According to the Ukrainian government, Russia launched a major attack on eastern Ukraine on Monday — the regions of Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk in particular came under heavy fire — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is already talking about a new “phase” of the war. While the UN still sees little chance of a ceasefire, Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko also sees a nuclear threat from Russia.
“Chemical weapons or nuclear weapons (…), we expect everything. Everything is possible,” Klitschko said in an interview with German broadcasters RTL and n-tv on Monday. Ukraine isn’t just defending itself in the war: “We’re not just defending ourselves, we’re defending you.” His country is determined to be part of the European family.
“Protect Common Values”
“We are protecting our common values and principles that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has broken,” Klitschko said. The mayor of the capital described the invitation of the German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as a diplomatic error. At the same time, he invited German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the Ukrainian capital.
Major offensive launched in the east
The war is now raging again in the east of the country: according to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia has now embarked on the expected offensive in the east of the country. “There are signs of the start of the offensive in the eastern operational zone,” the general staff said in Kiev on Monday evening.
The regions of Kharkiv and Donetsk were marked. Progress towards Barvinkove and Sloviansk in the Donetsk region is expected from Izyum in the Kharkov region.
Zelenskyy: “Second phase of the war has begun”
“We can now say that the Russian troops have started the battle of Donbass, for which they have been preparing for a long time,” Zelenskyy said. “A very large part of the entire Russian army is now being used for this offensive.” Advances are expected from Izyum in the Kharkov region towards Barvinkove and Sloviansk in the Donetsk region. “The second phase of the war has begun,” Ukraine’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram.
The UN currently does not expect a ceasefire
Meanwhile, UN emergency aid coordinator Martin Griffiths sees little chance of a ceasefire in Ukraine any time soon. “There is currently no ceasefire in the offing,” Griffiths said Monday at United Nations headquarters in New York.
“Maybe that will change in a few weeks.” That depends on the further course of the war and on the talks that are being held with Turkey’s help. Griffiths said there are currently “no negotiations in the classic sense” between the two sides. “But the Turks are closest.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
