The Evening Wrap: Kremlin says Putin ready to send delegation to Minsk for talks

Pre-dawn blasts in Kyiv set off a second day of violence after Russian President Vladimir Putin defied Western warnings to unleash a full-scale invasion on Thursday that quickly claimed dozens of lives and displaced at least 100,000 people. On Friday, Ukrainian forces fought off Russian troops in the streets of the capital Kyiv as President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of targeting civilians and called for more international sanctions. Russia’s defence ministry said on Friday its forces had captured the strategic Hostomel aerodrome outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and landed paratroopers in the area. It said the Russian military had blocked access to Kyiv from the west, and separatist forces in eastern Ukraine had attacked Ukrainian army positions with Russian army support. Ukraine said its capital and other parts of the country were hit by Russian missiles in the early hours of Friday. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has said President Vladimir Putin is ready to send a delegation to Belarus’s capital Minsk for talks with Ukraine, as Russian forces approach Kyiv on the second day of Moscow’s invasion. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader was “ready” to send a high-level delegation “for talks with a Ukrainian delegation” to Minsk, the host city for previous peace talks and agreements. Earlier, world leaders reacted swiftly to the latest developments with U.S. President Joe Biden announcing additional sanctions against Russian banks, major state-owned enterprises and Russian elites. The EU has agreed to freeze European assets linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, three EU officials and a European diplomat told AFP on Friday. The measures were added on Friday after being raised in overnight discussions by EU leaders on a new sanctions package that EU Foreign Ministers from the 27-nation bloc were to validate. Earlier, world leaders reacted swiftly to the latest developments with U.S. President Joe Biden announcing additional sanctions against Russian banks, major state-owned enterprises and Russian elites. The EU has agreed to freeze European assets linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, three EU officials and a European diplomat told AFP on Friday. The measures were added on Friday after being raised in overnight discussions by EU leaders on a new sanctions package that EU Foreign Ministers from the 27-nation bloc were to validate. Air India planning to operate two flights to Bucharest to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine Air India is planning to operate two flights to Romanian capital Bucharest on Friday to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine due to a Russian military offensive, senior government officials said. Stranded Indian nationals who have reached the Ukraine-Romania border by road will be taken to Bucharest by officials of the Indian government so that they can be evacuated in the two Air India flights, they added. The Ukrainian airspace was closed for civil aircraft operations by the country’s authorities on Thursday morning and therefore, the evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest. The two Air India flights will depart from Bucharest on Saturday, the officials said. The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Friday said it is working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary. “At present, teams are getting in place at the following check points: Chop-Zahony Hungarian border near Uzhhorod, Porubne-Siret Romanian border near Chernivtsi,” it said. Indian nationals, especially students, living closest to these border checkpoints are advised to depart in an organised manner in coordination with teams from the Ministry of External Affairs to actualise this option, the embassy said. Once the above-mentioned routes are operational, the Indian nationals travelling on their own would be advised to proceed to the border check points, it noted. The embassy advised the Indians to carry their passports, cash (preferably in US dollars), other essential items and COVID-19 vaccination certificates to the border check points. “Print out Indian flag and paste prominently on vehicles and buses while travelling,” it said. Around 20,000 Indians, mainly students, are currently stranded in Ukraine, the officials said. The distance between Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the Romanian border check point is approximately 600 km and it takes anywhere between eight-and-a-half to 11 hours to cover it by road. Bucharest is located approximately 500 km from the Romanian border check point and it takes anywhere between seven to nine hours to cover the distance by road. The distance between Kyiv and the Hungarian border check point is around 820 km and it takes 12-13 hours to cover it by road. Bucharest is located approximately 500 km from the Romanian border check point and it takes anywhere between seven to nine hours to cover the distance by road. The distance between Kyiv and the Hungarian border check point is around 820 km and it takes 12-13 hours to cover it by road. Clarify on the legality of bitcoin, Supreme Court tells Government Bucharest is located approximately 500 km from the Romanian border check point and it takes anywhere between seven to nine hours to cover the distance by road. The distance between Kyiv and the Hungarian border check point is around 820 km and it takes 12-13 hours to cover it by road. The Supreme Court on Friday orally asked the Government to clarify on the legality of digital currency, bitcoin. A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was hearing a case related to the Gain bitcoin scam. The question came in response to a submission by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, for the lifting of the stay on arrest of one of the accused, Ajay Bhardwaj, in the case. The ED had already filed a status report in the case on July 30, 2021. Bhati stated