Ukrainian Defenders Hold Out in Donbas City Under Heavy Fire
Russian forces intensified their attacks with barrages of heavy artillery to capture a key Ukrainian city in the southeastern region of Donbas, whose full takeover Moscow’s top diplomat said was now an “unconditional priority.”Constant Russian shelling has destroyed all of the critical infrastructures in Sievierodonetsk, the largest city Ukraine still controls in Luhansk, one of the regions in Donbas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, while pledging to do everything to hold off the advance.
“Some 90 percent of buildings are damaged. More than two-thirds of the city’s housing stock has been completely destroyed. There is no telecommunication,” he said in a televised speech.
“Capturing Sievierodonetsk is a fundamental task for the occupiers ... We do all we can to hold this advance,” he added.
Ukraine’s Donbas ‘Unconditional Priority’ for Moscow: Russia’s Lavrov
The “liberation” of Ukraine’s Donbas region is an “unconditional priority” for Moscow, while other Ukrainian territories should decide their future on their own, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday.Lavrov was speaking in an interview with France’s TF1 television channel as Russia pressed on with its offensive to secure control of key towns in Donbas, Ukraine’s traditional industrial heartland made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
He reiterated Moscow’s claims that its “special military operation” in Ukraine is to demilitarize its neighbor after waves of NATO’s eastward expansion and cleanse it of what it sees as “Nazi”-inspired nationalism. Kyiv and Western countries see those claims as baseless pretexts for a land grab.
“The liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, recognized by the Russian Federation as independent states, is an unconditional priority,” Lavrov said, according to a text released by Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
For the rest of the territories in Ukraine, he said: “I do not believe that they will be happy to return to the authority of a neo-Nazi regime that has proven it is Russophobic in essence. These people must decide for themselves.”
Russia’s incursion, he said, became “inevitable” after Western countries failed to heed what he described as warnings about Ukraine’s disregard for, and military attacks on, its Russian-speaking citizens.
Ukraine has denied making any such attacks.
Zelenskyy Visits Frontline in Rare Trip Outside Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited troops on the frontline in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region on Sunday, his first official appearance outside the Kyiv region since the start of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24.“You risk your lives for us all and for our country,” the President’s office website cited him as telling the soldiers, adding that he handed out commendations and gifts.
Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote on the Telegram app that the president had also visited Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv.
Yermak said Zelenskyy toured destroyed residential buildings, noting that their replacements had to be built with bomb shelters in place.
The president’s chief of staff added that 31 percent of the Kharkiv region’s territory was currently occupied by Russia, and a further 5 percent had been taken back by Ukraine having been occupied earlier.
Zelenskyy Suggests Donbass Could Soon Fall Amid ‘Indescribably Difficult’ Russian Onslaught
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Donbass region in Eastern Ukraine could soon fall to Russian forces, giving his most grim assessment yet.In a video address over the weekend, Zelenskyy said that conditions in Donbass have grown “indescribably difficult” and suggested the region could fall to Russia. Since the 2014 color revolution in Kyiv, pro-Russian forces have controlled parts of Donestk and Lugansk and sporadic fighting has erupted over the years.
“But our defense holds on,” Zelenskyy told the public. “It’s indescribably difficult there. And I am grateful to all those who withstand this onslaught of the occupiers.”
EU Unity on Russian Sanctions ‘Starting to Crumble,’ German Minister Says
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Sunday expressed fears that the European Union’s unity was “starting to crumble” ahead of a summit to discuss an oil embargo against Russia and plans to cut dependence on Russian energy.“After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, we saw what can happen when Europe stands united. With a view to the summit tomorrow, let’s hope it continues like this. But it is already starting to crumble and crumble again,” Habeck told a news conference.
On Friday, European countries scrambled to reach a deal to embargo seaborne deliveries of Russian oil but allow deliveries by pipeline, a compromise to win over Hungary and unblock new sanctions against Moscow.
Habeck called for Germany to speak with one voice at the summit instead of abstaining from votes due to differences of opinion within the country’s ruling coalition. He called for similar unity from other EU states.
“Europe is still a huge economic area with incredible economic power. And when it stands united, it can use that power,” Habeck said at the opening of the German Hannover Messe trade fair.
