June 8, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has sharply downgraded its global growth forecasts for 2022 warning that “the world is set to pay a hefty price for Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

OECD now expects global growth to be 3% in 2022 — down from 4.5% in its December forecast — and to remain at similar pace for 2023.

The forecast is in line with the World Bank, which said yesterday that it expects global growth to be 2.9% in 2022.

Among the G20 countries, OECD expects the UK to be hit the most in 2023 besides Russia, projecting that the country will post zero growth in 2023 after growing by 3.6% in 2022. 

Boone called for global cooperation to avoid a food crisis. 

“Today, the world is producing enough cereals to feed everyone, but prices are very high and the risk is that this production will not reach those who need it most. Global cooperation is needed to ensure that food reaches consumers at affordable prices, in particular in low-income and emerging market economies,” Boone said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Russia's intentions and goals in Ukraine are "clear" and maintained that Moscow is not halting grain exports from Ukraine.

During a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara, a Ukrainian journalist asked Lavrov: "Aside from the grain products, what [else] did Russia steal from Ukraine?"

He responded that "with regards to grains, there is no obstacle or challenge caused by the Russian Federation."

"Mr. Zelensky needs to give an instruction so that Ukrainian ports can become safe," Lavrov said, reiterating his earlier remarks that Ukraine needs to de-mine its waters to ensure the safe passage of ships. 

Lavrov said "we are not the ones to blame" for creating an issue and that "the ball is in their [Ukraine's] court."

The Russian foreign minister said Russia is discussing securing the safe passage of ships with the Turkish military. 

Lavrov said Russia has "clear intentions and clear goals" in Ukraine, which he claimed are to "liberate" the country from a "neo-Nazi regime," once again repeating a false claim from the Kremlin about Ukraine's government.

The spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry hit back at Lavrov’s statements.

“Lavrov’s words are empty,” Oleg Nikolenko said via Twitter, alongside photos of news headlines summarizing Lavrov’s statements.

“Ukraine has made its position on the sea ports clear: military equipment is required to protect the coastline and a navy mission to patrol the export routes in the Black Sea. Russia cannot be allowed to use grain corridors to attack southern Ukraine,” Nikolenko said.

CNN's Mick Krever contributed reporting to this post.

The battle for the key city of Severodonetsk continues to rage, while Norway has donated 22 self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. Russia has been accused of keeping around 600 people "hostage" in the occupied Kherson region, and there is further controversy over blocked grain shipments.

Here are today's latest headlines from the Russia-Ukraine war:

Fight for Severodonetsk continues: Ukraine could pull back its military “to more fortified positions” but Ukraine will not “give up” the key city, said Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration.

Norway ships artillery pieces: Norway has donated 22 self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine to help it "withstand Russian attacks," according to the Norwegian Ministry of Defense (MOD).  

Deportations to Russia continue: More than 1,000 Ukrainian servicemen who recently surrendered in Mariupol will be transported to Russia for “investigation,” Russian state-run news agency TASS reported Wednesday, citing a source in law enforcement. 

Further accusations of human rights violations: Around 600 people are “being held hostage” in “rooms outfitted as torture chambers” and “pre-trial detention” facilities in the Russian-occupied Kherson region, according to a Ukrainian official.

Controversy over grain shipments: A top Ukrainian official has accused Russia of “artificially creating obstacles” to gain control over the country’s grain market, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says grain shipments can resume when Ukraine removes mines from coastal waters.

Zelensky discusses cooperation with Germany: The Ukrainian President said he had a telephone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during which the pair discussed "enhancing defense support" and other issues.

More World Bank funding for Ukraine: The bank has approved $1.49 billion of additional financing for Ukraine, part of a support package worth more than $4 billion that will help pay the wages of government and social workers. 

Food has become part of Russia's “arsenal of terror,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday.  

In an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen stressed the urgent need to restore Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, as a remedy to the looming global food crisis.

The EU’s sanctions against Russia “do not touch basic food commodities,” the EU Commission chief stressed.  

“They do not affect the trading of grain or other foods between Russia and third countries. And the port embargo specifically has full exemption on agricultural goods,” she added, highlighting the need to counter Russian "disinformation" about the food crisis.  

