Nato won't be drawn into Putin's war of choice - Austin
At his address at Nato headquarters in Brussels, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin insisted Nato allies will "not be drawn" into Vladimir Putin's war.
He tells his fellow Nato defence ministers that despite the alliance facing "historic challenges", they were meeting them "with confidence and unity."
"But make no mistake," he went on, "Nato will not be drawn into Putin's war of choice."
"But we will strengthen Nato's defence and deterrence. And we will defend every inch of Nato territory," Austin continued.
South African delegation allowed off plane in Poland
The South African delegation has at last disembarked from the
plane that landed in Poland's capital, Warsaw, on Thursday afternoon.
The SAA chartered flight was carrying President Cyril
Ramaphosa's security details and a media pack invited to cover the African
peace mission to Ukraine and Russia.
"A South African SAPS [police] official, clearly frustrated
after 26 hours holed up in the plane, telling the Poles: 'Just because we’re
from Africa doesn’t mean you can disrespect us.' We’re going to the
terminal."
The Polish authorities have denied they were being racist,
insisting that some passengers did not have the correct paperwork to bring
weapons into the country.
Russia not 'closing doors' to foreign companies - Putin
AFPCopyright: AFP
As Vladimir Putin's speech reaches the hour mark, he turns his attention to the matter of foreign companies that have withdrawn their business from Russia.
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year, more than 1,000 international companies - including McDonald's, PepsiCo, H&M and Adidas - have stopped working in the country.
Putin told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum that Russia was not "closing doors" to overseas businesses considering a return,
He then promised to treat those who continued operations in Russia like "our own".
"But we will certainly keep in mind for the future the peculiar behaviour of some of those partners, Putin added. "And we will certainly make the interest of our domestic business our top priority."
US Defence Secretary addresses Nato meeting
NATO TVCopyright: NATO TV
Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defence, has begun speaking to a gathering of his counterparts at a Nato meeting in Brussels.
We're monitoring this and will bring you updates on what he says.
Nato leaders 'fail to reach agreement on defence plan'
As Putin continues to deliver his remarks in St Petersburg, over in Brussels, Nato Defence ministers
are meeting for a second day. We are hearing that the summit has failed to reach an
agreement on a defence plan.
A senior US official tells Reuters: "While regional plans were not
formally endorsed today, we anticipate these plans will be part of a series of
deliverables for the Vilnius Summit in July."
Turkey blocked a decision over the wording of geographical locations, a Nato diplomat tells the news agency.
The diplomat adds that there was
still an opportunity to find a solution before the Nato summit mid-July in
Vilnius.
Any agreement will be the first since
the end of the Cold War.
Africans weigh in on peace mission
Aaron Akinyemi
BBC World Service
Africans on the continent have been weighing in with their thoughts about their leaders’ peace mission to Ukraine and Russia.
Some on social voiced their scepticism about how much leverage African leaders’ influence could have on the conflict in Ukraine.
Others, meanwhile pointed out that Africa’s “ambiguous” stance on the conflict might not bode well for the mission having any meaningful impact.
In an emergency UN session in March last year, 28 out of 54 African countries represented in the body (just over 51 per cent ) voted in favour of a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while 17 countries abstained. This was a sharp contrast to over 80 per cent of non-African countries that voted in favour of the resolution.
Africans on social media also questioned whether the peace deal is an effective use of the continent’s resources at a time of widespread economic hardship and a number of conflicts - most notably in Sudan.
However, there was some optimism, with Ugandan policy expert Mathias Ssemanda saying the Russia-Ukraine conflict can't be resolved without African input.
Russia has had to increase defence spending, Putin says
President Vladimir Putin is still speaking in St Petersburg.
In his speech, he's said that "on the whole, [Russia's] public finances are balanced", but Moscow has had to spend more on defence to reinforce security.
"We have to do this to protect the sovereignty of our country," he said.
"I must say that, in general, it is justified, including from an economic point of view," Putin argued.
Putin predicts Russian economy will grow this year
Speaking in St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin says he believes Russia's economy could grow up to 2% this year as the country grapples with Western sanctions imposed since the start of the Ukraine conflict.
His forecast is for gross domestic product (GDP), which is a measure of all activity by companies, governments and individuals within a country.
In April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its 2024 forecast for Russia from 2.1% to 1.3%.
Putin addresses International Economic Forum
Emily Atkinson
Live reporter
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin has now started his keynote speech at the annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) - Russia’s answer
to Davos - which is in its third day.
The four-day event promises panel events as varied as they are
numerous. But in between debates over Arctic tourism and Russia’s emerging
social media influencers, the word “war” fails to appear on the agenda.
The spectre of the Russia-Ukraine conflict looms large over the
forum, however, mainly as a result of many notable absentees.
This year, there is no representation from Europe or the United
States.
Earlier this month, Putin barred journalists from “unfriendly
countries” - his shorthand for nations that have allied themselves with Ukraine
- from attending the forum.
Putin to speak shortly in St Petersburg
Vladimir Putin is billed to speak at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum - though he appeared to be running late. He has now appeared on stage.
It's not entirely without form. The Russian leader has a history of showing up late to his speeches, and even meetings with global leaders.
Damage in small town outside Kyiv after explosions
Yalda Hakim
Reporting from Stari Petrivtsi outside Kyiv
BBCCopyright: BBC
Some buildings were damaged in Stari PetrivtsiImage caption: Some buildings were damaged in Stari Petrivtsi
Stari Petrivtsi is a small town on the outskirts of Kyiv, just 50 minutes from the centre of the city, and now the
latest place to show the scars of Russia's war on Ukraine.
Houses on both sides of a dirty street have been totally destroyed, rooves
blown in, and fences blasted off their posts.
But miraculously, no-one was killed, although four people were
injured, according to local authorities.
It's not yet clear whether the damage was caused by a direct
missile attack or whether it was collateral damage from Ukraine's air defence
systems.
People were going about their daily business: a 12-year-old
boy was at home alone while his mother was at work. He had the sense to go to
the cellar, but he thought in the moment of the blast that he could die, and
that everything they have here could be destroyed.
He's long used to living in
fear, but today was the worst he's experienced.
BBCCopyright: BBC
This 12-year-old boy was home alone at the time of the explosionsImage caption: This 12-year-old boy was home alone at the time of the explosions
SA leader 'safe' despite delays for security team
The safety of South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has
had to travel to Ukraine without some of his security detail as they are stuck on a
plane in Poland, has not been compromised, his spokesperson has said.
According to the Polish Border Guard, the South Africans did not have the correct paperwork for their weapons.
Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the row was “regrettable” and efforts
were being made to ensure those on the aircraft could proceed “to cover at
least the Russian leg" of the trip.
In pictures: African leaders given defence briefing
African leaders have
been to St Michael's Square in Kyiv, where they have had a briefing from
Ukraine's defence ministry.
South African presidencyCopyright: South African presidency
South African presidencyCopyright: South African presidency
South African presidencyCopyright: South African presidency
What's been happening?
If you're just joining us, let's bring you up to speed with what's happened so far today.
A delegation of seven African leaders is on a visit to Kyiv and later St Petersburg to try to "engage" Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the issue of a ceasefire
Today's visit to Kyiv was interrupted by air raid sirens and an explosion in the Ukrainian capital
Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko posted on Telegram that the explosion was from Ukraine's air defences and several missiles were destroyed
The African leaders' delegation will be meeting President Zelensky later today before holding a media briefing, so stay with us as we'll bring you updates on that.
We're also expecting to hear from President Putin at the International Economic Forum, which we will also keep you updated on.
South Africans stuck on plane 'don't have documents'
Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent
Polish radio station Radio Zet says the South African Airways (SAA) plane that has been stuck on the tarmac at an airport in Poland's capital, Warsaw, since Thursday afternoon with part of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s delegation on board will not be able to disembark.
"It
turns out that some of the delegation do not have the documents to leave the
airport. Secondly, unofficially, the president’s additional bodyguards have
weapons. They do not have the proper permits for them," Radio Zet said.
The
station’s reporter, Michał Dzienyński, said Polish security said people in the
delegation could leave the aircraft as long as they did not carry their weapons
with them. The plane is expected to leave Poland this afternoon.
The director for the national security department in Poland has
also tweeted to say some of the delegation did not have permission to carry weapons in Poland,
and "were not given permission to leave the plane with their
weapons".
An
airport spokeswoman, Anna Dermont, told Radio ZET that food and drinks were being given to the plane’s passengers.
Putin due to give speech in St Petersburg
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to speak soon at the annual International Economic Forum in St Petersburg.
We'll be monitoring this - and you can also watch it live at the top of this page by clicking on the Play button.
African leaders in Kyiv's St Michael's Square
South Africa's presidency has just tweeted some videos from Kyiv's St
Michael’s Square.
The African leaders other members of the peace initiative receive a briefing from representatives of Ukraine's defence ministry.
He says the loud explosions heard in the city earlier were from the air defence system near the capital. There was no damage to residential buildings or other parts of the city he says.
Klitschko ends the message by thanking the air defence forces
Row as SA leader's security stuck on plane in Poland
South African presidencyCopyright: South African presidency
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Kyiv by trainImage caption: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Kyiv by train
The South African president’s security team has been stuck on a plane in Poland for several hours.
It's reported that authorities are refusing to allow them and accompanying journalists to disembark and continue their journey to Ukraine where Cyril Ramaphosa is leading the peace mission by African heads of states.
The SAA chartered flight with more than 120 people on board reportedly landed in Warsaw's Chopin Airport early on Thursday afternoon.
Ramaphosa’s head of security, Maj Gen Wally Rhoode, said the Polish government was sabotaging the president’s security by not allowing them to disembark.
“They are delaying us, they are putting the life of our president in jeopardy,” he told journalists.
"Because we could have been in Kyiv by now and this is all they are doing. I want you guys to see how racist they are.”
The Polish authorities have not commented on the situation.
Ukrainian Air Forces: We destroyed 12 Russian missiles
The Ukrainian Air Force shared a message on Telegram that it has
destroyed six Kinzhal ballistic missiles, six Kalibr cruise missiles and two
reconnaissance drones in latest Russian attack on Kyiv.
There is no word on whether any of the missiles launched by
Russia at Kyiv have made it through, but the Ukrainian capital's mayor Klitschko
reported an explosion in Podil district earlier.
Live Reporting
James Harness
All times stated are UK
Nato won't be drawn into Putin's war of choice - Austin
At his address at Nato headquarters in Brussels, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin insisted Nato allies will "not be drawn" into Vladimir Putin's war.
He tells his fellow Nato defence ministers that despite the alliance facing "historic challenges", they were meeting them "with confidence and unity."
"But make no mistake," he went on, "Nato will not be drawn into Putin's war of choice."
"But we will strengthen Nato's defence and deterrence. And we will defend every inch of Nato territory," Austin continued.
South African delegation allowed off plane in Poland
The South African delegation has at last disembarked from the plane that landed in Poland's capital, Warsaw, on Thursday afternoon.
The SAA chartered flight was carrying President Cyril Ramaphosa's security details and a media pack invited to cover the African peace mission to Ukraine and Russia.
Journalist Pieter Du Toit from News24 tweeted a few minutes ago: "We've disembarked, after another haranguing by Polish authorities.
"A South African SAPS [police] official, clearly frustrated after 26 hours holed up in the plane, telling the Poles: 'Just because we’re from Africa doesn’t mean you can disrespect us.' We’re going to the terminal."
The Polish authorities have denied they were being racist, insisting that some passengers did not have the correct paperwork to bring weapons into the country.
Russia not 'closing doors' to foreign companies - Putin
As Vladimir Putin's speech reaches the hour mark, he turns his attention to the matter of foreign companies that have withdrawn their business from Russia.
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year, more than 1,000 international companies - including McDonald's, PepsiCo, H&M and Adidas - have stopped working in the country.
Putin told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum that Russia was not "closing doors" to overseas businesses considering a return,
He then promised to treat those who continued operations in Russia like "our own".
