The Russia-Ukraine war will have a material impact on economic activity and inflation through higher energy and commodity prices, the European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde said Thursday.

The war will also lead to disruption of international commerce and weaker confidence, she told a news conference after the ECB kept interest rates unchanged, but signaled it will decrease its asset purchases faster than planned.

"The extent of these effects will depend on how the conflict evolves, on the impact of current," she noted.

Lagarde said the impact of the war needs to be assessed for the euro area economy, helped by ample policy support.

"We will ensure smooth liquidity conditions and implement the sanctions decided by the EU and the European governments," she added. "We will take whatever action is needed to fulfill the ECB's mandate to pursue price stability and to safeguard financial stability."

Lagarde also noted that the recovery of the European economy is boosted by the fading impact of the omicron coronavirus variant, while the supply bottlenecks have been showing signs of easing and the labor market has been improving.

She said the euro area economy is expected to grow 3.7% this year, followed by 2.8% next year and 1.6% in 2024.

The annual inflation forecast, however, was also revised up to 5.1% for this year, 2.1% in 2023, and 1.9% in 2024./aa

Western Union suspended operations in Russia and Belarus on Thursday, joining a growing number of businesses that have pulled out from the region following Moscow's war on Ukraine. 

"We join the international community in expressing sincere hope for a diplomatic and peaceful resolution," the global money transfer service company said in a statement.

"Meanwhile, our priorities remain the well-being and safety of our employees as well as continuing to support the people of Ukraine, including the growing number of refugees seeking safety," it added./aa

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that it is odd when Western countries blame sanctions on Russia for their domestic economic woes. 

Speaking at a government meeting in Moscow, Putin stressed that Russia is fulfilling its contract obligations to Western countries in full despite any restrictions.

“As for those countries that are taking unfriendly steps towards our country and economy … they point to the sanctions they are imposing on us as the reason for the deterioration of their situation.

“It looks very strange, especially since we are fulfilling all our obligations. I would like to stress once again that we fulfill all our obligations in the field of energy supply,” he said.

Putin said Russia continues to supply its main consumers, both in Europe and in other regions of the world.

“Even the east transport system of Ukraine is 100% percent loaded under our contracts. It's surprising, but the fact is, we do it,” he said.

Putin said the US government is trying to deceive its own population, making Russia a scapegoat for their own miscalculations.

Russia’s oil deliveries to the US are less than 3% of the total, so this is a negligible value to cause a spike in prices, he said.

“Even the ban on the import of Russian oil has absolutely nothing to do with it (rising prices). They are simply hiding behind these decisions in order to deceive their own people,” he said.

Putin said the US is trying to reconcile with both Iran and Venezuela to counter Russia on energy markets.

“They are ready to make peace with Iran, immediately sign all the documents (to renew the Iran nuclear deal). And with Venezuela. They went to Venezuela to negotiate with them,” he said.

Russia will not close its markets to foreign partners and is ready to work with everyone who wants it, he stressed.

- 'Harsh consequences if Russian vessels with fertilizer remain blocked'

Hindering the supply of Russian and Belarusian fertilizer will have serious international consequences, the Russian president warned.

“Russia and Belarus are among the largest suppliers of mineral fertilizers to world markets. If we continue to have any problems in financing this work, in insurance, in logistics, in the delivery of our goods, then prices, already exorbitant, they will rise even more,” he said.

He also said that it is necessary to use legal tools to maintain the work of companies that decided to leave Russia, and threatened to take over facilities idled voluntarily by companies.

“Those who are going to close their production facilities – here we need to act decisively. … Then, as the prime minister suggested, it is necessary to introduce external management and then transfer these enterprises to those who want to work,” he said.

As for the foreign investors that remain and continue working in Russia, their rights will be well protected, he stressed./aa

The Turkish president will continue his diplomatic efforts for a cease-fire in the Russia-Ukraine war, the safe evacuation of civilians from the region, and the establishment of peace with meetings on Thursday and the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which ends on Sunday.

Continuing his determined diplomatic push in the international arena since the first days of the tension between Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan will meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Thursday at a working dinner to continue his efforts.

At the dinner in the Cankaya Mansion in the capital Ankara, steps that can be taken to end the war as well as regional effects will be discussed.

Erdogan and his US counterpart Joe Biden will also speak on the phone at 1530GMT, in a conversation expected to focus on the Russia-Ukraine War.

