"Credible" Washington reads reports of deliberate attacks on civilians in Ukraine

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Washington was documenting "highly credible reports" of deliberate Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine to ensure that relevant organizations could investigate whether war crimes had been committed.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Sunday that the United States had seen “highly credible reports” of deliberate attacks on civilians by Russian forces in Ukraine and that Washington was documenting these reports to make sure relevant organizations could investigate whether war crimes had been committed. .

"We have seen significant credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians that would constitute a war crime, and of the use of certain weapons," Blinken told CNN .

"What we're doing right now is documenting all of that, putting it together, researching it and making sure that when the right people and the right organizations and institutions investigate whether war crimes have been or are being committed, we can support what they're doing."

On Friday, the US embassy in Ukraine tweeted that attacking a nuclear plant is a war crime, after Russian forces seized Europe's largest nuclear power plant in fierce fighting in southeastern Ukraine, which sparked global concern.

The State Department sent a letter to all US embassies in Europe telling them not to re-tweet the Kyiv embassy, ​​which described the attack as a war crime, according to CNN, which said it had seen the message.

Blinken did not address the embassy's tweet, and the State Department declined to comment on whether the tweet reflected the general position of the US government on the issue.

Russia, which denies attacking civilian areas, calls the campaign it launched on February 24 a "special military operation", saying it has no plans to occupy Ukraine, which was once part of the Soviet Union under Moscow's influence but has now turned to the West and is seeking NATO membership. North Atlantic and the European Union.

Like all UN member states, Russia and Ukraine are subject to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which establish legal standards for humane treatment in wartime and prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians.

The attack by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which entered its eleventh day today, has displaced more than 1.5 million people in what the international organization says is the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War Two.

Images of cluster bombs and artillery being dropped on Ukrainian cities this week prompted the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor to open an investigation, backed by dozens of countries opposing Russia's invasion.

In an interview with CNN, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said there was a need to investigate whether Russia was committing war crimes in Ukraine.

"I think there should be a strong and clear investigation into this case," she added.

“There is no alternative” Shell defends its purchase of Russian oil and Ukraine criticizes

The giant oil company "Shell" announced that it will continue to buy Russian crude oil, despite the Russian-Ukrainian war, because it has no other alternative, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticized the company's decision.

The giant oil company "Shell" announced, on Sunday, that it will continue to buy Russian crude oil, despite the Russian-Ukrainian war, because it has no other alternative.

The US-based company defended its decision in a statement, describing the purchase of Russian fuel at a discount as a difficult decision.

She explained that she had bought a shipment of Russian oil on Friday, because she "has no other alternative," pointing out that she is trying to maintain fuel supplies, and she has no alternative that can transfer it to Europe in time.

In its statement, the company stated that it was "horrified by the war in Ukraine", stressing that the situation was "extremely complicated", as Russian oil constituted about 8% of the company's supply.

For his part, a spokesman for the company said: "Without a continuous supply of crude oil to refineries, the energy sector cannot ensure the continued provision of essential products to people across Europe."

He continued, "The shipments will not arrive from alternative sources in time, and this will lead to disruptions in the market supply."

The company confirmed that the profits from Russian oil will go to a fund dedicated to helping people in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticized the company's decision, asking in a tweet on Twitter: "Can't you smell Ukrainian blood in Russian oil?"

Shell has announced that it will end all its joint ventures with Russian energy company Gazprom, in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Trump presents a proposal to provoke a confrontation between Russia and China What is it?

The former US president presented a set of statements and proposals regarding the current Russian-Ukrainian war. What did he say?

Former US President Donald Trump proposed to his country, bombing Russia with Chinese-flagged fighters, and then blaming China.

According to US press reports, Trump stressed, in his speech before the Republican National Committee of Donors' Meeting, the need for US President Joe Biden to abandon saying that they will not strike Russia.

Trump described NATO as a "paper tiger" and proposed that the United States hang the Chinese flag on F-22s, bomb Russia, and then blame China.

He continued, "They start fighting with each other while we sit, lie down and watch."

Trump's joke was greeted by Republican senators with laughter and applause.

Trump had claimed in previous statements that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not invaded another country, only during his reign, boasting that the reason was his good relationship with him.