The United States is to announce Monday that it will send a new $2.6 billion military aid package to Ukraine. This was reported by three US officials to the Reuters agency. In the package would be surveillance radars, anti-tank missiles and precision munitions. This latest shipment brings the value of the weapons sent by Washington to Kiev since the beginning of the Russian invasion to 30 billion.
The “hybrid war” of the West represents an “existential” danger for Russia, which will therefore defend itself “with all the means at its disposal”. This is how Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov described the new strategic lines of Moscow’s foreign policy launched by Vladimir Putin. His words that cannot fail to evoke the specter of a possible nuclear war. The same danger is denounced by the Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko according to whom the danger of an escalation can only be averted with an immediate “truce” in Ukraine and the start of “negotiations without preconditions”.
Ukraine, Zelensky: ‘The world saw Russian evil in Bucha’
The appeal launched by Moscow’s most loyal ally in a solemn speech to the Belarusian Parliament and nation may suggest that his words were inspired by Putin himself. Immediately afterwards, the Kremlin cooled off the enthusiasm, stating that “for Russia nothing changes and the special military operation continues”. But the spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, later admitted that “this issue too will be addressed” in talks scheduled between Putin and Lukashenko next week. The dossier on the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, announced by Putin himself, should also be discussed during the meeting. But Minsk, Lukashenko warned, is available “if necessary” to also receive strategic warheads (those that can reach the US) and is ready to use them if “there is a threat of destruction of the country”. However, ignoring the propaganda claims, a realistic Lukashenko emerges: “Russia and Ukraine understand that they cannot seek victory at all costs”, he admitted. Therefore, he announced, “I take the risk of proposing that military activities be suspended without the parties being able to move military equipment and regroup troops.” On the other front, the answer is Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, the man who is normally entrusted with the most intransigent statements: “Any ceasefire means Russia’s right to remain in the occupied territories, and this is totally inadmissible”. Moreover, Kiev continues to maintain that peace can only be achieved with the complete withdrawal of Moscow’s troops, even from the Crimea. But at the same time it sends out some signs of dialogue. It is no secret that since the talks held by Chinese President Xi Jinping with Putin in Moscow last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky has also asked to be able to speak with the Beijing leader on the details of the Chinese peace initiative. A request that was reiterated to Xi today also by the Spanish premier Pedro Sanchez, on a visit to China. In the meantime, Putin pulls right on his strategic objectives, launching the guidelines of foreign policy. Russia will work to “strengthen its sovereignty” and “create a more just and multipolar world order”, the president announced, speaking at a meeting of the National Security Council on the 42-page document that replaces the previous one passed in 2016. The priorities they will therefore be the elimination of the “vestiges of the domination” of the US and its allies, which according to the document aim to “weaken Russia in every possible way”, and a strengthening of ties with China and India. In the meantime, new tensions have been created by the denunciation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban – the European leader closest to Russia – according to which the heads of government of the EU countries are discussing the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, presenting the initiative as a “mission of peace”. “A very dangerous idea,” Peskov replied. While former president Dmitry Medvedev warned more colorfully than he did that EU peacekeepers would be seen by Moscow as enemies and therefore “destroyed mercilessly”. And then he asked if Europe is ready to receive “a long line of coffins of its peacekeepers”. Meanwhile, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said that Helsinki will formally join the Alliance “in the next few days” after Turkey, the last of the 30 countries in the Atlantic Pact, has also approved its entry. “I look forward to raising the flag of Finland at NATO headquarters,” Stoltenberg said, adding that “membership will make Finland safer and NATO stronger.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes Chinese leader Xi Jinping is among those leaders who are still hesitant about supporting Ukraine, and is waiting for him to respond to signals for a possible talks. “What’s going on with the leader of China? This is one of those leaders who hesitates,” he said at a news conference, quoted by Ukrinform. “We send signals to states and say we are ready to meet, discuss, talk and defeat Russian aggression together. We are waiting for responses from some states,” Zelensky said, answering a question about the possibility of an interview with the Chinese leader .
Source: Ansa
I have been working as a journalist for over 10 years. In that time, I have covered the news from all corners of the world, and written about everything from politics to business.I’m now a full-time author, and my work can be found at Global happenings. My aim is to bring you up-to-date news and views on global affairs, in a format that is easy to read and understand.
