Dhe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his call for a ban on oil imports from Russia. “If tyranny has launched an aggression against everything on which peace in Europe rests, we must act immediately,” he said in a video message released Saturday night. According to Ukrainian sources, seven civilians were killed in Russian attacks in the east of the country. Six people were injured.
Ukraine does not expect Zelenskyy to meet with his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin any time soon to negotiate an end to the war. “To say that they will meet in a week, in two weeks – no, it will not happen like that,” said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak on Ukrainian television.
Ukraine names “red lines” for talks
Ukraine continues to insist on strong security guarantees and pays a very high price for it, Podoljak said. “Yeah, it’s tough, we’re losing people and infrastructure every day. But Russia must shake off its imperial illusions.” Ukraine’s chief negotiator, David Arakhamiya, said there was no tangible progress. For Kyiv, territorial unity remains a red line. “We will not give up any territories and we will not recognize anything,” he said, referring to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014 and the eastern Ukrainian “People’s Republics” of Luhansk and Donetsk. Putin recognized both as independent states and then launched a war of aggression against Ukraine.
Ukrainian President pays tribute to visits by Western politicians to Kyiv
Zelenskyy thanked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer for their visit to Kyiv on Saturday. The meeting with Johnson shows that there are “no obstacles to freedom,” the president said in the video message. “Britain’s leadership in our support, especially in the area of defence, and also the leadership in sanctions policy – they will go down in history forever.” He also spoke with Johnson about further financial and defense aid for Kyiv.
Civilians as shields – Brits see evidence
British intelligence has found that following the Russian withdrawal from northern Ukraine, there is evidence that non-combatants have been disproportionately targeted. There are mass graves, hostages were used as human shields and civilian infrastructure was mined, the British Ministry of Defense announced on Twitter on Sunday night.
Ukraine speaks of dead and injured
Meanwhile, at least five civilians were killed and five others injured in shelling in the Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian sources. The local military administration blamed Russia for this. Russian artillery shelled settlements in the north-eastern region of Kharkiv on Saturday, Ukrainian authorities said. At least two people were killed and one person injured. Ukrainian forces killed 80 soldiers and destroyed three tanks and one plane and one helicopter in attacks on Russian troops on Saturday. The information could not be independently verified.
Moscow: Hundreds of thousands fled to Russia
According to military information in Moscow, more than 700,000 people from the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and other parts of Ukraine have been evacuated to Russia since February 24. On Saturday alone, almost 27,000 people left the contested regions for Russia, said Colonel General Mikhail Mizinzew from the Russian Defense Ministry. 134,000 people have been rescued from the southern Ukrainian port of Mariupol, which has been contested since the beginning of March. The figures cannot be independently verified.
Ukraine cuts off trade relations with Russia
Meanwhile, Ukraine imposed a trade embargo on Russia because of the war of aggression. “This is the legal anchor of the actual cessation of trade relations with the Russian Federation on February 24,” Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said, according to Public Broadcasting Corporation. The government estimates Moscow’s losses from the boycott at the equivalent of around 5.5 billion euros. A partial ban on imports of Russian goods has been in effect since 2015. However, Kyiv continues to transport more than 100 million cubic meters of Russian natural gas westwards every day.
Four criminal charges at the car parade in Lübeck
The police in Lübeck stopped a motorcade on Saturday because participants had shown approval of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Accordingly, the police said on Sunday night that signs of unconstitutional organizations were also used. Actually, the demonstration in the district of St. Lorenz took place with reference to the war in Ukraine under the motto “Against hatred!”. Around 150 people gathered in the afternoon and, after an opening rally, started the parade of 60 vehicles.
That will be important on Sunday
Pro-Russian demonstrations and pro-Ukrainian counter-events are planned in several German cities. A rally is to take place in Frankfurt under strict conditions – but no car parade. According to the city, up to 2,000 participants are expected. The police want to “closely follow” the demonstration and punish violations. Several groups are calling for counter-demonstrations.