Turkey continues to maintain contacts with both Ukraine and Russia, and the primary task of its diplomacy is to achieve a settlement of the situation, the Anadolu agency quoted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying.
“We maintain diplomatic contacts with both sides, discuss all proposals and support all initiatives aimed at establishing peace,” he said at a press conference following the NATO summit in Brussels.
Erdogan noted that Turkey maintains special relations with both countries.
“For this reason, the first task of Turkish diplomacy is to stop hostilities. Peace in Ukraine must be ensured according to a formula that will suit the two countries and the world community. It must be a stable and strong peace,” the Turkish President added.
Sharp Group is suspending shipments to Russia due to the situation in Ukraine, the Japanese electronics manufacturer said.
“Sharp Group is currently suspending shipping into Russia with the conflict’s impact. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully and make adequate measures based on the spirit of our Sharp Group Charter of Corporate Behavior,” the company said.
A day earlier, Japanese information technology company NEC also announced that it has suspended new sales of products and services, as well as investment in Russia.
Japan, along with a number of other countries, imposed sanctions against Russia over the events in Ukraine, after which a number of Japanese companies announced the suspension of shipments to and production in Russia, including due to logistics problems. They include Panasonic, Hitachi, Yamaha Motor Co., Tadano Ltd. and Komatsu Ltd.
The United States may further expand sanctions against Russia, U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics Daleep Singh said in an interview with CBS News.
“We can broaden our sanctions. So – take the measures, take the sanctions we’ve already applied, apply them in more targets. Apply them to more sectors. More banks, more sectors that we haven’t touched,” Singh said.
According to him, the sanctions may affect “the commanding heights of the Russian economy.” “It’s mostly about oil and gas, but there are other sectors too,” he said.
Speaking about the possibility of lifting sanctions against Russia, Singh stressed that “we’re nowhere near that point.”
He believes that “the first thing he has to do is to stop – a reckless and barbaric attack on the civilians of Ukraine. That’s not happening.”
Washington hopes that China will exert the necessary influence on the Russian Federation in connection with the events in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.
“We believe China in particular has a responsibility to use its influence with President Putin and to defend the international rules and principles that it professes to support,” he said.
At the same time, Blinken recalled that the events in Ukraine will be one of the topics of a telephone conversation scheduled for Friday between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“President Biden will be speaking to President Xi tomorrow and will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia’s aggression, and we will not hesitate to impose costs,” Blinken said.
Later, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the conversation between Biden and Xi Jinping would clarify China’s attitude towards the situation in Ukraine.
“This is an opportunity for President Biden to assess where President Xi stands,” she said.
The approved fourth package of sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine situation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union and entered into force on Tuesday.
“This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union,” the journal said.
As previously reported, renewed EU sanctions on Russia include a ban on investment in Russia’s energy sector, but exceptions are made for the peaceful nuclear industry and transportation of energy resources to the EU.
The UK denies Russia and Belarus access to Most Favored Nation tariff for hundreds of their exports, imposes a 35% import duty on a number of Russian goods, including vodka, and, same as the European Union, bans exports of luxury goods to Russia, the British government said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The UK denies Russia and Belarus access to Most Favored Nation tariff for hundreds of their exports, depriving both nations key benefits of WTO membership,” the statement said.
Same as the EU, London bans “exports of luxury goods to Russia alongside its G7 allies,” the statement said. The ban applies to vehicles, clothes and art.
The British government also “published an initial list of goods worth GBP 900 million – including vodka – which will now face an additional 35 percent tariff, on top of current tariffs,” the statement said.
BANS, EXPORT, LUXURY GOODS, RUSSIA, UK
