In view of the events in the Kiev suburb of Bucha in the Ukraine war, Macron is calling for tougher sanctions. News ticker on negotiations.
- The alleged Russian atrocities from the Kiev suburb of Bucha im Ukraine war* shock the world community (see first report).
- After the body was found in Bucha, the EU wants to quickly impose new sanctions on Russia (Update April 4, 12:40 p.m.).
- Austria rejects an energy embargo – together with Germany (Update from April 4, 2:50 p.m.).
- The European Union wants to adopt further sanctions against Russia (Update from April 5, 9:30 a.m.).
- This News ticker on negotiations between the Ukraine* and Russia* as well as diplomatic efforts is continuously updated. More backgrounds for Ukraine conflict* here.
Update from April 6th, 10:08 am: Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin has threatened the Europeans with retaliation for their actions against the Russian Gazprom group. “The situation in the energy sector is deteriorating,” Putin said in Moscow on Tuesday, referring to “brute measures including administrative pressure on our company Gazprom in some European countries” that do not conform to the market. The federal government had ordered on Monday that the Federal Network Agency temporarily take control of Gazprom Germania.
Putin said at a televised meeting that a threat to nationalize Russian assets is a “double-edged sword.” He also announced that given the global food shortages, Russian supplies, particularly to “enemy” countries, would need to be closely monitored.
Update from April 5, 10:15 a.m.: After the bodies were found in the areas recaptured from Ukraine, the EU plans to introduce further sanctions against Russia. However, Germany and Austria oppose an energy embargo. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to address the UN Security Council. You can find further developments around the negotiations here in our new ticker.
Update vom 5. April, 9.30: The EU will apparently decide on further sanctions against Russia in the Ukraine war. This is what European Secretary of State Clement Beaune said to the French radio station RFI. The background to this is the reports of civilians killed in the Kiev suburb of Bucha ntv reported.
Update from April 5, 6:52 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to address the UN Security Council on Tuesday for the first time since Russia invaded his country. This was announced by Great Britain, which currently holds the presidency, on Monday evening. Meanwhile, Great Britain, together with the USA, is pushing ahead with the expulsion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council because of the alleged massacre of civilians in the Kiev suburb of Bucha. Russia sharply criticized the western advances.
Britain’s UN mission said on Twitter that it would “make sure the truth about Russia’s war crimes comes to light”. Britain will “expose Putin’s war for what it really is,” the diplomatic mission said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine war: Russia’s exclusion from UN Human Rights Council demanded
The US and UK are calling for Russia’s “suspension” from the UN Human Rights Council. “We cannot allow a member state that is in the process of undermining all the principles we hold dear to participate in the UN Human Rights Council,” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Twitter on Monday . “The images of Bucha and the devastation across Ukraine are now forcing us to back our words with deeds.”
Australia is also imposing further sanctions against Russia in the wake of the war in Ukraine and will ban the export of luxury goods to the country. Above all, it is about stopping exports of wine and luxury cars, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. “These sanctions are aimed at President (Vladimir) Putin and his wealthy supporters, not ordinary Russian consumers,” Secretary of State Marise Payne said. “They are being carried out in coordination with key partners to limit the Russian elite’s access to such assets.”
Update from April 4, 4:36 p.m.: The EU wants to send investigative teams to Ukraine to investigate alleged Russian war crimes. As EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the EU judicial authority Eurojust and the law enforcement agency Europol are ready to provide support. In this way, the work of an already agreed joint investigative team could be strengthened. This is to gather evidence and war crimes and solve crimes against humanity.
Von der Leyen was shocked by the atrocities reported from liberated Ukrainian cities like Bucha. “These horrifying images must not and will not go unnoticed,” she commented. “The perpetrators of these heinous crimes must not go unpunished.”
With a view to further action, von der Leyen spoke out in favor of a “global response”. According to them, talks are currently underway between Eurojust and the International Criminal Court “to join forces and involve the Criminal Court in the joint investigation team”. Such a coordinated approach by the Ukrainian authorities, the EU, its member states and agencies, and the International Criminal Court will allow the evidence to be collected, analyzed and processed as fully and legally effectively as possible.
