Russia has appealed to China for military equipment and support to sustain its invasion of Ukraine, senior US officials have said.
With the country’s economy struggling from the tightening sanctions noose, Moscow has turned to Beijing for aid.
The Financial Times reported that Russia had sought military equipment and other assistance.
Despite Beijing seeking to portray itself as an honest broker, Washington has been alarmed by the reports of Russia’s plea to China.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN Washington was watching closely to see to what extent Beijing provided economic or material support to Russia, and would impose consequences if that occurred.
“We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing, that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to back fill them,” he said.
“We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world.”
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03:29 AM
“We will show you that Russian practice teaches warfare better than foreign theory’ says Chechen strongman
Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of Chechnya called on Ukrainian forces to surrender “or you will be finished”, as he announced he was in Ukraine alongside Russian forces.
Kadyrov, who is accused by international NGOs of serious human rights violations in the tightly controlled Caucasus republic, posted a video on Telegram of himself in military uniform studying plans around a table with soldiers in a room.
He said in a message that the video had been shot at Hostomel, an airfield near Kyiv captured by Russian forces in the first days of their offensive.
This information could not be independently verified.
“The other day we were about 20 km from you Kyiv Nazis and now we are even closer,” Kadyrov wrote.
“We will show you that Russian practice teaches warfare better than foreign theory and the recommendations of military advisers,” he added.
03:11 AM
Amsterdam’s Orthodox clergy split from Moscow Patriarch
A Russian Orthodox church in Amsterdam has announced it will break away from the Moscow patriarchate due to threats it has received since the start of the war in Ukraine.
In a statement it said: “the clergy unanimously announced that it is no longer possible for them to function within the Moscow Patriarchate and provide a spiritually safe environment for our faithful”.
It was “with a heavy heart” that the four priests of Saint Nicholas of Myra in Amsterdam had reached their decision, they said.
They had asked Archbishop Elisey, of the Russian Orthodox Church in The Hague, to grant them canonical dismissal and had applied to join the Constantinople Orthodox Church, the statement added.
02:47 AM
Australia joins the UK and US in sanctioning key Russian oligarchs
Australia hit 33 Russian oligarchs with fresh sanctions along with prominent businesspeople and their immediate family members.
“The sanctions announced today reinforce Australia’s commitment to sanction those people who have amassed vast personal wealth and are of economic and strategic significance to Russia, including as a result of their connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
They include Roman Abramovich, Chelsea Football Club owner; Alexey Miller the CEO of Gazprom; Dmitri Lebedev, Chairman of Rossiya; Sergey Chemezov, Chair of Rostec; Nikolay Tokarev, CEO of Transneft; Igor Shuvalov, Chairman Vnesheconombank; and Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of Russian Direct Investment Fund.
02:15 AM
No humanitarian corridors opening in the Sumy on Monday, reports regional media outlet
There will be no humanitarian corridors opening in the Sumy region of Ukraine on Monday, Nexta reported, citing the state administration.
❗️The head of the #Sumy Regional State Administration said that there will be no “green corridors” in the region on March 14.
None of the routes as of today has been agreed.
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 14, 2022
01:51 AM
Pictured: Scenes from Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, on Sunday, day 18 of the war
01:24 AM
Chechen leader Kadyrov says he travelled to Ukraine
Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechnya region and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Sunday that he had travelled into Ukraine to meet Chechen troops attacking Kyiv.
Reuters could not independently verify whether he was in Ukraine or had travelled there during the conflict.
Chechen television channel Grozny posted a video on its Telegram social media channel earlier on Sunday that showed Kadyrov in a darkened room discussing with Chechen troops a military operation they said took place 7 km from the Ukrainian capital.
01:13 AM
Blinken, Ukraine’s Kuleba discuss diplomatic efforts to stop war
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, discussed during a call on Sunday the diplomatic efforts to stop Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.
“Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Kuleba discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to stop Putin’s war of choice,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
“The Secretary reiterated the United States’ steadfast solidarity with Ukraine in defense against the Kremlin’s continued brutal aggression.”
12:58 AM
Police checks for residents offering refuge to Ukrainians
Members of the public who apply to take in Ukrainian refugees will have to undergo background checks overseen by the Government to make sure they are suitable, it has emerged.
Applicants will also have to personally name the Ukrainians they wish to house rather than be offered an individual to support via a council or central government.
READ MORE: Background checks to be carried out on people offering refuge to Ukrainians in Britain
12:57 AM
US issues warning to Vladimir Putin
The US warned Russia that it would face Nato’s “full force” if attacks on Ukraine strayed beyond the border after Vladimir Putin brought his war to within 15 miles of Poland with a missile strike on foreign fighters.
Russia boasted that it had killed “up to 180” foreign fighters and destroyed a cache of weapons donated by the West after using long-range missiles to target a military training centre near the city of Lviv hosting volunteer fighters from abroad.
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Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, suggested that Nato would engage in direct conflict with Russia if Moscow accidentally hit Nato territory in Poland.
Read the full story here.
12:40 AM
Today’s top stories
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The US warned Russia that it would face Nato’s “full force” if attacks on Ukraine strayed beyond the border after Vladimir Putin brought his war to within 15 miles of Poland with a missile strike on foreign fighters
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Russia has appealed to China for military equipment and support to sustain its invasion of Ukraine, senior US officials have said
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Members of the public who apply to take in Ukrainian refugees will have to undergo background checks overseen by the Government to make sure they are suitable, it has emerged
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Pro-war Russians are targeting those who oppose the invasion by daubing the letter Z on their homes, the rallying symbol for supporters of Vladimir Putin
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Fears of repeating blunders that led to a £1.3 billion payout by the Government are slowing attempts to sanction Russian oligarchs, The Telegraph can reveal
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Doctors and nurses treating injured Russian soldiers in a Belarusian hospital near Ukraine have been ordered not to talk about their work, local sources have told The Telegraph
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On Sunday night, a few dozen dazed survivors from a strike on a Ukrainian base used for training foreign volunteers began returning over the Polish border, many apparently re-assessing their decision to take up arms
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Ukraine’s Father Pavil has made no attempt to offer false comfort. Instead, he has told a congregation to ready themselves to meet their maker: “If we love God dearly, we know that bodily death is just a chance to meet Him sooner”
