From the platform of a Kyiv metro station, the 61-year-old rock icon sang the U2 classics “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “Desire” and “With or without you”.

“People in Ukraine are not only fighting for your own freedom, you are fighting for all of us who love freedom,” Bono said during a break.

The band’s Twitter account said Bono and bandmate ‘The Edge’ were invited to Kyiv by President Zelenskyy to perform “as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”

The singer also referred to past conflicts in the band’s native Ireland and its troubles with a more powerful neighbour.

“We pray that you will soon be able to enjoy some of that peace,” Bono said.

The surprise appearance by Bono — a longtime humanitarian activist who frequently lends his voice to a variety of causes, including the fight against poverty and AIDS — came as air raid sirens sounded in the Ukrainian capital and fighting raged in the country’s east.

At one point, Bono invited Taras Topolia, the lead singer of the Ukrainian band Antytila — and also a soldier — to sing with him, and called on the world to support the war-torn country with a rendition of “Stand by me”.

Antytila have collaborated on a new single called ‘2Step’ with English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran.

Watch this Euronews video about Antytila, and their involvement with the war effort in Ukraine:

The post U2’s Bono and The Edge play pop-up gig in Kyiv metro station first appeared on Magazin Haber Ajansı.

A recent report by the Kyiv School of Economics revealed that direct and indirect losses from the war range from $564 billion to $600 billion (€568 billion), and could increase even further as the conflict drags on.

By comparison, the US-led Marshall Plan that brought Western Europe out of the devastation after World War II had an original price tag of $13 billion, equivalent to over $155 billion in current prices.

With damages mounting across the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is asking Western countries to provide the government with at least $5 billion a month to pay for essential services and keep the economy afloat.

“This is a lot for our state. This is not possible for Ukraine. But this is possible for you,” Zelenskyy told G7 leaders in video call last week.

All eyes turn now to Brussels, where a recovery fund is in the works. But the EU cannot foot the bill alone.

Watch the video above to learn more about Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

The post The cost of Ukraine’s reconstruction will eclipse the Marshall Plan first appeared on Magazin Haber Ajansı.

“Very soon there will be two Victory Days in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in a video message.

“We are fighting for freedom, for our children, and therefore we will win,” he added.

This address came as Russian President Vladimir Putin marked his country’s biggest patriotic holiday on Monday.

Meanwhile, intense fighting rages in Ukraine’s east, the vital Black Sea port of Odesa in the south has came under repeated missile attack, and Russian forces are seeking to finish off the Ukrainian defenders making their last stand at a steel plant in Mariupol.

Putin has long bristled at NATO’s push eastward into former Soviet republics, and argued on Monday that Russia had to invade Ukraine before an “inevitable” clash. Ukrainian leaders and their Western backers have denied that Kyiv or NATO posed any threat.

Putin once again claimed that the military operation in Ukraine was a battle against Nazism, linking the war to the defeat of Nazi Germany. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what Russia refers to as the Great Patriotic War.

The Ukrainian military warned of a high probability of missile strikes around the holiday, and some cities imposed curfews or warned people not to gather in public places.

Watch our live report from correspondent Anelise Borges in Odesa in the video player above.

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When Ursula von der Leyen first unveiled the proposals last Wednesday, sources from the both Commission and several EU member states were “optimistic” that the 6th – and most complicated package of Russian sanctions focusing on a permanent embargo on Russian oil – would pass within a reasonable timeframe.

“There’s been extensive dialogue with Hungary and Slovakia, and the Czech republic ahead of the announcement,” a Commission source even told Euronews after von der Leyen’s address to MEPs.

Yet within hours of the final draft landing with ambassadors of each member state, cracks appeared in the much-vaunted cohesion and unity of purpose.

Not unexpectedly, the three landlocked countries with heaviest dependence on oil immediately pushed back at the proposition that they phase out crude oil by the end of 2023, requesting a much longer timeframe until 2025.

Now, a week later, negotiations appear to be going at a snail’s pace and the Commission is scrambling behind the scene to find compromises. 

