Ukraine updates: Russia cannot wage war with impunity, says US

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his counterparts from India, Japan and Australia on Friday that Russia cannot be allowed to wage war with impunity.

“If we allow with impunity Russia to do what it’s doing in Ukraine, then that’s a message to would-be aggressors everywhere that they may be able to get away with it too,” Blinken told the so-called Quad group in India.

The group met in the capital, New Delhi, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Apart from Blinken, the group consisted of Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

They said in a statement that the use, or threat of nuclear weapons in Ukraine was “inadmissible.”

G20 foreign ministers fail to agree over Ukraine

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Here are some of the other notable developments concerning the war in Ukraine on Friday, March 3:

US to announce new military aid for Ukraine 

The US is set to announce a new military aid package of $400 million (€376 million) for the Ukrainian government, to help Kyiv fight against Russian forces. The announcement will be made on the same day that German Chancellor Olaf Scholzis visiting the White House.

“Tomorrow, just unilaterally, the US will have another round of assistance for Ukraine. It will include mostly ammunitions and munitions that Ukrainians will need for the systems that they already have,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

The aid is expected to comprise mainly ammunition including Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) for HIMARS launchers, ammunition for Bradley Fighting Vehicles, as well as armored vehicle launched bridges, US officials told Reuters.

The US has already provided nearly $32 billion in weaponry to Ukraine.

Ukrainian defense minister optimistic war may end this year

Ukrainian Defense Minister Olexey Reznikov told German newspaper Bild that he feels optimistic the war will end this year.

“I am an optimist, I see the situation on the battlefield, I see the development of support and I really see that there is a chance to end this war this year with our victory,” he said.

He rejected the possibility of negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. When asked about Scholz’s pledges to support Kyiv, he said, “Ukraine must receive real security guarantees.

Switzerland receives request from Germany for mothballed Leopard 2 tanks

Switzerland’s Defense Ministry said it had received a request from the German government to allow German defense manufacturer Rheinmetall AG to acquire some of Switzerland’s mothballed Leopard 2 tanks.

The tanks would not be sent to Ukraine but be used to fill the gaps created by the handover of Leopard 2 tanks by Germany and its NATO and European allies, a ministry spokesperson told Reuters agency.

Germany, Poland, Portugal, Finland and Sweden are among countries that have committed to sending Leopard tanks to help Ukraine defend itself, creating gaps in their own arsenals.

tg/nm (dpa, AFP, Reuters)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-updates-russia-cannot-wage-war-with-impunity-says-us/a-64871237?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf