Kyiv, Ukraine – U2 frontman Bono presented himself at a Kiev metro station that serves as a bomb shelter on Sunday, demonstrating his support for Ukrainians trying to repel the Russian invasion.
The Irish singer wrote on Twitter that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “invited us to play in Kyiv as a demonstration of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and that’s why we came to do it.”
Bono, along with guitarist The Edge, sang Ben E. King’s song “Stand By Me” at Khreschatyk metro station. He was joined by another singer in Ukrainian military uniforms.
He also visited Bucha, a city outside Kyiv where hundreds of bodies were found after the withdrawal of Russian troops last month. The city is considered a possible place for war crimes.
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KEY DEVELOPMENT OF THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:
– Dozens of Ukrainians were afraid of dying after a Russian attack on a school
– Patriotism and anxiety are mixed in Russia before the big celebrations of Victory Day
– G-7 leaders call on the President of Ukraine and promise to ban or reduce imports of Russian oil
– Jill Biden makes a surprise visit for Mother’s Day in Ukraine, meets the first lady there
– Ukrainian volunteers work to make bulletproof vests, camouflage nets for soldiers
Follow all AP stories about Russia’s war against Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
Kyiv, Ukraine – Leaders of developed democracies in the Group of Seven pledged on Sunday to suspend or ban Russian oil imports as they met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for online talks to emphasize their support and show unity among Western Allies on the Day. of the victory in Europe, which marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945
The suspension of Russian oil supplies “will hit hard the main artery of (President Vladimir) Putin’s economy and deny him the income he needs to finance the war”, G-7 countries including the United States, Britain, Canada , Germany, France, Italy and Japan, the statement said.
“We will ensure that we do this in a timely and orderly manner and in ways that provide time for the world to provide alternative supplies,” they added.
Looking back on World War II, leaders stressed the unity in their determination not to win.
“We owe it to the memory of all those who fought for freedom during World War II, to continue to fight for it today, for the people of Ukraine, Europe and the world community,” they said.
US President Joe Biden’s talks with G7 and Zelensky leaders lasted about an hour.
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ROME – Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi told fellow G7 leaders during a video call that a sixth package of sanctions against Russia should be implemented.
His office shared details of the call in a statement Sunday night. Draghi’s office says he told other world leaders “at the same time, we must make every effort to help achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible and give a new impetus to peace talks.”
He also insisted on continuing the G7’s commitment to helping poor countries at risk of a food crisis. Grain exports from Ukraine and Russia cover much of the needs of other nations, especially in Africa. The war threatens grain production in Ukraine, and fighting in and around Black Sea ports makes food supplies impossible.
The prime minister’s office says G-7 leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to diversifying energy sources to reduce dependence on Russian supplies. Italy, heavily dependent on Russian natural gas when the war broke out, has since secured several agreements on alternative gas supplies from other countries. But Hungary’s objections last week to proposed sanctions against Russian oil have complicated the European Union’s efforts.
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WASHINGTON – The United States has announced new sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions include a halt to Western advertising by Russia’s three largest television stations, a ban on US accounting and consulting firms providing services to any Russian and more restrictions on Russia’s industrial sector. These additional restrictions include cutting Moscow from wood products, industrial engines, boilers, bulldozers and more.
The United States also says that the leading industrialized forces of the Group of Seven have pledged to suspend or ban the import of Russian oil. The United States announced its own ban on Russian oil and energy products in March, but the United States had fewer Russian energy imports than Europe.
The new round of sanctions will affect three of Russia’s most popular television stations – Channel One Russia, Russia-1 and NTV – which the United States says were at the forefront of spreading misinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The United States says it has imposed about 2,600 visa restrictions on Russian and Belarusian officials and issued a new visa restriction policy that applies to Russian military personnel and authorities suspected of human rights abuses or corruption.
The United States has also sanctioned 27 executives of Gazprombank, a bank that facilitates sales of Russian energy giant Gazprom.
