On the 66th day of the war in Ukraine, Russia increases its pressure in the east, in the region Kharkivwhich is slowing the advance into Donbass while Ukrainian resistance at the steel mill continues Azovstal Mariupol, where an attempt to evacuate civilians is underway, including 600 wounded. On the diplomatic front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to say he is ready for dialogue with Moscow “despite the atrocities committed by the Russians”. A dialogue the stalemate of which the Russian foreign minister credits to Sergei Lavrov to NATO, which is accused of raising specters of nuclear war, which the Kremlin instead excludes, he says. The revocation of sanctions against Russia – Lavrov said – against Russia is part of the peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, which continue every day, but are “difficult”. Lavrov also stated that “at the moment, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are discussing the draft of a possible treaty via video conference.”
PRESSURE ON KHARKIV
In Kharkiv, the Ukrainian army announces some “tactical” victories, including the liberation of a nearby village, while not hesitating to describe the situation at the steel mill as “worse than a humanitarian catastrophe” in the country’s second-largest city, bombarded by Russian artillery for weeks . According to the regional military administration, the bombings in Kharkiv yesterday left at least one dead and several injured. Zelenskyy admits that the situation here is currently “difficult”.
Zelenskyy, READY TO SEE PUTIN
Zelenskyi says he is still ready to talk to Vladimir Putin despite the atrocities committed by the Russians in Bucha, Mariupol and other cities. However, he clarified to the Polish media that the risk of the negotiations with Moscow failing is “high”. In the evening, TASS will broadcast two interviews with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, one to Al Arabiya and the other to Chinese Xinhua. The NATO states “are doing everything possible to prevent the conclusion of the Russian special operation in Ukraine through political agreements,” said the Kremlin diplomatic chief. “We are witnessing the manifestation of the classic double standards and hypocrisy of the Western establishment. By publicly expressing their support for the Kiev regime, the NATO countries are doing everything they can to prevent the conclusion of the operation by reaching political agreements,” added the Russian minister. Lavrov then declared that Russia was not at war with NATO and was not threatening to resort to nuclear power, as the West has been urging instead. He accuses Kyiv of laying mines in the Black Sea by threatening shipping. In conclusion, he assures us that Moscow “intends to continue to fairly honor its obligations under international treaties related to export shipments of food, fertilizers, energy resources and other sensitive products.”
THE G20 CASE
Meanwhile, a G20 case has been opened: Indonesia, which will host it in November, has formalized the invitation to Russia and Ukraine, prompting the response from the White House, although the Kremlin itself has not yet decided whether Putin will attend will be appointment and if present. The US accuses the Russian president of “depravity” and calls for Indonesia to be barred from the meeting.
PROBABLY DEAD
And it’s CNN that raises another case, colored yellow: At least six Russian businessmen have reportedly died by apparent suicide in the past three months, some of them with their families. According to the broadcaster, four of the six deaths involved executives linked to Gazprom or one of its subsidiaries.