LIVE UPDATES: Biden Says He Has Plan to Build Temporary Silos on Ukraine Borders to Export Grain

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov called on the US to stop playing off the fraternal peoples of Russia and Ukraine and condoning the genocide of the Russian-speaking population.

Pentagon policy chief Colin Kahl said Tuesday Ukrainian forces have almost finished training on high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) delivered by the United States and United Kingdom.

Commenting on the statement, Antonov said Washington is so “blinded” by the idea of ​​defeating Russia on the battlefield with the help of Ukrainians that it prefers not to notice the shelling of Donetsk by Ukrainian nationalists with the help of Western artillery.

The contact group on Ukraine will discuss supplying Kiev with heavy weapons during a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.

"Ukraine should have more heavy weapons and NATO allies and partners have provided heavy weapons now actually for a long time but we are also stepping up. There will be a meeting tomorrow at the NATO headquarters in the contact group for support to Ukraine," Stoltenberg told a briefing.

US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said on Tuesday during remarks about sanctions imposed on Russia that he is concerned about the overuse of such restrictive measures.

"I am," Adeyemo said during a congressional hearing when asked if he is worried about the overuse of sanctions.

The United Nations reiterated concerns over the situation in Donetsk, which remains tense, and called on the parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.

"The situation in Donetsk remains extremely tense… In the past 24 hours alone, civilians, including children have been killed or injured," Dujarric said during a press briefing.

Dujarric also said at least five health facilities were shelled - by Ukrainian forces - and the targeted structures included a maternity ward that thankfully avoided casualties.

"No one was killed or injured. Still, some pregnant women had to be transferred to other hospitals," Dujarric said.

The UN spokesperson also said that attacking health facilities is "not a new phenomenon in this war" and cited the World Health Organization that had said at least 295 health facilities had been attacked across Ukraine.

In addition, the United Nations is very concerned about the situation in Severodonetsk and the potential impact the fighting could have on the chemical plant there.

"It does not take much imagination: when you talk about a chemical plant in the middle of a war zone, what could happen?" Dujarric said.

The United Nations is in touch with the parties to see how they can provide assistance, given the fact that the access is restricted, he added.

The Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO) has warned the US Treasury that continued sanctions against Russia will affect US pension funds if the latter have to write down their Russian holdings, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

Pimco held the equivalent of $1.8 billion of Russian sovereign bonds, the report noted, citing the company's first quarter holdings data released last month.

The US Department of the Treasury earlier refused to renew a general license that allowed Russia to service foreign debt under sanctions. Russia's Finance Ministry, in turn, said that despite the toughening restrictions, it will continue to fulfill state debt obligations, with payments to be made in rubles. Minister Anton Siluanov said a possible technical default on the Russian state debt due to US actions would not affect the lives of Russians.

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he has a plan to build temporary silos on Ukraine's borders to export grain.

Ukrainian forces have almost finished training on high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) delivered by the United States and United Kingdom, Pentagon policy chief Colin Kahl said on Tuesday.

"We did provide an initial tranche of HIMARS systems. The Ukrainians are completing training as we speak. We expect those systems to get into the fight soon, and we’re committed to continuing the flow of those munitions," Kahl said at the Center for a New American Security's 2022 National Security Conference.

The German government said on Tuesday it had decided to extend the external management of the former German division of Gazprom, Gazprom Germania Gmbh, and provide the company with a loan to avoid bankruptcy.

Earlier, media reported that the German authorities were preparing to take such measures.

"In order to guarantee the security of Germany's supply, the government will ensure the long-term custodial management of Gazprom Germania and protect the company, which is in distress due to Russian sanctions, from bankruptcy. With this step, the government maintains influence on this part of the critical energy infrastructure and prevents threats to energy security," the government said.

The United States and its allies will review during the Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels this week what additional security assistance to provide Ukraine, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said on Tuesday.

Cessation of hostilities in Ukraine should precede the discussion on the conditions of the country's EU accession, French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clement Beaune said on Tuesday.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has added 29 UK journalists and 20 defense officials on the new sanctions list, they are denied entry to Russia.

The banned journalists represent The Guardian, The Independent, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, BBC, Sky News, The Financial Times and others.

The foreign ministry noted that the British journalists added on the list had been involved in the dissemination of false and one-sided information about Russia, events in Ukraine and Donbas, and with their assessments, they contributed to inciting Russophobia in British society.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also placed 20 British nationals linked to the country's defense system, including Minister of State for Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Defence People and Veterans) Leo Docherty, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Sir Ben Key, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, Chief of Joint Operations (CJO) Lt. Gen. Charlie Stickland, as well as representatives of several companies associated with the UK defense industry.

It is specified that British citizens associated with the defense industry had participated in decision-making on the supply of weapons to Ukraine, which are "used by local punishers and Nazi formations to kill civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure."

The West’s silence after Ukrainian forces have shelled Donbas is "surprising," Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters on Tuesday.

The Biden administration has issued a license authorizing energy transactions with certain Russian entities through December 5, the Treasury Department said on Tuesday.

“Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general license, all transactions prohibited by Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 involving one or more of the following entities that are related to energy are authorized, through 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time, December 5, 2022,” the Treasury Department said in a statement.

A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, is currently not on the agenda, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday.

A lot of preparation is necessary to organize a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday.

"No one is against such an opportunity, but it requires appropriate conditions, and most importantly, very, very thorough preparation," Ushakov told reporters.

About 70% of Georgian citizens support the decision of the country's leadership not to impose sanctions against Russia, a survey conducted by Georgian Opinion Research Business International (GORBI) showed.

In early April, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said that the country will not join Western sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its special military operation in Ukraine.

According to the survey, conducted for the Imedi broadcaster, 69.8% of respondents favored the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to not join the economic sanctions against Russia, as it would cause serious damage to Georgia's economy and population; 27.1% opposed it and 3.1% refused to answer.

Due to a new package of EU sanctions, from November 1, Serbia will not be able to import oil from Russia, which is delivered by tankers to Croatia and then sent through the Adriatic oil pipeline (JANAF) for processing, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said.

Vucic said earlier that in April, the refinery of the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS, 65.15% owned by Gazprom and Gazprom Neft) had received more than 60% of raw materials from Russia, since it was cheaper, while previously two thirds of supplies were from Kirkuk in Iraq. At the same time, there is no possibility to deliver oil by tankers across the Black Sea and the Danube River. With the introduction of the sixth package of EU sanctions, the situation has become more complicated.

Earlier, he repeatedly pointed out that crude oil from Russia was the cheapest at $31 per barrel.

According to Vucic, oil is necessary for heat and energy supply of the country.