Von der Leyen flew to Budapest on Monday to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban who previously described the sanctions as an “atomic bomb” for his country’s economy and insisted that they would need an extra five years and billions of euros to completely change the infrastructure to allow alternative suppliers.

After the meeting, von der Leyen tweeted: “This evening’s discussion with PM Viktor Orban was helpful to clarify issues related to sanctions and energy security.”

“We made progress, but further work is needed. I will convene a video conference with regional players to strengthen regional cooperation on oil infrastructure.”

A follow-up video conference scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled. 

Orbán is reported to have asked for hundreds of millions of euros in funding to upgrade oil refineries as well as access to recovery funds.

The EU has withheld around €7 billion of recovery funds from Hungary over rule of law abuses and allegations of corruption. 

“To be fair Hungary said all along they didn’t want oil sanctions, every country has their own problems,” one diplomat told Euronews. 

In the daily press briefing, EU spokesperson Eric Mamer also sought to downplay the deadlock. 

“It is clear that Hungary, as a landlocked country, needs a suitable pipeline network to switch to other sources. But the issues to be resolved include oil storage and refining. This also requires infrastructure. In addition, the transformation of the energy sector has been discussed. to make the separation from Russian oil a reality.”

He denied reports that Orban was calling for Hungary to get its recovery funds restored and said “only energy” was discussed at the meeting and that the video conference would be rescheduled when progress had been made at the “technical” level. 

What is known for sure is that progress is slow. EU ambassadors meet on Wednesday but the optimism for a breakthrough is muted. 

While it’s likely that the 6th sanctions package will eventually pass, it’s unclear what it will mean for the next package – which will undoubtedly focus on Russian gas.

The post A week on, the EU appears no closer to a Russian oil embargo first appeared on Magazin Haber Ajansı.

His comments come in the midst of a diplomatic impasse regarding the proposed oil embargo, the most sweeping and consequential measure unveiled by the bloc since the start of the Ukraine war.

The main point of contention remains the ambitious timeline envisioned by the European Commission: a phase-out of all Russian crude oil in six months and all refined oil products by the end of the year.

Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria are demanding exemptions in order to have more time to adapt their energy systems and secure alternative providers.

“We think this solidarity, which is declared, should be converted into action. So far, the European Union has been quite united on sanctions. We hope this crisis on the oil embargo will be overcome,” Ambassador Chentsov told Euronews’ Efi Koutsokosta on Tuesday afternoon.

“We expect decision-makers in Hungary, in other countries, they’re human, they understand what’s going on in Ukraine. They themselves could see the level of atrocities around Kyiv and other cities. So in order to stop Russia, I think, EU member states should be also ready for certain sacrifices, including economic sacrifices.”

Asked if he was disappointed by the stalled discussions, he replied “yes, we are because it’s about our common fight against dictatorship, against the aggressor.”

“What we would like to avoid is blocking this decision for any other, including political, reasons. This is very important for us,” he noted.

‘No business as usual with Russia’

“The message is very clear: there will no business as usual with Russia. They need to move fast and to also be very practical and precise [about] what kind of technical solution they need to solve the issue of alternative supplies, and move forward with this package” of sanctions, the ambassador said.

He also upped the ante and suggested the EU’s next step should be a gas embargo, an idea that some countries have already ruled out, fearing an inevitable recession. Brussels, however, has unveiled plans to gradually wean the bloc off Russian pipeline gas.

The pressure is on to cripple the Kremlin’s ability to finance the invasion: since the conflict broke out, the 27 member states have spent over €24 billion on oil and €34 billion on gas coming from Russia, according to a tracking tool set up by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organisation.

“What is not less important is to strip Russia of cash because we’ve heard that this oil embargo, if introduced, will enter into force in a few months, maybe closer to the end of the year, which means that Russia, for this period, will continue receiving huge money from the EU,” Chentsov explained, voicing support for intermediary measures like the establishment of an escrow account.

EU sanctions “are effective,” he stressed. “Each package of sanctions, it adds pressure, but it’s not enough.”

