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The ruling coalition has decided to endorse the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

A meeting of the ruling coalition held at Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s official residence in Baluwatar on Sunday decided to ratify the MCC with interpretative declaration.

Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel said that the meeting decided to pass the $500 million grant compact by including the interpretative declaration today itself.

“The government will endorse the compact by giving answers with interpretative declaration to the questions raised in the Parliament today itself,” leader Paudel said.

A meeting of the Legislature-Parliament has been scheduled for 1 pm today.

In a significant shift, the German government said Saturday it will send weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine, which is fighting to keep Russia from invading its capital city, Associated Press reported.

Germany is also ready to also support some restrictions of the SWIFT global banking system for Russia, officials said.

Germany’s chancellery announced Saturday evening that it will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine “as quickly as possible.”

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point. It threatens our entire post-war order,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement. “In this situation, it is our duty to help Ukraine, to the best of our ability, to defend itself against Vladimir Putin’s invading army.”

The news came shortly after the German economy and climate ministry said in a Saturday evening statement that Germany is allowing the Netherlands to ship 400 German-made anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. The government has also approved the shipment of 9 D-30 howitzers and ammunition originally from Estonia.

Germany had long stuck to a policy of not exporting deadly weapons to conflict zones, including Ukraine. As recently as Friday, government officials said they would abide by that policy.

But the country — which has the strongest economy in the 27-nation European Union — has faced criticism from Ukrainian officials and other allies that it has not acted decisively enough to help Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion. Previously, Germany contributed 5,000 helmets to Ukraine’s defense, a move that was mocked on Twitter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the news of weapons shipments, posting praise for Scholz on Twitter: “Keep it up, Chancellor @OlafScholz! Anti-war coalition in action!”

In addition, the German economy and climate ministry said Saturday that Germany will send 14 armored vehicles and up to 10,000 tons of fuel to Ukraine.

Russia unleashed a wave of attacks on Ukraine targeting airfields and fuel facilities in what appeared to be the next phase of an invasion that has been slowed by fierce resistance, Associated Press reported.

The U.S. and EU responded with weapons and ammunition for the outnumbered Ukrainians and powerful sanctions intended to further isolate Moscow. 

Huge explosions lit up the sky early Sunday south of the capital, Kyiv, where people hunkered down in homes, underground garages and subway stations in anticipation of a full-scale assault by Russian forces.

Flames billowed into the sky before dawn from an oil depot near an air base in Vasylkiv, where there has been intense fighting, according to the town’s mayor. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said another explosion was at the civilian Zhuliany airport.

Zelenskyy’s office also said Russian forces blew up a gas pipeline in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, prompting the government to warn people to protect themselves from the smoke by covering their windows with damp cloth or gauze.

“We will fight for as long as needed to liberate our country,” Zelenskyy vowed. 

Terrified men, women and children sought safety inside and underground, and the government maintained a 39-hour curfew to keep people off the streets. More than 150,000 Ukrainians fled for Poland, Moldova and other neighboring countries, and the United Nations warned the number could grow to 4 million if fighting escalates.

The CPN (Maoist Centre) has decided to endorse the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) with interpretative declaration in the disputed points. 

An expanded meeting of the party held at party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s residence in Khumaltar made the decision to this effect. 

The Maoist leaders have agreed to ratify the $500 million grant agreement with the interpretative declaration in the dispute points despite the heated debate within the party over whether to pass the MCC.

Maoist Centre leader Shakti Basnet said that the party has decided to endorse the MCC with the interpretative declaration.