The intensity remains high Ukraine with powerful explosions and bombings hitting the province of Donbass, while concern about an open war hits “red”. Joe Biden considers this to be the beginning of the Russian invasion, while Anthony Blinken speaks of the greatest threat to Europe since World War II. For his part, Vladimir Putin says he is willing for a diplomatic solution, but on his own terms.
In Donbas, the bombings show that war is imminent. Powerful explosions They shake the city of Shastia in the province of Lugansk, while the Lugansk thermal power plant is constantly bombed. Dense black smoke drowns out the atmosphere. The situation on the contact line looks like balance on a tightrope. For some, a new Europe is dawning
“This is the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” US President Joe Biden said in a speech yesterday. first package of sanctions against the Russian “elite” by cutting off Russia from Western funding.
“We have cut off the Russian government from Western funding. “It can no longer take money from the West and it can not negotiate in our markets, nor in European markets,” Biden said.
At the same time, the Vladimir Putin states he is willing for a diplomatic solution but on his own terms.
“Our country is always open to a direct and honest dialogue to find diplomatic solutions to the most complex problems. “However, I repeat: the interests of Russia, the security of our citizens are non-negotiable for us,” he said.
At the same time, satellite images show the new development of more than 100 military vehicles and the setting up of dozens of tents for soldiers in southern Belarus, near the border with Ukraine, while the Russian Ministry of Defense publishes a new video of joint exercises with Belarus.
Meanwhile, the West has created a front against Russia. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has called it “Europe’s biggest security threat since World War II” and Washington has canceled the Blinken-Lavrov meeting, which was scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday and is now expected. movement while we are on the threshold of a new Cold War.
The West is trying to hit Moscow where it hurts the most with sanctions on sanctions.
“We are clear that if President Putin escalates, we, the international community, will further escalate our sanctions,” said British Foreign Secretary Liz Tras.
In the same vein, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed that “the sanctions directly target individuals and companies
“They are targeting banks that are financing Russian military forces and contributing to the destabilization of Ukraine.”
“This is a crisis created entirely by Russia,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
For Moscow, however, these are sanctions that the West would impose anyway.
“Our European, American and British counterparts will not stop and will not rest until they have exhausted all possibilities for the so-called ‘punishment of Russia,'” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
A strong and immediate blow is demanded by Kiev. “The planet must respond with all its financial fist to punish Russia for the crimes it has already committed and in view of the crimes it is preparing to commit. “Hit the Russian economy now and hit it hard,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba.
Earlier, President Zelensky issued a decree recruiting 18- to 60-year-old reservists for a month, while the National Security Council approved a plan to declare a 30-day state of emergency in Ukraine, which would increase controls.
The decision covers the entire territory except the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, which are controlled by pro-Russian separatists, as there has been a state of emergency since 2014.
In addition, the Foreign Ministry asked the Ukrainians to leave Russia.
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