Candidate status will be ‘serious moral boost’

As the war rages on with no signs of abating, Ukraine has pushed ahead with its bid to join the EU.

The country has recently completed and delivered the second part of the accession questionnaire submitted by the European Commission, which is expected to release its review in June.

Once the opinion is published, it will be up to member states to decide — by unanimity — whether Ukraine deserves to be granted candidate status, a moment that will pave the way for a series of long, arduous and highly technical negotiations.

Speaking in Strasbourg on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said it will take “decades” for Ukraine to join the bloc. Macron suggested Ukraine and other like-minded countries could join a “parallel European community” to align themselves closer with the EU.

Ambassador Chentsov said Macron’s idea, whose details remain scant, should be “studied very carefully” but insisted his country was determined to achieve the coveted candidate status.

“What we need now is granting Ukraine candidate status, because for us it’s an existential issue, because the Russian Federation questioned the right of the Ukrainian people to exist, the right of the Ukrainian state to exist,” he said.

“Granting the status, for our army, for our people, it will give a very serious moral and psychological boost. It’s a kind of recognition of Ukraine as a European country in one family of other European states, and that we are together. It’s a symbolic gesture. It’s very important political decision.”

The ambassador argued Ukraine’s resistance and resilience in the face of Russia’s aggression proves its readiness to become a fully-fledged EU member and assume all the necessary responsibilities.

“I’m just wondering how many member states now would be able to sustain this pressure [from Russia]. And I don’t mean just the capability of their armies. I mean institutional capacity, whether it’s the banking system, the financial system, social systems, transport system, if they would continue to operate under such a circumstance,” Chentsov said.

“It’s a sign also of our maturity as a country and a society to withstand pressure, to learn fast, to adapt. And I I’m sure that we are fast learners. We can move forward.”

The post EU should be ready for ‘economic sacrifices’, Ukrainian official says first appeared on Magazin Haber Ajansı.

Roman Kovalenko remains determined to keep up his hobby of skateboarding, despite the threat of Russian attacks. 

Kramatorsk, if seized, would prove hugely significant for the Russians in the third month of the war. 

But even under the circumstances, Roman embraces the time with his skateboard under his sneakers.

“On the one hand it’s sad, but on the other, it’s a special atmosphere,” the 18-year-old said of his time skating through the abandoned streets of Kramatorsk.

Under Russian threat

Roman Kovalenko skates next to a shop damaged by a missile explosion in Kramatorsk, eastern UkraineYasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

Kramatorsk has been bombarded with powerful long-range missiles, destroying much of the city’s buildings and infrastructure. 

The population of the industrial city of Kramatorsk had already dwindled since the 2014 conflict in eastern Ukrainian started. That number has plummeted further since the Russian invasion that began the gravest European conflict since World War II.

The rebels’ capture of the Donbas region’s capital, Donetsk, in 2014 forced the pro-Western leaders in Kyiv to move their administrative centre about 80 kilometres (50 miles) to the north in Kramatorsk.

The Soviet-era city is dominated by a row of factories running along a railway line in a riverside valley – which make perfect targets for the Russian forces slowly advancing across the hills north of Kramatorsk. 

Weeks of trench warfare have enabled the Russians to encroach within striking distance.

As Kovalenko rolls through the streets alone on his skateboard, he represents a haunting image of an ordinary child dropped into the middle of a harsh war. 

“I feel a sort of melancholy because there is no one around,” he said.

“But walking alone before military curfew, I feel like the king of the streets.”

Left behind

Roman poses after practicing skate trick at Peace Square in Kramatorsk, eastern UkraineAFP

Kovalenko has witnessed the destruction the war has brought on his city.

“I have nothing else to do,” he shrugged. “All my friends have moved out to different parts of Ukraine. And I’m bored.”

Peace Square in the city, once a popular evening hotspot for fellow skateboarders and teens, now stands eerily empty.

Kovalenko has trouble explaining why he remains in Kramatorsk and hasn’t headed west, like his friends.

“Of course I would like to meet up with my friends and go out, but that’s not really possible now,” he said.

