The 87th day of war in Ukraine opens. After the conquest of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Kiev wants the fighters of the Azov regiment who surrendered to the Russians back. President Zelensky links the fate of military heroes to the peace negotiations themselves. But Moscow wants to try the prisoners. “It is a request of citizens and society,” said the leader of the pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk, Pushilin. At first, Russia announced that it will evaluate the possibility of an exchange of prisoners with the pro-Russian oligarch Medvedchuk, who was captured last month in a raid on the 007 in Kiev, but in the evening Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Duma, back off. Slutsky explained that his “opinion has not changed: there should be no exchange of Azov fighters, their fate should be decided by the court” and added that “all matters relating to Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk should be discussed. by “those who have the appropriate competence” ».
Meanwhile, Moscow has published a list of 963 US citizens who are banned from entering Russia. Among them also the president Joe Biden, the founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg and actor Morgan Freeman. The measure is the response to the anti-Russian sanctions decided by the US. British Foreign Minister Truss, meanwhile, revealed that the United Kingdom is discussing with its allies about sending modern weapons to Moldova so that it can protect itself from Russia with “NATO standard” equipment.
On the diplomacy front, yesterday there was a phone call between Erdogan and NATO secretary Stoltenberg: Ankara reiterated its opposition to the entry into the Alliance of the two countries and calls for an end to the asylum policy for PKK members. For tomorrow, a summit announced by the Pentagon between 40 countries is expected online. Yesterday Draghi called Zelensky to “ensure Italy’s constant support for Ukraine, also with reference to the need to approve the sixth package of sanctions, the need to unblock ports and support for Ukraine’s entry into Ukraine. EU ». Zelensky specified that “we discussed defense cooperation and the need to speed up the sixth package of sanctions and to unblock Ukrainian ports”.
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