that Bhardwaj has not cooperated in the course of the investigation. She urged the court to lift the stay on his arrest as the allegations involve the collection of 80,000 bitcoins, valued at approximately ₹20,000 crore. The court, however, extended the interim order to stay Bhardwaj’s arrest till March 28, the next date of hearing, provided he cooperated fully in the investigation. The court directed him to appear before the ED in two days. The Bench ordered Bhardwaj to “co-operate with the investigation by being present as and when called upon to do so”. The court asked the ED to file a fresh status report on or before March 25. The report should detail the progress in the investigation and whether the accused had cooperated in the probe. ED had lodged a money laundering case against Ajay Bhardwaj and others on the basis of two FIRs, one at Pune and the other at Nanded. The police have alleged that Gain bitcoin, through a cryptocurrency investment scheme called ‘GB21’, duped investors by guaranteeing 10% monthly returns. The police have alleged that Gain bitcoin, through a cryptocurrency investment scheme called ‘GB21’, duped investors by guaranteeing 10% monthly returns. Russia loses Champions League final to Paris; Sochi Formula One axed Russia was stripped of hosting the Champions League final by UEFA on Friday with St. Petersburg replaced by Paris, and Formula One dropped this season’s Russian Grand Prix at Sochi, as the invasion of Ukraine drew punitive measures in the sporting world. The showpiece final in the European men’s football season will still be held on May 28 but now at the 80,000-seat Stade de France in the Saint-Denis suburb of the French capital after the decision by UEFA’s executive committee. It followed discussions led by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin that involved the European Commission and French President Emmanuel Macron in recent days after concerns were raised about the status of Russia retaining such a prestigious event after its aggression toward another European country. UEFA thanked Macron for his “personal support and commitment to have European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis.” Alexander Dyukov, a Russian member of the UEFA executive committee, complained the decision was taken for “political reasons.” Dyukov also opposed UEFA ordering Russian clubs and national teams to play at neutral venues until further notice — a ruling also imposed on Ukrainian sides. The move comes as Russian bombs and troops pounded Ukraine during the invasion’s first full day, and world leaders on Friday began to fine-tune a response meant to punish the Russian economy and its leaders, including President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. The F1 race wasn’t due until September in the Black Sea resort of Sochi but the motorsport series leadership decided it would be “impossible” to stage the Grand Prix after talks with teams and the FIA governing body. American team Haas also dropped the sponsorship of Russian company Uralkali during preseason testing in Barcelona. Nikita Mazepin of Haas is the only Russian driver on the F1 grid this season. “We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation,” F1 said in a statement. The French government will work with UEFA to help to rescue footballers and their families who “face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement,” European football’s governing body said in a statement. There is the unresolved matter of Russia still being due to host Poland in World Cup qualifying playoff semifinals in Moscow. Poland wants the game taken out of Russia, but FIFA has yet to decide. UEFA was more decisive on the Champions League final hosting, which was welcomed by the British government. “Russia must not be allowed to exploit sporting and cultural events on the world stage to legitimise its unprovoked, premeditated and needless attack against a sovereign democratic state,” said British Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, who has the sports brief. This is the third consecutive year that UEFA has had to change its Champions League final location after two switches due to coronavirus issues. The Stade de France last hosted the Champions League final 16 years ago, when Barcelona beat Arsenal in the 2006 final. The 68,000-capacity St. Petersburg stadium was originally picked in 2019 to host the final in 2021. That was postponed by one year in the fallout of disruption caused by the pandemic. The stadium is named for Russian state-owned energy firm Gazprom, which is also a top-tier UEFA sponsor of the Champions League and European Championship. UEFA has two weeks before the next set of Champions League games to resolve the issue of Gazprom adverts flashing around stadium pitches. Reinforcing the company’s close links to UEFA, Dyukov is a CEO of a Gazprom subsidiary as well as sitting on European football’s top decision-making body. UEFA has two weeks before the next set of Champions League games to resolve the issue of Gazprom adverts flashing around stadium pitches. Reinforcing the company’s close links to UEFA, Dyukov is a CEO of a Gazprom subsidiary as well as sitting on European football’s top decision-making body. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 4,28,94,688 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 5,13,282. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 25 FEBRUARY 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( As Ukraine soldiers battle Russian troops in Kyiv, Kremlin says Putin ready to send delegation to Minsk for talks [Pre-dawn blasts in Kyiv set off a second day of violence]( after Russian President Vladimir Putin defied Western warnings to unleash a full-scale invasion on Thursday that quickly claimed dozens of lives and displaced at least 100,000 people. On Friday, Ukrainian forces fought off Russian troops in the streets of the capital Kyiv as President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of targeting civilians and called for more international sanctions. Russia’s defence ministry said on Friday its forces had captured the strategic Hostomel aerodrome outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and landed paratroopers in the area. [A Ukrainian soldier sits injured in cross fire inside Kyiv on February 25, 2022. ] It said the Russian military had blocked access to Kyiv from the west, and separatist forces in eastern Ukraine had attacked Ukrainian army positions with Russian army support. Ukraine said its capital and other parts of the country were hit by Russian missiles in the early hours of Friday. