Evgenia Novozhenina AFP | Getty Images Russia said on Friday it hoped to reach a prisoner swap with the United States to return convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, known as the “Death Merchant,” in a swap that would likely include American basketball star Brittney Griner. “I want to hope that the prospect not only remains, but strengthens, and that the moment will come when we reach a concrete agreement,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, according to Interfax. “The Americans show some external activity, we work professionally through a special channel designed for this,” said Ryabkov. “Victor Boot is among those being discussed and we are certainly counting on a positive result.” For the two former Cold War foes, now facing their most serious standoff since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the swap would mark one of the most unusual prisoner swaps in their history. The apparently upbeat remarks by Ryabkov, the foreign ministry’s top America and arms control official, contrasted with earlier statements from Moscow that warned Washington against trying to engage in megaphone diplomacy over the prisoner swap. — Reuters
Russian soldiers are accused of executing 7 civilians in their home
A Ukrainian soldier takes part in a national flag raising ceremony in Kherson, recently recaptured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukraine on November 14, 2022. Presidential Press Service of Ukraine | Reuters Russian soldiers reportedly executed seven civilians in a house in the Kherson region while Moscow’s forces occupied the area, according to evidence released by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s office in cooperation with local police. “According to preliminary data, in April 2022, during the occupation of one of the villages of the Kherson region by the Russian army, the Russian army shot and killed seven civilians in a house,” the Prosecutor General’s office said in a statement that posted on Telegram. . After that, the invaders blew up the house with the shot.” The investigation revealed that among the victims were employees of the company guarding irrigation units near the village and a young girl. The preliminary investigation into possible violations of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder as part of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, remains ongoing. Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that following Russia’s recent withdrawal from Kherson, which it had seized since March, Ukrainian investigators have already uncovered more than 400 Russian war crimes across the region. Rocio Smith
The Bank of Canada will issue a 500 million Canadian dollar bond to help Ukraine
The Bank of Canada has announced a five-year bond worth C$500 million ($373 million) through which Canadian citizens can directly help Ukraine. The financial instrument called the “Ukraine Sovereign Bond” will be issued later this month and will be denominated in Canadian dollars, according to the bank. Canada has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, providing it with military and financial support. Her government announced last April that it was looking at ways to use seized Russian assets to help finance Ukraine’s reconstruction. — Natasha Toorak
Steven Mnuchin calls G-7 Russian oil price cap ‘the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard’
Former US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called the G-7 plan for a price cap on Russian oil “ridiculous”. Speaking to CNBC’s Hadley Gamble during a panel at the Milken Institute’s Middle East and Africa Summit, Mnuchin said the idea was “not only not feasible, I think it’s the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard ». He added that while there are no certainties, sanctions on Russia and Russian officials — which the U.S. and other nations continued to impose after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine — could have had an impact before the war began, not after. . Read the full story here. —Jenny Reed
Dutch government to summon Russian ambassador over Russia’s response to MH17 verdict
The damaged cockpit of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is shown to the press during the presentation of the final report into the cause of the crash at Gilze Rijen Air Base on October 13, 2015. Emmanuel Dunand | AFP | Getty Images The Dutch government will summon Russia’s ambassador to the Netherlands over its response to the downing of passenger jet MH17. The trial, which took place in a Dutch court, convicted two former Russian intelligence officers and a Ukrainian separatist leader for the downing of Malaysian airliner MH17 in 2014, which killed all 298 people on board. Russia responded by calling the verdict “scandalous” and saying it “neglected impartiality”. Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra called the response “absolutely disgusting” and out of touch with reality. “Russia itself is violating international laws in every way. We cannot let this go … and we must show that we respect the rule of law and that we have an independent judiciary,” Hoekstra said. — Natasha Toorak
Russian missile attacks leave 10 million Ukrainians without power, Zelensky says
Vehicles drive along a street with the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in the background, as the city is plunged into near darkness after a military strike that partially destroyed electricity infrastructure, in Kyiv on October 31, 2022. Sergey Supinsky | AFP | Getty Images Russian missile attacks on vital energy infrastructure around Ukraine have left about 10 million people in the country without power, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “Right now, more than 10 million Ukrainians are without power,” Zelensky said in his nightly speech, citing the regions of Kyiv, Odesa, Vinnytsia and Sumy as the hardest hit. Kyiv has for several weeks been urging Ukrainians to conserve energy use as power plants around Kyiv operate at a fraction of their normal capacity amid Russian attacks. Engineers are working around the clock to repair power plants, which have become key targets of Russian raids. The attacks on urban areas follow humiliating losses for Moscow as Ukrainian forces launched successful counter-offensives to retake areas previously held by Russia. — Natasha Toorak
The Nord Stream explosion was “gross sabotage”, the Swedish prosecutor said
BORNHOLM, DENMARK – SEPTEMBER 27: Danish Defense shows the gas leak in Nord Stream 2 as seen by the Danish F-16 interceptor in Bornholm, Denmark on September 27, 2022. Danish defense/ | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist, who is leading the investigation into the September explosion that destroyed Germany’s Nord Stream pipeline, called the explosion a “major act of sabotage” and said explosive remnants had been found. “During the crime scene investigations conducted on site in the Baltic Sea, extensive seizures were made and the area has been carefully documented,” Ljungqvist said in a statement. “The incident is gross sabotage,” the statement headlined. “The analysis that has now been done shows traces of explosives on several of the foreign objects found. Advanced analysis work is ongoing to enable us to draw more confident conclusions about the event.” The statement added that work is continuing on the preliminary investigation, which “is very complex and comprehensive.” He is not naming any potential suspects and said no further information can be released at this time. — Natasha Toorak
Diplomats make final push on Ukraine crisis at APEC meeting
After the ASEAN and G-20 meetings, the potential spillover of the war in Ukraine to the eastern side of Europe looms large during the two-day APEC summit. The meeting of world leaders in the Thai capital, Bangkok, may be the last chance in a recent flurry of diplomatic efforts in the region to try to find consensus to chart a path to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. “How do we help bring all parties to the conflict here to the table and try to find a solution? We need to get to that point as soon as possible,” Kasemsit Pathosak, executive director of the APEC CEO Summit, told CNBC. Attendees at the group’s first in-person summit in four years include Chinese President Xi Jinping, US Vice President Kamala Harris, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Key stakeholders such as US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will not be there. — Lee Ying Shan, Sri Jegarajah
US Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley and his Swedish counterpart discuss NATO membership at the Pentagon
Chairman of the U.S. Army Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks during a news briefing after participating in a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, Nov. 16, 2022. Tom Brenner | Reuters US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley met with his Swedish counterpart at the Pentagon. Milley discussed the NATO accession process and regional security concerns with Swedish Commander-in-Chief General Micael Bydén, according to a Pentagon readout of the meeting. In May, Sweden and Finland began the formal application process to NATO. All 30 members of the alliance must ratify countries’ entry into the group. In August, US President Joe Biden signed ratification documents after a 95-1 vote in the Senate for Finland and Sweden to join NATO. — Amanda Macias
