43rd day of war in Ukraine: Kiev urges NATO to transfer weapons

Vadym Denysenko, adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, warned today “most difficult situation” Ukraine is facing is in the east of the country, when Ukrainian military officials observe Russian forces are increasing there.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, says recent advances by Russian forces in the Kharkov region could make the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk the next target.

“The situation is very difficult right now in the direction of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. These are key areas in this stage of the war. I believe that in reality, at least the outcome of this phase will largely depend on the traffic. war in the east,” Denysenko said.

Sergiy Gaiday, the governor of the Ukrainian government-controlled region of Lugansk, warned residents in the east that they have “the last chance” to evacuate as “Russia launches a major attack” there. “These few days could be your last chance to leave,” Gaiday said.

At a meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium today, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba call for arms to be sent to Kiev now, otherwise “it will be too late”.

“Either help us now, I’m talking days, not weeks, or your help will come too late. Many people will die, many civilians will lose their homes, many villages will be destroyed. if this help comes too late,” Mr. Kuleba said.

Ukraine’s foreign minister also said he has “no doubt” that Ukraine will have the necessary weapons. “It’s a matter of time. We’re not talking about a list of weapons, we’re discussing time,” Kuleba stressed.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said draft agreement Ukraine’s offer to end hostilities yesterday did not include the conditions discussed at talks in Istanbul on March 29. According to the Russian foreign minister, the issues that have been changed by Ukraine include Crimea, Ukraine’s commitment to joint military exercises with foreign countries on its territory.

He accused these deviations from showing Ukraine’s “true intentions” to stall and undermining the peace process, at the same time demonstrating Kiev’s inability to comply with the agreements and as evidence “the regime in Kiev is controlled by Washington and its allies, who have pushed President Zelensky to continue his hostilities.”

However, he stressed that Russia would continue its efforts to negotiate peace with the Ukrainian government, despite what he called a “provocative move” by Kiev.

Reacting to the Russian Foreign Minister’s accusations, Ukraine said that Russia should reduce its “hostility” if it wants to resume dialogue.

In the city Mariupol besieged by Russian forces in the south of the country, mayor Vadym Boichenko said more than 100,000 people still needed urgent evacuation. Speaking on national television, he described the situation in the port city as a humanitarian disaster.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the Greek parliament to use its influence to rescue the remaining population in Mariupol, home to a large Greek population for centuries.

The Red Cross convoy consisting of 7 buses and dozens of cars transporting evacuees, mainly from the city of Mariupol, arrived in the city of Zaporizhzhia. The Red Cross was unable to enter Mariupol, but managed to help people reach the nearby Russian-administered city of Berdiansk.

The United Nations General Assembly voted today suspension of membership of Russia at the Human Rights Council with 93 votes in favor, 24 against and 58 abstentions. The vote came after the United States and Ukraine accused Russian forces of killing hundreds of civilians in Bucha, a town northwest of the capital Kiev. Russia denies the allegations, saying that Ukraine staged it to “discredit Russian servicemen”.

The United Nations says 11.3 million people have been displaced, of which more than 4.3 million Ukrainians have left the country since Russia launched a military operation on February 24, an increase of nearly 41,000 people compared to a day. before. According to the United Nations, this is Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since World War II.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration estimates that 7.1 million people have fled their homes but are still in Ukraine, and more than 210,000 non-Ukrainians living, studying or working in the country have also left. Before Russia launched the campaign, Ukraine had a population of 37 million in government-controlled areas.

After nearly a month and a half of fighting, fighting in Ukraine has left at least 1,611 civilians dead and 2,227 injured, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The agency warned that the actual number of casualties could be higher.

Huyen Le (According to AFP, CNN, Guardian)