Fox News reports Ukraine has agreed to a peace deal. Details are still being worked out at this time, according to officials.
Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security & Defense Council of Ukraine, posted on X: "We appreciate the productive and constructive meetings in Geneva between the Ukrainian and American delegations, as well as President Trump's unwavering efforts aimed at ending the war. Our delegations have reached a common understanding regarding the key terms of the agreement discussed in Geneva. Now we are counting on the support of our European partners in the next steps."
We expect the organization of a visit by the President of Ukraine to the United States at the earliest possible date in November to finalize the final stages and reach an agreement with President Trump.
The Front Bench Panel discusses how seriously to take Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he says he hasn't ruled out sending Canadian troops to Ukraine.
At least 90 countries are headed to Switzerland this weekend for the Ukraine Peace Summit, where world leaders will discuss ways to end Russia's war on Ukraine. Russia was not invited, but President Vladimir Putin still laid out his conditions for peace — which Ukraine has called unacceptable. Ukraine's ambassador to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv talks about what Ukraine needs to see from allies at the summit.
CBC/Radio-Canada is a Canadian public broadcast service.
Canada will donate more than 800 drones, valued at $95 million, to help the war effort in Ukraine, Minister of National Defence Bill Blair announced Monday. The funding for the new drones comes from the $500-million military aid package announced by the government in June 2023. Ihor Michalchyshyn, the CEO and executive director of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress discusses the new donation.
Canada has ordered the seizure of a Russian cargo plane that has been grounded at Toronto Pearson International Airport since the start of the Ukraine war.
It is the first physical asset of Russia that will be captured by Ottawa under the asset forfeit law and the second under Canada’s overall sanctions regime.
The plane had arrived from China, flying through Russia and Alaska to deliver a shipment of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests but was unable to depart after Canada – like many other countries – closed its airspace to Russian aircraft in response to the Ukraine war.
Sean O’Shea has more on the seizure and the government’s plan to give the plane to Ukraine.
NATO defense ministers are meeting in Brussels to talk about Ukraine, as Kyiv embarks on its counteroffensive against Russia's invasion. During the two-day event, ministers will also discuss efforts to step up their countries' own military supplies. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg say he's expecting commitments on defence production.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, French: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 31 member states - 29 European and two North American.
Also see: Defence expenditure of NATO countries (2014-2022)
See the full document in PDF or see the tables in Excel format
NATO certainly collects defence expenditure data from Allies and publishes it on a regular basis. Each Ally’s Ministry of Defence reports current and estimated future defence expenditure according to an agreed definition of defence expenditure. The amounts represent payments by a national government actually made, or to be made, during the course of the fiscal year to meet the needs of its armed forces, those of Allies or of the Alliance.
Ukraine continues its counteroffensive against Russian positions. Fighting appears to be concentrated in the region of Zaporizhzhia as well as further north around the town of Bakhmut - with some Ukrainian officials claiming steady gains. At the same time, Ukraine says renewed Russian air strikes have hit civilian targets in several Ukrainian cities.
Officials say there was a drone attack on the Black Sea hub of Odesa on Thursday morning and Russian missiles targeted the heart of Kherson, damaging an office building there. While the mayor of the central city of Kryvyi Rih reports a drone attack hit two industrial buildings.
Ukraine's upgraded air defense systems are proving essential as Russia has stepped up its aerial bombardment of critical infrastructure and civilian targets. But air defence is extremely expensive and the supply of ammunition is not endless. One of the pieces of military hardware that Ukraine has received from Western allies is the Gepard, or Cheetah air defense system. They are designed to destroy low-flying targets, and are much cheaper to operate than other air defense systems like the USA-made Patriot. Our correspondent Sonia Phalnikar took a closer look at some Gepards in action on the battlefield.