"But we will certainly keep in mind for the future the peculiar behaviour of some of those partners, Putin added. "And we will certainly make the interest of our domestic business our top priority."
US Defence Secretary addresses Nato meeting
Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defence, has begun speaking to a gathering of his counterparts at a Nato meeting in Brussels.
We're monitoring this and will bring you updates on what he says.
Nato leaders 'fail to reach agreement on defence plan'
As Putin continues to deliver his remarks in St Petersburg, over in Brussels, Nato Defence ministers are meeting for a second day. We are hearing that the summit has failed to reach an agreement on a defence plan.
A senior US official tells Reuters: "While regional plans were not formally endorsed today, we anticipate these plans will be part of a series of deliverables for the Vilnius Summit in July."
Turkey blocked a decision over the wording of geographical locations, a Nato diplomat tells the news agency.
The diplomat adds that there was still an opportunity to find a solution before the Nato summit mid-July in Vilnius.
Any agreement will be the first since the end of the Cold War.
Africans weigh in on peace mission
Aaron Akinyemi
BBC World Service
Africans on the continent have been weighing in with their thoughts about their leaders’ peace mission to Ukraine and Russia.
Some on social voiced their scepticism about how much leverage African leaders’ influence could have on the conflict in Ukraine.
Others, meanwhile pointed out that Africa’s “ambiguous” stance on the conflict might not bode well for the mission having any meaningful impact.
In an emergency UN session in March last year, 28 out of 54 African countries represented in the body (just over 51 per cent ) voted in favour of a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while 17 countries abstained. This was a sharp contrast to over 80 per cent of non-African countries that voted in favour of the resolution.
Africans on social media also questioned whether the peace deal is an effective use of the continent’s resources at a time of widespread economic hardship and a number of conflicts - most notably in Sudan.
However, there was some optimism, with Ugandan policy expert Mathias Ssemanda saying the Russia-Ukraine conflict can't be resolved without African input.
Russia has had to increase defence spending, Putin says
President Vladimir Putin is still speaking in St Petersburg.
In his speech, he's said that "on the whole, [Russia's] public finances are balanced", but Moscow has had to spend more on defence to reinforce security.
"We have to do this to protect the sovereignty of our country," he said. "I must say that, in general, it is justified, including from an economic point of view," Putin argued.
Putin predicts Russian economy will grow this year
Speaking in St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin says he believes Russia's economy could grow up to 2% this year as the country grapples with Western sanctions imposed since the start of the Ukraine conflict.
His forecast is for gross domestic product (GDP), which is a measure of all activity by companies, governments and individuals within a country.
In April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its 2024 forecast for Russia from 2.1% to 1.3%.
Putin addresses International Economic Forum
Emily Atkinson
Live reporter
Russian President Vladimir Putin has now started his keynote speech at the annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) - Russia’s answer to Davos - which is in its third day.
The four-day event promises panel events as varied as they are numerous. But in between debates over Arctic tourism and Russia’s emerging social media influencers, the word “war” fails to appear on the agenda.
The spectre of the Russia-Ukraine conflict looms large over the forum, however, mainly as a result of many notable absentees.
This year, there is no representation from Europe or the United States.
Earlier this month, Putin barred journalists from “unfriendly countries” - his shorthand for nations that have allied themselves with Ukraine - from attending the forum.
Putin to speak shortly in St Petersburg
Vladimir Putin is billed to speak at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum - though he appeared to be running late. He has now appeared on stage.
It's not entirely without form. The Russian leader has a history of showing up late to his speeches, and even meetings with global leaders.
Damage in small town outside Kyiv after explosions
Yalda Hakim
Reporting from Stari Petrivtsi outside Kyiv
Stari Petrivtsi is a small town on the outskirts of Kyiv, just 50 minutes from the centre of the city, and now the latest place to show the scars of Russia's war on Ukraine.
Houses on both sides of a dirty street have been totally destroyed, rooves blown in, and fences blasted off their posts.
But miraculously, no-one was killed, although four people were injured, according to local authorities.
