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Chinese Foreign Minister: "Evolution" of Ukraine situation is "somethingChina does not want to see"
From CNN's Elizabeth Yee in Hong Kong
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the “evolution” of the situation in Ukraine is “something China does not want to see,” in a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Saturday.
Wang said the Ukraine crisis should be solved through "dialogue and negotiation" and called on the United States, NATO, and the European Union to engage in “equal dialogue” with Russia. He said they should “pay attention to the negative impact of NATO's continuous eastward expansion on Russia's security.”
"China supports all efforts conducive to de-escalation and political settlement of the situation, while opposing any moves which are adverse to promoting a diplomatic solution and add fuel to the flames," Wang said.
Blinken underscored on the call that Moscow will “pay a high price” for its “premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified war” in Ukraine, State DepartmentSpokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.He said “the world is watching to see which nations stand up for the basic principles of freedom, self-determination and sovereignty.”
Some context: China and Russia share a strategic interest in challenging the West but the invasion of Ukraine has put their friendship to the test.
Beijing finds itself in a complex position as Russia's invasion intensifies, needing to balance a close strategic partnership with Moscow with its seemingly contradictory policy of supporting state sovereignty.
China has not rushed to help Russiaafter its economy was slammedby sanctions from all over the world, with experts saying Beijing's options are limited. Analysts say Chinese banks and companies also fear secondary sanctions if they deal with Russian counterparts.
Ukrainian-Americans scared for family in Ukraine, say people in the country urgently need food and medicine
Americanswith family in Ukraine aredesperately searching for a wayto help their loved ones.
Kristina Boroday and Dmytro Teterev, a Ukrainian-American couple living in SanDiego, say most of their family isstill in Ukraine and they need shelter and security.
“I talk to them every morning,every night.Sometimes I will wake up in themiddle of the night because Ican't sleep, so I texted them.I call them.I make sure that they arealive.I make sure that they are safe.So, all I'm hearing from themis that we need help, we needshelter, we need some kind ofcertainty that we are going tobe safe.They don't have that,” Boroday said.
Teterev said his family face an impossible decision about whether to stay or leave.
"It's a day by day, hour by hoursituation," he said. "I'm living in two time zones.One is primarily the Ukrainiantime zone and then one out here. I just carefor their safety.I do whatever it takes."
Boroday said her immediate family are staying put "because thatis their home."
But her other family members, "are unable to escape,even if they could, becausethey don't even know if theyare going to get bombed or arocket is going to fly overtheir head while they are driving to the border.So, it's just thoseconversations that — are wegoing to be safe if we even tryto escape?" she said.
Teterev said he's been working with volunteer groups to try and get first aid kits and other supplies into the country but even sending moneyto Ukraine is an issue,"because there's not a way toaccess that money."
Boroday urged people to donate what they could as people in Ukraine urgently need supplies like food and medicine.
"Yes money will help but they needsupplies," she said. "They are not getting fooddelivered into the country.They are not getting medicinedelivered into their country ... they need to get thesupplies over to them, so theyhave something to live off of."
Want to help? Learn how to support humanitarian efforts in Ukrainehere.
German Embassy in South Africa slams Russia's "de-Nazification" claim
From CNN's Josh Campbell
Germany's Embassy in South Africa has hit back at Russia’s claim the invasion of Ukraine is aimed at "de-Nazifying" the country.
“Sorry, but we can't stay silent on this one,” the German Embassy in Pretoria tweeted Saturday in response to a post by the Russian Embassy that Putin’s forces were fighting against Nazis.
The Russian Embassy in South Africa tweeted on Friday, “Dear subscribers, we have received a great number of letters of solidarity from South Africans, both individuals and organizations. We appreciate your support and glad you decided to stand with us today, when Russia, like 80 years ago, is fighting Nazism in Ukraine!”
The German Embassy hit back at the Russian tweet saying: “What [Russia] is doing in [Ukraine] is slaughtering innocent children, women and men for its own gain.
“It's definitely not ‘fighting Nazism.’ Shame on anyone who's falling for this. (Sadly, we're kinda experts on Nazism.)”
Germany and Israel share "common goal to end war in Ukraine as soon as possible"
From CNN's Susanna Capelouto
The German government issued a statement early Sunday following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Berlin.