Family turmoil has left him living alone with his mother. He hints at financial problems but quickly adds that other people have much bigger problems.

For now, he uses his hobby of skateboarding as a distraction from the horror unfolding around him.

The post Meet the last skateboarder in Ukraine’s war-torn Kramatorsk first appeared on Magazin Haber Ajansı.

Back then I sat down with Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama to discuss the enlargement of the EU and his country’s bid for EU membership but now, war has come back to Europe and the EU faces the worst crisis since World War II.

Not only that: For the first time since the beginning of the war in Ukraine the unifying effects of the conflict have been wearing off. The event kicked off just after EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a proposal for a phased oil embargo on Russia which sparked divisions among member states.

The speakers that flocked to the Italian city late last week had been booked to answer one crucial question: “Is Europe fit for the next generation?”. The implementation of the EU’s recovery package to help citizens hit by the pandemic, rule of law concerns and the climate crisis were some of the talking points covered by the conference.

Yet as I arrived at Badia Fiesolana just outside Florence – for the first day of talks it was very clear that discussions around energy would top the agenda.

Vincenzo Amendola, Italy’s undersecretary for European Affairs told me what the EU needs is to proceed with revisions to the Treaties, reiterating what his prime minister, Mario Draghi, had told the EU Parliament plenary in Strasbourg a few days earlier. But most importantly Amendola stressed that Italy’s path to halt dependency on Russian energy sources is a one-way road, ie, there will be no turning back. 

A vision that despite differences, many people in Florence shared, including Spain’s Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera Rodríguez.

I met with her at the end of one of the most interesting panels of the day titled “Achieving Europe’s great energy challenge” also featuring Kadri Simson, the EU’s Energy Commissioner — an issue that went hand in hand with another session entitled “Will the Ukraine crisis weaken Europe’s climate and energy policy?”

I put the same question straight to Belgium’s deputy Prime Minister, Petra De Sutter, who was invited to the panel. She told me that it’s rather the contrary and that moving away from Russian gas will accelerate the EU’s transition to green energy sources. In other words: “Behind every challenge there is an opportunity for growth”, a concept that pretty much sums up the essence of the summit.

On the second day of the event with Brussels’ big players taking the floor – it became more evident what “seizing the opportunity” mean for Europe today and what’s at stake.

As the focus shifted to security and to changes in the world order, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, clarified the idea by highlighting the fact that this is a historical turning point for Europe with the EU behaving as a geopolitical actor on both the military and the energy front.

It goes without saying that unity among member states is a precondition for making the current crisis an opportunity for the 27-country bloc. Yet how is it possible to preserve the unity of the EU as the bloc implements sanctions against Russia? That’s the question I decided to ask Roberta Metsola, the President of the EU parliament.

Her answer was straightforward and left no room for doubt, making it clear that the EU cannot afford being divided: “If unity fails”, she told me, “political leadership fails too”.

But I guess it’s Metsola’s words as she addressed the opening speech earlier in the day that best portray where Europe is at these days. Taking inspiration from Draghi’s famous statement made at the height of the financial crisis when he helmed the European Central Bank – she said that Europe faces another “whatever-it-takes moment. A point in time”, she added, “which should lead to change”.

The post The EU may have reached its ‘whatever it takes’ moment. first appeared on Magazin Haber Ajansı.

In his room in Sumy, just 20 kilometres from Russia in north-east Ukraine, the 33-year-old has everything needed to make a Molotov cocktail.

But, for now, he’s not waging war against Moscow physically. 

Instead, he’s taking part in the Ukrainian government’s digital attacks on Russia, aimed at shutting down Russian government websites and disrupting Moscow’s ability to share information.

When the war broke out, Kyiv launched a Telegram channel called the IT Army Of Ukraine, which shares information about how and what Russian digital infrastructure to attack. 

Serhii, a software developer, decided to put his skills to use. 

“We need to crush all the economic system of Russia and all its empire,” Herenko told Euronews, “Russia is doing actual crimes here in Ukraine, killing our people. We have to give back in the same way, or even worse. All of us, the best that we can.”

