Zelensky expects Russian attacks in the Donbass and in the south

Ukrainian President Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky sees a change in strategy in the Russian army.

(Photo: dpa)

Dusseldorf After the withdrawal of Russian troops from the area around the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky now expects Russian attacks in the Donbass and in the south of the country. “What is the aim of the Russian army? They want to conquer both the Donbass and southern Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a video message on Sunday night. “And what is our aim? We want to protect ourselves, our freedom, our country and our people.”

In order to counteract the Russian plans, the defense of the Ukrainian armed forces in an easterly direction will be strengthened. “And knowing that the enemy has reserves to increase the pressure.” At the same time, Ukrainian units were pursuing the retreating Russian troops north of Kyiv and near Chernihiv, said Zelenskiy. The fight for the “heroic” port city of Mariupol also ensured that large Russian units were tied down.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, meanwhile, said the intensity of Russian air and missile attacks is decreasing. In addition, Moscow continues to withdraw units from northern Ukraine. In a Facebook post, he wrote that Russian forces were laying mines on roads and in some settlements.

Hope for an early meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy

After weeks of negotiations between representatives of Russia and Ukraine to end the war, the government in Kyiv is beginning to see positive signs. With a view to the current status, the Ukrainian chief negotiator David Arakhamija spoke on state television on Saturday evening of a possible meeting between Ukrainian President Zelensky and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. The drafts of the relevant documents are already so far advanced that a “direct talk between the two heads of state” is possible. However, Arachamija did not provide any further information on the current status of the negotiations.

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“Therefore, our task at the moment is to work out the final version of the documents and outstanding issues in order to enable an eventual meeting of the presidents,” said Arakhamiya. Should the meeting take place, it will probably be held in Turkey, either in Ankara or Istanbul.

In recent weeks, Zelensky has repeatedly called for direct talks with Putin to end the war of aggression that Moscow began on February 24. The Kremlin has so far rejected this, pointing out that Putin is demanding a concrete basis – in the sense of completed preliminary negotiations – for this meeting.

Refugees from Mariupol

Many people are trying to flee the embattled city of Mariupol on their own.

(Photo: Reuters)

Russian military wants to open escape corridors for foreigners

The Russian military meanwhile announced the opening of escape corridors for foreigners in the port cities of Mariupol and Berdyansk on the Azov Sea for Sunday. As Major General Mikhail Mizintsev said on the night, according to the TASS agency, foreigners could leave the heavily contested port city of Mariupol in the direction of Berdyansk.

Foreign nationals living in the occupied port city of Berdyansk are also allowed to leave the area – either by land via Crimea or to the Ukrainian-controlled areas. These foreigners are mostly crew members of cargo ships that have been blocked in the two ports since the beginning of the war. The Ukrainian leadership was asked to guarantee the security of the escape corridors.

According to the government in Kyiv, hundreds of people managed to escape from embattled cities on Saturday. 765 civilians left the port city of Mariupol in the south-east in their own vehicles, Deputy Prime Minister Irina Wereschuk said via Telegram. Almost 500 civilians fled the city of Berdyansk. The goal of the people from both cities is Zaporizhia. In addition, ten buses started in Berdyansk. The evacuation should continue there on Sunday, Vereshchuk said.

London pledges further support to Ukraine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised Selensky further support in the fight against the Russian army. “A very noticeable support,” said Selenski on Sunday night. “We talked about new support for Ukraine’s defense, a new package,” the Ukrainian leader summarized the conversation with Johnson. But he did not give any details.

Commenting on the call, Downing Street said Johnson had “pledged support for the defense effort”. “Both agreed on the importance of further sanctions to increase economic pressure on (President Vladimir) Putin’s war machine while Russian troops are still on Ukrainian territory,” the PA agency quoted a Downing Street spokesman as saying.

London has already provided Ukraine with large amounts of weapons – mostly light anti-tank weapons and anti-aircraft missiles. In addition, Kyiv has received massive financial support from Great Britain.

Lithuania stops Russian gas imports

Lithuania says it has stopped importing natural gas from Russia. The gas network of the Baltic EU and NATO country has been working without Russian gas imports since the beginning of the month, the Energy Ministry in Vilnius announced on Saturday evening. This is confirmed by data from the Lithuanian network operator. From this it can be seen that on April 2 no gas was imported via the Lithuania-Belarus pipeline.

“We are the first EU country among Gazprom’s suppliers that is independent of Russian gas supplies,” Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys was quoted as saying in the statement. Accordingly, the entire Lithuanian gas requirement is now covered by the liquid gas terminal in the Baltic Sea port of Klaipeda.

Lithuania put the floating plant into operation at the beginning of 2015 in order to become less dependent on Russian gas imports. According to the information, three large deliveries of liquefied natural gas should now arrive at the floating plant every month.

Other recent reports on the war:

Christian Lindner

The FDP leader warns of the consequences for Germany of the Ukraine war.

(Photo: dpa)

Christian Lindner is for gas and oil imports from Russia

Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner speaks out against an import ban on gas and oil supplies from Russia. “The sanctions are already unprecedented. But you have to hit the Putin regime and not endanger Germany’s stability,” Lindner told the “Bild am Sonntag”.

As a result of the Ukraine war, Lindner expects a “loss of prosperity” for the people in Germany. “The Ukraine war is making us all poorer, for example because we have to pay more for imported energy,” said the FDP leader. “The state cannot compensate for this loss of prosperity.” However, the federal government will “cushion the biggest shocks”. That is why the broad middle will be relieved, the needy will be supported and the existence of threatened companies will be secured. “But since funding is limited, these measures can only be temporary.”

In view of an inflation rate of 7.3 percent in March, Lindner said: “I have serious concerns about economic development. Growth is falling, prices are rising.” The federal government is doing everything it can to avoid the risk of so-called stagflation. “In the long term, we will have to lay new foundations for prosperity. Germany needs to renew its growth model of a social and ecological market economy.” The inflation rate in the old federal states was last as high as in March in autumn 1981, when mineral oil prices had also risen significantly as a result of the effects of the First Gulf War.

More: Germany’s dealings with Russia: Freedom should come before prosperity

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