Putin issues the next retaliation for the West – but Austria brakes with Germany on the embargo
Update from April 4th, 3:50 p.m.: Russian President Vladimir Putin has restricted the simplified visa procedure for citizens of Western European countries. In a decree published on Monday, he suspended the simplified issuing of visas for participants in official delegations and journalists. This applies to both the issue of single visas and multiple visas. The Kremlin justified the move with “unfriendly actions by the EU and a number of other countries”. In addition to states of the European Union, the regulation applies to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, most European countries closed their airspace to Russia. Several Schengen countries, including the Baltic States and the Czech Republic, have also stopped issuing visas to Russians – except in humanitarian cases. However, there is no uniform regulation on the European side.
Update from April 4, 2:15 p.m.: UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has called for an independent investigation into possible war crimes against civilians in the Ukrainian city of Bucha. “Everything should be done to secure evidence,” said the High Commissioner on Monday in Geneva. All bodies should be exhumed, identified and examined. Reports from Bucha and other areas raise “serious and disturbing questions about possible war crimes” and other rights violations, Bachelet said.
“For truth, justice and accountability, every effort must be made to independently and successfully investigate what happened in Bucha,” Bachelet said. She called for compensation and reparations for the victims and their families.
Ukraine negotiations: EU wants to impose new sanctions on Russia after Bucha
April 4 update at 12:40 p.m: After the discovery of hundreds of dead civilians in the Kiev suburb of Bucha, the European Union wants to impose new sanctions on Russia as quickly as possible. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned in the strongest possible terms the atrocities reportedly committed by Russian forces in a number of occupied Ukrainian cities on Monday in Brussels. The EU will therefore “urgently work on further sanctions against Russia,” Borrell said. According to Brussels diplomats, the EU Commission intends to make a proposal for stricter penalties shortly.
“The massacres in the city of Bucha and other Ukrainian cities will be added to the list of atrocities committed on European soil,” emphasized the EU foreign policy chief. In order to hold those responsible to account, the EU is supporting Ukraine in its investigations into possible war crimes, but also the International Criminal Court in The Hague and the UN.
Turn to Bucha? Macron is now calling for a “complete blockade” of Russia’s energy exports
First report from April 4, 12:10 p.m.:
Kyiv/Brussels – The photos of alleged atrocities in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, have shocked the world public. In view of the reports from Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron is calling for new sanctions against Russia – he also spoke of war crimes. There are “very clear indications of war crimes” in the small town, Macron told radio station France Inter on Monday. It was “more or less proven” that the Russian army controlled the area north-west of the capital Kyiv at the time in question.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, after the withdrawal of the Russian soldiers were out Boucha killed hundreds of civilians* been discovered. The discovery of the corpse caused outrage around the world. Kyiv and several western countries accused Russia of “war crimes”.
Ukraine talks: “War crimes” – Macron calls for “complete blockade” of Russia’s coal and oil exports
Macron called for a “new round of sanctions” against Moscow. France will coordinate with its EU partners and especially with Germany in the coming days. Macron brought up punitive measures against Russia’s coal and oil industries and sanctions against individuals. According to CNN this week he called for a “total blockade” of exports to the European Union “We must not let this go through. We must have sanctions that correspond to what happened there, what happened in Mariupol,” CNN quoted as saying Macron* Looking at the events in Bucha.
“Those behind these crimes must be held accountable,” Macron said. “We must send a very clear signal that it is our collective dignity and our values that we are defending,” said the French President. “Without justice there is no peace” Moscow meanwhile denies its Responsible for the atrocities from Bucha.
Also the Pressure on Germany increases after the reports from Butscha. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had further sanctions on Sunday announced against Moscow. “We will decide on further measures in the circle of allies in the next few days,” he said. (AFP/aka) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.