Tag: Vladimir Putin

  • Russian invasion of Ukraine: Best 10 trends these days

    At the fourth day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops entered Kharkiv, the rustic’s second-largest town, the place fierce preventing used to be reported. The town’s mayor later mentioned that Ukrainian forces have repelled the Russian try to snatch Kharkiv.

    In the meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear deterrent forces to be placed on excessive alert at the same time as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to start out peace talks with Russia.

    Listed here are best trends within the Russia-Ukraine struggle:

    ? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to start out peace talks with Russia, his place of business mentioned Sunday. Following a telephone name with Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, Zelenskyy’s place of business mentioned he had agreed to ship a delegation to a gathering at the Belarusian-Ukrianian border close to the Pripyat river. The talks will be the first to happen since Russia invaded Ukraine. His place of business mentioned the talks could be held with out preconditions. “We agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with the Russian delegation with out preconditions at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, close to the Pripyat River,” Zelenskyy mentioned in a observation.

    ? Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian nuclear deterrent forces placed on excessive alert amid tensions with the West over his invasion of Ukraine. Putin ordered the Russian protection minister and the manager of the army’s Normal Group of workers to place the nuclear deterrent forces in a “particular regime of fight responsibility”. His order raised the risk that the tensions with the West over the invasion in Ukraine may result in the usage of nuclear guns.

    ? Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary Normal of Nato, mentioned Putin’s nuclear rhetoric is “bad”. “That is bad rhetoric. It is a habits which is irresponsible,” Stoltenberg mentioned on CNN. “And naturally whilst you mix this rhetoric with what they’re doing at the floor in Ukraine – waging conflict in opposition to an impartial, sovereign country, undertaking full-fledged invasion of Ukraine – this provides to the seriousness of the placement.”

    ? Ukrainian forces repelled the Russian try to snatch Kharkiv, town’s governor claimed on Sunday. This got here after fierce preventing used to be reported from Ukraine’s second-largest town. Kharkiv’s Governor Oleh Synyehubov posted on Fb, “Regulate over Kharkiv is totally ours! An entire cleaning of town from the enemy is occurring. The Russian enemy is really demoralised.”

    ? The mayor of Kyiv mentioned on Sunday there have been no Russian troops within the Ukrainian capital, which used to be protecting its defence in opposition to assaults.” However our army, regulation enforcement and territorial defence proceed to locate and neutralize saboteurs,” Vitaly Klitschko wrote on his Telegram channel.

    ? High Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level assembly at the Ukraine disaster on Sunday, PTI reported. Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar used to be a part of the assembly, which used to be additionally attended via best executive officers, as in keeping with PTI. Modi presided over the assembly straight away upon his go back from Uttar Pradesh, the place he addressed rallies as a part of the BJP’s marketing campaign for the state meeting polls. Numerous Indians, most commonly scholars, are stranded in Ukraine following Russia’s assault at the nation. India has begun evacuating them, and over 900 other people had been introduced again since Saturday.

    ? Pope Francis has denounced the “diabolical and perverse good judgment” of launching a conflict in Ukraine in his most powerful public feedback but. Pope Francis also referred to as Sunday for humanitarian corridors to welcome Ukrainian refugees fleeing the “tragic” invasion in their fatherland. Pope Francis has avoided calling out Russia via title as he seeks to fix ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, and he once more not noted any connection with Moscow on Sunday. However he mentioned: “Those that make conflict overlook humanity,” including that war “will depend on the diabolical and perverse good judgment of guns, which is the farthest factor from God’s will.”

    ? Ukraine will end up in a good courtroom that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “a first-rate conflict prison” of the twenty first century, Prosecutor Normal Iryna Venediktova advised Ukrainian TV. Previous, Ukraine mentioned it had submitted an software in opposition to Russia to the World Court docket of Justice. In the meantime, the Russian state prosecutor’s place of business mentioned on Sunday that anybody offering monetary or different help to a international state or global organisation aimed in opposition to Russia’s safety may well be convicted of treason, going through a most sentence of twenty years.

    ? Israeli High Minister Naftali Bennett mentioned on Sunday his executive used to be continuing ‘with moderation and duty’ on a struggle checking out its ties to Kyiv and Moscow. “We pray for the wellbeing of the voters of Ukraine and hope that additional bloodshed is avoided,’ Bennett mentioned. ‘We’re undertaking ourselves with moderation and duty’. He mentioned Israel is sending 100 tonnes of humanitarian assist to Ukraine, together with water-purification kits, scientific apparatus and tents. It’ll arrive inside of days,” Bennet mentioned.

    ? Russian forces have misplaced about 4,300 servicemen all through their invasion of Ukraine, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar mentioned on Sunday, including on the other hand that the quantity used to be being clarified. She additionally mentioned on her Fb web page that Russian troops misplaced about 146 tanks, 27 airplane and 26 helicopters.

    (With company inputs)

  • Sen. Mitt Romney Slams GOP ‘Morons’ Attending ‘Evil’ White Nationalist Convention

    Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) on Sunday castigated fellow Republican lawmakers who just lately spoke at a white nationalist convention in Florida, calling the development “evil” and likening the ones getting to “morons.”

    “There’s no position in both political birthday party for this white nationalist or racism. It’s merely mistaken. It’s, as you’ve indicated, talking of evil, it’s evil as neatly,” Romney instructed CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”

    He went on to name out Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) for talking on the 3rd annual The united states First Political Motion Convention, which used to be arranged through white nationalist figurehead Nick Fuentes in Orlando, Florida.

    Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers and Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, each Republicans, additionally spoke on the match in a pre-recorded video.

    “I don’t know them,” he mentioned of Greene and Gosar, “however I’m reminded of that previous line from the ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Child’ film the place one persona says, ‘Morons, I’ve were given morons on my staff.’ And I’ve to suppose any one that might sit down down with white nationalists and talk at their convention used to be undoubtedly lacking a couple of IQ issues.”

    Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Romney used to be additionally fast and vocal along with his denouncement of fellow Republicans who’ve sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin, announcing he believes such a fortify is “nearly treasonous.” He additionally mentioned he hopes lots of them are “converting their stripes” within the wake of the continuing violence.

