Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its third month today. No respite to evacuate civilians from the besieged Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol.
“We see that the Kremlin has not achieved the objectives it has set itself”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this at a press conference in Poland, returning from Kiev, as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its third month today. “The strategy is massive pressure on Russia and massive support for Ukraine,” he added, reiterating Washington’s position. Ukraine “can win” the war “if it has the right equipment,” Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said, according to whom the United States wants to see Russia “weakened” to the point that she cannot launch new wars.
At least 5 are dead and 18 injured in raids by Russian forces against railway installations in Ukraine.
“The West it is trying to split Russian society and destroy Russia from within, “said Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a speech to the board of the Russian Attorney General.
And a fire broke out in a fuel depot in the Russian town of Bryansknot far from the border with Ukraine.
The mayor of Slavutich warns: “The Chernobyl area still under threat“.
ANSA agency
Coreper meets on Wednesday but the formal proposal is not on the table (ANSA)
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PUTIN, THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY REGGE – The Russian economy is able to withstand Western sanctions. This is the meaning of the message launched today in Moscow by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The Russian economy – said Putin according to Tass reports – certainly has all the capabilities to operate stably and without failures even in new realities”. “The West is trying to split Russian society and destroy Russia from within”: Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a speech to the board of the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office, quoted by the Turkish agency Anadolu. The Russian leader called for an end to “provocations against the Russian armed forces through the use of foreign media”. He then said that “it is strange diplomacy when diplomats ask Ukraine to win the war on the battlefield”.
CONFLICT ENTERS THE THIRD MONTH – At least 5 killed and 18 wounded in missile attacks that hit five railway stations in western and central Ukraine. “The Russians are trying to hit critical infrastructure,” local authorities in the central Vinnytsia region said, explaining that Ukrainian railways have “canceled or hijacked” the trains.
A fire broke out in a fuel depot in the Russian town of Bryansk, not far from the border with Ukraine. This was announced by the local authorities quoted by the Russian agency Tass. Bombings and deaths also yesterday, on the day of Orthodox Easter. In the Donetsk region five victims, including two girls aged 5 and 14. In Kherson the Russian military would be blocking those who want to leave, with Moscow which according to Kiev and British intelligence is about to organize a farce referendum there to legitimize its occupation. Continued bombing and a particular concentration of Russian forces are then reported near Huliaipole, in the Zaporizhzhia region.
CHERNOBYL UNDER THREAT – “We cannot know what is in the Russians’ heads. We could not expect them to take over nuclear power plants. Our region will always be in danger as long as the system in Russia does not change. The threat always exists.” This was told to ANSA by Yurii Fomichev, mayor of Slavutich, the satellite city of Chernobyl where the workers of the plant live. The mayor himself was captured by the Russians on March 26 for a few hours, until he convinced them that “there were no weapons or armed soldiers in the city”. Russian forces withdrew from the Slavutich area between 29 March and 3 April.
THE VISIT OF BLINKEN AND AUSTIN LAMPO – The United States will bring back its diplomatic presence in Ukraine starting this week and will release more military aid worth more than 700 million dollars, which will go to Kiev but in part also to NATO regional allies who have supplied arms to Ukraine and now have need to replenish their stocks. This was announced by US officials at the end of the trip to Kiev of the American secretaries of state and defense Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, who met the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky last night.
Blinken indicated that Joe Biden will appoint a new US ambassador to Kiev in the coming days: it will be Bridget Brink, current US ambassador to Slovakia. The diplomatic post in Ukraine was managed by business appointees since 2019. “Since the start of the hostilities, we have had a team in Poland doing this work. From this week the team members will be making day trips within Ukraine, even reactivating our presence in Kiev,” he explained. a senior US State Department official.
As for weapons, the announcement of this new tranche of military aid comes after the American president had already announced last Thursday 800 million dollars in the form of deliveries to Ukraine in particular of heavy weapons, requested by Zelensky to cope to the Russian offensive in the east of the country. In total, according to Washington, the United States has granted Kiev more than $ 4 billion in military aid since Biden’s mandate began.
“The friendship and partnership between Ukraine and the US are stronger than ever,” Zelensky tweeted last night in response to a tweet from the US president who promised “to continue supporting the Ukrainians in their fight to defend. The fatherland”. The Ukrainian leader also greeted the re-election of the French president “Emmanuel Macron, a true friend of Ukraine”. Also congratulating Macron, Biden on his part said he “can’t wait to continue the close cooperation” with France “in particular to support Ukraine and defend democracy”.
After Blinken and Austin’s lightning mission, returned to Polish territory this morning, Antonio’s now begins Guterres: the UN secretary general will be in Ankara today, tomorrow in Moscow and Thursday in Kiev. A trip that, however, attracted strong criticism from the Ukrainian side. “It is not a good idea to go to Moscow: we do not understand his intention to speak with Russian President Vlamdimir Putin,” said Igor Zhovka, Zelensky’s deputy chief of staff, warning that Guterres “is not allowed” to speak on behalf of the government. Ukrainian in his peace efforts.
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