NU.nl regularly provides an overview of the situation in Ukraine. This time: NATO has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin about the consequences of using nuclear weapons, although that doesn’t seem to be the case yet. Kherson residents were ordered to leave due to heavy fighting in the south.
The firm statements by NATO came from Jens Stoltenberg. The NATO chief did not say when the alliance itself would use nuclear weapons to stop Russia. “Then much needs to be done. This is still extremely far away.”
France and EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said earlier this week that they would not retaliate with nuclear weapons if Russia deployed nuclear weapons. NATO deliberately leaves it in the middle, so that Russia must continue to contend with a totally escalating war.
According to Stoltenberg, Putin knows he can expect “serious consequences” if he crosses the “important line”. Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren sent the same message: “We must react calmly and not say what reaction it will lead to. At the same time, we must continue to insist that no nuclear weapons are deployed.”
NATO comes with a small aid package, but Zelensky needs much more
NATO also presented a small military aid package for Ukraine. For example, jammers are sent to Kiev to fight Russian drones. Those kamikazedrones claimed many casualties in air strikes this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had requested additional anti-aircraft fire. According to him, only 10 percent of the necessary systems are in place. On Thursday morning, Kiev was again targeted and important infrastructure were hit.
In recent days, the Netherlands, France and Germany, among others, have presented plans to quickly deliver new weapons. On Thursday, the UK joined that list. The country of Prime Minister Liz Truss will supply the same AMRAAM anti-aircraft missiles supplied by the Netherlands as well.
Evacuations in Kherson due to the approach of a heavy battle
Before the missile attacks, the war was mainly dominated by the Ukrainian counter-offensive. There is heavy fighting in the east and south. In the southern province of Kherson, civilians would have been called by Russia to leave the area. According to the British Defense Ministry, this is happening because the Russians predict an escalation of fighting in the province.
Kherson is one of the four regions that Russia recently annexed. Virtually no country recognizes that the regions are now Russian territory. The Russians don’t even fully control the province.
The United Nations on Thursday condemned the attempted annexation of Russia. At the General Assembly, 143 of the 193 member states called the move illegal. The sentence has no consequences, but is seen as a sign that Russia is further isolating itself internationally. China and India abstained.
It is the second time that the UN has slapped Russia. Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, the United Nations has already denounced Russia’s “aggression” with the utmost firmness. Russia ignored the request to immediately withdraw its armed forces. The resolution was adopted by 141 Member States at the time.
Erdogan wants the bloodshed to stop
Putin did not care about the United Nations on Thursday. He spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Kazakh capital Astana. The couple reportedly talked about possible ways out of the war.
Before the meeting, Erdogan urged Putin to “put an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine”. The Turkish and Russian media were unable to report concrete results after the summit.
Leaders also discussed economic issues. Russia is very important to Turkey, as the country supplies a lot of grain, fertilizer and fuel. Erdogan said he wanted to do more to expand Russian grain and fertilizer exports to poor countries.
It is not the first time that Erdogan acts as a mediator. He maintains close ties with Russia and Ukraine. Furthermore, Turkey is a major NATO member that has not declared sanctions against Russia. During previous talks, Erdogan took the initiative to keep Ukrainian ports and the Black Sea out of the fray, which again allowed the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.
