G-7 bans Russian oil imports; US adds sanctions
The United States and top allies will ban the import of Russian oil and impose a new round of sanctions, world leaders said Sunday.
The moves, announced after a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are meant to further pressure Russia to end its war with Ukraine, which started Feb. 24. Only the U.S. had committed previously to a ban on importing Russian oil.
Following the G-7’s virtual meeting with Zelenskyy, the leaders’ released a statement condemning Russia’s actions and underscoring their commitment to helping Ukraine.
“Today, we, the G-7, reassured President Zelenskyy of our continued readiness to undertake further commitments to help Ukraine secure its free and democratic future, such that Ukraine can defend itself now and deter future acts of aggression,” the leaders said.
The announcement comes hours after first lady Jill Biden traveled to Ukraine to meet with Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine.
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Latest developments:
►Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unexpected visit to Ukraine on Sunday, stopping by the town of Irpin — which was heavily damaged by Russia’s attempt to take Kyiv at the start of the war — before meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
►Acting ambassador Kristina Kvien, the top American diplomat in Ukraine, has temporarily returned to the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.
►Almost 7,000 civilians have been killed or injured since the war in Ukraine started in February, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
►Ukrainian forces have been making gains against Russian troops and may be able to push them out of artillery range of Kharkiv in the coming days, the Institute for the Study of War said in an assessment
Strong condemnation for school airstrike that may have killed 60
The Russian airstrike that may have killed as many as 60 people sheltering in the basement of a school in the eastern Ukrainian town of Bilohorivka — one of the deadliest assaults against civilians in the war — is drawing widespread condemnation.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “appalled” by Saturday’s attack, which flattened much of the school and also ignited a fire.
Luhansk province Gov. Serhiy Haidai said emergency crews found two bodies and rescued 30 people. “Most likely, all 60 people who remain under the rubble are now dead,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
The act is part of a long list of war crimes Russia has committed, said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
“We have called out the Russians very early on for committing war crimes, and this contributes to that,” she said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said the organization “strongly condemns yet another attack on a school in Ukraine” and reminded that “targeting civilians and civilian objects, including schools, is a violation of international humanitarian law.”
— Jorge L. Ortiz, Rebecca Morin
New sanctions on eve of Russia’s Victory Day
The new round of sanctions on Russia imposed by the G-7 nations – a group that comprises the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom – came on the eve of Russia’s celebration of Victory Day.
The May 9 holiday commemorates the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Western officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin could use the Victory Day celebration to announce either a triumph in Ukraine or an escalation of the war.
Besides a commitment by the G-7 nations to boycott Russian oil – only the U.S. had taken that step on one of Russia’s top exports – the Biden administration will sanction three Russian TV stations.
RUSSIAN OIL:Russia has earned $66 billion in fuel exports since war began, report says
A senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told reporters that U.S. advertising dollars, broadcast technology and equipment will no longer be available to those stations.
The U.S. will also impose new export controls and sanctions that will make it difficult for Russia to access wood products, industrial engines, boilers, motors, fans, ventilation equipment, bulldozers and many other items with industrial and commercial applications.
The White House will also prohibit individuals in the U.S. from providing accounting, trust and corporate formation and management consulting services to any person in Russia. The White House said those services are key to Russian companies and elites building wealth. Officials from several top banks in Russia will also be sanctioned.
— Rebecca Morin
Jill Biden makes surprise visit, meets Ukrainian first lady
First lady Jill Biden made an unannounced trip into Ukraine on Sunday, entering an active war zone where she met with her Ukrainian…