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Kyiv, Ukraine – The Ukrainian military said on Sunday that Moscow had focused its main efforts that day on destroying airport infrastructure in eastern and southern Ukraine to prevent Ukraine’s air force from operating effectively.
At least five explosions were heard in the key Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa on Sunday, according to local media reports. Odessa, Ukraine’s third-largest city and a cultural center of deep significance to both Ukrainians and Russians, has so far been largely spared in the ten-week war.
Numerous photos and videos have appeared showing paths and clouds of smoke in the sky above the city. Local media also reported that at least one rocket had been shot down. No casualties were reported as of Sunday afternoon, although a newspaper claimed civilian infrastructure had been damaged.
According to a Facebook post posted on Sunday by Ukraine’s chiefs of staff, Russia has also stepped up “operational and tactical aviation activities” in the northwestern Black Sea.
The Kharkiv regional administration said three people were killed in the shelling of the town of Bogodukhov, about 50km (31 miles) from the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
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IRPIN, Ukraine – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid a surprise visit to Ukraine amid Russia’s war against the country.
Ukrainian media Suspilne and Irpin Mayor Alexander Markushin announced Trudeau’s visit to Irpin, which was marred by Russia’s attempt to take Kyiv at the start of the war. Markushin posted photos of Trudeau on social media, saying the Canadian leader was shocked by the damage he saw in civilian homes.
Trudeau is the last Western leader to come to Ukraine to offer his support to the country. Later in the day, he hoisted his country’s flag at the Canadian embassy in Kyiv.
His office later confirmed the visit, saying in a statement that “the prime minister is in Ukraine to meet with President Zelensky and reaffirm Canada’s unwavering support for the Ukrainian people.”
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Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukraine and Canada will return to work on extending the Free Trade Agreement between them with a view to finalizing it “within weeks”, Ukraine’s economy ministry said on Sunday after an online meeting between senior trade officials.
The meeting between Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Economy Yulia Sviridenko and Canada’s Minister of International Trade Mary Ng coincided with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to Kyiv on Sunday afternoon.
The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine said Sviridenko expressed hope for Canada’s support in overcoming the food crisis caused by the blockade of Ukrainian seaports. Sviridenko also said the abolition of Canadian tariffs on Ukrainian goods – a step previously taken by the EU and the UK – would be an important move to boost Ukraine’s economy.
“This will help exporters increase the volume of products leaving the country, and thus strengthen the Ukrainian economy and the defense of our country,” the ministry said in a statement.
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UZHKHOROD, Ukraine – US First Lady Jill Biden paid an unannounced visit to western Ukraine on Sunday, holding a surprise Mother’s Day meeting with the nation’s first lady, Elena Zelenskaya, as Russia pushes for a punitive war in the eastern regions.
Biden traveled under cover of secrecy, becoming the last high-ranking American to enter Ukraine during its 10-week conflict with Russia.
Her visit follows recent stops in the war-torn House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress, as well as a joint trip by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to meet with President Vladimir Zelensky in Kyiv. .
The first lady traveled by car to the city of Uzhgorod from a Slovak village bordering Ukraine.
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WASHINGTON – A US official has said that the top US diplomat in Ukraine has temporarily returned to the US Embassy in Kyiv, the capital – a message related to Victory Day.
The official said the return of caretaker Ambassador Christina Quien was fulfilling a promise made by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky during the American’s recent visit to Kyiv with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
The official said the return of elected US diplomats to the embassy “is proof of Ukraine’s success, Moscow’s failure and our effective and lasting partnership with the government and people of a sovereign, democratic and free Ukraine.”
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss developments before the official announcement.
It is unclear when the US embassy will open. The video shows a column of American cars entering the embassy on Sunday afternoon.
– AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington.
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ZAPORIZHE, Ukraine – Fear of dozens of Ukrainians killed …
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