Some History:
Ukraine ( Ukrainian: Україна ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine is also bordered by Belarus to the north; by Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; and by Romania and Moldova to the southwest; with a coastline along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. Kyiv city is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odesa. Ukraine's official language is Ukrainian; Russian is also widely spoken, especially in the east and south.
This month will mark one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Should Canada do more to support Ukraine? Liberal parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Oliphant, Conservative MP and International Development critic Garnett Genuis and NDP MP and Foreign Affairs critic Heather McPherson weigh in.
Human rights groups criticized some Ukrainian war actions.
Recent reports probe potential violations of international law committed by Russian and Ukrainian fighters.
On Thursday, Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnès Callamard said there is "a pattern of Ukrainian forces putting civilians at risk" and "being in a defensive position" is not an exemption from following the rules of war.
Human Shields - Is it a war crime to hide in civilian buildings?
According to Section 6(1)(b)(xxiii), utilizing the presence of a civilian or other protected person to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations - constitutes a war crime in international armed conflicts.
The Fourth Geneva Convention [1949 Geneva Convention IV] prohibits the use of civilians to shield certain areas from attack and provides that the presence of civilians does not shield an otherwise permissible military target from attack.
Global News on Youtube shows that this week, Global News was escorted to a secret location near the front lines in Kharkiv to observe long-range artillery sent by allies, including Canada, to help Ukraine push back Russia’s assault.
Canada sent a number of M777 howitzers to Ukraine in April as part of a $130-million support package. It has since sent millions more in replacement barrels and ammunition, among other lethal aid.
Long-range artillery such as M777s have become crucial in attempts to turn the tide of the war, allowing Ukrainians to target Russian troops and locations from farther away and in turn prevent further strikes on Ukrainian forces.
Crystal Goomansingh met with troops using these heavy weapons.
CTV News Channel on Youtube shows that Prime Minister Trudeau is defending a decision to grant a company an exemption to sanctions to return turbines for a Russia-Germany pipeline.
A day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly criticized Canada over its decision to allow a Canadian company to return turbines from a Russian pipeline that supplies natural gas to Germany, the Ukrainian World Congress says it plans to sue Canada over the decision.
"This was a very difficult decision, but we have seen Russia consistently try to weaponize energy as a way of creating division among the allies, of undermining the general population’s support for this essential effort in Ukraine that governments support," Trudeau told reporters in Kingston, Ont. Wednesday.
"CNBC Television" Channel on Youtube shows that CNBC's Eunice Yoon joins Shep Smith to report that China refuses to condemn Russia's invasion, and has instead blamed the USA for Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
It seems that the People's Republic of China is the second-largest country in the world by land area after Russia. China's total land area is really generally stated as being approximately 9,600,000 km2 (3,700,000 sq mi).
China has certainly the longest combined land border in the world, measuring 22,117 km (13,743 mi) and its coastline covers approximately 14,500 km (9,000 mi) from the mouth of the Yalu River (Amnok River) to the Gulf of Tonkin. China borders 14 nations and extends across much of East Asia, bordering Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar (Burma) in Southeast Asia; India, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in South Asia; Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in Central Asia; and Russia, Mongolia, and North Korea in Inner Asia and Northeast Asia. Additionally, China shares maritime boundaries with South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
In China, The Great Hall of the People is where the National People's Congress convenes.
The Zhongnanhai has headquarters of the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party.
The Chinese constitution really states that The People's Republic of China "is a socialist state governed by a people's democratic dictatorship that is led by the working class and based on an alliance of workers and peasants," and that the state institutions "shall practice the principle of democratic centralism." The PRC is one of the world's only socialist states governed by a communist party. The Chinese government has been variously described as communist and socialist, but also as authoritarian and corporatist, with heavy restrictions in many areas, most notably against free access to the Internet, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, the right to have children, free formation of social organizations and freedom of religion. Currently, China seems to be not a democracy. It is an authoritarian state which has been characterized as a totalitarian surveillance state, and a dictatorship. Its current political, ideological and economic system has been termed by its leaders as a "consultative democracy" "people's democratic dictatorship", "socialism with Chinese characteristics" (which is Marxism adapted to Chinese circumstances) and the so-called "socialist market economy" respectively.
