British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (R) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (L) attend a joint news conference following their talks in Kiev, Ukraine, 17 February 2022. EPA
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (R) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (L) attend a joint news conference following their talks in Kiev, Ukraine, 17 February 2022. EPA
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (R) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (L) attend a joint news conference following their talks in Kiev, Ukraine, 17 February 2022. EPA
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (R) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (L) attend a joint news conference following their talks in Kiev, Ukraine, 17 February 2022. EPA

UK warns Russia not to recognise breakaway Ukraine regions


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine

The UK on Thursday warned the Kremlin against formally recognising two pro-Moscow separatist territories in Ukraine, days after the Russian Parliament voted to urge President Vladimir Putin to do so.

"The Duma's request that Vladimir Putin recognises the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent shows flagrant disregard for Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.

The agreements, named after the Belarusian capital where they were agreed to in 2014 and 2015, sought to halt the war between the Ukrainian government and the secessionists, and are the only framework for resolving the conflict peacefully.

"If this request were accepted, it would represent a further attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, signal an end to the Minsk process and demonstrate a Russian decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue," Ms Truss said.

"We urge Russia to end its pattern of destabilising behaviour against Ukraine and to implement the commitments it has freely signed up to, including the Minsk agreements."

Russia's Parliament, the Duma, voted on Tuesday to urge Mr Putin to recognise the independence of the two Ukrainian separatist regions, amid tensions with the West over Moscow's troop build-up near by.

Russia has issued passports to hundreds of thousands of residents of the separatist-held enclaves, where Ukrainian government troops have been battling insurgents in a conflict that has claimed more than 14,000 lives since 2014.

The Duma proposal prompted strong condemnation from the US on Wednesday, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying it would "constitute a gross violation of international law".

  • Lidia, 92, a Ukrainian who has lived here during the time of the conflict, stands at the entrance to her house in the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, near the front line with Ukrainian government forces in Luhansk, Ukraine. AP
    Lidia, 92, a Ukrainian who has lived here during the time of the conflict, stands at the entrance to her house in the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, near the front line with Ukrainian government forces in Luhansk, Ukraine. AP
  • Olga Matvienko, an inspector at the migration service office, in Donetsk, Ukraine, says the number of people applying for Russian passports has increased in recent weeks. AP
    Olga Matvienko, an inspector at the migration service office, in Donetsk, Ukraine, says the number of people applying for Russian passports has increased in recent weeks. AP
  • Valentyna Konstantynovska, 79, is taught to use a weapon during training for civilians, organised by the Azov Special Forces Unit of Ukraine's National Guard, in Donetsk. AP
    Valentyna Konstantynovska, 79, is taught to use a weapon during training for civilians, organised by the Azov Special Forces Unit of Ukraine's National Guard, in Donetsk. AP
  • Ukrainian pensioner Lidiya Silina, 87, at her house near the border between Belarus and Ukraine. Russia has stationed troops in Belarus in recent weeks. AFP
    Ukrainian pensioner Lidiya Silina, 87, at her house near the border between Belarus and Ukraine. Russia has stationed troops in Belarus in recent weeks. AFP
  • Ukrainian teenagers dig trenches for soldiers facing off with Russian-backed separatists, in the Mariupol region. AFP
    Ukrainian teenagers dig trenches for soldiers facing off with Russian-backed separatists, in the Mariupol region. AFP
  • A young woman handles a weapon during basic combat training for civilians, in Mariupol. AP
    A young woman handles a weapon during basic combat training for civilians, in Mariupol. AP
  • A small child struggles to remove ammunition from a clip during a basic combat training for civilians, in Mariupol. AP
    A small child struggles to remove ammunition from a clip during a basic combat training for civilians, in Mariupol. AP
  • Civilians are being trained in Mariupol, where President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to mark what he had declared Ukraine's 'Day of Unity'. AP
    Civilians are being trained in Mariupol, where President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to mark what he had declared Ukraine's 'Day of Unity'. AP
  • A plane set as a monument to a former military base near the Three Sisters border crossing between, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, in Senkivka, Ukraine. Getty Images
    A plane set as a monument to a former military base near the Three Sisters border crossing between, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, in Senkivka, Ukraine. Getty Images
  • A military instructor teaches a schoolboy to shoot with Kalashnikov rifles, during a training session in Lviv. AFP
    A military instructor teaches a schoolboy to shoot with Kalashnikov rifles, during a training session in Lviv. AFP
  • A salesperson works in a grocery store in Orlivka. Tensions with Russia have hit the economy hard, Ukrainian authorities say. Getty Images
    A salesperson works in a grocery store in Orlivka. Tensions with Russia have hit the economy hard, Ukrainian authorities say. Getty Images
  • A child on a swing with his grandmother in Prymorsk, Ukraine, as Russian forces conduct large-scale military exercises in Belarus, across the border. Getty Images
    A child on a swing with his grandmother in Prymorsk, Ukraine, as Russian forces conduct large-scale military exercises in Belarus, across the border. Getty Images
  • Pensioner Viktor collects firewood in Novokostyantynivka. European natural gas prices surged as the US rejected Russia’s claims that it was pulling back troops. Getty Images
    Pensioner Viktor collects firewood in Novokostyantynivka. European natural gas prices surged as the US rejected Russia’s claims that it was pulling back troops. Getty Images
  • A fisherman tests his new fishing rod on a beach in Prymorsk, Ukraine. Getty Images
    A fisherman tests his new fishing rod on a beach in Prymorsk, Ukraine. Getty Images
  • A customer in a barber shop in Kiev. Bloomberg
    A customer in a barber shop in Kiev. Bloomberg
  • Passengers travel on a train in Kiev. Ukrainians have gone back to work, but are “not naive to the fact of how serious the situation is”, reports say. Bloomberg
    Passengers travel on a train in Kiev. Ukrainians have gone back to work, but are “not naive to the fact of how serious the situation is”, reports say. Bloomberg
  • Shoppers in a supermarket in Kiev. Bloomberg
    Shoppers in a supermarket in Kiev. Bloomberg
  • A large street mural in Kiev. Getty Images
    A large street mural in Kiev. Getty Images
  • A woman walks past a vendor on a street in the Ukrainian capital. Getty Images
    A woman walks past a vendor on a street in the Ukrainian capital. Getty Images
  • Ania, 67, a Ukrainian, gestures on the pedestrian border cross in Medyka, south-east Poland. AFP
    Ania, 67, a Ukrainian, gestures on the pedestrian border cross in Medyka, south-east Poland. AFP
  • A skateboarder performs a trick behind a mural of poet and activist Vasyl Stus, in Kiev. Getty Images
    A skateboarder performs a trick behind a mural of poet and activist Vasyl Stus, in Kiev. Getty Images
  • A woman gets her hair done at a beauty salon in Kiev. Getty Images
    A woman gets her hair done at a beauty salon in Kiev. Getty Images
  • A man works out at Kiev's popular outdoor gym. Getty Images
    A man works out at Kiev's popular outdoor gym. Getty Images
  • A woman works in a gun shop in the capital. Getty Images
    A woman works in a gun shop in the capital. Getty Images