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has said President Vladimir Putin is ready to send a delegation to Belarus’s capital Minsk for talks with Ukraine, as Russian forces approach Kyiv on the second day of Moscow’s invasion. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader was “ready” to send a high-level delegation “for talks with a Ukrainian delegation” to Minsk, the host city for previous peace talks and agreements. Earlier, world leaders reacted swiftly to the latest developments with U.S. President Joe Biden announcing additional sanctions against Russian banks, major state-owned enterprises and Russian elites. The EU has agreed to freeze European assets linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, three EU officials and a European diplomat told AFP on Friday. The measures were added on Friday after being raised in overnight discussions by EU leaders on a new sanctions package that EU Foreign Ministers from the 27-nation bloc were to validate. Earlier, world leaders reacted swiftly to the latest developments with U.S. President Joe Biden announcing additional sanctions against Russian banks, major state-owned enterprises and Russian elites. The EU has agreed to freeze European assets linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, three EU officials and a European diplomat told AFP on Friday. The measures were added on Friday after being raised in overnight discussions by EU leaders on a new sanctions package that EU Foreign Ministers from the 27-nation bloc were to validate. Air India planning to operate two flights to Bucharest to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine     [Air India is planning to operate two flights to Romanian capital Bucharest]( on Friday to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine due to a Russian military offensive, senior government officials said. Stranded Indian nationals who have reached the Ukraine-Romania border by road will be taken to Bucharest by officials of the Indian government so that they can be evacuated in the two Air India flights, they added. The Ukrainian airspace was closed for civil aircraft operations by the country’s authorities on Thursday morning and therefore, the evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest. The two Air India flights will depart from Bucharest on Saturday, the officials said. The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Friday said it is working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary. “At present, teams are getting in place at the following check points: Chop-Zahony Hungarian border near Uzhhorod, Porubne-Siret Romanian border near Chernivtsi,” it said. [A Ukrainian soldier sits injured in cross fire inside Kyiv on February 25, 2022. ] Indian nationals, especially students, living closest to these border checkpoints are advised to depart in an organised manner in coordination with teams from the Ministry of External Affairs to actualise this option, the embassy said. Once the above-mentioned routes are operational, the Indian nationals travelling on their own would be advised to proceed to the border check points, it noted. The embassy advised the Indians to carry their passports, cash (preferably in US dollars), other essential items and COVID-19 vaccination certificates to the border check points. “Print out Indian flag and paste prominently on vehicles and buses while travelling,” it said. Around 20,000 Indians, mainly students, are currently stranded in Ukraine, the officials said. The distance between Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the Romanian border check point is approximately 600 km and it takes anywhere between eight-and-a-half to 11 hours to cover it by road. Bucharest is located approximately 500 km from the Romanian border check point and it takes anywhere between seven to nine hours to cover the distance by road. The distance between Kyiv and the Hungarian border check point is around 820 km and it takes 12-13 hours to cover it by road. Bucharest is located approximately 500 km from the Romanian border check point and it takes anywhere between seven to nine hours to cover the distance by road. The distance between Kyiv and the Hungarian border check point is around 820 km and it takes 12-13 hours to cover it by road. Clarify on the legality of bitcoin, Supreme Court tells Government   Bucharest is located approximately 500 km from the Romanian border check point and it takes anywhere between seven to nine hours to cover the distance by road. The distance between Kyiv and the Hungarian border check point is around 820 km and it takes 12-13 hours to cover it by road. The Supreme Court on Friday orally [asked the Government to clarify on the legality of digital currency, bitcoin](. A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was hearing a case related to the Gain bitcoin scam. The question came in response to a submission by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, for the lifting of the stay on arrest of one of the accused, Ajay Bhardwaj, in the case. The ED had already filed a status report in the case on July 30, 2021. Bhati stated that Bhardwaj has not cooperated in the course of the investigation. She urged the court to lift the stay on his arrest as the allegations involve the collection of 80,000 bitcoins, valued at approximately ₹20,000 crore. The court, however, extended the interim order to stay Bhardwaj’s arrest till March 28, the next date of hearing, provided he cooperated fully in the investigation. The