Serbia Agrees to New 3-Year Gas Supply Contract With Russia
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday he had agreed to a new 3-year gas supply contract in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.“I can not speak about the price now, all details will be agreed with Gazprom,” Vucic told reporters. Vucic said that he had agreed with Putin that the price of gas would be linked to the oil price, but did not elaborate.
Serbia’s 10-year gas supply contract with Gazprom expires on May 31.
Vucic also said that he had discussed with Putin the expansion of gas storage space in the Balkan country.
Russian Troops Storm City Amid Eastern Ukraine Bombardments
Russian and Ukrainian troops engaged in close-quarter combat in an eastern Ukraine city Sunday as Moscow’s soldiers, supported by intense shelling, attempted to gain strategic footholds for conquering the region in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance.Ukrainian regional officials reported that Russian forces were “storming” Sievierodonetsk after trying unsuccessfully to encircle the city. The fighting knocked out power and cellphone service, and a humanitarian relief center could not operate because of the danger, the mayor said.
Sievierodonetsk, located about 143 kilometers (89 miles) south of the Russian border, emerged in recent days as the epicenter of Moscow’s quest to capture all of Ukraine’s industrial Donbass region. Russia also stepped up its efforts to take nearby Lysychansk, where civilians rushed to escape persistent shelling.
The two cities are the last major areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk province, which makes up the Donbass together with neighboring Donetsk. Russia is focused, after failing to seize Ukraine’s capital, on occupying parts of Donbass not already controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.
Russian forces made small advances in recent days as bombardments chewed away at Ukrainian positions and kept civilians trapped in basements or desperately trying to get out safely. Attacks to destroy military targets throughout the country also caused casualties in civilian areas
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation in the east as “indescribably difficult.” The “Russian army is trying to squeeze at least some result’’ by concentrating its attacks there, he said in a Saturday night video address.
Erdogan Says Won’t Let ‘Terrorism-Supporting’ Countries Enter NATO: Media
President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey’s talks last week with Finnish and Swedish delegations were not at the “expected level” and Ankara cannot say yes to “terrorism-supporting” countries entering NATO, state broadcaster TRT Haber reported on Sunday.Turkey has objected to Sweden and Finland joining the NATO alliance, holding up a deal that would allow for a historic enlargement in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Erdogan’s latest comments indicated his opposition continued.
“For as long as Tayyip Erdogan is the head of the Republic of Turkey, we definitely cannot say ‘yes’ to countries which support terrorism entering NATO,” he was cited as telling reporters on his return from a trip to Azerbaijan on Saturday.
Russia’s Gazprom Continues Shipping Gas to Europe via Ukraine
Russian gas producer Gazprom said on Sunday its supply of gas to Europe through Ukraine via the Sudzha entry point stood at 44.1 million cubic meters (mcm), up from 43.96 mcm on Saturday.An application to supply gas via another major entry point, Sokhranovka, was rejected by Ukraine, Gazprom said.
‘Message to the World’: Lithuanians Fundraise to Buy Drone for Ukraine
Hundreds of Lithuanians clubbed together to buy an advanced military drone for Ukraine in its war against Russia, in a show of solidarity with a fellow country formerly under Moscow’s rule.The target of five million euros ($5.4 million) was raised in just three and a half days, largely in small amounts, to fund the purchase of a Byraktar TB2 military drone, according to Laisves TV, the Lithuanian internet broadcaster that launched the drive.
“Before this war started, none of us thought that we would be buying guns. But it’s a normal thing now. Something must be done for the world to get better,” said Agne Belickaite, 32, who sent 100 euros as soon as the fundraising launched on Wednesday.
“I’ve been donating to buy guns for Ukraine for a while now. And will do so until the victory,” she told Reuters, adding she was motivated in part by fears Russia could attack Lithuania.
The drone has proven effective in recent years against Russian forces and their allies in conflicts in Syria and Libya, and its purchase is being orchestrated by Lithuania’s Ministry of Defense, which told Reuters it planned to sign a letter of intent to buy the craft from Turkey next week.
