Displaying items by tag: Europe

The international criminal court in The Hague will seek arrest warrants against Russian individuals over war crimes. The arrest warrants come a year after the prosecutor opened investigations into possible war crimes against humanity and genocide. He has made three trips to Ukraine sites of alleged violations. Putin’s spokesperson said, ‘We do not recognise this court; or its jurisdiction.’ Russia left the leading human rights watchdog, Council of Europe, and threatened to withdraw from the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization, thereby deepening the country’s isolation from the west.

Dame Deborah Bronnert, Britain's ambassador to Moscow, ran a gauntlet of loud-mouthed propagandists following her down the street shouting repeatedly, ‘You are not welcome here,' and ‘Britain sponsors terrorism.' She told the protesters, ‘We want peace,' and tried to continue speaking but was cut off and told repeatedly that Britain sponsored terrorism. She reiterated, ‘Russia must stop the war.’ Reports say she had no official meetings with the pro-war authorities in Vladivostok, but was hauled into their foreign ministry and forced to walk through what appeared to be stage-managed propagandists. Russia has increased rhetoric against the UK as its Ukraine invasion falters.  Western officials say the wild claims are a distraction tactic. Moscow protests are rare and quickly crushed by police - suggesting this protest had tacit support from authorities.

A general strike is causing cancellations to flight, ferry and rail services plus disruption on the roads, over plans to raise the pension age from 62 to 64. 9th March was the seventh day of walkouts since the new year with more action expected to cause further upheaval in the coming days. President Macron’s proposals to increase the number of years of work required to claim a full pension are being debated in the French senate. President Macron is severely undermined on the domestic front as his centrist grouping failed to win a majority in parliamentary elections last June amid gains for the far right and radical left. Without a majority, the government must rely on the right-wing Les Républicains to back pensions changes, but their senators and lawmakers are pressing for alterations. Macron has not met with the Unions. Several unions have called for rolling cross-sector strike action. Next strike is 11th March. See

Ukraine was very much on everyone’s hearts, and some Ukrainian sisters and young Russian brothers came to the conference. It was not an easy situation for them, a Ukrainian sister expressed the deep wounds and pain caused to Ukrainians through the losses they are suffering day in and day out, by Russians. Then a young Russian Christian who helps drug addicts and social fringe groups testified how his fellow ministry leaders had suffered persecution after scrutiny by Russian authorities. In their own ways, both sides were ‘victims’ of the same autocratic state, and their pain was palpable. We prayerfully surrounded them, and during our intercessions, they were eventually able to reach out and embrace one another. It was deeply moving to witness these tentative steps of reconciliation between Ukrainian and Russian Christians. Reconciliation at the cross is a powerful weapon against the ‘real enemy’. Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Over 100 migrants died and 80 were recovered alive after their overloaded boat of 200+ people sank in rough seas off southern Italy. It was trying to land near Crotone. 43 bodies were recovered from a nearby beach resort. The migrants were from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia. Large numbers of people fleeing conflict and poverty cross from Africa to Italy each year. Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni, who pledged to stem the migrant flow into Italy, expressed deep sorrow, blaming the deaths on traffickers. One survivor was arrested for migrant trafficking. Pope Francis, who often defends the rights of migrants, has said he is praying for the dead, the missing and those who survived. Sadly, 15 days earlier, 73 migrants went missing and were presumed dead after their boat sank off the Libyan coast in a boat en route to Europe on the world's deadliest migratory sea crossing.

Pray for the women in Ukraine. Twelve months after Russia invaded the country, they are increasingly vulnerable to sexual violence with reports of abuse on the rise, according to a leading humanitarian organisation in the country. Women fleeing from bombed houses and their hometowns are reporting attacks occurring in the home and in communal shelters. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as ‘an affront to our collective conscience’, saying Friday’s anniversary is ‘a grim milestone for the Ukrainians. Pray for the UN to make wise decisions regarding Ukraine, ammunition and war machines. Joe Biden vowed that the US would defend ‘literally every inch of NATO territory’ ahead of talks with NATO’s secretary general and leaders of the Bucharest Nine (B9), a collection of nations on the most eastern parts of the NATO alliance and closest to Russia. Pray for aggressive talk to end and peace talks to begin.

It is hard to get an accurate picture of how Russians feel about invading Ukraine, given legislation which outlaws any comments discrediting the military or referring to the invasion as a war rather than a ‘special military operation’. But a survey by an independent Russian research group in November suggests it is dividing generations. 75% of those aged 40 and over support the war, compared with 62% of those aged 18-24. The younger generation get their news from outlets such as YouTube and social media. The generation brought up during the Soviet Union absorb the official government narrative via state-run TV, so support military action. Despite the risks, Russian filmmakers have recorded the impact that the invasion of Ukraine has had on Russians. Many thousands have fled. Those that stayed have to choose: support the war, oppose it, or stay silent.

More Russian soldiers are dying this month than at any time since the invasion. 824 Russian losses a day is over four times the rate reported in June and July. The Ukrainian military claims 137,780 Russian military deaths since the invasion began. The UK's MoD said recent increases could be due to lack of trained personnel and resources. See Pray for God to comfort Russian and Ukrainian families who are mourning the loss of a loved one. Also Wagner’s boss said his mercenary group is facing difficulties and will soon decrease in size as his political influence in the Kremlin wanes. The recruitment of prisoners to Wagner ranks has stopped, therefore the number of its units will decrease. Several prominent human rights groups have said the ministry of defence has now taken over Wagner’s role of recruiting inmates - effectively depriving the group of its main source of manpower.

Russia has deployed vessels armed with tactical nuclear weapons in the Baltic Sea for the first time in three decades, according to a Norwegian intelligence report. Warships regularly went to sea with nuclear weapons during the Soviet era, but this is the first time the Russian Federation has deployed them. Norway’s report comes as Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine reaches the one-year mark. The report said this deployment of vessels implies Russia will continue to pose a threat to Norway and NATO. Norway said that a localised war could possibly escalate into a wider conflict with direct military involvement by Russia, the USA, NATO, and Norway. Russia has called its war in Ukraine a special military operation, and accuses NATO of interfering.

Volodymyr Zelensky's surprise visit to the UK included meeting Rishi Sunak, making a speech in Parliament and having an audience with King Charles. He arrived as Downing Street announced that the UK will train Ukrainian pilots to fly NATO-standard fighter jets in the future, as requested by Ukraine. It is also expected the UK will announce fresh sanctions on Russia. Downing Street added that British training would be scaled up by training a further 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers. Mr Zelensky next visited Brussels, having urged France, Germany and the UK to provide fighter jets for the war against Russia. ‘Europe will always remain free as long as we are together,’ he told the European Parliament. He will meet all MEPs at a summit of EU leaders, on his second trip abroad since the war began. See Ukraine has received signals from Poland and the Netherlands to say that they are ready to supply RAF Typhoons and F-16 fighters.