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Kyiv Rejects Pressure to Surrender More Donbas Territory

  The Ukrainian delegation on the first day of the third round of the trilateral talks (with the US and Russia) in Geneva. Ukraine has firmly dismissed suggestions that it should concede additional territory in the Donbas region, despite reported pressure from the United States to consider territorial compromises as part of potential negotiations with Russia. Ukrainian officials reiterated that any settlement requiring the country to relinquish more land is unacceptable and incompatible with the principles of sovereignty and international law. Kyiv maintains that yielding territory would reward aggression and undermine long‑term security not only for Ukraine but for Europe as a whole. Ukrainian leaders argue that Russia’s continued military operations demonstrate that concessions would not bring peace, only encourage further demands. The U.S. has not publicly confirmed any push for territorial compromise, though some American officials have reportedly floated negotiation scenari...
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Ship Attacked by Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Sinks in Red Sea: First Vessel Lost in Conflict

 

On Saturday, March 2, 2024, the Belize-flagged ship Rubymar met a tragic fate in the Red Sea. After days of battling the relentless onslaught of water, it succumbed to its watery grave, becoming the first vessel fully destroyed in the ongoing conflict.

The Rubymar had been drifting northward, a mere shadow of its former self, after being struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on February 18. The attack occurred in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway that links the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Yemen’s internationally recognized government, along with a regional military official, confirmed the ship’s tragic fate.

The sinking of the Rubymar reverberates far beyond its steel hull. As ships navigate the Red Sea, a vital artery for cargo and energy shipments between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, the Houthi attacks have already disrupted maritime traffic. Many vessels have rerouted to avoid the danger zone. Now, with the Rubymar’s demise, further detours and higher insurance rates may plague the waterway, potentially impacting global inflation and aid shipments to the region.

The Rubymar carried a cargo of fertilizer, and fuel leaked from its battered frame. The U.S. military’s Central Command had previously warned that this combination could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea. Yemen’s exiled government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, lamented the ship’s sinking as an “unprecedented environmental disaster.” Prime Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak expressed his anguish, stating, “It’s a new disaster for our country and our people.”

Curiously, the Iran-backed Houthis, who had initially claimed the ship sank almost instantly after the attack, remained silent about the Rubymar’s final plunge. Their lack of acknowledgment adds to the mystery surrounding this maritime tragedy.

The Rubymar’s fate serves as a stark reminder of the human and environmental toll exacted by conflict. As the waves close over its wreckage, the Red Sea bears witness to yet another chapter in a long and troubled history.

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