Ukraine says it ‘deserve’ to join the EU, the West increases pressure on Russia, the US and South Korea worry about North Korean missiles

World news March 24: Ukraine says it “deserve” to join the EU, the West increases pressure on Russia, the US and South Korea worry about North Korean missiles – Photo: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (pictured) spoke out about the absence of the Russian Defense Minister. (Source: Reuters)

Russian-Ukrainian conflict

The Kremlin commented on the absence of the Russian Defense Minister

Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on March 24 commented on rumors about the “disappearance” of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. “The defense minister has a lot of work right now,” he said. A special military operation is underway. Of course, now is not the time for media activity, which is quite understandable.”

Commenting on a media report that Shoigu appeared to have “health problems”, Peskov said: “There is no need to listen to this agency, contact the Ministry of Defense (Russia).” . Also on March 24, the airline Interfax Shoigu said that Shoigu was constantly updating President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Security Council on Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. (Sputnik)

The role of the former Chelsea billionaire in the Russia-Ukraine negotiations

The Kremlin said on March 24 that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich had played an initial role in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, but the progress was now being decided by the negotiating teams of both sides.

Speaking to the press, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “He has been involved in this from the very beginning. Currently negotiations are ongoing between the two groups, Russia and Ukraine.

Western authorities have targeted Abramovich and several other Russian billionaires with sanctions, as they seek to isolate President Vladimir Putin and his allies over the conflict in Ukraine. (Sputnik)

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President Zelensky: Ukraine should be a full member of the EU

In a recorded speech to Swedish parliamentarians on March 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is fighting for the security of Europe and should be a full member of the European Union. European Union (EU).

“We are not fighting just for the Ukrainian people, but for the security of Europe, and we have shown that we are worthy of being a full member of the EU,” Zelensky said. (Reuters)

Ukraine: Europe should refuse Russia’s payment request

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on March 24 called on Europe to reject Moscow’s claim and not pay for energy purchases in rubles. “I urge these countries to make wise and responsible choices,” he said, noting that demanding oil and gas payments in rubles was an “insult” to Europe.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba emphasized: “Russia is counter-attacking on the economic and financial front and is trying to put the EU in a difficult position.”

According to him, countries importing Russian energy need to develop a plan to “get out of this trap” and “relinquish dependence on Russian gas and oil”.

On March 23, during a government meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow would demand payment for gas in rubles with “unfriendly” countries. (Reuters)

NATO: Russian President made ‘big mistake’

On March 24, the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg said that Russian President Vladimir Putin made a “big mistake” when he launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Speaking ahead of the NATO summit in Brussels, Stoltenberg said: “President Putin has made a big mistake and that is launching a war against an independent sovereign state. He underestimated the strength of the Ukrainian people, the courage of the Ukrainian people and their armed forces.”

According to Stoltenberg, NATO leaders will “address the need to re-establish deterrence and defense in the long-term,” starting with agreeing to deploy new forces to members Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. and Bulgaria to the east. (AFP)

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Britain, Poland continue to put pressure on Russia

The UK has frozen the assets of Gazprombank and Alfa Bank of Russia, as well as the state-owned transport group Sovcomflot in the latest round of sanctions announced on March 24. The banks and corporations are among 59 individuals and entities added to the sanctions list, which has been set up against Moscow since Russia launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Gazprombank is one of Russia’s main oil and gas payment channels, and Alfa-Bank is the country’s leading private bank.

Meanwhile, the news agency RIA Russia’s ambassador to Warsaw said on March 24 that Poland had frozen the bank account of the Russian embassy, ​​accusing it of sponsoring “terrorist activities”. (Reuters)

India comments on relations with the US and Russia

India’s foreign ministry asserts that India has friendly relations with both the US and Russia, and that these two relations are separate.

In a statement sent to the Indian Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of this country asserted that over the past decade, India has drawn closer to the US before a rising China, but Russia remains the largest supplier of weapons to New Zealand. Delhi. India is the only major country with close ties to the US that has not yet condemned Russia’s deployment of a “special military operation” in Ukraine or imposed sanctions on Moscow.

