" The talks are interrupted, the negotiation process has been blocked by Kiev , which shows no interest in a serious dialogue". Vladimir Putin said this to his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto.
During the meeting, the two obviously spoke of Helsinki's accession to NATO. Niinisto reiterated to Putin his willingness to join the alliance because the country's security situation was "fundamentally altered" by the "massive invasion of Ukraine" .
It would be "a mistake" to abandon the policy of neutrality, Putin replied, adding that "there are no threats to the security of Helsinki" and that his entry into NATO could "negatively affect relations with Russia" .
Meanwhile, yet another indictment arrives, with a warning, against the West. Through the mouth of Foreign Minister Lavrov, who accuses Western countries of having unleashed a " total hybrid war " against Russia. War that no one knows how long it will last, he specified, and of which " everyone will pay the consequences, no one excluded ".
Meanwhile, Zelensky returns to ask for the release of ports and accuses Moscow of causing a "large-scale food crisis", which could cause a " famine in dozens of countries ". The Ukrainian president also explained that "very complex" talks are underway with Moscow to release the last fighters barricaded in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol .
Turkey has offered to send a ship to Mariupol to allow the evacuation of injured Ukrainian soldiers and civilians from Azovstal. "Our plan calls for people evacuated from the steel mill to be taken by land to the port of Berdyansk, which like Mariupol is located on the Sea of Azov, and for a Turkish ship to take them to Istanbul," said the spokesman for President Recep. Tayyip Erdogan, Ibrahim Kalin, in an interview with Reuters.
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The day by the hour:
Intercepted oligarch: "Putin has a blood cancer"
Vladimir Putin is "very ill, he has a blood cancer". These are the words used by an oligarch close to the Kremlin during a secretly recorded phone call, which New Lines Magazine has come into possession and re-launched by various international media. Putin "has ruined the Russian economy, that of Ukraine and other countries. The problem is in his head. A mad man can turn the world upside down," says the intercepted oligarch, whose name is never given.
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Ankara: "Finland and Sweden support PKK"
"NATO is an alliance and in an alliance we stand in solidarity. Sweden and Finland are supporting the PKK terrorists, who attack us every day". This was stated by the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Berlin on the sidelines of the NATO summit, which tonight provides for a dinner with the ministers of Sweden and Finland. "It is unacceptable for allies and friends to support terrorists," he added. "Therefore the majority of the Turkish people are against it and are asking us to block entry into NATO". "An issue that we will obviously have to talk about with our partners," he concluded.
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Di Maio: "We need the EU at the forefront to defend peace"
"NATO is a defensive organization that is currently managing the crisis in Ukraine in a complementary way with the EU, which must be increasingly at the forefront to achieve peace". Luigi Di Maio said this on the sidelines of the Alliance's foreign ministers meeting in Berlin. The head of the Farnesina added that Italy is working with partners to open "a table that involves international institutions and countries that can exert influence on Putin and convince him to stop the war".
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Turkey offers its ship to evacuate the wounded soldiers in the steel plant
Turkey is ready to send a ship to Mariupol to allow the evacuation of wounded Ukrainian soldiers and other civilians from Azovstal. The spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ibrahim Kalin, made it known in an interview with Reuters, according to reports from the Tass agency. "Our plan is for people evacuated from the steel mill to be taken overland to the port of Berdyansk, which like Mariupol is on the Sea of Azov, and for a Turkish ship to take them to Istanbul," he said. "If this can be done, our ship is ready to leave and take the wounded soldiers and other civilians to Turkey."
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New Russian attacks on the steel plant
The Azov regiment, which defends Azovstal, reported that the Russians continued to attack the Mariupol steel plant with bombs, artillery and tanks. And he rallied a large number of foot soldiers to attempt to take the plant. The Ukrainians speak of a "critical situation", stating however that they are "managing to repel the enemy's attempts to break through", reads a message on Telegram, as reported by local media.
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Mariupol without water, 170,000 cannot flee
In Mariupol, still besieged by Russian forces, drinking water continues to be scarce. This was reported by the mayor's adviser, Petro Andriushchenko, who posted a video on Telegram in which he talks about 150-170 thousand people who have become "hostages of the occupation authorities". According to Andriushchenko, most residents do not have access to running water and have to go to distribution points where water is not enough for everyone, while food is still lacking and cellars are flooded, Ukrinform reported. .