court directed him to appear before the ED in two days. The Bench ordered Bhardwaj to “co-operate with the investigation by being present as and when called upon to do so”. The court asked the ED to file a fresh status report on or before March 25. The report should detail the progress in the investigation and whether the accused had cooperated in the probe. ED had lodged a money laundering case against Ajay Bhardwaj and others on the basis of two FIRs, one at Pune and the other at Nanded. The police have alleged that Gain bitcoin, through a cryptocurrency investment scheme called ‘GB21’, duped investors by guaranteeing 10% monthly returns. The police have alleged that Gain bitcoin, through a cryptocurrency investment scheme called ‘GB21’, duped investors by guaranteeing 10% monthly returns. Russia loses Champions League final to Paris; Sochi Formula One axed   Russia was stripped of hosting the Champions League final by UEFA on Friday with St. Petersburg replaced by Paris, and Formula One dropped this season’s Russian Grand Prix at Sochi, as [the invasion of Ukraine drew punitive measures in the sporting world](. The showpiece final in the European men’s football season will still be held on May 28 but now at the 80,000-seat Stade de France in the Saint-Denis suburb of the French capital after the decision by UEFA’s executive committee. It followed discussions led by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin that involved the European Commission and French President Emmanuel Macron in recent days after concerns were raised about the status of Russia retaining such a prestigious event after its aggression toward another European country. UEFA thanked Macron for his “personal support and commitment to have European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis.” Alexander Dyukov, a Russian member of the UEFA executive committee, complained the decision was taken for “political reasons.” Dyukov also opposed UEFA ordering Russian clubs and national teams to play at neutral venues until further notice — a ruling also imposed on Ukrainian sides. The move comes as Russian bombs and troops pounded Ukraine during the invasion’s first full day, and world leaders on Friday began to fine-tune a response meant to punish the Russian economy and its leaders, including President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. The F1 race wasn’t due until September in the Black Sea resort of Sochi but the motorsport series leadership decided it would be “impossible” to stage the Grand Prix after talks with teams and the FIA governing body. American team Haas also dropped the sponsorship of Russian company Uralkali during preseason testing in Barcelona. Nikita Mazepin of Haas is the only Russian driver on the F1 grid this season. “We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation,” F1 said in a statement. The French government will work with UEFA to help to rescue footballers and their families who “face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement,” European football’s governing body said in a statement. There is the unresolved matter of Russia still being due to host Poland in World Cup qualifying playoff semifinals in Moscow. Poland wants the game taken out of Russia, but FIFA has yet to decide. UEFA was more decisive on the Champions League final hosting, which was welcomed by the British government. “Russia must not be allowed to exploit sporting and cultural events on the world stage to legitimise its unprovoked, premeditated and needless attack against a sovereign democratic state,” said British Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, who has the sports brief. This is the third consecutive year that UEFA has had to change its Champions League final location after two switches due to coronavirus issues. The Stade de France last hosted the Champions League final 16 years ago, when Barcelona beat Arsenal in the 2006 final. The 68,000-capacity St. Petersburg stadium was originally picked in 2019 to host the final in 2021. That was postponed by one year in the fallout of disruption caused by the pandemic. The stadium is named for Russian state-owned energy firm Gazprom, which is also a top-tier UEFA sponsor of the Champions League and European Championship. UEFA has two weeks before the next set of Champions League games to resolve the issue of Gazprom adverts flashing around stadium pitches. Reinforcing the company’s close links to UEFA, Dyukov is a CEO of a Gazprom subsidiary as well as sitting on European football’s top decision-making body. UEFA has two weeks before the next set of Champions League games to resolve the issue of Gazprom adverts flashing around stadium pitches. Reinforcing the company’s close links to UEFA, Dyukov is a CEO of a Gazprom subsidiary as well as sitting on European football’s top decision-making body. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The [number of reported coronavirus cases from India]( stood at 4,28,94,688 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 5,13,282.  Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today‘s Top Picks [[Evacuation of Indians from Ukraine: what has been done so far?] Evacuation of Indians from Ukraine: what has been done so far?]( [[Indian chess player Anwesh Upadhyaya stuck in Ukraine, says situation scary] Indian chess player Anwesh Upadhyaya stuck in Ukraine, says situation scary]( [[Manipur Assembly elections | Olympics medallist Mirabai Chanu's village still waits for drinking water supply] Manipur Assembly elections | Olympics medallist Mirabai Chanu's village still waits for drinking water supply]( [[‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ movie review: Alia Bhatt shines in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s eloquent take on sex workers] ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ movie review: Alia Bhatt shines in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s eloquent take on sex workers]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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