Global News in Canada shows that Ukraine has made an emergency request to NATO for supplies to prepare for what it calls "large scale crises" affecting its civilian population. De-mining equipment, explosives detection equipment and medical supplies are among the supplies they are requesting.
The request comes as Putin claims Russia has begun a pulling back some of its troops from its border with Ukraine - a move experts are "hopeful" about.
Jackson Proskow has the latest on the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border and the growing uncertainty over whether a peaceful solution is possible.
The so-called Russo-Ukrainian War ( Ukrainian: російсько-українська війна ) is an ongoing and protracted conflict that started in February 2014, primarily involving Russia and pro-Russian forces on one hand, and Ukraine on the other. The war has centered on the status of Crimea and parts of the Donbas, which are largely internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.
Some time ago, Russian soldiers took control of strategic positions and infrastructure within the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. On March 1, 2014, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation unanimously adopted a resolution to petition Russian President Vladimir Putin to use military force in Ukraine. The resolution was adopted several days later, after the start of the Russian military operation on the "Returning of Crimea". Russia then annexed Crimea after a local referendum which was organized by Russia after the capturing of the Crimean Parliament whose outcome was for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea to join the Russian Federation. In April, demonstrations by pro-Russian groups in the Donbas area of Ukraine escalated into a war between the Ukrainian government and the Russian-backed separatist forces of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. In August, Russian military vehicles crossed the border in several locations of Donetsk Oblast. The so-called incursion by the Russian military was seen as responsible for the defeat of Ukrainian forces in early September.
In November 2014, the Ukrainian military reported intensive movement of troops and equipment from Russia into the separatist-controlled parts of the eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine ( Ukrainian: Україна ) is certainly a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country by area in Europe after Russia, which it borders to the east and north-east. Ukraine also shares borders with Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the south; and has a coastline along the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. It spans an area of 603,628 km squared. Ukraine has a population of 41.3 million. It is the eighth-most populous country in Europe. The nation's capital and largest city is Kyiv.
The territory of modern Ukraine has been inhabited since 32,000 BC. During the Middle Ages, the area was a key centre of East Slavic culture, with the loose tribal federation Kievan Rus' forming the basis of Ukrainian identity. Following its fragmentation into several principalities in the 13th century and the devastation created by the Mongol invasion, the territorial unity collapsed and the area was contested, divided, and ruled by a variety of powers, including the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Tsardom of Russia. A Cossack Hetmanate emerged and prospered during the 17th and 18th centuries, but its territory was eventually split between Poland and the Russian Empire. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, a Ukrainian national movement for self-determination emerged, and the internationally recognized Ukrainian People's Republic was declared on 23 June 1917. Ukraine regained its independence in 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Global News in Canada shows that the Kremlin on Tuesday said some of its military units were returning to their bases after exercises near Ukraine, raising questions whether Russia was moving to de-escalate the situation, even as concerns still remain of a potential invasion.
The news drew a cautious response from both Ukraine and Britain, but it remains unclear how many units were being withdrawn and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the organization has seen no evidence of this withdrawal. NATO also cautioned Russia is still planning military exercises in the Mediterranean, with the estimated 130,000 troops still surround Ukraine on all three sides.
Jackson Proskow explains why such a move could be a positive sign, but as of Monday there were still reports an invasion could happen as early as Wednesday.
CBC News in Canada shows that Guy Saint-Jacques, former Canadian ambassador to China, says Xi Jinping will be closely watching the American response if Russia decides to invade Ukraine to gauge whether Beijing can take more forceful measures when it comes to Taiwan.
Russia-Ukraine crisis is continuing. Russia has more than 100,000 troops near the border of Ukraine.