    “How any one on this nation, which loves freedom, can facet with Vladimir Putin, which is an oppressor, a dictator, he kills other people. He imprisons his political warring parties. He has been an adversary of The united states at each and every likelihood he’s had. It’s unthinkable to me,” he mentioned. “It’s nearly treasonous and it simply makes me in poor health to look a few of these other people do this however, in fact, they do it as a result of they believe it’s surprise price and it’s going to get them extra eyeballs and possibly make a bit more cash for them or their community. It’s disgusting and I’m hopeful that you simply’re seeing a few of the ones other people acknowledge simply how mistaken they had been.”

    Romney held again in immediately condemning former President Donald Trump when puzzled through Bash about whether or not he believes Trump’s previous reward of Putin is treasonous. He did say: “Status up for freedom is the precise factor to do in The united states and the rest not up to that, individually, is unworthy of American fortify.”

  • Air India​ evacuation flights costing Rs 7-8 lakh in line with hour: Supply

    By means of PTI

    MUMBAI: As Air India ferries loads of Indians stranded in Ukraine, the price of running a two-way evacuation flight will likely be greater than Rs 1.10 crore and the volume will move up relying at the period of the flights.

    The airline is working the services and products with wide-body Boeing 787 airplane, higher referred to as Dreamliner, from neighbouring nations of conflict-ridden Ukraine, together with Romania and Hungary.

    It has already introduced again loads of Indians.

    ALSO READ: I would like ammunition, no longer a trip: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declines US be offering to evacuate Kyiv

    The flights were chartered through the Indian executive.

    An airline supply instructed PTI that the price of running a chartered flight with the Dreamliner is round Rs 7 to eight lakh in line with hour and the overall quantity will rely “on the place we’re going and the way a long way we’re going”.

    The full value will come with bills associated with staff, gasoline, navigation, touchdown and parking fees.

    Additionally, making an allowance for that those flights are for rather lengthy period, there will likely be two units of staff onboard.

    ALSO READ: Honesty, reassurance – Find out how to communicate to children about Ukraine

    The staff that operates the primary leg of the flight will take leisure within the go back leg and will likely be changed through some other set of staff, the supply mentioned on situation of anonymity.

    These days, Air India is working flights to Bucharest (Romania) and Budapest (Hungary) and each are offline stations for the airline, which means that it does no longer have scheduled services and products to those puts.

    Consistent with flight monitoring website online FlightAware, the flight from Bucharest to Mumbai that landed on Saturday night time used to be for a period of just about six hours.

    The flight from Budapest to Delhi used to be for approximately six hours and some other flight from Delhi to Bucharest took over seven hours.

    ALSO READ: Serbia rejects Western calls to sign up for sanctions on Russia

    An Air India flight from Bucharest to Delhi took over 5 hours.

    As the price will likely be between Rs 7 to eight lakh in line with hour, the overall value for a spherical commute will likely be greater than Rs 1.10 crore.

    The determine is calculated underneath the belief that total period of the back and forth flight is round 14 hours.

    The bills will shoot up in case the period is longer.

    EXPLAINER: What does Ukraine invasion imply for power expenses?

    The federal government isn’t charging folks for the evacuation flights.

    Some state governments have additionally introduced that they’re going to endure the bills of folks from their respective states who’re getting back from Ukraine.

    The Dreamliner has greater than 250 seats.

    Consistent with pilots who fly Dreamliners, the plane on a median consumes 5 tonnes of gasoline in line with hour.

    ALSO READ: NATO leaders agree to strengthen japanese forces after invasion

    The supply mentioned that after the operations are whole, the precise value will likely be labored out after which the airline will ship the invoice to the federal government for repayment.

    Air India didn’t be offering feedback on queries about the price fascinated with running the evacuation flights.

    Consistent with the supply, the full value will likely be relatively decrease if the chartered flight is operated to a scheduled vacation spot as already elements like getting gasoline would were looked after.

    In evacuation operations, the airline operates a ferry flight from India to the vacation spot involved.

    ALSO READ: Protests resume as Russia seeks to quash invasion critics

    In most cases, a ferry flight refers to provider during which the airplane does no longer have folks onboard aside from the staff participants.

    Until now, a couple of Air India flights have returned with Indians, who have been stranded in Ukraine, from Bucharest and Budapest.

    Indians crossed the Ukranian borders with Romania and Hungary, respectively, sooner than they have been flown out from those locations.

    On February 24, International Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla mentioned that round 16,000 Indians, basically scholars, have been stranded in Ukraine, which is now engaged in an intense combat with Russia.

    ALSO READ: For Taiwan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine feels a long way away

    Since then, over 900 Indians have returned and there could be now round 15,000 Indians in Ukraine and its border spaces.

    Ukranian airspace is closed for civilian flights since February 24 amid the Russian offensive.

  • Exodus from Ukraine as neighbours open borders; males stored again to combat

    Tens of hundreds of Ukrainians have crossed into neighbouring international locations to the west looking for protection as Russia pounded their capital and different towns with airstrikes.

    The ones arriving had been most commonly ladies, youngsters and the aged after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy banned males of army age from leaving the rustic.

    The UN refugee company mentioned just about 120,000 other folks have thus far fled Ukraine. The quantity used to be going up speedy as Ukrainians grabbed their property and rushed to flee from the fatal Russian onslaught.

    Poland has declared its border open to fleeing Ukrainians, even for the ones with out authentic paperwork.

    On Saturday, a central authority authentic additionally mentioned that the rustic despatched a health facility educate that can pick out up the ones wounded within the battle in Mostyska, in western Ukraine, and produce them to Warsaw for remedy. The health facility educate departed the border the city of Przemysl and has 5 carriages tailored to move the wounded and 4 stocked with humanitarian help for Ukraine’s Lviv district.

    Some Ukrainian males had been additionally reportedly heading again into Ukraine from Poland to soak up palms in opposition to the Russian forces.

    They had been exceptions, even though, in what used to be basically an exodus from Ukraine.

