04/10/2022
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 02:01 Ukraine wants to further improve its negotiating position before the presidential meeting +++
Ukraine does not expect President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to personally negotiate an end to the war with his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin any time soon. “To say that they will meet in a week, in two weeks – no, that will not happen,” said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak on Ukrainian television. Kyiv is initially preparing for fighting in the Donbass. After that, Ukraine has “a stronger negotiating position” for a possible presidential meeting. Ukraine continues to insist on strong security guarantees and pays a very high price for it, Podoljak said. “But Russia must free itself from its imperial illusions.” How long this will take is irrelevant.
+++ 01:36 Berlusconi “deeply disappointed” about Putin +++
For the first time, Italy’s ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has publicly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he had described as a good friend for years. “I cannot and will not hide the fact that I am deeply disappointed and saddened by Vladimir Putin’s behavior,” Berlusconi said at an event organized by his party, Forza Italia, in Rome. “I’ve known him for about 20 years and he always struck me as a democrat and a man of peace,” Berlusconi said of the Russian president. In view of the “massacres of civilians in Bucha and other Ukrainian places, which are real war crimes, Russia cannot deny its responsibility,” adds the 85-year-old billionaire.
+++ 00:48 Selenskyj walks through Kyiv with Johnson +++
During his visit to Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walked the streets of Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyj’s office released a video showing the two politicians in the largely deserted city center, apparently guarded by snipers and other security forces. A man is seen visibly touched to meet the British Prime Minister in the Ukrainian capital. “We need you,” says the man, to which Johnson replies, “Nice to meet you. We have the privilege of helping you.”
+++ 00:13 Ukraine completely stops trading with Russia +++
Ukraine imposes a complete trade embargo on Russia. “This is the legal basis for the de facto cessation of trade relations with the Russian Federation on February 24,” says Economy Minister Julia Swyrydenko, according to public broadcaster. 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.
+++ 23:30 Ukraine reports five civilians killed in Donetsk region +++
According to Ukrainian sources, five civilians were killed in Russian attacks in the Donetsk region. There are four fatalities in the city of Wuhledar, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko explains to Telegram. Another civilian was killed in the nearby village of Nowomykhailivka. According to the governor, five people were also injured in the attacks on the two locations south-east of Donetsk.
+++ 22:57 Italy’s embassy staff returns to Kyiv +++
Italy plans to reopen its embassy in Kyiv after Easter. “We were the last to leave and will be among the first to come back,” announced Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio. The Italians closed their representation in the Ukrainian capital on March 1, and Ambassador Francesco Zazo has been on duty from Lviv ever since. “This is another gesture to show our support for the Ukrainian people, a concrete step to emphasize that diplomacy must come first,” Di Maio said, according to the Ansa and Adnkronos news agencies.
+++ 22:25 security expert Sauer criticizes Lambrecht’s statement on arms deliveries +++
Security expert Frank Sauer from the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich has strong doubts about the statement by Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht that the government can hardly provide Kyiv with any more military equipment because otherwise Germany’s ability to defend itself would be endangered. “If the German national defense really threatens to fail because of a few martens,” Sauer said in an interview with the “Spiegel”, “then we can close the shop completely.” For him, the discussion about the marten is “a sign that we don’t want to make political decisions and want to adapt to the new security situation in Europe in the long term,” Sauer complains. “However, the war will most likely continue and even become more intense. We have to plan for this and act proactively with foresight, no longer just react ad hoc.” Now is the time to help Ukraine “inflict as much damage as possible on the Russian armed forces,” demands Sauer.
+++ 22:00 Moscow military: More than 700,000 people evacuated 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, says Colonel General Mikhail Mizinzew from the Russian Defense Ministry. According to Misintsev, 134,000 people have been rescued from the southern Ukrainian port of Mariupol, which has been the subject of fighting since the beginning of March. According to the TASS agency, he again accuses the Kiev side of only allowing harassed civilians to flee to Ukrainian-controlled territory and not to Russia. The Russian figures cannot be independently verified. Kyiv, on the other hand, accuses the Moscow side of bringing refugees to Russia against their will. This is a violation of international law.
You can read about previous developments here.