On Tuesday, a senior Russian official threatened to respond if Washington sent Patriot missiles to Ukraine. European energy ministers failed to agree on a gas price cap as fighting raged around the city of Bakhmut in the (eastern) Donbass region.
Dmitry Medvedev, vice-chairman of Russia’s National Security Council, said that if NATO, as its Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg suggested, offered what he called Kiev fanatics “patriotic forces” with elements of the alliance forces system, they would immediately become “legitimate targets” of the Russian army.
Medvedev’s threats came after U.S. officials said Washington was finalizing plans to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles.
U.S. officials also said Washington may announce the sending of Patriot missiles to Ukraine this week. They also noted that the missiles were expected to be delivered quickly in the next few days so that Ukrainians could be trained on how to use them by taking them to U.S. military bases in Germany.
The Pentagon’s plan to send the Patriot missile still needs approval from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin before it can be sent to President Biden for his signature, the officials explained.
The dispatch of Patriot systems to Ukraine bolsters defenses sent by the West to help it fend off Russian airstrikes and could represent an escalation, according to the Associated Press.
At a virtual summit of G7 leaders on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more advanced weapons for Ukraine to help in its fight against Russia.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for more Western weapons, including air defense systems, artillery, armored vehicles and ammunition, saying Ukraine would have to fight through the winter.
Earlier, EU foreign ministers agreed to provide Ukraine with military support worth 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion). Then the next day, the United Kingdom announced that it would provide support of 50 million pounds to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. The aid package includes 125 anti-aircraft guns and technology to counter Iranian drones.
Aid to Ukraine
In this context, on Tuesday, 13th, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonne announced that the participants in the Paris Conference in Solidarity with Ukraine pledged to provide Kiev with financial and material assistance of more than 1 billion euros in the winter of 2022. Earlier, Russian airstrikes destroyed many energy installations in Ukraine, leaving millions of residents without electricity and heat.
The meeting was attended by 46 countries including the United Nations and 24 international organizations. At the end of the meeting, Colonna revealed progress on a new mechanism called the “Paris Mechanism”. The mechanism is designed to organize and coordinate international support and assistance to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the opening of the meeting that Ukraine needs 800 million euros in emergency aid.
Battle of Bachmut
On the ground battlefield, fighting is raging on the outskirts of the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Donbas region, eastern Ukraine.
For weeks, Russian forces have been seeking to capture Bakhmut, which had a population of 80,000 before the war. In addition, they are trying to control the city of Avdi Ifka. Bachmut, on the other hand, oversees the roads to other important towns.
On Friday, 9th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the Russian army’s continuous bombing of the Donetsk front completely destroyed the city of Bakhmut and caused great damage to the city of Avdiyivka.
While the fighting took place around Bakhmut and other cities in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian and Russian forces continued to clash in the Kherson region (southern) on both sides of the Dnieper River.
Energy minister: 5 meetings; Europe divided (Al Jazeera)
natural gas price
On the other hand, an Al Jazeera reporter reported that the meeting of European energy ministers in Brussels on Tuesday night on the 13th failed to reach an agreement on the gas price ceiling, and the discussion on the resolution was postponed until Monday the 19th.
It was the fifth such meeting since the summer, after months of debate over whether the measure would ease Europe’s energy crisis. It revealed deep divisions among EU countries over how to deal with the nature of the cascade of effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
In November, the European Commission proposed a cap on gas prices, the latest bloc response to economic turmoil sparked by higher energy prices due to Russia’s 2022 cuts to gas supplies to Europe.
Countries including Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have warned against capping gas prices. These countries fear that Russia could divert much-needed gas shipments to destinations outside Europe and disrupt the functioning of energy markets. Other countries, including Greece, Belgium, Italy and Poland, have called for caps on gas prices, saying it would protect their economies from rising energy prices.