The focus of their 90-minute meeting were the results of talks between Bennett and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday in Moscow, according to German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Hebestreit said the leaders of Germany and Israel agreed to stay in close contact and that "a common goal remains to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible."
"We will work on that with all our might,"the statement added.
The war in Ukraine istearing families apart. One woman shares her harrowing journey to safety
From CNN's Chloe Melas
Russian rockets are forcing many Ukrainianfamilies to choose whether tostay or go, or even leave behind lovedones who can't make thetreacherous journey out of the country.
Elena BelayafledKyiv to Poland with her 2-year-olddaughter. Sharing videos and pictures of a helicopter overhead as theywere trying to escape, Belaya said she was worried they wouldn't evenmake itto the border.
Belaya said it was 5:36 a.m. and she was catching up with the news on her phone when she heard "something like a bigburst" outside.
"I sent myhusband to look what's going onoutside.He said that, yes,something really is going (on) but veryfar.Then we started tolook through the news, and werealized that the war(had) began," she said.
They decided to leave for the Polish border but her husband couldn't go with them —Ukrainian men ages 18 to 60 are barred from leavingthe country.
"It wasmost difficult (time) in this situation...He said that I must save ourchild and go to the (place of) safety, and he convinced me to cross theborder alone only with my child."
At the border, Belaya said they encounteredlong lines of cars and they had to walk 30 kilometers to cross into Poland.
"It was very, very hardbecause I don't know (the)Polish language.I don't know Poland at all.I have only money for severalweekends to live, for this moneywith my child.It's like something very unknownto me and because of my child Imade this step.I couldn't let my husband go forvery long period of time.We were crying, we were hugging," she said.
"I realized that I must staystrong for my daughter.It's a big mission forme to protect my daughter."
Belaya said her daughter asks every daywhen daddy is going to be with them. She texts her husbandconstantly to check he is stillalive, she said.
For now, she's livingday by day in a hostel with about40 other refugees, including children, with only the clothesshe has on her back.She said her daughter hasmade some friends and it's likea kindergarten there.They're holding out hopethat one day their family will be reunited.
"We must survive, and I thinkthat Ukraine has a big future," she said.
Zelensky tells people of Donbas to fight for their rights
From CNN's Mariya Knight and Hira Humayun
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the people of the breakaway regions in Donbas in his Saturday video address posted to Facebook.
He called on the people of Donbas to fight for their rights and freedom and urged them to protect themselves from Russia.
"To everyone who can hear us, whose memory hasn't been erased by propaganda, whose eyes weren't shut by fear, whose soul wasn't disfigured by cynicism — Fight!" he said. "Fight for your rights! For your freedom, for Ukraine! Together with Kherson, together with Berdyansk, together with Kyiv and all the rest of Ukrainian cities that value life and are not afraid of anything."
Zelensky addressed Donbas’ skepticism of Ukraine, saying, “I know that many of you believed that Ukraine allegedly hates you. Will allegedly attack you. Will allegedly destroy you. Liars on Russian TV talk about it every day. Liars. It's their job to lie to you every day. But this should not be your destiny.”
Days prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, the leader of the pro-Moscow Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, Denis Pushilin, ordered a general mobilization, claiming Ukraine was planning an offensive against the region.
The Ukrainian government in Kyiv asserts the two separatist-controlled regions in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, known as the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), are in effect Russian-occupied, where unmarked Russian forces have been propping up separatist fighters since 2014.
Zelensky pointed to the scale of attacks Russian forces have carried out on Ukrainian cities.
“You were told that we are destroying cities. Look at Kharkiv. At Chernihiv …They were killing us. They were killing children,” Zelensky said.
“It did it right in front of your eyes. Protect yourself! Otherwise, it will take your life, too. Your houses.”
He said Ukraine does not shoot its people or attack residential buildings, adding Donbas “has always been and will be our people. Our citizens.”
Ukrainian nuclear officials are in contact with staff at Zaporizhzhia reactor, IAEA says
From CNN's Hira Humayun and Amy Cassidy
Ukraine’s nuclear regulator is in communication with staff at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after it was seized by Russian forces on Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Saturday.
