A new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine took place today in Istanbul, the first face-to-face in two weeks. The aim is above all a ceasefire or at least an agreement for humanitarian aid to the displaced: "We are not trading people, land or sovereignty", said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Some doubts about the success were expressed by a senior US State Department official who said Putin would not be willing to compromise to end the war.
In Istanbul there is also the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich .
In these hours, the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, has made it known that the Moscow military has kidnapped a woman who is part of the city council. The mayor himself had been kidnapped earlier this month and released after a couple of weeks. The councilor would be Iryna Shcherbak, head of the Council's education department.
Investigations into alleged torture of prisoners of war are requests coming from the United Nations: "We have seen videos from both sides of Ukrainian prisoners of war being taken by the Russian side and Russian prisoners of war being taken by the Ukrainian side" , underlined the head of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine Matilda Bogner, adding that the UN is "in the process of verifying all the material that has been released".
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov anticipated that those involved in the torture will have to be held accountable for their actions. And on the hypothesis of the use of nuclear weapons, he reiterated that Putin "never thought or threatened" to use them.
While Joe Biden has returned to define the Russian president as "a dictator" who, "determined to rebuild an empire, will never cancel a people's love for freedom. Brutality will never destroy the will to be free. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia ”. He wrote it on Twitter using his personal account and not the official one.
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The day by the hour:
13.50 - Born: Atlantic Council convened for 6 and 7 April
The Atlantic Council has been convened in Brussels for next 6 and 7 April to discuss the developments of the war in Ukraine. This was announced by NATO itself. The meeting is expected to be attended by the 30 foreign ministers of the countries that are part of the organization. The meeting will be chaired by Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whose mandate has been renewed until September 30, 2023.
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13.28 - Zelensky, "at least 7 dead and 22 injured in Mykolaiv"
At least 7 people died and 22 were injured in the Russian bombing this morning in Mykolaiv. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky in his speech to the Danish Parliament.
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13.24 - Decathlon also suspends activities in Russia
The French group specialized in sporting goods Decathlon announced in a press release the suspension of its activities in Russia, due to supply problems. "By scrupulously respecting international sanctions, Decathlon notes that the procurement conditions are no longer met to continue its business in Russia. Decathlon is forced to suspend the activity of its stores", writes in its statement the brand of the galaxy Mulliez, which to date it has maintained the Auchan and Leroy-Merlin activities in Russia.
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13.23 - The first day of negotiations ended
The first day of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul ended. It is not yet clear whether the negotiations will continue tomorrow as well, while a press conference by a member of the Kiev delegation is expected shortly.
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1 pm - Visegrad break, Poland and the Czech Republic do not go to Budapest
Poland and the Czech Republic will not send their representatives to the ministerial meeting of the Visegrad group (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary) convened in Budapest, in protest against the position taken by the Hungarian government of Viktor Urban on Russia and Ukraine and links with the Kremlin. "I have always supported V4, but I am saddened that Hungarian politicians now find cheap Russian oil more important than Ukrainian blood," said Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova.
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12.30 - Shoigu: "Russia's primary objective is the liberation of the Donbass"
"Overall, the main objectives of the first phase of this operation have been achieved. The combat potential of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been significantly reduced, which allows us to focus our main attention and efforts on achieving the primary objective," ie the liberation of the Donbass ". The Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu said in a conference call, as reported by Tass. "Air superiority has been achieved. The air forces and the air defense network have been practically destroyed," Shoigu said.
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12.20 - Kiev to the negotiators: "At the table do not eat or drink"
"I advise anyone who is negotiating with the Russian Federation not to eat or drink and preferably to avoid touching any surface".
The warning comes from the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, according to the British broadcaster Sky News, following the news of the alleged poisoning of Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian negotiators.
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12 pm - Kremlin: "They buy rubles with euros and dollars and pay for gas"
"Foreign companies can buy rubles with euros and dollars and thus pay for gas. In fact, nothing has changed." The spokesman for the Kremlin Peskov, quoted by TASS, says this.
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11.20 - Moscow summons Baltic ambassadors: some diplomats expelled
The Russian Foreign Ministry has summoned the ambassadors of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to Moscow to inform them of the decision to expel diplomats from their respective representations in Russia. This was announced by the Russian agency Tass. This is a retaliation for the decision of the Baltic States to expel several Russian diplomats on March 18: three each from Estonia and Latvia, four from Lithuania, which declared them "people not grateful".
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11 am - China: "US attempt to suppress us and Russia will fail"
The report on the US national defense strategy "is full of Cold War ideas and confrontations between the camps: China and Russia are two great powers and the attempt to contain and suppress both countries will not be successful". This is the comment of the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, following the presentation of the Pentagon report accompanying the 2023 budget, according to which China is the most important strategic competitor of the US, while Russia is defined as a serious threat. .
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10.20 am - Russian source: "In the negotiations, neutrality Ukraine is in draft"
The terms of Ukraine's neutral status are discussed in talks in Istanbul, a source familiar with the progress of the negotiations told Interfax on Tuesday.
"The parties have started negotiations at the level of heads of delegation. In particular, the question of the terms of Ukraine's possible neutral status was raised," the source said.
Presumably, the meeting may end with the terms of neutral status being put on paper, he said. "This is a draft of a certain agreement or declaration. Everything is in the discussion stage," the source said.
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10 am - Abramovich is also listening in Istanbul
Roman Abramovich attended the speech by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who welcomed the delegations of Russia and Ukraine today in Istanbul for talks. This was confirmed by the journalists present, who spread a photograph of the Russian billionaire sitting among Turkish officials during the speech of the Turkish president.
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9.50 am - Ukraine, 3 humanitarian corridors reopened: there is also Mariupol
Ukraine has announced the resumption of civilian evacuations through three humanitarian corridors, including from the besieged city of Mariupol, after a day of suspension due to fears of Russian "provocations". "Three humanitarian corridors have been approved for today," Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Verechtchuk said in a video posted on Telegram.
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9.30 - Istanbul, negotiations begin. Erdogan: "Talks produce concrete results"
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has kicked off the negotiations, saying both Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin are "precious friends" and that progress in the negotiations would pave the way for leaders to meet, which the Turkey could accommodate.
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8.18 am - Missile attack on Nikopol
Russian troops launched a missile attack near Nikopol in eastern Ukraine this morning. This was announced on Facebook by the head of the state and regional administration of Nikopol, Yevhen Yevtushenko. "For the moment there is no news of victims and there is no information on the real threat to the city," added Yevtushenko.
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7.44 - Zelensky, Ukrainians pay "weak" sanctions with their lives
"Ukrainians pay 'weak' sanctions with their lives". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in a video describing the sanctions imposed by the West on Russia as "passive". "There should be no 'suspended' sanctions packages, that is, if Russian troops do something, then there will be some response - he added -, there are now many hints and warnings that sanctions will be tightened, as with an embargo on supplies of Russian oil in Europe, if Russia uses chemical weapons. There are simply no words. "
(Unioneonline)
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