It's not yet clear whether the damage was caused by a direct missile attack or whether it was collateral damage from Ukraine's air defence systems.
People were going about their daily business: a 12-year-old boy was at home alone while his mother was at work. He had the sense to go to the cellar, but he thought in the moment of the blast that he could die, and that everything they have here could be destroyed.
He's long used to living in fear, but today was the worst he's experienced.
SA leader 'safe' despite delays for security team
The safety of South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has had to travel to Ukraine without some of his security detail as they are stuck on a plane in Poland, has not been compromised, his spokesperson has said.
According to the Polish Border Guard, the South Africans did not have the correct paperwork for their weapons.
Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the row was “regrettable” and efforts were being made to ensure those on the aircraft could proceed “to cover at least the Russian leg" of the trip.
But in a tweet, he said the president had arrived safely by train, along with other heads of state from Africa that are part of the peace talks.
Read more here.
In pictures: African leaders given defence briefing
African leaders have been to St Michael's Square in Kyiv, where they have had a briefing from Ukraine's defence ministry.
What's been happening?
If you're just joining us, let's bring you up to speed with what's happened so far today.
The African leaders' delegation will be meeting President Zelensky later today before holding a media briefing, so stay with us as we'll bring you updates on that.
We're also expecting to hear from President Putin at the International Economic Forum, which we will also keep you updated on.
South Africans stuck on plane 'don't have documents'
Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent
Polish radio station Radio Zet says the South African Airways (SAA) plane that has been stuck on the tarmac at an airport in Poland's capital, Warsaw, since Thursday afternoon with part of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s delegation on board will not be able to disembark.
"It turns out that some of the delegation do not have the documents to leave the airport. Secondly, unofficially, the president’s additional bodyguards have weapons. They do not have the proper permits for them," Radio Zet said.
The station’s reporter, Michał Dzienyński, said Polish security said people in the delegation could leave the aircraft as long as they did not carry their weapons with them. The plane is expected to leave Poland this afternoon.
The director for the national security department in Poland has also tweeted to say some of the delegation did not have permission to carry weapons in Poland, and "were not given permission to leave the plane with their weapons".
An airport spokeswoman, Anna Dermont, told Radio ZET that food and drinks were being given to the plane’s passengers.
Putin due to give speech in St Petersburg
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to speak soon at the annual International Economic Forum in St Petersburg.
We'll be monitoring this - and you can also watch it live at the top of this page by clicking on the Play button.
African leaders in Kyiv's St Michael's Square
South Africa's presidency has just tweeted some videos from Kyiv's St Michael’s Square.
The African leaders other members of the peace initiative receive a briefing from representatives of Ukraine's defence ministry.
Explosions in Kyiv sound of air defence system - Klitschko
An update now from Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko.
He says the loud explosions heard in the city earlier were from the air defence system near the capital. There was no damage to residential buildings or other parts of the city he says.
Klitschko ends the message by thanking the air defence forces
Row as SA leader's security stuck on plane in Poland
The South African president’s security team has been stuck on a plane in Poland for several hours.
It's reported that authorities are refusing to allow them and accompanying journalists to disembark and continue their journey to Ukraine where Cyril Ramaphosa is leading the peace mission by African heads of states.
The SAA chartered flight with more than 120 people on board reportedly landed in Warsaw's Chopin Airport early on Thursday afternoon.
Ramaphosa’s head of security, Maj Gen Wally Rhoode, said the Polish government was sabotaging the president’s security by not allowing them to disembark.
“They are delaying us, they are putting the life of our president in jeopardy,” he told journalists.
"Because we could have been in Kyiv by now and this is all they are doing. I want you guys to see how racist they are.”
The Polish authorities have not commented on the situation.
Ukrainian Air Forces: We destroyed 12 Russian missiles
The Ukrainian Air Force shared a message on Telegram that it has destroyed six Kinzhal ballistic missiles, six Kalibr cruise missiles and two reconnaissance drones in latest Russian attack on Kyiv.
There is no word on whether any of the missiles launched by Russia at Kyiv have made it through, but the Ukrainian capital's mayor Klitschko reported an explosion in Podil district earlier.