Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be ready to negotiate a ceasefire for peace between Russia and Ukraine, while the war triggered by the Russian invasion continues. This was announced by a spokesperson, explaining that Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin are deciding where and when to hold the talks.
According to reports from The New York Times, citing Kiev ambassador to Tel Aviv Yevgen Korniychuk, Zelensky asked Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to mediate in the crisis. The request for mediation would have been formulated during a telephone interview. “We believe that Israel is the only democratic country that has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia,” Korniychuk said.
FIGHTING – Meanwhile, the Russian offensive continues. “Powerful explosions” were warned in Kiev. This was reported by the BBC and Sky News talking about artillery shells and gunshots in the western part of the Ukrainian capital. According to what the authorities of the Ukrainian capital write on Telegram, the municipality of Kiev has asked citizens to go “urgently to shelters!”.
On social media, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital Vitalij Klitschko raised the alarm in the late afternoon after “five explosions occurred with an interval of 3-5 minutes” near the CHP-6 power plant that powers Kiev. One of the main dangers, he added, with “Russian troops close to the capital” are “groups of saboteurs”. “The bridges are under special protection” of the armed forces while “checkpoints have been set up not only at the main entrances of the city” but “also near the strategic structures of the capital”.
SANCTIONS – EU and US have approved a new package of sanctions against Moscow. US President Joe Biden will sanction directly Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei LavrovWhite House spokesman Jen Psaki confirmed.
Even from Brussels, the “compact EU foreign ministers voted a package of very harsh sanctions against Russia. Not only against Vladimir Putin and Sergej Lavrov, who have been sanctioned and listed by the EU, but also important sanctions on banks, on Russian state enterprises, on entire economic sectors “, announced Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio.
“It is another step – continued Di Maio – to continue diplomatically and politically to isolate Russia. In these hours, as president of the Council of the Council of Europe’s assembly of ministers, I have fully supported the ouster of Russia from Council of Europe. We did it because that is a forum in which we work for people’s rights and what is happening these days goes against international law, goes against any international agreement and good coexistence, but above all it goes against humanity “. “And this – he said again – we can no longer afford it”.
“We are already working on the third package of sanctions that the EU will vote on in the coming days. Italy has always voted in a compact manner with the other EU countries on the Commission’s proposals. And we will continue to do so”, underlines Di Maio. As for a possible exclusion of Russia from the Swift system, which allows international trade, “there is no veto. Our countries have many partners outside the EU: we will also raise awareness in the UN to continue isolating Russia, a country that, with its rulers, is carrying out reckless actions “, concluded Di Maio.
BORN – Vladimir Putin made “a terrible mistake” ordering the invasion of Ukraine and Russia will pay “a severe economic and political price” for the war triggered. NATO condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the invasion of Ukraine by Russia made possible by Belarus and urges Moscow to “immediately cease its military assault, withdraw all its forces from Ukraine and march back on the path of aggression it has chosen “, reads the final communiqué following today’s Alliance summit.
NATO countries are “united and determined to stay together not only in words but in deeds”, said the NATO Secretary General. Jens Stoltenberg after the summit dedicated to the “all-out invasion of Ukraine by Russia”. NATO is increasing its military presence “not to provoke a conflict, but to prevent it,” Stoltenberg added, urging Russia to end the intervention and withdraw from Ukraine. Stoltenberg then announced that NATO has deployed elements of its Rapid Reaction Force for the first time in a collective defense context, stressing that “the Kremlin’s objectives are not limited to Ukraine. The decision was made” to prevent there are misunderstandings about the fact that NATO is ready to defend the allied countries “.
“There are thousands of troops,” Stoltenberg added, adding that the situation in Ukraine is “fluid and evolving”. NATO “monitors the situation and is in close contact with the Ukrainian government”. Russian forces move towards Kiev and the rhetoric indicates that their goal is to change government and remove the democratically elected government. “Ukrainian forces are inflicting damage on Russian forces,” Stoltenberg added.
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