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Moscow’s ally Belarus called on Ukraine for a ceasefire and threatened to use nuclear weapons. Russia itself again sharpened its tone against the West, declaring the United States as the biggest threat. Turkey, meanwhile, paved the way for Finland to join NATO.
The invasion of Ukraine ordered by President Vladimir Putin began on February 24, 2022. About five weeks later, Russian troops withdrew from the area around the capital Kiev due to lack of success. After that, massacres were discovered in the suburb of Bucha, among other things. The Ukrainian prosecutor speaks of more than 9,000 registered war crimes in Bucha district. Around Kiev, 1,400 civilians are said to have been killed. Moscow rejects the allegations and speaks of a staging by the Ukrainian secret service.
Scholz: “Russia is not going to win!”
German Chancellor Scholz said on Twitter that the atrocities had shown what Putin’s war meant. “The images also burned in me.” These crimes should not go unpunished. “We stand united behind Ukraine. Russia will not win!” EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen said Russian soldiers had looted, tortured, raped and killed. The cold-blooded executions are part of a larger plan to destroy Ukraine, its independence and its democracy.
On the spot, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, together with international guests, commemorated the victims. “On the streets of Bucha, the world saw Russian evil, evil without masks,” Zelensky said. The Ukrainian people have “stopped the greatest inhuman force of our time”.
Ukraine is preparing next steps
On Thursday – the 400th day since the attack – Zelenskyj had soberly assessed the war. “400 days of defense against large-scale aggression, this is a colossal road we have traveled,” he said, adding: “We are preparing our next steps, our new actions, we are preparing for our imminent victory.”
According to their own statements, Ukrainian forces in the east of the country have repelled several simultaneous Russian attacks on different front sectors. According to this, the sectors near Kupyansk, Limansk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marjinsk were “in focus”. The information provided by the warring parties can hardly be independently verified.
UN human rights chief: This madness must stop
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, denounced the war as a throwback to an archaic era and demanded in Geneva: “This madness must end and peace must be established in accordance with the United Nations and the international law.” How and when this should be possible is still unclear.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez traveled to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is considered a possible mediator. But Xi merely reiterated his criticism of the West: “Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation” had to be abandoned, the president said, according to Chinese state television. There must also be an end to “Extreme sanctions and pressure”.
Lukashenko urges Ukraine to start negotiations immediately
Putin’s ally in Belarus, ruler Alexander Lukashenko, called on neighboring Ukraine for a ceasefire and immediate negotiations “without preconditions”. Kiev cannot count on a victory against a nuclear power like Russia, the 68-year-old said in an hour-long keynote speech. He warned Kiev against a counter-offensive. “It’s the worst thing that could happen.”
Lukashenko threatened the West with the use of nuclear weapons to secure the sovereignty of Belarus. In addition to the tactical nuclear weapons already promised by Russia, Belarus also wants to make agreements with Moscow on the stationing of strategic nuclear weapons in case of emergency.
In turn, Putin’s new foreign policy doctrine cites the United States as “the main instigator, organizer and executor of the collective West’s aggressive anti-Russian policies.” The United States is “the source of the main threats to Russian security,” the document, published Friday, said.
Clear the way for Finland to join NATO
For its part, NATO has finally reached agreement on Finland’s accession. The Northern European country had applied for admission to the Western Defense Alliance in 2022 together with Sweden. After much back and forth, Turkey was the last of the 30 NATO countries to agree to Finland joining. The future NATO member has a border of 1,340 kilometers with Russia. Sweden, on the other hand, is still waiting for the yes from Turkey and Hungary. The German government is urging its allies to also give Sweden the green light.
However, another question has been clarified for Berlin: Poland initially does not want to supply fighter jets from former GDR stocks to Ukraine, so that no German approval is required for the transfer. The four Soviet-designed MiG-29s, the delivery of which the Polish government announced two weeks ago, did not come from Germany – this was made clear by the security adviser to Polish President Andrzej Duda, Jacek Siewiera, in an interview with the German Press Agency .
(SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
