Ukraine has no plans to attack Russia .

President Volodymyr Zelensky said this during an interview with the US broadcaster Newsmax TV, commenting on media rumors that Kiev could use the Himars missile systems (which have a range of 80 kilometers) received by the United States to hit targets on the Russian territory.

The dispatch of the missiles was announced by US President Joe Biden , in an editorial in the New York Times. But Zelensky clarifies: "I know people in the United States are saying, or someone in the White House is saying, that we could use them to attack Russia. We have no intention of attacking Russia. We are not interested in the Russian Federation . We are not fighting on the Russian Federation. their territory ".

For Russia, however , the new package of US military support for Ukraine is "extremely negative" : the Russian deputy foreign minister, Serghiei Ryabkov, told the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti. "We consider it a purely negative fact, because attempts to present the decision as containing an element of 'self-control' are useless," he added to Ria Novosti.

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The day by the hour:

Born, a Sweden-Finland-Turkey summit is being worked on

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced in Washington that "in the next few days" he will convene a meeting with the leaders of Sweden, Finland and Turkey to try to overcome Ankara's opposition to the entry of the two Nordic countries into the Alliance. "We are in close contact with Turkey, an important NATO ally, and with the two countries that have filed their candidacy to join NATO, Finland and Sweden," he said.

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Blinken: "Kiev will not use the new missiles in Russia"

Ukraine has "assured" that it will not use the new missiles supplied by the US to hit targets in Russia: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, confirming what was reported by the media.

Risks of escalating with Russia? "To avoid it, Moscow stop the aggression against Ukraine," he added.

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Lavrov: "The conflict widens with US rocket launchers in Kiev"

The US supply of MLRS multiple rocket launchers to Kiev would risk provoking a widening of the conflict with the involvement of third countries. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov, quoted by TASS. "Ukraine's requests for foreign weapons are provocations aimed at involving the West in the conflict," added the head of diplomacy in Moscow.

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Lavrov: "Germany wants to dominate Europe"

The statements by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Germany will become 'the main EU military force' testify to the return of German aspirations for domination. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov, quoted by TASS.

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"Turkey will organize port demining"

The presidents of Russia and Turkey, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have agreed that Turkey will help organize the demining of Ukrainian ports. This was reported by Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov, quoted by TASS.

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Russians entered the center of Severodonetsk

"The fighting continues. The enemy has reached the center of Severodonetsk and is trying to gain a foothold there." This was reported by the spokesman of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, quoted by UNIAN. "Now the enemy has concentrated its maximum reserves there to reach the Lugansk region border. Their main tactical objective now is to take full control of the city of Severodonetsk. They also want to surround Lysychansk," the Kiev spokesman added.

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Von der Leyen: "Putin will have to contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine"

"Our strongest weapon against Putin is unity. We will support Ukraine in the reconstruction, it is not only our strategic interest but our moral duty. The sum of investments is enormous and we will have to create an ad hoc platform that brings together the EU and its partners, the G7, international organizations ". This was stated by the president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaking at the EPP congress. "But, one thing must be clear: it will be Putin and his oligarchs, who perpetrated this war, who will have to contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine," he added.

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Moscow: "With rockets in Kiev, the US is adding fuel to the fire"

"We believe that the United States is deliberately and purposefully throwing more fuel on the fire," said Putin's spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, commenting on the announcement by US President Joe Biden that the United States will supply the Ukraine "more advanced" missile systems to hit "strategic targets". The Interfax agency reports. "Such deliveries do not help to awaken the Ukrainian leadership's desire to resume peace talks," Peskov said.

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Born, Erdogan's new no to Finland and Sweden

NATO is a security organization, not an institution for supporting terrorist groups. "This was stated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking to the parliamentary group of his AKP party, as reported by Anadolu. During the speech, the leader Turkish has returned to oppose the candidacy presented by Sweden and Finland to join the Atlantic Alliance due to the alleged support of the Scandinavian countries for armed Kurdish groups that Ankara considers terrorists.

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Moscow: "We will continue to participate in ISS"

Roscosmos, the Russian space agency will continue to participate in the International Space Station project until the new Russian space station is launched. This was announced by the press service of the Agency, reports Interfax.

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Kiev: "The Russians control 70% of Severodonetsk"

"Russia now controls 70% of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine. Kiev's troops have withdrawn to more protected positions and some continue to fight inside the city," said the head of the Lugansk regional military administration Sergiy Gaidai. quoted by the Guardian. Severodonetsk is the main target of the Russian attack these days as it represents a key point if you want to control the Donbass. Gaidai added that "Lysychansk is completely under Ukrainian control. All free settlements in the Lugansk region are constantly under fire and evacuation is suspended."

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Moscow: "Extremely negative to supply US missiles to Kiev"

Russia evaluates the new package of US military support to Ukraine "extremely negatively": the Russian deputy foreign minister, Serghiei Ryabkov, told the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti. US President Joe Biden said the US will provide Ukraine with "more advanced" missile systems to hit "strategic targets". "We consider this a purely negative fact, because attempts to present the decision as containing an element of 'self-control' are useless," the Russian deputy minister told Ria Novosti.

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The Pope: "Do not use wheat as a weapon of war"

"Please do not use wheat, a staple food, as a weapon of war": this is the appeal launched by the Pope at the end of the general audience. The Pope referred to the blocking of exports due to the conflict in Ukraine.

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The death toll of children rises to 243, with 446 injured

The number of Ukrainian children who have died since the beginning of the Russian invasion has risen to 243, while 446 have been injured. The Ukrainian Parliament reported this morning, according to the Guardian.

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"The US will send systems with a range of 80 km"

The United States will supply Ukraine with Himars missile systems, which have a range of 80 kilometers. This was reported by administration sources after Joe Biden, in an editorial in the New York Times, announced the dispatch of more advanced missile systems to Kiev. In recent days, CNN had reported that the White House was preparing a new package of military aid that would include medium / long-range missile systems: Multiple Launch Rocket System (Mlrs), capable of launching missiles up to 300 km away and the Himars, a lighter version of the former but capable of firing the same type of ammunition.

(Unioneonline)

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