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Russian President Vladimir Putin
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Amnesty Secretary-General accuses Russian leadership
of "hatred" against all Ukrainians
7.45 a.m .:
According to the Secretary General of the human rights organization Amnesty International, the Russian leadership around President Vladimir Putin has "hatred" against all Ukrainians.
"There are statements, comments and appearances by Putin and other Russian leaders that show how they ignore and hate the Ukrainian people, in which they talk as if Ukraine does not exist," Agnes Callamard said on Ukrainian television on Tuesday.
“And it is precisely these statements that we will use as part of the evidence when we discuss the issue of genocide.”
The violence used in this war was due to the systems thinking created by the leadership.
"Violence becomes the main mode of action, it is tolerated and sometimes even glorified... There is no control and this creates the conditions for violent behavior, there is a regime of impunity..." Callamard was quoted as saying by the Unian agency.
There is no evidence that the military leadership demands torture or murder from the soldiers.
“But we have evidence that the leadership is not stopping these crimes.
So they repeat themselves over and over again,” said Amnesty's Secretary-General.
Ukraine reports land gains around the city of Kharkiv in the north-east
7.42 a.m .:
The Ukrainian armed forces have reported gaining ground around the second largest city of Kharkiv in the east of the country.
"The occupiers are gradually being pushed back from Kharkiv," said President Volodymyr Zelenskyj in a video message on Wednesday night.
"The villages of Cherkassy Tyshky, Rusky Tyshky, Rubishne and Bayrak were liberated," the Ukrainian general staff said on Facebook.
While the Russian armed forces could hit the city of Kharkiv "even less" with artillery attacks, the "intensity of the bombing in the Kharkiv district has increased."
According to the Ukrainian regional administration, the Russian troops are also leaving “death traps” – mines.
Further developments from the past few hours can be found here.
Özdemir wants to enable more wheat cultivation – move EU rules
7.41 a.m .: In
view of the tense grain markets due to the Ukraine war, Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir is working to postpone EU requirements for changing arable crops.
"This would allow our farmers to produce more wheat," said the Green politician to the partner newspapers of the Neue Berliner Redaktionsgesellschaft and the "Stuttgarter Zeitung"/"Stuttgarter Nachrichten".
It is about 2023 effective regulations, according to which, for example, winter wheat may no longer be cultivated two years in a row.
“I am now negotiating with the EU Commission to postpone this regulation,” said Özdemir.
With this proposal, one would also “not have to go to the few areas for species protection”.
As a result of Russia's war against Ukraine, which is a major exporter of wheat, international markets are tight and prices are rising.
In addition, energy and fertilizer costs are rising.
Winter wheat, which is sown in autumn, is the most important German cereal.
According to the ministry, it is grown on average on about a quarter of the total arable land.
US House of Representatives approves billions in aid package for Ukraine
7.38 a.m .: The
House of Representatives in Washington has increased an aid package for Ukraine requested by US President Joe Biden by billions of dollars and passed it with a large majority.
On Tuesday evening, 368 MPs from both Biden's Democrats and the opposition Republicans voted in favor of the bill in the House of Representatives.
The 57 votes against came from the ranks of Republicans.
The package is worth almost $40 billion (€38 billion).
It will be "decisive in helping Ukraine not only defend its nation, but also defend democracy for the world," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a letter to colleagues.
The Senate -- the other chamber in Congress -- has yet to approve it.
Biden had asked Congress for $33 billion.
In the package that has now been increased, around half of the total sum goes to defense.
Of this, $6 billion is earmarked for direct military aid to Ukraine.
Another billions are planned, among other things, to replenish US stockpiles with military equipment that was sent to Ukraine.
Other funds are earmarked for, among other things, humanitarian aid for refugees from Ukraine or for people around the world who are suffering from hunger as a result of the Russian war of aggression.
asc/dpa/Reuters/AFP