• All eyes on Turkiye hosting Russia, Ukraine high-level meeting on Thursday
• Turkish, Ukrainian presidents hold phone call
• Turkish president tells Putin of readiness to help solve Russia-Ukraine war by 'peaceful means'
• Turkish, Azerbaijani presidents discuss Russia-Ukraine crisis
• Turkiye, Azerbaijan to help start negotiations with Russia: Ukrainian leader
• Turkish, US presidents to speak over phone on Thursday
• Greek premier, Turkish president to meet in Istanbul on March 13
• Diplomatic push to continue at Antalya Diplomacy Forum

The Turkish president will attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in the Turkish resort city of the same name on Friday with a focus on ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Erdogan's contacts will continue with a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who will visit Istanbul on Sunday, and German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, who will pay an official visit to Ankara on Monday.

Talks with Zelenskyy, Putin

After Russian began its war on Ukraine Feb. 24, Erdogan chaired a security summit with a number of Cabinet ministers and key staffers at the Presidential Complex.

Then Erdogan had a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with follow-ups on Feb. 26 and March 4. Erdogan said they were pushing for a cease-fire r to prevent further loss of life and prevent further damage to Ukraine.

Erdogan also spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 6. During the call, Erdogan told Putin that Turkiye is ready to help solve the Ukraine issue by peaceful means as soon as possible.

He also underlined that an urgent general cease-fire would not only alleviate humanitarian concerns in the region, but also open up space for a political solution.

Contacts with other leaders

On the Russia-Ukraine war, Erdogan also held phone calls with a host of other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel.

In addition, Erdogan exchanged views on the war with Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani and Israeli President Isaac Herzog when they paid separate visits to the capital Ankara./aa

Britain on Thursday announced changes to its Ukraine immigration plan that will allow Ukrainian refugees with a passport to enter the UK after growing criticism that the government was neglecting Ukrainians fleeing the Russian war. 

Announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel in the House of Commons, the changes will enable Ukrainian refugees to apply online to enter the UK rather than visit consular services that provide limited support.

“From Tuesday, I can announce that Ukrainians with passports will no longer need to go to a Visa Application Centre to give their biometrics before they come to the UK. Instead, once their application has been considered and the appropriate checks completed, they will receive direct notification that they are eligible for the scheme and can come to the UK,” Patel said.

“In short, Ukrainians with passports will be able to get permission to come here, fully online, from wherever they are; and will be able to give their biometrics once in Britain. This will mean that Visa Application Centres across Europe can focus their efforts on helping Ukrainians without passports. We have increased the capacity at those centres to over 13,000 appointments per week,” she added.

Prior to the last minute changes, Ukrainian refugees traveled to the French port city of Calais in the hopes of gaining access to the UK only to discover they could not apply for UK visas and were forced to look elsewhere. Furthermore, UK consulates in Europe provided limited services to Ukrainians and offered limited number of appointments.

Patel’s decision to relax entry requirements for Ukrainian refugees was made in response to an urgent question by Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper who asked why such changes were being made now when the government had intelligence of a Russian aggression months prior and failing to prepare for its humanitarian consequences.

“I have to say to the home secretary, why does it always take being hauled into the House of Commons to make basic changes to help vulnerable people who are fleeing from Ukraine?” Cooper said.

“It is deeply wrong to leave people in this terrible state. Our country is better than this. If she can’t get this sorted out, frankly she should hand the job over to somebody else who can,” she added.

The ensuing delays and the Home Office’s lacklustre response in accepting Ukrainian refugees produced a backlash and outcry with many in the country accusing the government of neglect and lacking humanity. Earlier this week, it was revealed the Home Office had issued a mere 50 visas to Ukrainians despite thousands applying to enter the country.

- Non-Ukrainian refugees still face difficulty seeking asylum

The recent changes to the government’s immigration policy, however, is only applicable to Ukrainian refugees and not other groups of people seeking asylum in the UK. As such, many of these refugees, majority of whom are from Africa and Asia, are still denied entry into the UK and rely on dangerous routes across the English Channel in attempts to seek residence Britain.

The government in 2021 introduced strict and stringent immigration laws that made it increasingly difficult for refugees to enter the UK. The new policies included deploying the Royal Navy to police the English Channel and enabling Border Force staff to forcefully turn migrant boats around and send them back to France.

Human rights organizations have argued that government policy towards migrants and refugees crossing the Channel is harsh and risked more deaths at sea. November 2021 saw 27 people, including a seven-year-old boy and a pregnant woman, drown there, the worst tragedy in the Channel’s history.

Organizations, including the Refugee Council, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, and Care4Calais, have argued that government’s approach is counterproductive and forces more people into the hands of human traffickers and smugglers, making the journey to the UK deadly and treacherous.

