Russia-Ukraine tensions latest developments: UNGA calls for immediate ceasefire

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continued to evolve rapidly, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) called for an immediate ceasefire on the fifth day of tensions between the two countries.

Raising concern over the ongoing situation in Ukraine due to the military operation by Russia, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday said that escalating violence in Kyiv is resulting in the death of civilians.

Asserting that "enough is enough", the Secretary-General during the 11th Emergency Special Session on Ukraine said that the soldiers need to move back to barracks and civilians must be protected in Ukraine.

Moreover, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the emergency session of UNGA called Russia's decision of putting the nuclear deterrence forces on "special alert" as a "chilling development."

Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, while speaking at an emergency session said that Russia has no plans to occupy Ukraine.

"The occupation of Ukraine is not part of our plans. The purpose of this special operation is to protect people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years. For this, it is necessary to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine," Nebenzya said.

Meanwhile, at least 11 people were killed and a dozen others were injured in Russian shelling on Ukraine's Kharkiv city, the regional governor said.

"The Russian enemy is bombing residential areas," Oleg Sinegubov, wrote on the Telegram messaging app, saying, "As a result of the bombardments that are ongoing, we cannot call on the emergency services. Currently there are 11 dead and dozens wounded", he said.

Ambassador of Ukraine to India, Dr Igor Polikha said that the number of Ukrainian refugees has exceeded 4 lakhs as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to evolve rapidly.

Polikha during the press conference in New Delhi said," The number of Ukrainian refugees has exceeded 4 lakh. If the war is not stopped, the number can reach up to 7 million. There are very long queues on the border. Lakhs of Ukrainians are standing in queues, trying to cross the border."

Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy signed a decree ordering payment of 100,000 hryvnias (Ukrainian currency) per month to soldiers amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis, said the Defence Ministry.

The decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in pursuance of the Presidential Decree.

Moreover, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on special economic measures against the US and its allies.

Putin signed a decree "On the application of special economic measures against the United States and countries that have joined them," Sputnik reported citing Kremlin press service.

The US in response to Russia's military operations against Ukraine announced additional measures against Moscow's financial system.

"The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has prohibited any US person from conducting any transaction involving the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation," read a press statement of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"In addition, OFAC imposed blocking sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund, a known slush fund for President Putin and his inner circle, two of its subsidiaries, and CEO Kirill Dmitriev," added the statement.

In order to support Ukraine against Russian military operation, Canada will send an additional USD 25 million in military aid to support Kyiv.

Canada will be sending an additional USD 25 million in military aid to Ukraine, Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, announced in a joint news release.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that Brussels is determined to send additional weapons supplies to Ukraine.

Amid the EU airspace ban, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday has cancelled his visit to Geneva for the session of the UN Human Rights Council.

"Russian FM #Lavrov's visit to #Geneva for the session of the @UN_HRC and the Conference on Disarmament has been cancelled due to an unprecedented ban on his flight in the airspace of a number of EU countries that have imposed anti-Russian sanctions," tweeted Russian Mission in Geneva.

Earlier, negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two countries had begun in the Gomel region of Belarus.

High-level delegations from both sides arrived at the venue on the banks of the Pripyat River to attempt a negotiated settlement in the ongoing crisis.

According to the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian delegation includes the Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, the head of the parliament faction of the Servant of the People party, and a deputy foreign minister. The Russian delegation is led by former Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky.

"Immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from Ukraine will be the key issues at the talks," the office of the Ukrainian president informed.

( With inputs from ANI )

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