Friday March 4, marks nine days of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Here are some developments that have taken place.
Tensions fuelled as Russia attack Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine
The decision by Russia to attack the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear power plant in Ukraine has fueled fears that current conflict will affect “world peace”.
Leaders from Western nations are concerned by Russia’s advancements.
The attack comes after the two countries failed to reach a ceasefire agreement during talks which took place in Belarus yesterday.
‘One million refugees have fled Ukraine in a week’
One million people have fled Ukraine in just one week amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
In a statement made on Thursday, Grandi said that he had rarely seen “an exodus as rapid as this one” in his nearly 40 years of working experience in refugee emergencies.
Noting that more people are fleeing the country “hour by hour, minute by minute,” and that countless numbers of people have been displaced in Ukraine,
Grandi warned that millions more are likely to be forced to leave unless the parties can immediately end the conflict.
US, UK and EU to cut the SWIFT system access of some Russian banks
Reports say the move by the United States, United Kingdom and European Union to cut the access of some Russian banks to the world’s biggest interbank payment messaging system – SWIFT – could give rivals like China the opportunity to promote its own payment systems.
But while some analysts agree it could give China’s CIPS system a boost, many argue it doesn’t have the capacity to replace SWIFT.
Latin American leaders express mixed opinions on the conflict
As the Russian military operation continues in Ukraine, Latin American leaders have expressed mixed opinions on the matter.
Most of the region is calling for dialogue to stop the violence.
But some countries with deep ties with Russia, like Venezuela, have taken a different approach in contrast to the rest of the region.
We don’t seek conflict with Russia but we are ready for it: US
NATO will defend all its allies and territory against a Russian attack, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday, as he arrived for a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers in Brussels.
“Ours is a defensive alliance. We seek no conflict. But if conflict comes to us we are ready for it and we will defend every inch of NATO territory,” he told reporters, while condemning what he called Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine.
“And overnight, we’ve also seen reports about the attack against a nuclear power plant. This just demonstrates the recklessness of this war and the importance of ending it and the importance of Russia withdrawing all its troops and engaging in good faith in diplomatic efforts.”
South African students who were caught in the crossfire in Ukraine arrive home
Some South Africa students who were caught in the crossfire in Ukraine landed this morning at the OR Tambo International Airport.
This is as the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensifies.
The Ukranian government has also condemned reports of racism at the border between Ukraine and Poland where African migrants were affected.