The Russian military surrounded Sumy for several days and Serhii said he could hear the bombardments from his windows. Before the invasion, he used to have a more neutral view of Russia and even spoke Russian as his first language.

“But after what has happened, I have switched to Ukrainian,” he said. “It seems that nobody in Russia understands our anger after what happened in Mariupol and Bucha. 

‘IT army is more than 300,000 strong’

Slava Banik is in charge of the IT Army Of Ukraine at Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation. 

He says the initiative is one of many ways the government is fighting back against Russia. 

He claims that more than 300,000 people — not just Ukrainians — are taking part in the army, trying to disrupt the Russian efforts.

One way is to overwhelm Russian websites with junk traffic, bringing them offline. It is a simple tactic that ordinary citizens can use, and it targets Russian banks, governmental websites, media, and even shops and streaming services.

“This volunteer movement, or the army, they are attacking the governmental portals, websites and the infrastructure, the railway infrastructure, and so on,” said Banik. 

“And of course, the banking and other sectors are used by a lot of Russian people.

“More than 70% of Russians support this invasion and they, of course, also have to feel the results of their invasion into Ukraine and their support for this war.”

The aim is to enrage the Russian population and turn them against Vladimir Putin.

The IT Army Of Ukraine has claimed to successfully have shut down Russian websites and bank services. Banik said it is a way for the government to change the historically defensive position against Russian digital attacks on Ukraine. 

On several occasions before the war, Ukraine has been targeted by Russian hackers, with its infrastructure critically affected, such as in 2017 when several Ukrainian governmental bodies were hit. 

“Before the war, we never tried to attack Russia, but instead worked on our security,” said Banik, “But after the war started, we understood that we should answer.”

The IT Army of Ukraine is not the only initiative. 

The Ministry of Digital Transformation has also set up a feature in its governmental app Diia named єВорог (e-enemy), where people can report and share videos and photos of Russian army positions. Banik says the government has received more than 300,000 reports from civilians.

‘We see an increase in attacks’

Dr Matthias Schulze is a cyber-security expert and deputy head of the research division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. He has been analysing the cyberwar between Russia and the West for years and says that he has seen a spike since the Russian invasion in February. Not only between Ukraine and Russia.

“We see an increase in hacktivists (group of hackers) attacks on Russian services such as the secret service FSB, banks, media websites, and companies such as Gazprom,” said Schulze, pointing out that Russians are doing the same in Ukraine and the West.

He says that there are three main categories of attacks. 

Mild attacks, where hackers temporarily shut down media, governmental, and company websites by overwhelming their servers. 

More severe attacks, where hackers try to steal sensitive data to leak it to the public. 

Then there are the most damaging attacks, where hackers try to install ransomware in critical infrastructures such as railroads and energy producers to shut them down.

Schulze said the first two have been seen after the Russian invasion of Ukraine but that it is hard to say who specifically is behind it.

“We have seen many cyberattacks, but the intensity or quality hasn’t been so horrifying,” said Schulze. “We know that Russia, for example, can do more damage, but they have not succeeded so far.”

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Speaking in a video call with federal and regional officials, Putin emphasised that the wildfires which hit the country last year were the largest in years – and asked local governors to report on measures that were taken to increase fire safety last time.

Fires that have broken out across south-western Siberia in Russia have killed at least 10 people and damaged hundreds of buildings this week.

Blazes ripped through several villages on Saturday, with high winds hampering efforts to extinguish them.

“We can’t allow a repeat of the last year’s situation,” said Putin. “We need to combat fires in a more efficient, systemic and consistent way.”

Firefighters work at the scene of a forest fire in Kurgan region, Russia, May 2022.AP Photo

He reaffirmed the importance of forests for dealing with global warming, noting that “large-scale wildfires undermine our climate protection efforts.”

“This issue is of principal importance for our country and the entire world,” he said.

Vladimir Putin on a video call with leaders around the world.AP Photo

Is Russia tackling climate change?

