Ukrainian presidential aide, Mykhaylo Podolyak, has also criticised the comments made by the Chinese ambassador to France. Podolyak said the status of post-Soviet countries was “enshrined in international law”, while he also took issue with Lu’s comments on Crimea, which was occupied by Russia in 2014.
All post-Soviet Union countries have a clear sovereign status enshrined in international law. Except for Russia, which fraudulently took a seat in the UN Security Council. It is strange to hear an absurd version of the "history of Crimea" from a representative of a country that…
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) April 23, 2023
Updated
It’s just after 8pm in Kyiv. Here is a summary of today’s events.
Ukraine’s military have set up positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River near Kherson. Infiltrating the area could be a first step towards trying to dislodge Russians from positions they are using to shell and shoot at Kherson.
France and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania expressed dismay that China’s ambassador in Paris questioned whether Crimea is part of Ukraine. France stated its “full solidarity” on Sunday, with all the allied countries affected, which it said had acquired their independence “after decades of oppression”. EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the comments were “unacceptable” and that he hoped they did not reflect Beijing’s official stance. Ukrainian presidential aide, Mykhaylo Podolyak, said the status of post-Soviet countries was “enshrined in international law”, while he also took issue with Lu’s comments on Crimea.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has said Moscow “will not forgive” Washington for denying US visas to Russian journalists who were meant to accompany him on a visit to UN headquarters.
Russia is advising citizens to avoid travel to Canada. Russia cited what it calls numerous cases of discrimination against its citizens, including physical violence, its foreign ministry has said.
Russia appeals for “real men” in new military recruitment drive. Russia’s Defence Ministry has launched a major drive for volunteer recruits, pitching to their masculine pride and appealing for “real men” amid a limited pool of fighting-age men in Russia, the UK Ministry of Defence says.
Evacuations in Russian city of Belgorod after bomb scare. More than 3,000 people in the Russian city of Belgorod were returning to their homes on Saturday after being evacuated while an explosive was disposed of, the local governor said.
At least five Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and surrounding districts late on Saturday night, damaging civilian buildings, local officials said. One missile hit a house in the village of Kotliary, just to the south of Kharkiv, while another caused a fire in the city itself, said the regional governor, Oleh Sinegubov.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed it had captured another three districts in the western part of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. Troops who have continued into the heavily contested city are thought to be part of the Wagner group of mercenaries.
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