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Turkey does not close the doors to Finland and Sweden in NATO
Turkey has not closed the door to the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, but wants negotiations with the Nordic countries and a crackdown on what it sees as terrorist activities hosted above all in Stockholm. This was stated by Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President RecepTayyip Erdogan, reports Reuters on his website.
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Lavrov: "The West has declared war on Russia"
The West has declared an all-out hybrid war against Russia. And it's hard to predict how long it will last. Foreign Minister Serghiei Lavrov said this at the annual meeting with the experts of the Foreign and Defense Council, according to reports from the Interfax agency. "It is clear - added Lavrov - that everyone will pay the consequences".
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Putin: "Kiev not interested in dialogue, talks interrupted"
Russian and Finnish presidents Vladimir Putin and Sauli Niinisto discussed the situation in Ukraine today. This was reported by the press service of the Kremlin. Putin noted that the negotiations between Moscow and Kiev were practically halted as the Ukrainian side would not be interested in a productive dialogue. Tass reports it.
"The leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine. In particular, Putin shared the estimates on the state of the negotiation process between the Russians and the Ukrainians which was practically interrupted by Kiev, which shows no interest in a serious dialogue", reads.
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Putin: "It is a mistake to abandon the policy of neutrality for Helsinki"
Finland intends to join NATO because the country's security situation has been "fundamentally altered" by the "massive invasion of Ukraine" by the Russians. This is what Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said in his telephone conversation today with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
For Finland, abandoning the policy of neutrality would be a "mistake", Russian President Vladimir Putin replied. Putin - quoted by Tass - added that "there are no threats to Helsinki's security" and that his entry into NATO could "negatively affect relations with Russia".
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Niinisto: "With Putin agreed to avoid tensions"
A "direct and frank" conversation during which it was agreed that it is "important to avoid tension". Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said this in a Twitter statement about the phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
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Ukrainian counter-offensive against Izyum, Russians withdraw
Ukrainian troops launched a counter-offensive towards Izyum in the Kharkiv region. This was stated by Oleg Synegubov, head of the Kharkiv oblast, reports the UNIAN agency. "The hottest spot remains the area in the direction of Izyum. There our forces have gone to counterattack. The enemy is retreating in some areas," Synegubov said.
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Kiev, now Russians focus on Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson
The Russians are still withdrawing their troops from the Kharkiv region in northern Ukraine, and now their "main goal is to establish full control of the provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk (in the east) and Kherson (in the south). ) "and" to ensure the stability of the land corridor with Crimea ". This was stated by the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces, quoted by the BBC.
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Zelensky, "we will not leave anyone in the hands of the enemy"
The gradual liberation from the occupying Russian forces of the Ukrainian Kharkiv region proves that Ukraine "will leave no one in the hands of the enemy". This was stated today by President Volodymyr Zelensky, quoted by the Interfax Ukraine agency. "Obviously - he added - we remember every city and community that are still under occupation: Kherson, Melitopol, Berdiansk, Energodar, Mariupol and the cities of Donbass".
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Russia has cut off electricity supplies to Finland
Russia has cut off electricity supplies to Finland. The Finnish operator makes it known. Exports were halted overnight after a Russian supplier was announced, a manager of the Finnish operator told AFP. The company responsible for the sale of Russian electricity to Finland, Rao Nordic, announced yesterday its intention to interrupt the supply at midnight, citing missed payments, as Finland prepares to announce its candidacy for NATO.
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Kiev, "we already have 11 thousand war crimes cases, 40 suspected"
"We already have over 10 thousand cases of war crimes underway and already 40 suspected". This was stated by the Ukrainian Attorney General, Iryna Venediktova, in a tweet, just as the first trial in a Ukrainian court against a Russian soldier opened in the past few hours. "I am sure - added Venediktova - that in the near future we will see other cases arrive in the courts and perpetrators of the crimes appear before judges".
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Zelensky, 37 embassies have already reopened in Kiev
There are "already 37 foreign diplomatic missions" that "have resumed their work in Kiev. And I am grateful to all of them, because this is proof that Ukraine is strong and has prospects, unlike the Russian Federation". This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his video message quoted by the Ukrainian agency UNIAN. "I am confident that other foreign missions will soon return to the capital", added Zelensky, while hoping that "all Ukrainian companies that have not yet resumed their activities will return to work in safe areas".
(Unioneonline)