Ukraine says it has arrested Viktor Medvedchuk, an important ally in Ukraine, accused of treason. President Zelenskyi proposes Russia to exchange oligarch for Ukrainian prisoners of war. According to news agencies, the United States is preparing a new military support package for Ukraine.
We gathered the key news related to the war in Ukraine last night and last night.
Biden: Russia’s actions appear to be genocide
President of the United States Joe Biden according to Russia’s actions in Ukraine appear to be genocide. This is the first time Biden has used that term for a Russian attack.
In a speech in Finnish late Tuesday in Iowa, Biden seemed to refer to the Russian president Vladimir Putin perpetrator of the genocide in Ukraine. In his speech, Biden discussed the rise in fuel prices.
“Your family budget, your ability to get the tank full – none of that should depend on the dictator declaring war and carrying out genocide on the other side of the world,” Biden said.
He remained behind his choice of words even later.
– I called it genocide because it has become increasingly clear that Putin is trying to wipe out the idea of Ukrainianness, Biden told reporters.
According to Biden, it is ultimately up to lawyers to decide whether events meet the definition of genocide.
“But that seems to me,” the president said.
Under international law, genocide is the act of destroying all or part of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
Biden has repeatedly called Putin a war criminal in the past, but has not called Russia’s actions genocide.
– Calling things by their names is necessary to counter evil, Zelenskyi wrote.
Zelenskyi offers Putin a creditor in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war
President Zelenskyi has nominated a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchukin exchange of Ukrainian prisoners of war taken by Russia.
“I suggest to the Russian Federation that your type be changed to our boys and girls, who are now prisoners of Russia,” Zelenskyi said in an early speech on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian leadership said Tuesday night that Medvedchuk, a fugitive accused of treason, had been arrested in a special operation by the country’s security service, the SBU.
The director of the security service reported the arrest on the agency’s Telegram channel. President Zelenskyi previously published on social media a picture of Medvedchuk in handcuffs.
Oligarch Medvedchuk, who previously led the pro-Russian opposition party, is a close friend and ally of Putin.
Last spring, Medvedchuk was charged with treason in Ukraine and placed under house arrest. In February, authorities said Medvedchuk had escaped house arrest.
News agencies: The United States is preparing a new package of military support
In the United States, the Biden administration is preparing a new military support package for Ukraine, according to Reuters and AP news sources.
According to the offices, the package is worth $ 750 million, or about $ 700 million. Reuters said the package may be released today, Wednesday.
According to a Reuters congress source, the package would likely include heavy artillery, such as howitzers. AP describes the future package as more comprehensive than previous support.
The White House said last week it had given Ukraine a total of more than $ 1.7 billion in security aid after Russia invaded the country.