Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Vice President of the Russian National Security Council once again recalls the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine. In a message on Telegram, Medvedev warned that the possible launch of long-range missiles supplied by the West against positions on Russian territory would not be viewed as an action of “self-defense, but as an obvious and direct justification for the use of nuclear weapons against a country.”
Zelensky: “A break in the war would only benefit Russia”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned during a press conference in Tallinn with Estonian President Alar Karis that any “pause” in Ukraine's defense would only benefit Russia, which would have time to rearm and “overwhelm us.” “Give the Russian Federation two or three years and they will simply overwhelm us. We will not take this risk, there will be no breaks in favor of Russia,” Zelensky said at the second stop of his Baltic tour.
The Ukrainian president added that a “long war” would not be good for Ukraine. “We are against this war from day one and will be until the end,” he said, stressing that Kiev “deserves” an invitation to join NATO because its forces would “strengthen” the bloc’s eastern flank.
For his part, Estonian President Alar Karis has pledged to provide 1.2 billion euros for Kiev by 2027. Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia are among Kiev's staunchest supporters against Russian aggression, promising the highest share of gross domestic product of all allies. Yesterday Zelensky was in Lithuania, where the government has pledged almost $220 million to Kiev over the next three years.
The EU will miss its target of delivering one million ammunition by March
During the press conference in Brussels today, it became known that the European Union and its Member States will miss the target announced by the Commission of delivering one million artillery ammunition to Ukraine by the end of March 2024. The Commission announced that this was a “political goal,” internal market spokeswoman Johanna Bernsel said. The Commission, Bernsel explained, is confident that “the EU’s production capacity will reach one million ammunition per year.”
The problem is that much of Europe's heavy ammunition production is exported by industries that are, as speakers remind us, “private” companies, although in reality it is unlikely that a company operating in one Those operating in such a highly regulated sector whose customers are essentially public entities can afford to ignore the will of their government. Foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano recalled that the “political” target was set “by the Member States” who are “doing everything they can” to try to achieve it. “It is an ongoing effort: we need to see the effort in other areas, not just ammunition.” Stano reiterated that the EU will continue to support Ukraine “for as long as necessary.”
The Kiev prosecutor's office confirms Russia's use of North Korean missiles
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andri Kostin confirmed the use of North Korean missiles by Russian forces on Ukrainian territory, as American intelligence reported in recent days. “As for North Korea, we have received the first evidence of the use by the Russian army of missiles made in this country,” Kostin told Ukrainian Radio Suspilne, noting that the missile fired by Russia at Kharkiv on January 2 came from Pyongyang. Kostin said a commission is conducting further tests to verify these results. In addition, prosecutors are working to identify fragments of other missiles fired by Russia over Kharkiv and Odessa and determine their origin.
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