    “Virtually 116,000 have crossed world borders as of at the moment. This may occasionally pass up, it’s converting each minute,” mentioned Shabia Mantoo, the spokeswoman of the UN Prime Commissioner for Refugees. “It’s very fluid and converting by means of the hour.”

    The company expects as much as 4 million Ukrainians may just flee if the location deteriorates additional.

    A lady from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, who arrived in Przemsyl, broke down in tears describing how males had been pulled off trains in Ukraine ahead of they were given to the border.

    “Even though the person used to be touring along with his personal kid he couldn’t go the border, even with a child,” mentioned the girl, who would most effective give her first title, Daria.

    Vilma Sugar, 68, fled her house in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, in worry, after which confronted the heartbreak of her 47-year-son being stopped.

    “I’m shaking, I will’t chill out,” she mentioned after achieving Zahony, Hungary. “We crossed the border however they simply didn’t let him include us. We’re seeking to keep up a correspondence with him at the telephone nevertheless it’s onerous for the reason that line is dangerous.”

    Every other girl who arrived on her educate, Erzsebet Kovacs, 50, mentioned males weren’t even allowed to go into the station.

    “We ladies boarded the educate, however the males had been ordered to step to the aspect,” she mentioned.

    The Ukrainian government, she mentioned, “had been great, now not impolite, however they mentioned that males have an obligation to shield the rustic.”

    Vehicles had been subsidized up for a number of kilometres at some border crossings as government in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova mobilized to obtain them, offering safe haven, meals and criminal assist. Those international locations additionally eased their standard border procedures, amongst them Covid-19 checking out necessities.

    At border crossings in Poland, Ukrainians arrived on foot and by means of automobile and educate — some with their pets — and had been greeted by means of Polish government and volunteers providing them meals and sizzling beverages.

    Some sought to enroll in family members who’ve already settled in Poland and different EU countries, whose robust economies have for a few years attracted Ukrainian staff.

    For plenty of, the primary prevent used to be the educate station in Przemysl. Ukrainians slept on cots and in chairs as they awaited their subsequent strikes, relieved to flee the shelling of Kyiv and different puts.

    Germany’s International Minister Annalena Baerbock mentioned the EU will soak up all other folks fleeing Ukraine because of the present warfare.

    “We attempted the entirety so nowadays wouldn’t come,” she mentioned. “And it got here for the reason that Russian president selected it, opted for battle and in opposition to human lives.”

    “That’s why we can soak up all the people who find themselves fleeing now,” Baerbock mentioned. “We can convey the folks from Ukraine to protection.”

    Italian Premier Mario Draghi spoke in Parliament on Friday of the “lengthy traces of automobiles leaving Kyiv and different Ukrainian towns, heading most commonly towards EU borders,” and mentioned “it’s conceivable to believe an enormous inflow of refugees towards neighbouring Eu international locations.”

    “The pictures we’re seeing — of unarmed civilians pressured to cover in bunkers and subways — are horrible and produce us again to the darkest days of Eu historical past,” he mentioned.

    Hungary, which mobilized its army to assist, introduced in a decree this week that each one Ukrainian electorate returning from Ukraine, and all third-country nationals legally living there, could be entitled to coverage.

    The welcome that Poland and Hungary are appearing Ukrainians now may be very other from the unwelcoming stance they have got had towards refugees and migrants from the Center East and Africa lately.

    Hungary constructed a wall to stay them out when one million other folks, many Syrians fleeing battle, arrived in Europe in 2015.

    Poland is now development its personal wall with Belarus after hundreds of most commonly Center Japanese migrants sought to go into from Belarus in previous months.

    The EU accused Russia-backed Belarus of encouraging that migration surge to destabilize the EU. A few of the ones other folks denied access into Poland died in forests.

    However Ukrainians are considered very otherwise by means of Poles and others as a result of they’re most commonly Christian, and, for the Poles, fellow Slavs with an identical linguistic and cultural roots.

    Transcarpathia, Ukraine’s westernmost area which borders Hungary, may be house to about 150,000 ethnic Hungarians, lots of whom also are Hungarian electorate. Whilst Russia’s invasion has now not but prolonged to that house, which is separated from the remainder of Ukraine by means of the Carpathian Mountains, many have made up our minds to not look forward to the location to worsen.

  • Ukraine In Fierce Struggle In opposition to Advancing Russian Forces

    KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian protection forces publish fierce resistance Saturday, slowing the improvement of the bigger and better-armed Russian army final in on Kyiv, the capital. Eu international locations and the U.S. rushed help to the rustic, together with extra ammunition and guns, and introduced some other spherical of tough sanctions geared toward additional setting apart Russia from the worldwide monetary gadget.

    Terrified males, ladies and youngsters sought protection inside of and underground, and the federal government maintained a 39-hour curfew to stay other people off the streets. Greater than 150,000 Ukrainians fled for Poland, Moldova and different neighboring international locations, and the United International locations warned the quantity may just develop to 4 million if preventing escalates.

    “We will be able to combat for so long as had to unlock our nation,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised.

    To help Ukraine’s skill to carry out, the U.S. pledged an extra $350 million in army help to Ukraine on Saturday, together with anti-tank guns, frame armor and small hands. Germany stated it could ship missiles and anti-tank guns to the besieged nation and that it could shut its airspace to Russian planes.

    The U.S., Eu Union, and United Kingdom agreed to dam “decided on” Russian banks from the SWIFT international monetary messaging gadget, which strikes cash round greater than 11,000 banks and different monetary establishments international. In addition they agreed to impose ”restrictive measures” on Russia’s central financial institution.

    The measures had been introduced collectively as a part of a brand new spherical of monetary sanctions supposed to impose a serious value on Moscow for the invasion.

    A Ukrainian soldier walks past debris of a burning military truck, on a street in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. Russian troops stormed toward Ukraine's capital Saturday, and street fighting broke out as city officials urged residents to take shelter. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
    A Ukrainian soldier walks previous particles of a burning army truck, on a side road in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. Russian troops stormed towards Ukraine’s capital Saturday, and side road preventing broke out as town officers instructed citizens to take safe haven. (AP Picture/Efrem Lukatsky)

    It used to be unclear how a lot territory Russian forces have seized. Britain’s Ministry of Protection stated “the rate of the Russian advance has briefly slowed most probably because of acute logistical difficulties and powerful Ukrainian resistance.”