Following reports staff at the plant had been forced to work at gunpoint, Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, told reporters the agency is in touch with Ukrainian nuclear officials and has obtained shift patterns for staff.
Grossi has repeatedly stressed the importance that staff operating Ukraine’s nuclear facilities be allowed to rest and rotate so they can carry out their jobs safely, according to the IAEA.
He called it a “tense” situation with Russian forces controlling the Zaporizhzhia plant and Ukrainian staff operating it, saying the situation “certainly cannot last for too long.”
The head of Energoatom, the body that oversees Ukraine’s power plants, told Grossi on Friday the atomic engineers at the plant were now allowed to change work shifts, according to astatementfrom the IAEA.
"This I think is important, it’s a sign that people are listening to us or at least to the things we are saying," Grossi said.
Chernobyl staff work without a break: However, the IAEA has not yet ascertained the shift patterns of staff at the Chernobyl power plant, he continued.
Russian forces have prevented Chernobyl workers from changing shifts since occupying the plant, meaning the same 100 personnel have been operating the plant for 10 days straight,Yuriy Fomichev, the mayor of Slavutych, told CNN on Saturday.
“We are continuing in our conversations,” said Grossi, adding that he is “prepared to come to Ukraine as soon as possible.”
War in Ukraine will have "severe impact on the global economy," IMF warns
From CNN's Ramishah Maruf
The International Monetary Fund said on Saturday it would bring Ukraine's request for $1.4 billion in emergency financing to its executive board as early as next week.
Countries with close economic ties to Russia are also at risk for shortages and supply disruptions, the IMF added. It is in talks with neighboring Moldova for aid options.
"The ongoing war and associated sanctions will also have a severe impact on the global economy," the IMF said.
After a meeting Friday led by Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF said there were serious economic consequences in the region.Energyandwheat priceshave surged, adding to the effects of inflation from the pandemic and global supply chain disruptions.
"Price shocks will have an impact worldwide, especially on poor households for whom food and fuel are a higher proportion of expenses," the IMF said in a statement. "Should the conflict escalate, the economic damage would be all the more devastating."
The IMF said the effects of sanctions on Russia would also spill into other countries.
Monetary authorities throughout the world will have to carefully monitor rising prices in their nations, it added, and policies should be implemented to protect economically vulnerable households.
Ukraine, whose airports have been damaged and are now closed,will face significant reconstruction costs, according to the IMF. The organization said earlier this week the country has$2.2 billion availablebetween now and June from a previously approved standby arrangement.
Biden speaks with Zelensky about ongoing efforts to "raise costs on Russia for invading Ukraine"
From CNN’s DJ Judd
US President Joe Biden "highlighted the ongoing actions undertaken by the United States, its Allies and partners, and private industry to raise the costs on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine," in a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Saturday evening, the White House said.
“In particular, he welcomed the decision this evening by Visa and Mastercard to suspend service in Russia,” the White House said.
“President Biden noted his administration is surging security, humanitarian, and economic assistance to Ukraine and is working closely with Congress to secure additional funding.”
The call lasted for about 30 minutes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the US for assistance in establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine during a Zoom call with US lawmakers earlier Saturday, according to a person familiar with the session.
Zelensky and other Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly pleaded with NATO and Western officials to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, a move which could prevent Russian forces from carrying out airstrikes against their country.
In the Zoom call, Zelensky also asked US senators for greater sanctions on Russia, including on energy, and for more military assistance directed to Ukrainian forces. He thanked the US for the support it has delivered so far, but his overall message was that his country needs more help as it strains against Russia's invasion.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the two leaders have spoken at least five times.
On Saturday’s call, the White House said Biden “reiterated his concern about the recent Russian attack on a Ukrainian nuclear power plant, and he commended the skill and bravery of the Ukrainian operators who have kept the reactors in safe condition.”
Putin's warning: Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Saturday he would consider countries imposing ano-fly zoneover Ukraine as "participants in a military conflict."
But NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that a no-fly zone is not an option being considered by the alliance.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that establishing such a zone could lead to a "full-fledged war in Europe," but added Washington would continue to work with its allies to provide Ukrainians with the means to defend themselves from Russian aggression.