In recent years, Russia has recorded high temperatures that many scientists regard as a clear result of climate change. The hot weather, coupled with the neglect of fire safety rules, has caused a growing number of wildfires that authorities say have consumed more than 17 million hectares (42 million acres) last year in Russia.

Russian experts decried a 2007 decision to disband a federal aviation network tasked to spot and combat fires and turn over its assets to regional authorities. The much-criticised transfer led to the force’s rapid decline.

The government later reversed the move and reestablished the federal agency in charge of monitoring forests from the air. However, its resources remain limited, making it hard to survey the massive forests of Siberia and the Far East.

The authorities responded to last year’s fires by beefing up monitoring assets and rapid response forces. The Kremlin has ordered to earmark additional funds for combating the blazes.

Russia’s goal is to reach net zero by 2060, but its energy strategy to 2035 appears to be mostly about burning more fossil fuels.

The post Putin urges authorities to take action as wildfires engulf Siberia first appeared on Magazin Haber Ajansı.

The main point of contention remains the ambitious timeline envisioned by the Commission: a phase-out of all Russian crude in six months and all refined oil products by the end of the year.

Talks began last Wednesday and have now gone into a seventh day. 

For Hungary, a country that is physically connected to the Russian-operated Druzhba pipeline, making the switch to other providers in such a short period of time would wreak economic havoc.

“We cannot allow the Hungarian people to be made to pay the price of this war,” Hungary’s Foreign Affairs Minister Péter Szijjártó told local media after the two leaders met in Budapest.

“Hungary’s energy supply is currently on solid [ground]. However, the entry into force of the current sanctions package would destroy Hungary’s energy security: it would be impossible to obtain the crude oil needed to operate the Hungarian economy.”

Szijjártó said the talks yielded “some progress” and served to explain the country’s particular circumstances and economic concerns.

“This evening’s discussion with PM Viktor Orbán was helpful to clarify issues related to sanctions and energy security,” von der Leyen tweeted on Monday evening.

“We made progress, but further work is needed. I will convene a with regional players to strengthen regional cooperation on oil infrastructure.”

The video conference was initially scheduled to take place on Tuesday morning, with the participation of President von der Leyen, PM Orbán and President Emmanuel Macron of France, whose country currently holds the EU Council’s rotating presidency.

A Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday afternoon the call had been postponed and will take place once progress at “technical” level has been achieved.

Discussions are now focused on oil transportation infrastructure, oil refinery infrastructure and the transformation of the energy system, rather than on the differentiated timelines, the official explained. 

Reports last week suggested Hungary could be allowed to complete the phase-out by December 2024, but Orbán said his country, which is landlocked and therefore unable to import seaborne oil, needed between four to five years to revamp its energy system.

The prime minister then compared von der Leyen’s proposal to an economic “atomic bomb.”

Although Hungary has been the most vocal country in its criticism of the Commission’s proposal, it is not the only sceptical member state: Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria are also demanding similar dispensations to accommodate national interests and prevent economic disruption.

Slovakia, which shares a connection to the Druzhba pipeline, is asking for a three-year exemption in order to update the technology of its sole refinery, Slovnaft, which today works exclusively with a heavy type of Russian crude, a Slovak spokesperson told Euronews. 

Repurposing the system to a lighter crude will require between four to six years and €250 million in investment, the government estimates.

For its part, the Czech Republic is negotiating an extension until June 2024, the date by which it expects to be connected to the Transalpine Pipeline. 

EU sanctions require the unanimous approval of all 27 member states. This means the group of four could hold up the collective decision for as long as they think necessary to secure their carve-outs.

“I think we can have an agreement within a week, we are working hard on it. It’s probably a matter of days,” French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said on Tuesday.

“We have to move quickly, and I say this with confidence: there will be a sixth package of European sanctions, they will be very powerful and we will gradually get out of Russian oil.”

The proposed EU-wide ban on Russian oil is considered the most radical and consequential step taken by the bloc in response to the Ukraine war.

Since the onset of the invasion on 24 February, the 27 member states have spent about €24 billion on Russian oil, according to a tracking tool set up by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organisation.

This article has been updated to include new developments and reactions.

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