    A senior U.S. protection authentic stated greater than part of the Russian struggle energy that used to be massed alongside Ukraine’s borders had entered the rustic and Moscow has needed to devote extra gas provide and different reinforce gadgets inside of Ukraine than initially expected. The authentic, who spoke on situation of anonymity to speak about inner U.S. tests, didn’t supply additional main points.

    At the same time as Zelenskyy known as on his countrymen to sign up for the combat, it used to be inconceivable to know the way efficient Ukraine has been in slowing the Russian advance. A curfew in Kyiv set to remaining via Monday morning pressured everybody inside of, regardless that the relative quiet of the capital used to be sporadically damaged through gunfire.

    Preventing at the town’s outskirts advised that small Russian gadgets had been looking to transparent a trail for the principle forces. Small teams of Russian troops had been reported inside of Kyiv, however Britain and the U.S. stated the majority of Russian forces had been 19 miles (30 kilometers) from the town’s heart as of Saturday afternoon.

    Russia claims its attack on Ukraine is aimed simplest at army goals, however bridges, faculties and home neighborhoods had been hit because the invasion started Thursday with air and missile moves and Russian troops coming into Ukraine from the north, east and south.

    Ukraine’s well being minister reported Saturday that 198 other people, together with 3 youngsters, have been killed and greater than 1,000 others have been wounded all through Europe’s biggest land battle since International Battle II. It used to be unclear whether or not the ones figures integrated each army and civilian casualties.

    In Kyiv, a missile struck a high-rise condo development within the southwestern outskirts close to some of the town’s two passenger airports, leaving a jagged hollow of ravaged residences over a number of flooring. A rescue employee stated six civilians had been injured.

    Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, stated troops in Kyiv had been preventing Russian “sabotage teams.” Ukraine says some 200 Russian infantrymen had been captured and three,500 had been killed.

    Markarova stated Ukraine used to be collecting proof of shelling of residential spaces, kindergartens and hospitals to publish to The Hague for attention as imaginable battle crimes.

    Zelenskyy reiterated his openness to talks with Russia in a video message Saturday, pronouncing he welcomed an be offering from the leaders of Turkey and Azerbaijan to prepare diplomatic efforts, which up to now have faltered.

    The Kremlin gave a terse affirmation of a telephone name between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev however gave no trace of restarting talks. An afternoon previous, Zelenskyy presented to barter a key Russian call for: leaving behind ambitions of becoming a member of NATO.

    Putin despatched troops into Ukraine after he spent weeks denying that’s what he meant, all of the whilst increase a pressure of virtually 200,000 troops alongside the international locations’ borders. He claims the West has did not take severely Russia’s safety considerations about NATO, the Western army alliance that Ukraine aspires to sign up for. However he has additionally expressed scorn about Ukraine’s proper to exist as an unbiased state.

    Putin hasn’t disclosed his final plans for Ukraine, however Western officers imagine he’s decided to overthrow Ukraine’s executive and exchange it with a regime of his personal, redrawing the map of Europe and reviving Moscow’s Chilly Battle-era affect.

    The trouble used to be already coming at nice value to Ukraine, and it appears to Russian forces as smartly.

    Ukraine’s Infrastructure Ministry stated a Russian missile used to be shot down earlier than daybreak Saturday because it headed for the dam of the sprawling water reservoir that serves Kyiv, and Ukraine stated a Russian army convoy used to be destroyed close to the town early Saturday. Photos confirmed infantrymen analyzing burned-out cars after Ukraine’s a hundred and first brigade reported destroying a column of 2 mild cars, two vans and a tank. The declare may just no longer be verified.

    Highways into Kyiv from the east had been dotted with checkpoints manned through uniformed Ukrainian troops and younger males in civilian garments wearing automated rifles. Low-flying planes patrolled the skies, regardless that it used to be unclear in the event that they had been Russian or Ukrainian.

    Along with Kyiv, the Russian attack looked as if it would focal point on Ukraine’s beach, which stretches from close to the Black Sea port of Odesa within the west to past the Azov Sea port of Mariupol within the east.

    “I don’t care anymore who wins and who doesn’t,” Ruzanna Zubenko stated as her huge circle of relatives used to be pressured from their house outdoor Mariupol after it used to be badly broken through shelling on Friday. “The one vital factor is for our youngsters so that you can develop up smiling and no longer crying.”

    If the Russian troops prevail, Ukraine can be bring to a halt from get entry to to all of its sea ports, which can be essential for its financial system. In Mariupol, Ukrainian infantrymen guarded bridges and blocked other people from the coastline amid considerations the Russian army may just release an attack from the ocean.

    Preventing additionally raged in two territories in japanese Ukraine which might be managed through pro-Russian separatists. Government within the town of Donetsk stated scorching water provides to the town of about 900,000 had been suspended on account of injury to the gadget through Ukrainian shelling.

    The U.S. executive instructed Zelenskyy early Saturday to evacuate Kyiv however he became down the be offering, in step with a senior American intelligence authentic with direct wisdom of the dialog. Zelenskyy issued a defiant video recorded on a downtown Kyiv side road early Saturday, pronouncing he remained within the town.

    “We aren’t going to put down guns. We will be able to give protection to the rustic,” the Ukrainian president stated. “Our weapon is our reality, and our reality is that it’s our land, our nation, our youngsters. And we can shield all of that.”

    The struggle has pushed 1000’s of Ukrainians from their properties searching for protection. U.N. officers stated greater than 150,000 Ukrainians had left the rustic for Poland, Moldova and different neighboring international locations and estimated 4 million may just flee if the preventing escalates.

    Refugees arriving within the Hungarian border the town of Zahony stated males between the ages of 18 and 60 weren’t being allowed to go away Ukraine.

    “My son used to be no longer allowed to return. My center is so sore, I’m shaking,” stated Vilma Sugar, 68.