Meanwhile In Kiev, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned that if Russia moved to recognise the rebel territories, "Russia de facto and de jure will withdraw from the Minsk agreements with all the attendant consequences".

But at a heated UN Security Council meeting earlier on Thursday, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Vershinin blamed the current crisis on Kiev's alleged breaches of the ceasefire agreement reached in the accords.

"Ukraine stubbornly refuses to implement the provisions of the Minsk agreements," he told the Council, accusing Kiev of repeated attacks on the region affecting "thousands of victims".

Biog:

Age: 34

Favourite superhero: Batman

Favourite sport: anything extreme

Favourite person: Muhammad Ali 

Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

JAPAN SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa

LIVERPOOL%20TOP%20SCORERS
%3Cp%3E(Premier%20League%20only)%3Cbr%3EMohamed%20Salah%20129%3Cbr%3ERobbie%20Fowler%20128%3Cbr%3ESteven%20Gerrard%20120%3Cbr%3EMichael%20Owen%20118%3Cbr%3ESadio%20Mane%2090%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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'O'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zeina%20Hashem%20Beck%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20112%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Penguin%20Books%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers

- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100

- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100

- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India

- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100

- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth

MATCH INFO

AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports

Can NRIs vote in the election?

Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad

Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency

There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas

Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas

A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians

Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.

This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India

A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians

However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed

The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas

Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online

The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online

The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation

Gulf Men's League final

Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins

Q&A with Dash Berlin

Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.

You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.

You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.

Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.

 

Where can I submit a sample?

Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.

Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:

  • Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
  • Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
  • Al Towayya in Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
  • Bareen International Hospital
  • NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
  • NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

How%20champions%20are%20made
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
SHADOWS%20AND%20LIGHT%3A%20THE%20EXTRAORDINARY%20LIFE%20OF%20JAMES%20MCBEY
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Alasdair%20Soussi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20300%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Scotland%20Street%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20December%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

LOVE%20AGAIN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Jim%20Strouse%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Priyanka%20Chopra%20Jonas%2C%20Sam%20Heughan%2C%20Celine%20Dion%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info

Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')

All or Nothing

Amazon Prime

Four stars

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

About Takalam

Date started: early 2020

Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: HealthTech and wellness

Number of staff: 4

Funding to date: Bootstrapped

Updated: February 18, 2022, 8:40 AM