China is really urged to weigh economic costs of Moscow coalition as sanction threats mount.
China and Beijing must carefully weigh the risks of getting closer to Moscow while Russia faces sanctions over Ukraine.
China and Russia really have made a show of solidarity to counter USA economic threats.
Following an important meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin early this month, the neighbours announced they were "entering a new era of global sustainable development."
The show of solidarity in the times of the Winter Olympics was carefully watched by the international community.
Russia and China want to safeguard "international fairness and justice."
China-Russia trade would be caught up in sanctions fallout, especially if Russia was excluded from the so-called SWIFT financial messaging service.
SWIFT’s messaging services are trusted and used by more than 11,000 financial institutions in more than 200 countries and territories around the whole world. SWIFT provides reliable, secure and efficient messaging services to the community of users. SWIFT calls itself the backbone of global financial communication.
These messaging services went live in 1977 to replace the Telex technology then widely used by banks to communicate instructions related to cross-border transfers. The service remains as relevant today as it was ground-breaking back then, representing the primary communications channel for financial institutions engaged in correspondent banking all around the world, and offering the most secure, cost-effective and reliable way of transmitting important financial messages relating to payments, securities, treasury and trade.
In the Russia-Ukraine tensions, there is a possibility that Russia could be accused of sea blockade.
Russian navy ships certainly passed through the Bosphorus from the Mediterranean into the Black Sea.
The Bosporus or Bosphorus (also known as the Strait of Istanbul) is really a narrow, natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in northwestern Turkey. It forms part of the continental boundary between Asia and Europe, and really divides Turkey by separating Anatolia from Thrace.
Ukraine has accused Russia of blocking its access to the sea as Russia prepares for naval exercises next week amid increasing tension in the region.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the Sea of Azov was completely blocked and the Black Sea almost fully cut off by strong Russian forces.
Russia has repeatedly denied any plans to invade Ukraine.
Russia has more than 100,000 troops near the border of Ukraine.
Russia has just begun massive military drills with neighbouring Belarus.
Belarus is a close ally of Russia and certainly has a long border with Ukraine.
The country of USA on Thursday urged Americans in Ukraine to leave immediately due to the "increased threats of Russian military action".
"Those in Ukraine should depart now via commercial or private means," the USA state department said in an advisory.
More about Russian Navy:
The Russian Navy (Russian: Военно-морской флот [ВМФ], "Military Maritime Fleet") is the naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various different forms since 1696, the present iteration of which was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had itself succeeded the Soviet Navy following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late December 1991).
The first iteration of the Russian Navy was established by Peter the Great (Peter I) in October 1696. Ascribed to him is the often quoted statement: "A ruler that has but an army has one hand, but he who has a navy has both." The symbols of the Russian Navy, the St. Andrew's ensign, and most of its important traditions were established personally by Peter I.
An iteration is the repetition of a process or utterance.
The Russian Navy possesses the vast majority of the former Soviet naval forces, and currently comprises the Northern Fleet, the Pacific Fleet, the Black Sea Fleet, the Baltic Fleet, the Caspian Flotilla, 5th Operational Squadron in Middle East, Naval Aviation, and the Coastal Troops (consisting of the Naval Infantry and the Coastal Missile and Artillery Troops).
DW News on Youtube shows the dialog and deterrence in the Ukraine crisis: This week kicked off with high-level meetings in Kyiv, Moscow, Washington and Berlin - a so-called flurry of talks that has kept hopes of a diplomatic solution alive.
But Eastern European countries, who feel most acutely threatened by Russia's military build-up, are not relying on discussions and the threat of sanctions to protect them. They've requested additional military support.
The US has responded by sending extra soldiers to NATO members Poland and Romania. The US is sending two-thousand additional troops in total. Further north, Lithuania hopes it can persuade the US to permanently station troops there - instead of rotating troops as it does now. Along with the US, European NATO members have also been boosting their support of the alliance's eastern flank.
