Live blog: Zelenskyy seeks extension of Türkiye-brokered grain deal

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Zelenskyy seeks extension of Ankara-brokered grain export deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told the visiting US Ambassador to the United Nations that the Ankara-brokered grain export deal that unblocked three major Ukrainian ports must be extended.

"We maintain the line that the initiative must continue regardless of whether the Russian Federation is willing," Zelenskyy told the ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, during talks in Kiev.

He added on the Telegram messaging app: "Ukraine is ready to remain the guarantor of world food security."

Ukraine's Zelenskyy tells COP27 Russia's war harms climate efforts

A fast-heating world "cannot afford a single gunshot", Ukrainian President Zelensky told the UN climate summit, arguing that Russia's offensive threatened international efforts to tackle global warming.

"We must stop those who, with their insane and illegal war, are destroying the world's ability to work united for a common goal," he said.

Zelenskyy added world leaders must tell those who do not take climate crisis seriously that "they are making a catastrophic mistake."

Moscow-supported authorities say electricity restored in Kherson

Kremlin-backed authorities in Ukraine's southern region of Kherson said that power had been fully restored to its main city, after blaming Kiev for attacks that disrupted water and electricity supplies.

Kherson city was the first urban hub to be captured by Russia after Moscow announced its "special military operation" in February and it has suffered outages after strikes on Sunday for which Moscow and Kiev have traded blame.

"There is electricity, despite sabotage and attacks," Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-supported deputy head of the Kherson region said on social media. 

Italy open to supplying air defence systems to Ukraine - official

The Italian government is readying a new arms package for Ukraine including air defence systems, a governing coalition official said.

Western nations have been delivering more air defence hardware to Ukraine since President Zelenskyy last month asked the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations for help to stop Russian missiles raining down on Ukrainian cities.

The Italian coalition official, who declined to be named, said Rome was ready to provide Ukraine with a variety of air-defence systems, including the medium-range Franco-Italian SAMP/T and Italian Aspide, as well as portable Stinger missiles.

Ukraine PM: evacuation of cities 'would not make sense' at present

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said he saw no need at present to evacuate Kiev or any other cities that are not near the front lines in the war against Russia.

He made his comments at a cabinet meeting following Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system, and after the mayor of Kiev told residents to consider everything including a worst-case scenario where the capital loses power and water completely.

"Right now, the situation is far from (needing to) announce an evacuation," Shmyhal said. "We must say that to announce the evacuation of any city not near the front lines, especially the capital, would not make any sense at present."

Restoration of territorial integrity key condition to resume talks: Ukraine 

The secretary of Ukraine's Security Council has said the "main condition" for the resumption of negotiations with Russia would be the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also put forth conditions for talks with Russia, calling on Moscow to comply with the UN Charter and pay compensation for losses caused by the ongoing war.

Addressing the 27th UN Climate Change Conference via a video link, Zelenskyy also reiterated his calls for the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the punishment of every war criminal, and guarantees that this will not happen again.

Russia, US discuss first nuclear talks since Ukraine conflict - report

Russia and the United States are discussing holding talks on strategic nuclear weapons for the first time since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine, Russian newspaper Kommersant said, citing four sources familiar with the discussions.

Talks between the two sides on strategic stability have been frozen since Russia began its military campaign in Ukraine, even as the New START treaty on nuclear arms reduction stays in effect.

The talks may take place in the Middle East, the paper said, adding that Moscow no longer saw Switzerland, the traditional venue, as sufficiently neutral after it imposed sanctions on Russia over Ukraine.

Putin may seek to join summit virtually: G20 host

Russian President Vladimir Putin will join next week's G20 leaders' summit "if the situation is possible", his Indonesian counterpart and the meeting's host said, adding that Putin could attend virtually instead.

Joko Widodo, who is this year's chair of the bloc of major economies, said Putin during a phone conversation last week had not ruled out attending the summit in Bali, and would join if possible. "But if not ... maybe he'll ask to do it virtually," he told reporters during a visit to Bali without elaborating.

The Financial Times newspaper earlier quoted Widodo as saying that his conversation with Putin had left him with a "strong impression" he would not attend.

Ukraine's star novelist Kurkov tours world for war 'duty'

Ukraine's internationally renowned novelist Andrey Kurkov has become a kind of travelling cultural spokesman for Ukraine's war effort to "explain to Western audiences what they don't know and don't understand about Ukraine."

 Sixty-one-year-old, famed for his satirical Russian-language novel "Death and the Penguin" is crisscrossing European and US literary festivals to discuss his new non-fiction work, "Diary of an Invasion".

"It's my contribution, it's actually my duty," Kurkov told AFP.

New Zealand deploys people, assets to help Ukraine: Top diplomat

New Zealand has deployed people and assets to facilitate the flow of supplies to Ukraine against Russia, the country’s top diplomat said.

Speaking at a conference, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said her country is also providing military assistance to support Ukraine’s right to defend itself.

“In the UK, we are training Ukrainian troops and supporting intelligence efforts (and) we have provided humanitarian assistance to refugees and those still inside Ukraine," she said.

Ukraine takes control of stakes in five strategic firms under wartime laws

Ukraine has invoked wartime laws to take control of stakes in five “strategically important” companies in order to guarantee sufficient supplies for its military.

“A decision regarding some Ukrainian enterprises was announced today. This decision was dictated by military necessity and was agreed upon at the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

The companies included Motor Sich, KrAz, Ukrnafta, Ukratatnafta and Zaporizhtransformator, with Zelenskyy saying that all of them will work in Ukraine’s efforts against Russia.

Russian forces attacked more than 50 settlements in Ukraine: Zelenskyy

 Russian forces struck more than 50 settlements in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in his daily video message, adding that Ukraine is fighting back and gradually moving forward.

“We respond everywhere. We have the necessary results — another Russian aircraft was shot down,” he said, adding they have received new systems that will considerably strengthen Ukrainian air defences. 

"Of course, Ukrainian airspace is not completely secure, but we are making progress," he said.

Donetsk remains 'epicentre' of fighting with Russia — Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy has said that the Donetsk region in the east remained the focal point of fighting in the conflict, with hundreds of Russians being killed every day.

"The Donetsk region remains the epicentre of the greatest madness of the occupiers," Zelenskyy said. "They are being killed in their hundreds every day. The ground in front of Ukrainian positions is littered with bodies of the occupiers."

The towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka are the spots of the heaviest fighting in the Donetsk region. 

North Korea denies arming Russia

North Korea said on Tuesday that claims by the United States that Pyongyang is supplying artillery ammunition to Moscow for its war in Ukraine were groundless, state media KCNA reported.

"Recently, the US is persistently spreading a groundless 'rumour of arms dealings' between the DPRK and Russia," North Korea's vice director of military foreign affairs of the Ministry of National Defence said in a statement, according to KCNA

The statement said North Korea sees the "rumour" as part of the United States' "hostile attempt to tarnish the image of the DPRK in the international arena," using an acronym for North Korea's official name.

"We once again make clear that we have never had 'arms dealings' with Russia and that we have no plan to do so in the future," the statement said.

Zelenskyy tells Netanyahu let's "strengthen our states" 

President Zelenskyy has made a pitch for closer security ties with Israel, saying both countries faced similar threats.

"I think it is clear to everyone what Ukraine emphasises and the security emphasis of Israel," Zelenskyy said after a conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu, the winner in last week's Israeli election.

"I believe we can significantly strengthen our states, especially since the threats we have are related."

Zelenskyy has called on Israel for weeks to provide arms, particularly air defence systems, for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

For live updates from Monday (November 7), click here