With peace initiatives for a ceasefire in Ukraine remaining in limbo,Moscow is warning Kiev and the West that it is preparing a new wave of attacks mainly on the eastern front for full domination in Donbass, but also in other regions. The Russian side is moving undeterred and despite new allegations by the Ukrainian government that it has evidence that the invading forces have committed 20,000 war crimes. Ukrainian Interior Minister Denis Monastirsky said overnight that Kiev has evidence of 20,000 possible war crimes and will hand it over to international organizations to hold those responsible accountable.
Meanwhile, developments are also expected today[/B] on the issue of Finland and Sweden joining NATO,[/B] as delegations from the two countries arrive in Ankara for talks with the Turkish government, which has declared its intention to veto the process.
The visit is essentially a response to concerns expressed following a message sent days ago by Tayyip Erdogan to the leaders of the two countries not to even bother going to Turkey.
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the dialogue with Turkey was continuing and appeared optimistic that Ankara's objections would be addressed.
But U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks also expressed confidence that Turkey's objections would be overcome by the explanations provided by Helsinki and Stockholm.
On the fronts of Ukraine, the situation remains in the red, with the invading forces slowing down what Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says are attacks in order to deploy humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians. The statement essentially contains a dramatic warning of an escalation of military operations, as Moscow wants to soon gain full control of Donbass, namely the two regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which it has recognised as "autonomous republics".
At the same time, the Kremlin made the first official statement on the Italian peace plan, specifying that it had not yet received it.
Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian government has not yet seen Mario Draghi's proposal, but hopes to receive it through diplomatic channels and intends to consider the Italian prime minister's ideas.
However, the head of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev appeared extremely skeptical, even negative, about the initiatives taken so far by the West for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Source: Proto Thema
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