“India has called for an immediate end to the fighting and a return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue regarding the conflict in India,” said Meenakashi Lekhi, secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India in charge of foreign affairs and culture. Ukraine. India has friendly and close relations with both the US and Russia. Relations with the two countries have their own values.

This week, US President Joe Biden declared that India was the only country in the Quartet that was “frightened” by Russia. After a visit to New Delhi this week, the US diplomat confirmed that Washington is ready to provide more military equipment and energy to India to reduce dependence on Moscow. From rifles to missiles, 60% of India’s military supply comes from Russia, which analysts say is cheaper than American equipment. (Times of India)

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Korean Peninsula

North Korea missile launch ‘serious provocation’

On March 24, the transition team of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol condemned the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile by North Korea as a serious provocation that threatens security. South Korea. The group argues that this latest move by Pyongyang directly violates United Nations Security Council resolutions.

On March 24, the South Korean military said that it conducted multiple ballistic missile tests and tactical missiles shortly after. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the test confirmed the country’s ability to launch a precision strike in response to any North Korean missile launch and its command system. of Pyongyang.

Earlier on the same day, the JCS said it detected North Korea launched an object believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Sunan launch pad in Pyongyang at 2:34 pm (local time). According to the JCS, North Korea launched the missile at an angle. The missile flew about 1,080 km at a maximum altitude of more than 6,200 km. The missile landed in the Sea of ​​Japan 150km west of the Oshima peninsula in Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture. (Yonhap)

North Korea is believed to have tested an intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-17. (Source: Reuters/KCNA)

North Korea may have crossed a ‘red line’

Many Korean media outlets such as Yonhap, KBS, DongA Ilbo, News1, Newsis on March 24 continuously updated information related to North Korea’s missile test on the same day.

On the afternoon of March 24, the National Security Council (NSC) of the Presidential Palace of South Korea confirmed the previous conjecture of the domestic media that this was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test. . Accordingly, North Korea may have crossed the “red line” drawn by South Korea and the United States, pushing the Korean Peninsula into a new spiral of confrontation.

Korean media raised the possibility that this was a new ICBM test launch, possibly “Hwasong-17”.

Earlier, on March 16, a ballistic missile, believed to be of the same type, was launched, but exploded in the air at an altitude of 20 km. Accordingly, the launch on March 24 may be a launch to test relevant features of a new type of ICBM and “compensate” for the failure of the March 16 launch.

Earlier, South Korea and the United States had suddenly issued warnings that North Korea was in the process of testing new ICBM-related features through the tests on February 27 and March 5 that North Korea claimed. test launches of spy satellites. Accordingly, once the launch on March 24 is confirmed as an ICBM, it can be considered that North Korea has crossed the “red line” between South Korea and the United States. It is likely that the US and South Korea will respond with tough measures.

Some observers said the North’s launch could be a test of the readiness of South Korean military officials and take advantage of South Korea’s dispute over the relocation of the President’s Office to a military zone. Yonsan.

At the 5th NSC plenary session chaired by President Moon Jae-in in 2022, the NSC confirmed that North Korea used an ICBM in its latest launch on the same day. (Yonhap)

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US: North Korea ‘flagrantly violated’ UN Security Council resolutions

In a statement, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States strongly condemns North Korea’s test of a long-range ballistic missile. “This launch is a flagrant violation of many United Nations Security Council resolutions and an act that increases tensions and threatens to destabilize the security situation in the region,” Psaki said. area”

The same day, South Korea’s foreign ministry said the top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan had also strongly condemned North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and pledged to coordinate closely for “severe responses”.

The officials agreed that North Korea’s latest launch posed a serious threat not only to the Korean Peninsula but also to the international community, and called on North Korea to immediately cease its actions. further destabilizing action.

In a statement on March 24, the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) said Washington condemns North Korea’s latest missile launch. The move comes after South Korea and Japan reported on the launch of what is believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time since 2017.

INDOPACOM assessed that North Korea’s latest launch did not pose an immediate threat to US territory or personnel, or its allies, but called on the Pyongyang government to exercise restraint and avoid actions vi causes further instability. (Reuters/Yonhap)