Latest updates: Follow our full coverage on the UN General Assembly
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday vowed to support Kyiv “now and in the future” as G7 leaders pledged to underwrite Ukraine's postwar recovery and rebuilding.
Mr Biden said on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York that the US would announce action to accelerate support for Ukraine's military on Thursday.
“I'm determined to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to prevail and fight for survival,” he said at an event. “We know Ukraine's future victory is about more than what happens on the battlefield. It's also about what Ukrainians do to make the most of a free and independent future.”
G7 leaders declared “unwavering support for Ukraine today and in the future, in war and in peace".
“We remain determined to provide military, budget, humanitarian and reconstruction support to Ukraine and its people, and are strongly committed to helping Ukraine meet its urgent short-term financing needs and to assisting with Ukraine’s long-term recovery and reconstruction,” a joint statement read.
The group said the collective push to back Ukraine's reconstruction will ensure Russia fails “to subjugate Ukraine”, and postwar Kyiv would instead emerge with a “modernised, vibrant, inclusive society and innovative economy" that is resilient to Russian threats.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy likened the effort to the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after the Second World War.
“We are laying the foundation for a similar architecture of recovery,” Mr Zelenskyy said at the event.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would pledge €34 billion ($45.3 billion), to be paid from profits from frozen Russian assets.
“In other words, it is Russia that will pay for the damages it's caused,” Ms von der Leyen said.
In North Carolina, meanwhile, former president Donald Trump described Ukraine bleakly, referring to its people as “dead” and the country as “demolished". His comments raise new questions about whether he would support Ukraine if he wins the November 5 election.
Mr Trump said Ukraine should have made concessions to Moscow before Russia's February 2022 attack, declaring that even “the worst deal would’ve been better than what we have now".
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Zelenskyy addressed the UN General Assembly and urged nations to seek “real, just peace”, instead of “a lull” in fighting.
He said there is no alternative to the “peace formula” first presented two years ago, which calls for the withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine, the release of prisoners and accountability for war crimes.
Mr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would never accept an externally imposed deal, and questioned China's and Brazil's motives in pushing for talks with Russia.
“Any parallel or alternative attempts to seek peace are, in fact, efforts to achieve a lull instead of an end to the war,” Mr Zelenskyy said.
Mr Zelenskyy is due to meet Mr Biden at the White House on Thursday, where he is expected to present the US with a “victory plan”. He is also scheduled to meet Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the November 5 election.
The plan's details are yet to be made public but Ukrainian officials have said it has political, military, diplomatic and economic components, and will ask western allies to pressure Russia to reach a negotiated settlement.
It will also request more weapons and repeat demands for Ukraine to join Nato.
Washington is reportedly expected to announce a $375 million military aid package for Ukraine this week. That package, the largest since May, would include medium-range cluster bombs, as well as rockets, artillery and armoured vehicles.
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 171 points
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP) 151
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP) 136
4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing) 107
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 83
6. Sergio Perez (Force India) 50
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 45
8. Esteban Ocon (Force India) 39
9. Carlos Sainz (Torro Rosso) 29
10. Felipe Massa (Williams) 22
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Company%20Profile
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
