Strong appeal for peace from the Pope, but from Moscow came the threatening statement by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadirov, who urged the use of low-intensity nuclear weapons to be considered. Another massacre of civilians in Kharkiv. Meanwhile, NATO has taken a clear position: “There will be serious consequences if Putin uses nuclear power.” Farnesina summons the Russian Ambassador Razov after the annexation, Minister Cingolani specifies: “We will also talk about gas pipelines”.
The war in Ukraine, global tensions: what you need to know
Live news from the Ukraine-Russia conflict
06:55
Ambassador Pontecorvo: Italy will continue to send arms to Kyiv
“We will continue to side with the West, maintain and, if necessary, strengthen sanctions against Russia and guarantee the supply of arms to Ukraine,” Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo said in an interview with La Stampa. “Regarding weapons, I have heard that the Italian contribution is marginal while it is not at all. When the lists of war material provided by us are published, it will become clear that our contribution to Ukrainian defense is important,” he added. And to fears of nuclear escalation, he replied, “I don’t think so.”
06:12
Lugansk Ambassador: “Liberate New Russian Territories Immediately”
Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador of the Republic of Lugansk to Russia, said that the complete liberation of the new Russian territories is a necessary condition for the realization of peace in the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. “The liberation of the occupied territories and the demilitarization of the enemy is a necessary condition for establishing peace and security in the territories that have become part of Russia. The West has declared a war of extermination, so we must win to survive,” he told Tass. “The time has come for Russia to focus on counterattacking, liberating and defending its territories. And hostilities will only intensify now. And we have to hold the fort,” said Miroshnik. According to the ambassador, in the near future it will be necessary to conduct a large-scale military operation to deal a serious blow to the Kiev regime, as well as to focus efforts on full-fledged military use of the new territories, which will become part of Russia. Miroshnik also said that the Lugansk Republic maintains close ties with Crimea and that the experience of this region is important for integration into Russia. “We have and maintain close friendly and commercial ties with Crimea and with our Crimean counterparts. Your experience in many areas is very useful and important to us. We are grateful to have the opportunity to ask her for advice and support. and for always being there for us, especially in difficult situations,” he told Tass.
05:42
US Senator: “Putin could hit a weapons depot in Poland”
US Senator Marco Rubio fears that Russia could attack an armaments supply center in Poland. In an interview with CNN, the Republican said that if Russian President Vladimir Putin were convinced he could lose the war over Western arms shipments to Ukraine, he could hit the logistics centers “where those shipments arrive,” including Poland.
01:05
Petraeus: “In the event of a nuclear attack, we would respond by eliminating all Russian forces in Ukraine”
The United States, along with NATO allies, would “eliminate” Russian forces in Ukraine if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. That’s what retired general and former CIA chief David Petraeus told ABC. For Petraeus, Western powers must take Russia’s nuclear threats seriously. “Just to give you a guess” in case “I think we would respond by eliminating every Russian conventional force that we see and identify on the battlefield in Ukraine and also in Crimea and every ship in the Black Sea can,” explained Petraeus. A nuclear attack “could not go unanswered. But it doesn’t have to be a big answer: It’s not nuclear for nuclear. You don’t want to get into a nuclear escalation again, but you have to prove that this can’t be accepted in any way” .