Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski said that all the issues would be on the table if his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agrees to talk about the war, after warning that his country would be “destroyed” before surrendering.
On the ground there was no truce with the violence, after Russian forces destroyed a shopping center in kyiv and the Pentagon claimed Moscow stepped up its air and sea operations.
In turn, US President Joe Biden warned that Putin is considering the use of chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine, while talking with his European allies about what he described as Moscow’s “brutal tactics”.
Almost a month after the beginning of the conflict, there has been little progress in the talks between the two parties, for which Zelensky has urged to speak directly with Putin. On Monday he insisted that a meeting with Putin, “in whatever format,” is crucial to ending the war.
“If I have this opportunity and Russia has the desire, we could address all the issues“, he told Ukrainian journalists in an interview published by the Suspiline network. “Would we solve everything there? No, but there is a chance that we can at least partially stop the war,” he added.
Zelensky said he would be willing to discuss the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula and pro-Russian breakaway areas in the eastern Donbass region, though he insisted he believes they should be returned to Ukraine.
(You can read: Russian Army bombs school that served as a refuge in Mariúpol).
“At the first meeting with the President of Russia, I am ready to address these issues“, he declared, after indicating that any agreement on “historic” changes would be submitted to a national referendum. “This is a very difficult story for all (…) and to find a way out we must take this first step that I spoke about: security guarantees, the end of the war,” he said.
He insisted that Ukraine “already understood” that it cannot join NATO, but added that its compatriots cannot simply “hand over” the capital or the cities of Kharkiv and Mariupol, a heavily bombed port.
“Ukraine cannot accept any ultimatum from Russia. First of all, it will be necessary to destroy us all, only then will their ultimatums be respected“, Held.
Kyiv under siege
Meanwhile, in kyiv, a 35-hour curfew came into force from 8:00 p.m. (1 p.m. Colombia time) on Monday, after Russian bombing destroyed the Retroville shopping center, killing at least eight people.
“It was the biggest bomb to hit the city so far.said Dima Stepanienko, 30, who was thrown “at the foot of the bed” by the blast. An Orthodox priest walking through the rubble of Retroville whispered prayers as he cursed “Russian terrorists”.
Russia claimed that the mall was used to store rocket systems and ammunition. Moscow intensified its military activity, with 300 flights in 24 hoursin a “desperate” attempt to turn the tide against the Ukrainian resistance, a US defense official said.
(Also: Russia – Ukraine: this has been the war that has the world in suspense).
Putin’s forces have been accused of causing a humanitarian catastrophe in Mariupol, where some 350,000 people are trapped without water and electricity. That port has been bombed relentlessly and more than 2,000 people have died, according to local authorities, in what the head of European Union (EU) diplomacy, Josep Borrell, described as a “massive war crime.”
Russia had given Mariupol until 5 a.m. Monday to surrender, but kyiv rejected the ultimatum, saying resistance in the city had strengthened the defense of all of Ukraine. Mariupol is a key target in Putin’s war, serving as a bridge between Russian forces in Crimea and Russian-controlled territories to the north and east.
Protests in Kherson
But the resistance has continued even in cities captured by Russia.
Ukrainian authorities on Tuesday accused Russian troops of shooting at unarmed protesters in the occupied southern city of Kherson. Videos uploaded on social networks and the Telegram application showed dozens of people gathered in Kherson’s Freedom Square to protest against Russia’s takeover of the city.
Russian soldiers are shown shooting into the air, while a bloody older man was removed, although authorities said no one was killed.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continue this week with Biden’s trip to Europe to talk with leaders of the G7, the EU and NATO. Western countries and their allies hope to strengthen their united front, although it is not clear that they will take additional steps to pressure Russia.
(In other news: ‘Putin has redesigned the world, but not in the way he wanted.’)
Moscow has warned that its relations with Washington are “on the verge of breaking down” after Biden called Putin a “war criminal.”
Zelensky urged Europe to sharply increase pressure against Moscow, saying the continent must suspend all trade with Russia, but Germany has evaded calls for a European embargo on Russian oil and gas.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov warned that such an embargo would have “a very serious impact on the world energy market“, facing extremely high prices.
With the war inching closer to a stalemate, Zelensky called on China to “play an important role” in ending the conflict.
The war displaced around 10 million Ukrainians, almost a third of them refugees abroad, according to the UN,
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