    Hungary and Poland each opened their borders to Ukrainians. At Poland’s Medyka crossing, some stated that they had walked for 15 miles (35 kilometers) to succeed in the border.

    “They didn’t have meals, no tea, they had been status in the course of a box, at the highway, children had been freezing,” stated Iryna Wiklenko as she waited at the Polish aspect for her grandchildren and her daughter-in-law to make it throughout.

    Officers in Kyiv instructed citizens to hunt safe haven, to avoid home windows and to take precautions to keep away from flying particles or bullets. Many spent Friday night time in basements, underground parking garages and subway stations, and ready to do the similar on Saturday.

    Cabinets wore skinny at some Kyiv grocery shops and pharmacies, and a few apprehensive how lengthy stockpiles of meals and drugs would possibly remaining.

    The U.S. and its allies have beefed up troops on NATO’s japanese flank however up to now have dominated out deploying troops to combat Russia. As an alternative, the U.S., the Eu Union and different international locations have slapped wide-ranging sanctions on Russia, freezing the belongings of Russian companies and folks together with Putin and his international minister.

    Zelenskyy appealed for harder sanctions.

    A number of the tricky chances that stay to stanch the Kremlin’s get entry to to loads of billions in money: Sanctioning the Russian Central Financial institution and reducing Russia from the SWIFT world fee gadget.

    A senior Russian authentic on Saturday shrugged off sanctions as a mirrored image of Western “political impotence.”

    Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Safety Council, warned that Moscow may just react to the sanctions through opting out of the remaining closing nuclear hands pact, freezing Western belongings and reducing diplomatic ties with international locations within the West.

    “There is not any explicit want in keeping up diplomatic family members,” Medvedev stated. “We would possibly take a look at every different in binoculars and gunsights.”

    Isachenkov reported from Moscow. LaPorta reported from Boca Raton, Florida. Francesca Ebel, Josef Federman and Andrew Drake in Kyiv; Mstyslav Chernov and Nic Dumitrache in Mariupol, Ukraine; Jill Lawless in London; Geir Moulson and Frank Jordans in Berlin; Raf Casert and Lorne Cook dinner in Brussels; Vanessa Gera in Warsaw; Matt Sedensky in New York; Jennifer Peltz on the United International locations; and Robert Burns, Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Eric Tucker, Nomaan Service provider, Ellen Knickmeyer, Zeke Miller, Chris Megerian and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this file.

    Apply the AP’s protection of the Ukraine disaster at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

  • Zelenskyy’s Not likely Adventure, From Comic To Wartime Chief

    WARSAW, Poland (AP) — When Volodymyr Zelenskyy was once rising up in southeastern Ukraine, his Jewish circle of relatives spoke Russian and his father as soon as forbade the more youthful Zelenskyy from going out of the country to review in Israel. As a substitute, Zelenskyy studied legislation at house. Upon commencement, he discovered a brand new house in film performing and comedy — rocketing within the 2010s to grow to be considered one of Ukraine’s most sensible entertainers with the TV sequence “Servant of the Other people.”

    In it, he portrayed a lovely highschool trainer uninterested with corrupt politicians who by chance turns into president.

    Speedy ahead only some years, and Zelenskyy is the president of Ukraine for actual. Now and then within the runup to the Russian invasion, the comedian-turned-statesman had appeared inconsistent, berating the West for fearmongering at some point, and for now not doing sufficient the following. However his bravery and refusal to depart as rockets have rained down at the capital have additionally made him an not likely hero to many around the globe.

    With braveness, just right humor and beauty underneath fireplace that has rallied his folks and inspired his Western opposite numbers, the compact, dark-haired, 44-year-old former actor has stayed even if he says he has a goal on his again from the Russian invaders.

    After an be offering from the USA to move him to protection, Zelenskyy shot again on Friday: “I would like ammunition, now not a journey,” he stated in Ukrainian, in line with a senior American intelligence reputable with direct wisdom of the dialog.

    Russian forces on Saturday have been encircling Kyiv within the 3rd day of the struggle. The manager purpose, say army observers, is to succeed in the capital to depose Zelenskyy and his govt and set up somebody extra compliant to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrive for a working session at the Elysee Palace, Dec. 9, 2019, in Paris. (Ian Langsdon/Pool via AP, File)
    FILE – Russian President Vladimir Putin, proper, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrive for a operating consultation on the Elysee Palace, Dec. 9, 2019, in Paris. (Ian Langsdon/Pool by means of AP, Report)

    The arrogance of Zelenskyy’s stand for Ukraine’s sovereignty may now not were anticipated from a person whose greatest political legal responsibility for a few years was once the sensation that he was once too apt to hunt compromise with Moscow. He ran for workplace partially on a platform that he may just negotiate peace with Russia, which had seized Crimea from Ukraine and propped up two pro-Russian separatist areas in 2014, resulting in a frozen battle that had killed an estimated 15,000.

    Despite the fact that Zelenskyy controlled a prisoner alternate, the efforts for reconciliation faltered as Putin’s insistence that Ukraine again clear of the West changed into ever extra intense, portray the Kyiv govt as a nest of extremism run through Washington.

    Zelenskyy has used his personal historical past to exhibit that his is a rustic of risk, now not the hate-filled polity of Putin’s creativeness.

    Regardless of Ukraine’s darkish historical past of antisemitism, attaining again centuries to Cossack pogroms and the collaboration of a few anti-Soviet nationalists with Nazi genocide all over International Battle II, Ukraine after Zelenskyy’s election in 2019 changed into the one nation out of doors of Israel with each a president and top minister who have been Jewish. (Zelenskyy’s grandfather fought within the Soviet Military in opposition to the Nazis, whilst different circle of relatives died within the Holocaust.)

    Ukrainian comedian and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskyy performs during a show in Brovary, near Kiev, Ukraine on March 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
    Ukrainian comic and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskyy plays all over a display in Brovary, close to Kiev, Ukraine on March 29, 2019. (AP Picture/Emilio Morenatti, Report)

    Like his TV persona, Zelenskyy got here to workplace in a landslide democratic election, defeating a billionaire businessman. He promised to wreck the facility of corrupt oligarchs who haphazardly managed Ukraine for the reason that dissolution of the Soviet Union.

