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world news Diamars 15 maart 2022

Russian missile strike near NATO’s Poland stirs anxiety

(AP) — A Russian mis- said “Everybody is a little bit 15 miles (25 kilometers)
sile attack that killed at afraid today.” from the border with Po-
least 35 people in western land, shook the confidence of
Ukraine, some 15 miles “We all believe that the fact Poles living near the border
from NATO member Po- that we are in NATO will and created anxiety among
land, has stirred anxiety protect us in some way, but others all too aware of Rus-
and spurred Poles to rush each of us also remembers sia’s and the Soviet Union’s
to passport offices and the history of World War II past control of Poland’s terri-
stockpile essentials amid and the (failed) alliances of tory. On Monday, nine peo-
fears the war could cut off those times,” Winnicka said. ple were killed in a morning
supplies, or even spill over rocket attack on a television
into Poland. “Things can turn out in dif- tower in Antopol, about 100
ferent ways. In Poland people miles (160 kilometers) from
A long line of applicants, are a bit afraid,” she said. the Polish border.
unseen for decades, formed
Monday outside Warsaw’s On Sunday, Anna Kwiat- Prime Minister Mateusz
main passport office on kowska, 42, a mother of two, Morawiecki said the attack,
Krucza Street. Canned food, said a friend working for a close to a refugee route to ister, Marcin Przydacz, said war just across our border,”
bottled water, flashlights and foreign firm had advised the Poland, was also intended to he does not believe that Rus- said 61-year-old retiree Emil-
batteries filled shoppers’ bas- family to have their passports “provoke panic among civil- sia, which he asserted “visibly ia Gancarz.
kets. People in the street talk- ready and some dollars, too. ians” fleeing the “horrors of is not coping in Ukraine,”
ed of the latest news and their the war.” would try an attack on a “I don’t want to experience
worries for the future. “So I will apply for passports NATO country. war, it’s the worst thing in the
to be done for my children,” Poland has taken in more world,” she said, adding that
In the street, outside the pass- said Kwiatkowska, whose than 1.8 million refugees Nevertheless, he stressed she is stocking up on candles,
port office, Justyna Winnicka, children, aged 10 and 8, have from Ukraine — nearly all “one should be cautious and dried food, nuts and canned
44, was filling out the pass- not traveled abroad yet. women and children — since we are being cautious.” goods, just in case.
port form for her 16-year-old Feb. 24, when Russian troops
daughter, Michalina. All this despite the fact that invaded Ukraine and then People in the capital, Warsaw, She said some of her friends
NATO, to which former unleashed attacks on hospi- in central Poland, were all are buying small solar panels,
“We want to have a passport Eastern bloc nation Poland tals, schools and residential too cognizant of the potential in case of power cuts.
because the last one expired has belonged since 1999, is areas. threat to Eastern bloc nations
and we want to be able to go strengthening its military that, like Poland, were once Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzas-
on vacation, but also want presence in eastern Poland, Morawiecki said that the under the control of the So- kowski urged calm.
to be able to travel abroad in close to the Ukraine border, Yavoriv attack and those on viet Union, for more than
case something happens here and stresses that the alliance civilians are aimed at “de- four decades after World War “We all watch President
in Poland,” Winnicka told is fulfilling its task of ensur- stroying this humanitarian II. (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy. If he
The Associated Press. ing Poland’s safety. effort ... of help being offered doesn’t panic, we don’t panic.
to innocent people, women, “We have lived in safety so Come on. There is no panic,”
Asked if she was afraid be- But Russia’s strike Sunday on children.” far; I had thought the pan- Trzaskowski told a news con-
cause of the fighting just a Ukrainian military training demic was the worst I would ference.
across Poland’s border, she center in Yavoriv, less than Poland’s deputy foreign min- experience, but now there is

Dutch, Australians launch case against Moscow over MH17

(AP) — The Dutch and Austra- Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke sought life sentences for the suspects. responsibility for the flight’s down-
lian governments have launched Hoekstra stressed that the Dutch Three of the suspects have boycot- ing.
a legal case against Russia at the government would continue to do all ted the trial, one is represented by a
International Civil Aviation Or- it can to hold Russia responsible. Dutch legal team, which insists he is Dutch Infrastructure Minister Mark
ganization seeking to hold Mos- innocent. Harbers said the latest legal action is
cow accountable for its alleged “The deaths of 298 civilians, includ- aimed at securing international rec-
role in the downing of Malaysia ing 196 Dutch citizens, cannot re- The new ICAO case follows Rus- ognition “that Russia is responsible
Airlines Flight MH17. main without consequences,” he sia’s decision to walk away in Octo- for the MH17 disaster. Next of kin
said. “The current events in Ukraine ber 2020 from negotiations with the have a right to that.”
The case announced Monday in The underscore the crucial importance of Netherlands and Australia over state
Hague and Canberra is the latest bid that.”
to hold Russia legally responsible
for the missile strike that brought The Australian government said in a
down the passenger jet over eastern statement that “Russia’s unprovoked
Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all and unjustified invasion of Ukraine
298 people on board. and the escalation of its aggression
underscores the need to continue our
An international investigation con- enduring efforts to hold Russia to ac-
cluded that the Amsterdam-to-Kuala count for its blatant violation of inter-
Lumpur flight was shot down from national law and the U.N. Charter,
territory held by separatist rebels us- including threats to Ukraine’s sover-
ing a Buk missile system that was eignty and airspace.”
driven into Ukraine from a Russian
military base and then returned to the Among the victims were 38 residents
base. Moscow denies involvement. of Australia.

The Dutch government said the tim- The latest legal action comes as the
ing of the case isn’t connected to Rus- Dutch murder trial in absentia of
sia’s invasion of Ukraine, but alluded three Russians and a Ukrainian for
to the devastating conflict in its an- their alleged roles in the downing
nouncement. of MH17 continues. Verdicts are ex-
pected late this year. Prosecutors have