UK Urges ‘50-Day Drive' to Arm Ukraine, Raise Pressure on Putin
Defense Secretary John Healey will make the announcement on Monday when he chairs a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group along with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius, according to a statement released by the UK Ministry of Defense.
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Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
UN's top court says all countries have to act against climate change. Here are the key takeaways.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The United Nations' top court has issued a landmark advisory opinion on climate change, its 15-black-robed judges weighing in for the first time on what the court's president called 'an existential problem of planetary proportions that imperils all forms of life and the very health of our planet.'
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
UN's top court says all countries have to act against climate change. Here are the key takeaways.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United Nations' top court has issued a landmark advisory opinion on climate change, its 15-black-robed judges weighing in for the first time on what the court's president called 'an existential problem of planetary proportions that imperils all forms of life and the very health of our planet.' The International Court of Justice's unanimous non-binding opinion, which runs to over 500 pages, was immediately hailed by activists as a turning point in international climate law. After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could disappear under rising sea waters, the U.N. General Assembly asked the court in 2023 to answer two questions: What are countries obliged to do under international law to protect the climate and environment from human-caused greenhouse gas emissions? And what are the legal consequences for governments when their acts, or lack of action, have significantly harmed the climate and environment? Here are some of the key points from the opinion delivered Wednesday. A healthy planet is a basic human right In a simple statement that could have profound legal ramifications, the court said everyone is entitled to a habitable planet. 'The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is therefore inherent in the enjoyment of other human rights,' court President Yuji Iwasawa said during a two-hour hearing. A livable planet is a human right and is part of international customary law, meaning every country is obliged to protect it, not just countries that have signed climate treaties and other agreements. Violating international law A failure to address climate change, the court said, could be a violation of international law. That matters because it applies to all countries and paves the way for legal actions, including states returning to the ICJ to hold each other to account; domestic lawsuits; and investment agreements that have to conform to international law. 'With today's authoritative historic ruling, the International Court of Justice has broken with business-as-usual and delivered a historic affirmation: Those suffering the impacts of climate devastation have a right to remedy and full reparation,' said Joie Chowdhury, a senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law. Payback time? The court ruled that some countries or individuals suffering from the effects of climate change could be eligible for compensation. For climate damage linked to greenhouse gas emissions, 'restitution may take the form of reconstructing damaged or destroyed infrastructure, and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity,' the court said. If that's not possible, financial compensation could be assessed, though the judges conceded it 'may be difficult to calculate, as there is usually a degree of uncertainty with respect to the exact extent of the damage caused.' Activists hailed that part of the decision as a historic turning point in their search for justice. 'The ICJ's decision brings us closer to a world where governments can no longer turn a blind eye to their legal responsibilities. It affirms a simple truth of climate justice: Those who did the least to fuel this crisis deserve protection, reparations, and a future,' said Vishal Prasad, director of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change. Climate refugees While the court's opinion is far-reaching, no one expects it to immediately solve the problems created by climate change. The judges noted that people may be forced to flee their homes to escape the dangers posed by climate change and countries are obliged to not turn away climate refugees when their lives are endangered. If a country disappears under rising ocean levels, that country doesn't cease to exist, they said. For the Pacific Island nations that pushed for the opinion, the threat is real. Since 1993, sea levels around Vanuatu's shores have risen by about 6 millimeters (.24 inches) per year — significantly faster than the global average — and in some areas, tectonic activity has doubled that rate.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
New round of Russia-Ukraine talks start in Turkey, days after Trump gave Moscow deadline to make peace
Russian and Ukrainian delegates have begun their third set of direct talks in Istanbul, days after US President Donald Trump gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to make peace or face 'very severe tariffs.' Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly acknowledged Trump's ultimatum, and Moscow has continued to pummel Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles while its ground troops grind forward in the east. The two previous rounds of talks in Istanbul, in May and June, helped facilitate the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers, but made little progress toward a potential ceasefire agreement. Before Wednesday's latest round of talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov sought to downplay expectations, stressing that the two sides' negotiating positions remain 'diametrically opposed.' 'No one expects an easy path. It will be a very difficult discussion,' Peskov said Wednesday. A day earlier, he told reporters not to expect 'any miraculous breakthroughs.' Peskov confirmed that Moscow's delegation is unchanged from the previous rounds of talks and will be headed by Vladimir Medinsky, a former culture minister and now a senior Putin aide. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's former defense minister, is leading Kyiv's delegation after heading the previous two. Last month, Russian casualties hit a grim milestone, with the UK's Ministry of Defence estimating that Putin's war has likely cost Russia more than 1 million casualties since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022. That number tracked with an assessment the same month from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington, DC, which put the number of casualties at 950,000 and predicted that 'Russia will likely hit the 1 million casualty mark in the summer of 2025.' Despite those losses, the Russian president has shown little sign of compromising on his maximalist war aim of dismantling Ukraine's sovereignty. In a long essay published months before the full-scale invasion, Putin falsely argued that Russia and Ukraine are one country; his comments suggesting to many that the war has been waged to make that a reality. In addition to Trump's fresh threat of new sanctions on Russia and other countries that purchase Russian oil if peace isn't reached in 50 days, the US also secured a deal to funnel new weapons to Kyiv through European allies. The moves were in stark contrast with previous approaches the US leader has taken with the conflict. Trump's reversal came after the European Union unveiled a new package of sanctions proposing to lower the price cap on Russian oil exports and introducing a full transaction ban on Russian banks and financial institutions in third countries that help Russia dodge existing sanctions. It is unclear whether Trump's latest decisions will sway Moscow's approach, but his about-face could provide a much-needed boost to Ukraine's military coffers, and signals his growing frustration with Putin. 'My conversations with him are very pleasant, and then the missiles go off at night,' Trump explained last week. Before the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for a direct meeting with Putin, saying only a meeting of the two leaders can end the war.
