As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 370th day, we take a look at the main developments.
Here is the situation as it stands on Tuesday, February 28, 2023:
Diplomacy
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia will not resume participation in New START nuclear arms treaty talks until Washington listens to Moscow’s position, Izvestia reported.
- US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has paid a surprise visit to Kyiv to reaffirm Washington’s support and economic aid to help Ukraine’s war campaign.
- Foreign ministers from around the world will meet in New Delhi this week in the shadow of the war and US-China tensions; host India hopes issues such as climate change and debt in developing countries are not overlooked.
- China has “very clearly” taken Russia’s side in the Ukraine war by providing diplomatic, political and economic support, the US State Department said.
- The Kremlin said a Chinese peace plan that urges both sides to agree to a gradual winding down of forces and warns against the use of nuclear weapons, should be analysed in detail, taking the interests of all sides into account.
Human rights
- The United Nations rights chief condemned Russia’s “senseless” invasion of Ukraine at the beginning of a Human Rights Council session at which countries want to strengthen scrutiny of suspicions that Russia has committed war crimes, which it denies.
Fighting
- The military situation is becoming increasingly difficult around Bakhmut, the focal point of Russia’s advances in eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
- Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition depot near Bakhmut, and had also shot down four HIMARS missiles and five Ukrainian drones.
- Reuters was not able to verify battlefield reports.
Economy
- Russian banks and politicians have played down the latest foreign sanctions on Russian lenders, promising speedy solutions to any problems with clients’ foreign currency dealings.
