Wednesday morning news - June 1, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

EU bans most Russian oil imports » The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, says EU members have agreed to ban the overwhelming majority of Russian oil imports.

She said they reached an agreement after intense negotiations.

LEYEN: In the middle of the night, we decided then to have a ban now on de facto 90 percent of Russian oil imports to the European Union by the end of the year.

It is the biggest effort yet to punish Moscow for its war in Ukraine. Targeting Russia’s lucrative energy sector was a last resort in Europe and has proved hardest, since the EU relies on Russia for 25 percent of its oil and 40 percent of its natural gas. And some EU countries are far more dependent than that.

Ukraine estimated the ban could cost Russia tens of billions of dollars.

Russia shot back, saying it will simply find other buyers for its oil and gas.

The bloc is also hitting Russian communications in Europe.

LEYEN: The suspension of broadcasting in the European Union of three further Russian state outlets that were very typically spreading broadly the misinformation that we have witnessed over the last weeks and months.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin hailed the new agreement as “a watershed moment.” And German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said “The sanctions have one clear aim: to prompt Russia to end this war and withdraw its troops.”

Russian forces seize half of Sievierodonetsk » Meantime in Ukraine, Russia has reportedly seized half a key city in the country’s east. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown has more.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN, REPORTER: In Sievierodonetsk, the sound of rocket fire …

AUDIO: [Artillery]

… ground-quaking explosions and smoke-filled streets describe the new normal for the estimated 13,000 residents who remain.

They’re sheltering in place—in desperate need of food, water, and medicine.

A Ukrainian official said the city, once home to 100,000 people is—quote—“being destroyed ruthlessly block by block.”

Sievierodonetsk is key to Moscow’s goal of conquering all of the industrial Donbas region.

Also on Tuesday, the International Criminal Court called Ukraine a crime scene, and announced plans to open an office in Kyiv to investigate war crimes.

And three more nations have an international team probing war crimes in Ukraine. Estonia, Latvia, and Slovakia signed an agreement to join Lithuania and Poland on an E-U investigative team assisting Ukraine in the probe.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown.

Biden meets with Fed chairman amid continued struggle with inflation » President Biden met with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in the Oval Office on Tuesday to talk about continued efforts to beat back soaring inflation.

Biden told reporters he’s confident the Fed is committed to solving the problem.

BIDEN: They have a laser focus on addressing inflation, just like I am, and with a larger complement of board members now confirmed, I know we’ll use those tools of monetary policy to address the rising prices for the American people.

Consumer prices have rocketed 8.3 percent over the past year.

Biden hoped to demonstrate to voters that he is attuned to their worries about higher gas, grocery and other prices while still insisting the Fed will work independent from political pressure.

The president is running out of options on his own. His past attempts, like releasing oil from the strategic reserve, improving port operations, and calls to investigate price gouging haven’t accomplished much.

The Fed is enacting a series of interest rate hikes in an effort to slow inflation.

Biden hosts New Zealand prime minister at White House » President Biden on Tuesday also hosted New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the Oval Office.

BIDEN: It’s good to see a not so old, but a good friend. And prime minister, welcome to the White House.

The two leaders discussed a range of issues including trade, the war in Ukraine and gun control.

Biden talked about the fallout from recent mass shootings in the United States.

BIDEN: So much of it is preventable, and the devastation is amazing.

Ardern discussed changes in gun laws in New Zealand after the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks.

ARDERN: The New Zealand public had an expectation that if we knew what the problem was that we would do something about that. Now, the context I have to give is that our political system is very different.

She said her country’s parliament unanimously backed regulations banning military-style semi-automatic weapons.

Canada to cap the market for handguns with new law » Meanwhile in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is set to cap the number of handguns in his country.

He made the announcement against the backdrop of families of shooting victims who joined him on stage.

Trudeau told reporters, “We are introducing legislation to implement a national freeze on handgun ownership.”

TRUDEAU: What this means is that it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns anywhere in Canada.

Canada already has plans to ban 1,500 types of military-style firearms and implement a mandatory buyback program that will begin at the end of the year.

Trudeau has long had plans to enact tougher gun laws, but recent mass shootings in the United States may have accelerated his timeline.

Bill Blair, minister of emergency preparedness, explained—quote—“In Canada, gun ownership is a privilege not a right. This is a principle that differentiates ourselves from many other countries in the world, notably our … friends to the south.”

I'm Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org. 

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