    That this fresh-faced upstart, campaigning totally on social media, may just pop out of nowhere to assert the rustic’s most sensible workplace most probably was once demanding to Putin, who has slowly tamed and corralled his personal political opposition in Russia.

    Putin’s main political rival, Alexei Navalny, additionally a comedic, anti-corruption crusader, was once poisoned through Russian secret services and products in 2020 with a nerve agent implemented to his lingerie. He was once preventing for his lifestyles when he was once allowed underneath global diplomatic drive to depart for Germany for scientific remedy, and when medical doctors there stored him, he selected to return to Russia regardless of sure possibility.

    Navalny, now in a Russian jail, has denounced Putin’s army operation in Ukraine.

    Each Zelenskyy and Navalny appear to proportion a standpoint that they will have to face the results in their ideals, it doesn’t matter what.

    “It’s a daunting revel in whilst you come to discuss with the president of a neighboring nation, your colleague, to toughen him in a troublesome scenario, (and) you pay attention from him that you would be able to by no means meet him once more as a result of he’s staying there and can protect his nation to the final,” Polish President Andrzej Duda stated Friday.

    He frolicked with Zelenskyy on Wednesday simply prior to the preventing began, one of the political leaders who’ve met with the Ukrainian president over the last month, together with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

    FILE - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a talk with journalists in Kyiv, Ukraine on Oct. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)
    FILE – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a chat with newshounds in Kyiv, Ukraine on Oct. 10, 2019. (AP Picture/Efrem Lukatsky, Report)

    Zelenskyy first got here to the eye of many American citizens all over the management of President Donald Trump, who in a telephone name with Zelenskyy in 2019 leaned on him to dig up dust on then presidential candidate Biden and his son Hunter that would help Trump’s re-election marketing campaign. That “very best” telephone name, as Trump later known as it, led to Trump’s impeachment through the Area of Representatives on fees of the use of his workplace, and the specter of withholding $400 million in licensed army toughen for Ukraine, for private political achieve.

    Zelenskyy refused to criticize Trump’s name, announcing he didn’t wish to get entangled out of the country’s politics.

    Putin’s assault, which the Russian president has termed a “particular army operation,” started early Thursday. Putin denied for months that he had any intent to invade, and accused Biden of stirring up struggle hysteria when Biden published the numbers of Russian troops and guns that have been deployed alongside Ukraine’s borders with Russia and Belarus — surrounding Ukraine on 3 facets.

    Putin justified the assault through announcing it was once to protect two breakaway districts in japanese Ukraine from “genocide.”

    With Russian media presenting this kind of image of his nation, Zelenskyy recorded a message to Russians to refute the perception that Ukraine is the aggressor and that he’s any roughly warmonger: “They instructed you I ordered an offensive at the Donbas, to shoot, to bomb, that there’s no query about it. However there are questions, and quite simple ones. To shoot whom, to bomb what? Donetsk?”

    Recounting his many visits and buddies within the area — “I’ve observed the faces, the eyes” — he stated, “It’s our land, it’s our historical past. What are we going to combat over, and with whom?”

    Unshaven and in olive inexperienced khaki shirts, he has taped different messages to his compatriots on the web in the previous few days to reinforce morale and to emphasise that he’s going nowhere, however will keep to protect Ukraine. “We’re right here. Honor to Ukraine,” he publicizes.

    Within the runup to the Russian invasion, Zelenskyy was once essential of President Joe Biden’s open and detailed warnings about Putin’s intentions, announcing they have been untimely and may just purpose panic. Then after the struggle started, he has criticized Washington for now not doing extra to offer protection to Ukraine, together with protecting it militarily or accelerating its bid to enroll in NATO.

    Zelenskyy and his spouse, Olena, an architect, have a 17-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son. He stated this week that they remained in Ukraine, now not becoming a member of the exodus of basically ladies and kids refugees looking for protection out of the country.

    “The struggle has remodeled the previous comic from a provincial baby-kisser with delusions of grandeur right into a bona fide statesman,” wrote Melinda Haring of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Middle for Overseas Affairs on Friday.

    Regardless that he can also be faulted for now not sporting out political reforms temporarily sufficient and for dragging his ft on hardening Ukraine’s lengthy border with Russia during the last yr, Haring stated, Zelenskyy “has proven a stiff higher lip. He has demonstrated huge bodily braveness, refusing to take a seat in a bunker however as a substitute touring brazenly with infantrymen, and an unwavering patriotism that few anticipated from a Russian speaker from japanese Ukraine.”

    “To his nice credit score, he has been unmovable.”

    Related Press author Monika Scislowska contributed to this file from Warsaw.

  • Scenes from Kharkiv: Struggle wreckage, the increase of artillery and other people sheltering within the subway

    The thuds of artillery get started as a low-decibel rumble however rattle the rib cage as you get nearer. A crossroads on the northern front of Kharkiv is ready as just about the entrance strains as somebody would want to be Friday, as Ukrainian squaddies waged a fierce combat to push Russian forces clear of town.

    The empty carcasses of burned-out Russian armored staff carriers and a Ukrainian police jeep littered the roadway, in conjunction with the scattered assets in their former occupants — water bottles, a soldier’s boot, camouflage clothes. Within sight, the frame of a Russian soldier, in a colorless inexperienced uniform, lay at the facet of the street, dusted in a mild coating of snow that fell in a single day.

    The location was once held, as of Friday, via a bunch of flippantly armed Ukrainian squaddies who had abruptly dug trenches into the rainy dust beside the street, diving into them periodically when the artillery increase was once particularly loud.

    At the back of them, large blue and yellow letters spelled KHARKIV, marking the doorway to Ukraine’s second-largest town, house to at least one.5 million other people, within the northeastern a part of the rustic.

    Whether or not the Russian troops in the ones destroyed armored carriers had intended to go into town was once unclear, as had been the intentions in their comrades preventing what seemed like a vicious combat simply past a line of bushes within the distance. They’d driven into the area an afternoon previous, having traveled some 40 miles from their staging house close to Belgorod in Russia.

