04/27/2022
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 01:55 Johnson: Censorship would allow Putin to withdraw face-saving +++
According to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, media censorship also gives Russian President Vladimir Putin the “political leeway” to end his invasion of Ukraine face-saving. “People say we have to make concessions, we have to worry about what Putin might do because he risks defeat,” Johnson told TalkTV. However, this is not necessary, since Putin’s position of power is secured because of his control over the media. As a result, Putin could tell the Russian people that the operation launched in Ukraine was “complete” and “technically a success” – although this may not be factual.
+++ 01:06 Ukraine’s presidential adviser does not expect the war to end soon +++
According to the Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych, the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine could drag on for many more months. The weapons newly received by Ukraine could have “serious effects” on the fighting in late May or early June, says Arestovych in a YouTube interview, as the Ukrainian agency Unian reports. “We have to be prepared for a long story,” says Arestovych accordingly. A cessation of active hostilities in the Donbass does not mean the end of the war. The war itself could last until the end of the year.
+++ 00:13 Zelenskyj: Moscow’s goals are not limited to Ukraine +++
In his nightly video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns against Moscow’s expansionist efforts. “The ultimate goal of the Russian leadership is not only the conquest of Ukraine, but the destruction of the entire center and eastern Europe,” Zelenskyy said. A “global strike against democracy” is also part of the goal. In the “free world” there is practically no one who has not understood that Russia’s war against Ukraine is only the beginning, says Zelenskyy.
+++ 23:20 Moldovan President: Citizens should keep calm +++
Moldova’s central government is calling on the population to calm down after several explosions in the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria. “We appeal to citizens to remain calm and to feel safe,” said President Maia Sandu after a meeting of the National Security Council. The explosions are an “attempt to escalate tensions.” Sandu blames “internal differences between different groups in Transnistria with an interest in destabilizing the situation” for the attacks.
+++ 22:23 Morawiecki expects “biggest tank battle since the Second World War” +++
With regard to the supply of tanks to Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says that “the biggest tank battle since World War II is likely to begin” these days. “Whether Ukraine wins or survives depends on courageous decisions,” he emphasized in the evening after a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. In addition to Germany, Poland is also supplying Ukraine with tanks. Morawiecki expects a replacement from Germany. He expects compensation from NATO partners and thinks “it will be possible to get weapons from Germany,” the Polish news agency PAP quoted the head of government as saying. He spoke to Scholz about this.
+++ 21:57 Netherlands send self-propelled howitzers to Kyiv +++
The Netherlands confirms the planned delivery of self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. According to the government, “a limited number” of the Panzerhaubitze 2000 will be sent to Kyiv. According to the Ministry of Defence, the howitzers represent the “heaviest artillery in the Dutch army”. They make it possible to shell enemy targets from a distance of 50 kilometers. According to the ANP news agency, the Dutch ministry will guarantee the transport of the artillery within a month. According to Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren, this corresponds to the time when Ukraine needs heavy weapons. The minister pointed out that the training could last “weeks or even months”, but at the same time stressed that the weapons would be of great importance for the Ukrainian army even after the war, she is quoted by ANP as saying.
+++ 21:34 Russia also stops gas deliveries to Bulgaria +++
The Russian state-owned company Gazprom will stop all gas deliveries to Bulgaria from Wednesday. The Bulgarian gas company Bulgargas has been informed that Gazprom will suspend natural gas supplies from April 27, the Ministry of Economy in Sofia has announced. Poland had previously reported Gazprom’s announcement that Russian gas supplies would be stopped via the Yamal pipeline.
You can read about previous developments here.