Her remarks come as Russian and Turkish foreign ministers held meetings in Ankara on Wednesday to discuss issues related to grain exports from Ukraine.

Von der Leyen thanked the United Nations for its “efforts” to help restore Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, reiterating that the “majority of Ukrainian grain can only be exported” through these routes. 

There is an expectation for the EU to show the “same solidarity” it has “shown to Ukraine when it comes to addressing the food crisis in the world,” she added, committing the bloc to this task.  

Ukraine is suffering “significant losses” in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the Russian military claimed Wednesday.

“The Ukrainian force in the Donbass [‘Donbas’ in Ukrainian] suffers significant losses in manpower, weapons and military equipment,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a press release.

“Only during the liberation of Svyatogorsk [‘Sviatohirsk’ in Ukrainian] in the Donetsk People's Republic, over three days of fighting, the losses of Ukrainian troops amounted to more than 300 nationalists, six tanks, 15 armored combat vehicles of various types, 36 field artillery guns and mortars, four Grad multiple rocket launchers and over 20 automotive units," it said.

The Donbas has seen intense fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces for weeks.

Parts of the Ukrainian cities of Rubizhne and Severodonetsk in the region have been significantly destroyed by fighting, satellite images taken on Monday by Maxar Technologies show. 

Ukrainian forces there have held on despite intense bombardments by Russian artillery and jets. Russian forces are continuing to try to advance into, and past, the two major Donbas cities. 

Ukraine has filed eight more war crimes cases involving Russian soldiers, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said on national television on Wednesday.

“We are not just talking about combatants who came to the theater of operations, but about those who came to rape, loot, kill civilians,” Venediktova said.

On May 23, a 21-year-old Russian soldier was sentenced to life in prison for killing an unarmed man in Ukraine's first war crimes trial since Russia's invasion.

Another two Russian soldiers were convicted for “violating the laws of war” by the Kotelevsky district court of Poltava region on May 31.

Venediktova said that prosecutors are investigating about 16,000 war crimes cases.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that he had discussed improving his country's defenses during a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“Had a phone conversation with Olaf Scholz,” Zelensky said on Twitter. “Discussed enhancing defense support for [Ukraine] & ensuring global food security. Raised the issue of RF [The Russian Federation]'s compliance with international rules of treatment of war prisoners. Stressed the importance of decisions on the integration of [Ukraine] in [The European Union].

In recent months, the German government and Chancellor Scholz have come under pressure from Ukraine and politicians at home for not doing enough to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion.

But at the end of April, Germany agreed to deliver Gepard anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine, and last week it said it will supply Ukraine with seven self-propelled howitzers.

While relations between the two countries have improved, ''we have to make sure that the positive dynamic is maintained and we all move forward and that right decisions are being taken,'' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on May 12.

"There could be new ground for negotiations" between Ukraine and Russia on halting the fighting and securing safe corridors for grain exports, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Turkey believes the war should be ended through a diplomatic process "as soon as possible" for "the sake of the whole region and the whole of humanity," said Cavusoglu, speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday.

Turkey is willing to take a facilitating role, said Cavusoglu.

The halt of grain exports is one of the negative consequences of the war and a plan for the resumption of exports should be established," he added.

"There are multiple ideas" about how to establish an open corridor for grain exports from Ukraine, said Cavusoglu, who added that a UN plan was "reasonable and can be implemented " but requires more talks. 

Also speaking at the joint press conference, Lavrov said issues related to grain exports from Ukraine could be resolved, but Ukraine needs to de-mine its waters to ensure the safe passage of ships. 

"If Ukraine is ready to kick off de-mining activities, then we are ready for that [resolving the issues] as well," he said.

Lavrov reiterated that Russia is portrayed in the wrong light, and that every ship and vessel that wishes to use the corridors is free to act in "whatever way they please." 

A top Ukrainian official has accused Russia of “artificially creating obstacles” to gain control over the country’s grain market.

“Our position on the supply of grain is clear: security first,” said Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, via Twitter on Wednesday.

“Russia is artificially creating obstacles to seize the market and blackmail Europe over food shortages," he added. 

The Turkish and Russian foreign ministers are meeting in Ankara Wednesday to discuss the re-establishment of grain exports from Ukraine.