    The Ukrainian squaddies despatched to carry the location had few main points of the struggle that happened there, pronouncing handiest that it took place Thursday morning, in a while after Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, gave the order to assault.

    “Putin needs us to throw down our guns,” stated a Ukrainian soldier named Andrei, from within a muddy trench. “I believe lets function extra slyly, accumulate up our forces and release a counterattack.”

    Many of the preventing gave the look to be happening a couple of miles outdoor town limits, close to a village known as Tsyrkuny. The choice of army and civilian casualties as a result of the struggle was once unclear, however Friday, native police stated a 14-year-old boy were killed in a village close to Kharkiv when a shell hit close to his house. However moves from time to time hit shut sufficient to town to elicit shrieks of terror from pedestrians, sending them fleeing into metro stations for defense.

    Inside of an underground station in central Kharkiv, terrified citizens had been holed up for 2 days with their small children, pets and the few assets — blankets, yoga mats and spare clothes — they may seize in brief dashes to house and again, throughout breaks within the shelling. Town has parked trains within the station and allowed other people to sleep in them.

    Lidiya Burlina and her son, Mark, paintings in Kharkiv and had been bring to a halt from their house village, a two-hour teach journey away, when the Russians moved in. They’ve been dwelling within the metro station ever since. The retail outlets on the town are operating handiest within the morning, Burlina stated, and there may be little or no bread, which has dramatically larger in worth within the two days for the reason that battle began. They can’t succeed in somebody of their village since the native energy station was once blown up.

    “They’re sitting there within the chilly. They may be able to’t purchase the rest, and there’s no warmth,” Burlina stated. “And we’re right here within the metro.”

    Victoria Ustinova, 60, was once sheltering within the metro together with her daughter, two grandchildren and a fuzzy Chihuahua named Attractiveness, who was once dressed in a sweater. The circle of relatives will have taken refuge within the basement in their condominium development, however from there the booms of artillery and tank hearth had been nonetheless audible.

    “When the whole thing began it was once a complete surprise, while you don’t know the place to run and what to anticipate from ‘the comrade,’” Ustinova stated, regarding Putin. “Now we’ve already settled down. We’ve have authorized it and are looking to proceed dwelling. It was once worse throughout Global Conflict II.”

    For her 13-year-old grandson, Danil, the principle fear now’s the possibility of Global Conflict III.

    “If issues will grow to be completely infected, then Europe will sign up for in, and if they begin launching nuclear guns then that’s it,” he stated.

    Up at the floor, many of the retail outlets and eating places had been closed and few other people walked the streets. Some of the few exceptions was once Tomi Piippo, a 26-year-old from the Finnish town of Iisalmi, who stated he got here to Kharkiv on vacation Monday and now couldn’t get out.

    “I don’t understand how to go away. No planes,” he stated.

    Whilst Russian officers have stated their army was once endeavoring to steer clear of civilian spaces, the frame of a Smerch rocket, which Ukrainian officers stated was once fired via Russian forces, was once caught vertically in the midst of the road outdoor the headquarters of the nationwide guard. A couple of kilometers away, the rocket’s tail segment was once buried within the asphalt throughout from an onion-domed Orthodox church.

    A staff of emergency services and products officials, wearing flak jackets and helmets, was once making an attempt to extract the tail from the pavement however having difficulties. A member of the staff stated that the tail and the frame had been other phases of the rocket, most likely jettisoned because the explosive ordnance hurtled towards its goal close to the entrance strains.

    “That is 200 pounds of steel,” the emergency officer stated, pointing to the rocket’s tail. “It might have fallen thru a development or hit other people.”

    Even because the artillery barrages intensified, no longer everybody was once in a position to cover. Strolling with aim towards the supply of the artillery booms at the outskirts of Kharkiv was once Roman Balakelyev, wearing camouflage, a double-barreled shotgun slung over his shoulder.

    “I reside right here; that is my house. I’m going to shield it,” stated Balakelyev, who additionally pulled out a big knife he had strapped to his again as though to turn it off. “I don’t suppose the Russians perceive me like I perceive them.”

    A twinkling of an eye later, Balakelyev reached the brink of town, the place the Ukrainian troops had been huddled across the deserted Russian troop transports. They watched as he handed. Nobody moved to forestall him. One soldier uttered: “Intent on victory.”

    Balakelyev, his gaze fastened and his shotgun in a position, headed down the street within the route of the booms and a tall billboard that learn: “Give protection to the long run: UKRAINE-NATO-EUROPE.”

    This text at the start seemed in The New York Instances.

  • Two-time Oscar-nominated Russian manufacturer Alexander Rodnyansky blasts ‘tragic mistake’

    Via IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Two-time Oscar-nominated manufacturer Alexander Rodnyansky, who lives and works in Russia, has mentioned he felt “unbearably ashamed” and “extremely, deeply unhappy” when his son referred to as from Kiev on Thursday with information that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had begun.

    Rodnyansky, who used to be born in Kiev, mentioned in an e mail interview with ‘Selection’: “After all, I realised prior to that the placement may pass this fashion, however I nonetheless could not consider that missiles are exploding in Kiev.’

    The manufacturer of the Golden Globe winner ‘Leviathan’ and Cesar award-winner ‘Loveless’ mentioned: “I could not consider that Kiev, my local the town, the place my family members, buddies and co-workers reside, the place my oldsters and grandparents are buried, shall be struck by means of missiles of the rustic the place I’ve been residing and dealing for the closing two decades, along with my friends and family.”

    Looking to make sense of the present disaster, Rodnyansky drew a parallel to the Soviet Union’s struggle in Afghanistan, which started greater than 40 years in the past and raged for a decade.

    He advised ‘Selection’: “I bear in mind rather well how the Soviet govt defined to us absolutely the necessity of the Afghan struggle. And the way it took 10 years, 15,000 Soviet squaddies and just about 1,000,000 Afghans killed to confess that it used to be a sad error.”