Ukraine Aide Says Any Moscow Deal Not Worth ‘Broken Penny,’ Zelenskyy Says Russia Officials Powerless
Ukrainian presidential adviser and peace talks negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said on Saturday that any agreement with Russia could not be trusted, adding the only way to stop Moscow’s invasion was by force.“Any agreement with Russia isn’t worth a broken penny,” Podolyak wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “Is it possible to negotiate with a country that always lies cynically and propagandistically?”
Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other after peace talks stalled, with the last known face-to-face negotiations on March 29. The Kremlin said earlier this month Ukraine was showing no willingness to continue peace talks, while officials in Kyiv blamed Russia for the lack of progress.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the only person worth talking to was Russian President Vladimir Putin, since he made all the decisions.
“It doesn’t matter what their foreign minister says. It doesn’t matter that he sends some negotiating group to us ... all these people are nobodies, unfortunately,” he told Dutch television in an interview filmed on Friday.
Putin says Russian forces are on a special operation to demilitarize Ukraine and rid it of radical anti-Russian nationalists. Ukraine and its allies call that a false pretext.
Russia Test-Fires Its Latest Hypersonic Zircon Missile
The Russian navy on Saturday conducted another test of a prospective hypersonic missile, a demonstration of the military’s long-range strike capability amid the fighting in Ukraine.The Defense Ministry said the Admiral Gorshkov frigate of the Northern Fleet in the White Sea launched the Zircon cruise missile in the Barents Sea, successfully hitting a practice target in the White Sea about 1,000 kilometers (540 nautical miles) away.
The launch was the latest in a series of tests of Zircon, which is set to enter service later this year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Zircon is capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and has a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Putin has emphasized that its deployment will significantly boost the capability of Russia’s military.
Zircon is intended to arm Russian cruisers, frigates and submarines and could be used against both enemy ships and ground targets. It is one of several hypersonic missiles under development in Russia.
Ukraine’s Former President Blocked From Leaving the Country
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was prevented from leaving Ukraine to take part in a meeting of a NATO body in Lithuania, his party’s parliamentary faction said on Saturday.Poroshenko was stopped twice at a border crossing with Poland while he was on his way to the meeting of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly, a consultative interparliamentary organisation, the statement said.
Ukrainian media reported Poroshenko could not cross the border due to “technical problems” with a permit allowing him to leave the country.
“Poroshenko had received all the formal permissions to leave the country and had been included ... in the official delegation of the Parliament of Ukraine for this event,” his European Solidarity parliamentary faction said.
Poroshenko was to have a number of high-level meetings in Vilnius, including with the President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda. He was also scheduled to participate in a meeting of the European People’s Party in Rotterdam, it said.
In January, Poroshenko won a court ruling allowing him to remain at liberty while being investigated for treason in a probe he says was a politically motivated attack linked to allies of his successor, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Poroshenko is being investigated in connection with the financing of Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country through illegal coal sales in 2014–15.
Putin Says He’s Willing to Discuss Resuming Ukrainian Grain Shipments
Russian President Vladimir Putin told the leaders of France and Germany in a phone call on Saturday that Russia was willing to discuss ways to make it possible for Ukraine to resume shipments of grain from Black Sea ports, the Kremlin said.Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies, while Russia is also a key global fertilizer exporter and Ukraine is a major exporter of corn and sunflower oil.
“For its part, Russia is ready to help find options for the unhindered export of grain, including the export of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports,” the Kremlin said.
It said he also informed French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Russia was ready to increase its export of fertilizers and agricultural products if sanctions against it were lifted—a demand he has raised in conversations with the Italian and Austrian leaders in recent days.
Ukraine and Western countries have accused Russia of weaponizing the food crisis created by its invasion of Ukraine, which has sent the prices of grains, cooking oils, fuel, and fertilizer soaring.
Russia has blamed the situation on Western sanctions against it, and on the mining of Ukrainian ports.
The Kremlin said Putin also said Russia was willing to resume talks with Ukraine.
“Special attention was paid to the status of the negotiations that are frozen because of Kyiv. President Vladimir Putin confirmed the Russian side’s openness to resume dialogue,” it said.
