Zelensky’s speech in the German Bundestang
“There is a wall in the middle of Europe, and that wall separates freedom from the lack of freedom”: the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky this is exactly what he said, speaking this morning on video to the Bundestag, the German Parliament. As he had done with the American Congress yesterday, evoking the specter of 9/11, the Ukrainian leader therefore tried to give the Germans a historical suggestion capable of striking them. “This wall goes up a little bit more every bomb a bomb falls on Ukraine, every time a decision is not made even though you can help us.” He then went directly to the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz: “I ask you to give Germany the leadership it has earned, and to stop the war in Ukraine.” Unlike Washington where the speech was greeted with a standing ovation, the reaction of the Germans – at least apparently – was cold. Indeed, many observers noted that after the intervention, Parliament quickly returned to its agenda.
The bombing of the cities continues
In the meantime, bombing continues on the cities and civilians continue to die, with the most distressing estimates coming from Mariupol: “There could be 20,000 dead,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a connection with foreign commissions. and Defense of the European Parliament, recalling the bombs that rained yesterday on the theater: “at least 1200 women and children had found refuge there. A clearly marked presence: yet those monsters struck anyway”. However, a small miracle seems to have happened: the dungeons would have held and the survivors are emerging from the rubble. For now there are already over 130.
Elsewhere, however, the death tolls are updated and new massacres emerge. In Odessa, in the morning, the sirens sounded. TO Merefa, a town near Kharkiv, the artillery hit a school and other buildings before dawn, causing 21 deaths and another 25 wounded, of which a dozen in serious condition. TO Chernihiv, the city where people were mowed in line for bread, the agency Ukrinform spoke of an airstrike that led to the death of three children with their parents: two 3-year-old twins and a 12-year-old older sister . Heavy artillery then killed an American passport citizen.
Peace talks continue between Kiev and Moscow
“Difficult negotiations”, however, defined them Zelensky when speaking to the American network Nbc. And his foreign minister too Dmytro Kuleba (who also heard our Foreign Minister today Luigi Di Maio) tells CNN that the two delegations “are far from reaching an agreement”: with all due respect, in short, the draft in 15 points published by Financial Times. But obviously something is moving: the advisor to the Ukrainian presidency says so Mikhail Podolyak to the Polish media: “The Russian position has softened. They are aware of the difficulties they are in and are working on concrete proposals, without the arrogance of the early days”. And Podolyak even goes as far as to make a prediction: “One of the key points of the peace agreement will be the immediate ceasefire and the total withdrawal of the Russian army from Ukrainian territory. It will take a few days but not more than 10. However, the negotiations will be a large-scale process in which not only Russia and Ukraine participate. But also our partners, including Poland. We do not want to just sign an agreement but to develop a concrete mechanism that guarantees our security in the future. “
The role of Ankara
A crucial partner will almost certainly be Turkey: The Turkish Foreign Minister says so Mevlut Cavusoglu yesterday in Lviv, which continues to talk about a possible meeting between Putin and Zelensky. We are working on it and today there was yet another phone call to this effect between the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Russian leader: “Our hopes of obtaining a ceasefire have increased a little more,” said the head of Ankara’s diplomacy, while admitting that “it is difficult to say anything definitive about the war”.
The difficulties of the Russians on the ground and the aggressive words of the leaders
According to observers, the Russians would be increasingly aware of the resistance encountered and of the losses, which, again Ukrainian sources, amount to about 14 thousand dead, to which 86 planes and 108 helicopters shot down, 444 tanks and 1435 armored vehicles destroyed and 2 ships sunk. Indeed, for British intelligence, the invasion is even “blocked. Russian forces have made minimal progress on the ground, in the sea and in airspace in recent days, continuing to record heavy losses”. Surely Russian aggression does not seem to have subsided: “We have the strength to put the West back in its place”, said the former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, number two of the Security Council, in the aftermath of the harsh speech made yesterday by Vladimir Putin. He argues that “disgusting, criminal and immoral” is being done towards Moscow. External threats, but also internal ones: “The operation in Ukraine will bring to light the traitors inside the Federation, the Kremlin reiterated today, echoing the words of Putin who yesterday called for the” purification “of Russian society.” these situations, many people show themselves as traitors, “Putin’s spokesman said, Dmitry Peskov. “They vanish from our lives on their own. Some leave their posts, others leave the country.” Adding that the “overwhelming majority” of Russians support Putin.
The fears of the French
An aggression taken very seriously especially by the French president Emmanuel Macron, who today intends to present his electoral program in view of the presidential elections of 10 April, has clearly expressed all his concern: “France must strengthen its army to be ready to respond to a high-intensity war that may return to the our continent “. On the other hand, Pope Francis again thought of us to invoke peace. Today he spoke on the phone with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, to whom he reiterated “the absolute need to cease hostilities and seek a peaceful solution”.
The UN Security Council
The Ukrainian situation will be discussed tonight at the UN Security Council which returns to meet in New York at 3 pm local time, 8 pm Italian time. The emergency meeting was asked yesterday by the United States, Great Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland due to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation. “