    Russia’s struggle on Ukraine, Rodnyansky mentioned, is “every other tragic mistake”. It isn’t as a result of “the nationwide financial system will crash, our nation will stagnate in world isolation and deepen the ever-growing technological hole,” he mentioned, “however for the reason that disgrace for this error won’t ever pass away. It’ll stick with our youngsters and our grandchildren.”

  • AJR cancels Russian excursion because of Ukraine invasion

    By way of IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Multiplatinum indie-pop trio AJR has cancelled their upcoming live performance date in Russia, scheduled for October after the rustic struck Ukraine.

    “We’re unhappy to announce that we will be able to be cancelling our upcoming display in Russia,” the band wrote on social media.

    “Thanks to our Russian enthusiasts who oppose their nation’s unprovoked and prison habits. Our hearts are with the folks of Ukraine. At this level, the most productive factor you’ll be able to do is proportion ACCURATE data.”

    They are infrequently the one main Western act with excursion dates scheduled within the nation. Whilst the standing of many excursions is unclear given the continued Covid-19 pandemic, dozens of artists are scheduled to accomplish in Russia within the coming weeks, and particularly in the summertime, experiences selection.com.

    In line with artist internet sites, Songkick and different assets, in Moscow on my own, Saint Jhn, Tough, Disclosure and Carry Me the Horizon have presentations scheduled for March and April, with Khalid, OneRepublic, Yungblud, Woman in Crimson, Judas Priest, Denzel Curry, OneRepublic and a Inexperienced Day live performance at Spartak Stadium slated for Might.

    The ones are only a preamble for what used to be taking a look to be an excessively busy summer time live performance season, together with the alt-rock-leaning Bol competition and two Park Reside fairs in conjunction with summer time dates by means of Iron Maiden, Deep Crimson, Believe Dragons, Bjork, Eric Clapton and others.

    Geoff Meall, a London-based agent for Paradigm Company, tells Selection: “We have now were given (a couple of) of acts because of be going there from subsequent month all over the summer time — rock acts, selection acts, a large number of digital artists as neatly. Because it stands, I will be able to’t see any of the ones presentations having the ability to occur.”

    “Ukraine is an clearly an lively struggle zone so it is unimaginable to do a live performance there, and with Russia, first, each govt is advising its electorate to not pass there until it is advisable trade — rock and roll most likely would not be regarded as that — however extra, a large number of artists would not need to be observed as supporting the movements of that govt in this day and age.

    “This isn’t customary,” he provides.

    “It is a Western-ish, trendy nation, and I am getting emails again from other folks there pronouncing they have been woken up at 5 a.m. the day past by means of missiles hitting constructions just about them — that is not a regular dialog we’ve got with our promoters anyplace.”

    “I requested how a chum there used to be doing and he is bunkered in a metro station, it is insane. Other people’s lives modified in 24 hours.”

    Whilst only a few Western acts carried out in what used to be then the Jap Bloc till the dissolution of the Soviet Union within the past due Eighties, the territory has develop into a profitable one: UK rock act Carry Me the Horizon has 10 dates in Russia or even one in Ukraine nonetheless on its excursion time table, and Meall says that Canadian act 3 Days Grace did a 19-date excursion within the nation a couple of years again.

    “It is profitable for artists,” he says.

    “During the last 15 years or so, an enormous burgeoning heart elegance has grown there that wishes to spend its cash on leisure, and there is very, very low taxation charges on artists charges, now and again none in any respect, and artists can earn cash at a number of very massive fairs.”

    On the other hand, none of that appears most probably for lots of months, if now not years.

    “Our ideas are it is going to be a very long time,” he says. “You have got a postwar state of affairs to maintain, even though it’s over temporarily, and the second one phase is that it could develop into an ethical determination to play in Russia after this.”

    On the other hand, some artists are already making their intentions transparent: On Friday, Oli Sykes, lead singer of ‘Carry Me the Horizon’ — who has 11 April dates in Russia, Belarus or even Ukraine nonetheless indexed on their site — posted on Instagram: “My prayers are with Ukraine, it is a very particular nation that I have visited/labored in again and again, made loads of pals & has a unique position in my middle. I will be able to’t imagine this is occurring. Please be protected.”

  • David Lynch slams Vladimir Putin over Russian invasion of Ukraine

    By way of IANS

    LOS ANGELES: ‘Dual Peaks: Hearth Stroll with Me’ director David Lynch has condemned the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin following the Russian “invasion” of Ukraine and the next devastation that is unfolding, reviews ‘Selection’.

    In line with ‘Selection’, the director delivered a stern and emotionally charged message to Putin thru his day by day climate document on YouTube. Lynch won’t have directed a full-length challenge for the reason that 2017 restricted collection ‘Dual Peaks: The Go back’ however he is attached to enthusiasts thru his David Lynch Theater video challenge on YouTube.

    The filmmaker informed Putin it is inevitable that “dying and destruction” will come for him as a result of “what you sow you shall reap”. Reflecting upon human nature, he mentioned within the video accessed through ‘Selection’, “Mr. Putin, we’re as human beings charged as to how we deal with our fellow guy. And there’s a regulation of nature, a troublesome and rapid regulation for which there aren’t any loopholes and no escaping it, and this regulation is what you sow you shall reap.”

    He then switched his tone to a extra direct one as he additional mentioned within the video, “And presently Mr. Putin you might be sowing dying and destruction. It is all on you. The Ukrainians did not assault your nation. You went in and attacked their nation. All this dying and destruction goes to return again and consult with you, and on this giant image we’re enthusiastic about, there may be a vast period of time, lifestyles after lifestyles after lifestyles, so that you can reap what you might be sowing.”

    He then is going on to provide a phrase of recommendation to the Russian president, “My recommendation to you is save your self, save the Ukrainians, save this global. Get started getting in conjunction with your neighbours. Get started development friendships. We’re an international circle of relatives. There is not any room for this type of absurdity anymore.”

    Urging Putin to stop the assault and army operations, he mentioned, “Get with it. Forestall this assault. Let’s paintings in combination so the entire international locations of this global can arise in peace and get in conjunction with each and every different. Let’s clear up the issues we’ve got were given in combination. Let’s get actual! Everybody.”