killed three people and wounded four more on Wednesday.

Moscow also targeted Ukrainian energy facilities in the south of the country in an overnight drone and missile attack.

"The occupiers are hitting the Kharkiv region. A child and two women died, and four more people were wounded," Ukraine's Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said in a post on Telegram.

1319 GMT — EU court annuls sanctions on two Russian oligarchs

An EU court has annulled sanctions over the war in Ukraine on two Russian tycoons, Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, in a ruling slammed by a key Kremlin foe.

The European Union has imposed successive waves of sanctions on Russian nationals and businesses for profiting from or financially supporting Moscow's aggression on Ukraine.

But the Luxembourg-based EU General Court came down in favour of a challenge mounted by Aven and Fridman, major shareholders in Russia's key Alfa Bank, by saying the reasons given by the European Council for targeting them "cannot be taken into account".

As a result, the court said in a statement that it "annuls both the initial acts and the acts maintaining the lists of restrictive measures" against them, as they were set out by the Council between early 2022 and early 2023.

0107 GMT — US warns to hold China accountable if Russia gains in Ukraine

The United States has warned that it will hold China responsible if Moscow makes gains in Ukraine, after Beijing renewed pledges of cooperation during a visit by Russia's top diplomat.

Kurt Campbell, the deputy secretary of state long associated with re-gearing US policy toward Asia, said that for the United States, maintaining peace and stability in Europe is "our most important mission historically."

With Moscow renewing its Ukraine offensive amid a deadlock in the US Congress on approving more weapons to Ukraine, Campbell warned that Russian territorial gains could "alter the balance of power in Europe in ways that are, frankly, unacceptable."

"We have told China directly, if this continues, it will have an impact on the US-China relationship. We will not sit by and say everything is fine," Campbell said.

2115 GMT — UK's Cameron pleads for Ukraine aid as he meets Trump

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has pleaded for US Republicans to approve billions of dollars in military support for Ukraine as he made his case directly to Donald Trump.

The former Conservative prime minister had dinner on Monday with Trump, the ex-president in November, at his Florida estate before heading to Washington.

Speaking the next day alongside Biden's top diplomat Antony Blinken, Cameron described his meeting with Trump as "private" but said he raised issues including "the future of NATO," the Western alliance which the Republican challenger to Joe Biden has often criticised as unfair to the United States.

Cameron later met US lawmakers but was unable to see the key Republican in the aid holdup, House Speaker Mike Johnson, who for months has resisted calling a vote on Biden's request for some $60 billion in new assistance to Ukraine.

2100 GMT — US to sell Ukraine HAWK air defence upgrades worth $138M

The United States will sell Ukraine up to $138 million worth of equipment to maintain and upgrade its HAWK air defence systems to help defend against Russian drone and cruise missile attacks, a US State Department official has told the Reuters news agency.

The emergency foreign military sale is worth as much as $138 million, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In addition, the sale includes missile recertification components for older units, tools, test and support equipment, spare parts and more.

For our live updates from Tuesday, April 9, click here.