In January this year charities called on the British government to provide safer routes for refugees and migrants crossing the English Channel as the number of crossings increased significantly as well as an overall change to the “hostile environment” character of its immigration policy./aa

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Thursday that it had obtained documents indicating that US-sponsored biological laboratories in Ukraine conducted experiments with bat coronavirus samples. 

The biolabs in Ukraine studied the possibilities of transfer of African swine fever and anthrax through infecting birds, bats, and reptiles, the ministry's spokesman Igor Konashenkov alleged during a daily briefing in Moscow.

The records recovered by Russia confirmed that these biolabs investigated pathogen transmission by wild birds traveling between Ukraine and Russia, as well as other bordering nations, he added.

"Russian specialists of the radiation, chemical, and biological protection divisions have studied documents on the transfer of human biomaterials taken in Ukraine to foreign countries on the instructions of US representatives.

"Of particular interest was detailed information about the implementation of a project by the US on the territory of Ukraine to study the transfer of pathogens by wild birds migrating between Ukraine and Russia and other neighboring countries," he noted.

Also, these biolabs did experiments with bat coronavirus samples, the spokesman added.

"In the near future, we will publish the next package of documents received from Ukrainian biolaboratory employees and present the results of their examination," he pledged.

Meanwhile, the Russian armed forces continued to "demilitarize" Ukraine, as of Thursday, 2,991 objects of the country's military infrastructure were hit, including 97 aircraft, 107 unmanned aerial vehicles, 141 anti-aircraft missile defense systems, 86 radar posts, 986 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 107 multiple rocket launchers, 368 field artillery and mortars, 749 units of special military vehicles, Konashenkov claimed.

The rebel forces of Ukraine's Donetsk regions continued "liberation of the city of Mariupol of nationalists," and they also took two more settlements under control, he added./aa

The head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Wednesday she is "horrified" by an attack on a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine which has reportedly left young children and women in labor buried beneath the rubble.

"We do not yet know the number of casualties but fear the worst," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

"This attack, if confirmed, underscores the horrific toll this war is exacting on Ukraine's children and families."

Russell said that in less than two weeks since Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine, at least 37 children have been killed and 50 injured while more than 1 million children have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries.

"Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure – including hospitals, water and sanitation systems and schools – are unconscionable and must stop immediately," she said.

"I am horrified by the reported attack…in Mariupol," said Russell. "The children of Ukraine desperately need peace."

She said UNICEF renews its call for an immediate cease-fire and urges all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect children from harm and to ensure that humanitarian actors can safely and quickly reach children in need."

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said before the attack was reported that "so far, the WHO has verified 18 attacks on health facilities, health workers and ambulances," in which there were 10 deaths and 16 injuries.

The day before, the WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, told journalists at a press conference that the "WHO strongly condemns these attacks on health care services," after reporting attacks on health services and workers./aa

The US warned Wednesday of the potential for Russia to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, saying the United States does not “possess such weapons anywhere.”

In a series of tweets, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Russia falsely claimed that the US has biological weapons labs and chemical weapons development facilities in Ukraine, claims which she said were echoed by Chinese officials.

"This is preposterous," said Psaki, adding that "It’s the kind of disinformation operation we’ve seen repeatedly from the Russians over the years in Ukraine and in other countries, which have been debunked, and an example of the types of false pretexts we have been warning the Russians would invent.”

"Now that Russia has made these false claims and China has seemingly endorsed this propaganda, we should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to create a false flag operation using them. It’s a clear pattern," Psaki wrote.

The warning comes in response to claims by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who said that documents suggest "components of bioweapons were being developed in Ukraine."

Speaking at a weekly briefing in Moscow, Zakharova said the Russian Armed Forces received evidence of the development of biological weapon components by Ukraine under US guidance from the employees of Ukraine's biological labs.

Psaki said the US is in full compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention, adding Washington "does not develop or possess such weapons anywhere."

She accused Russia of having "a long and well-documented track record" of using chemical weapons, citing the poisoning of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political rival Alexey Navalny.

Psaki also cited the war in Syria, accusing Moscow of using chemical weapons to support the Bashar al-Assad regime.

"It’s Russia that has long maintained a biological weapons program in violation of international law.”

She noted that Russia had accused the West in the past of the "very violations that Russia itself is perpetrating" and recalled that in December, Moscow falsely accused Washington of deploying contractors with chemical weapons in Ukraine.

"This is all an obvious ploy by Russia to try to justify its further premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine," she added.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia, including McDonald's and Starbucks over the last 24 hours.

At least 516 civilians have been killed and 908 others injured in Ukraine since Russia launched the war against its neighbor, according to UN figures, with the real toll feared to be higher.

More than 2.1 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency./aa