After Russia launched renewed offensive in Eastern Ukraine, New Zealand has imposed more sanctions on Russia, targeting defence sector and organizations which contributed to the assault in Ukraine.
New Zealand has imposed more sanctions on Russia, targeting 170 Members of the Upper House of the Russian Parliament – Federation Council, after Russia launched renewed offensive in Eastern Ukraine.
The sanctions also target the defence sector and six companies and organizations, which have contributed to the assault in Ukraine.
Speaking on the occasion, the Foreign Affairs Minister of New Zealand – Nanaia Mahuta said, “As President (Vladimir) Putin’s war machine continues its illegal attacks and as further revelations of atrocities come to light, we are determined to impose costs on those involved.”
She further said, “We support the people of Ukraine, and we are committed to holding President Putin and his cadre of warmongers to account.”
The country also extended the “full suite” of prohibitions to over 400 people previously captured by its travel bans. This will further prohibit those we have already been sanctioned from carrying out activity in New Zealand and prevent New Zealand from becoming a financial safe haven for those involved with Russia’s illegal activities in Ukraine.
Besides, as per the data shared by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at least 5.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion. In addition, at least 7.7 million people have been internally displaced in Ukraine. Some 8.3 million refugees are expected to flee Ukraine.
The Foreign Minister of Russia – Sergey Lavrov irked Israel with his remarks that the Nazi Dictator of Germany – Adolf Hitler had “Jewish blood”. Lavrov made the comments stressing Russia’s claim that its invasion of Ukraine is to “de-Nazify” the country. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has summoned the Russian Ambassador over Lavrov’s remarks.
Responding to Lavrov’s remarks, the Foreign Minister of Israel – Yair Lapid tweeted,
Foreign Minister Lavrov’s remarks are both an unforgivable and outrageous statement as well as a terrible historical error. Jews did not murder themselves in the Holocaust. The lowest level of racism against Jews is to accuse Jews themselves of antisemitism.
— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid🟠 (@yairlapid) May 2, 2022
In other developments, an evacuation from Mariupol has started. It was scheduled for Sunday but could not take off. The buses picked-up people in the village of Mangush and Berdyansk. This general evacuation is different from the one involving civilians who have been trapped at the Azovstal Steelworks. Shelling in Kharkiv has damaged 24 boiler houses and 36 heating stations, some of which will have to be rebuilt. A grain warehouse has been destroyed by a missile attack in the Sinelnikovsky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
