Russia renews criticism of peace summit – The night at a glance
Published: Friday, Apr 12th 2024, 05:10
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the peace conference planned for Ukraine in Switzerland. Russia is not being invited there, while at the same time admitting that nothing can be decided without Moscow, Putin said at a televised meeting with Belarus' ruler Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday. "And because we are not going there, it is now being said that we are rejecting negotiations. This is a real panopticon," said the Kremlin leader. On Wednesday, however, the Russian embassy in Bern announced that Russia would not attend the meeting even if invited.
According to Putin, Ukraine maneuvered itself into a corner by breaking off negotiations two years ago - shortly after the start of the Russian war of aggression. The other side had thought that Russia could be defeated on the battlefield. However, this turned out to be impossible. Russia is prepared to negotiate, but not over schemes "that have nothing to do with reality", said Putin.
One of the issues to be negotiated in neutral Switzerland on June 15 and 16 is the so-called peace formula of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. He had demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from all occupied territories in Ukraine. Moscow, on the other hand, is insisting on peace on its own terms. This includes the retention of previous conquests, Ukraine's renunciation of NATO membership and a powerful army. There may also be further demands for territory to be ceded to Russia.
Media report: Turkey prepares new peace plan for Ukraine
Meanwhile, the activity of potential mediators for a solution in Ukraine is increasing ahead of the summit. According to a media report, Turkey wants to freeze the war in Ukraine for more than a decade with a new peace initiative. The plan, which was launched with the support of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has already been submitted to Kiev and Moscow, wrote the pro-Kremlin newspaper "Novaya Gazeta. Europa", citing its own sources.
The most important points of the document are as follows: The USA and Russia undertake not to use nuclear weapons under any circumstances and to return to the New Start nuclear disarmament treaty. The conflict in Ukraine will be frozen on the current front line. In 2040, Ukraine will then decide on its future foreign policy course in a referendum - until then, it will not join NATO. At the same time, referendums will also be held under international control in the territories occupied by Russia. The warring parties exchange all prisoners for each other. Russia does not oppose Ukraine's accession to the EU.
Putin justifies shelling of Ukrainian energy facilities
However, it is unlikely that the plan will be accepted. Both warring parties continue to focus on wearing down their opponents. At the meeting with Lukashenko, Putin also justified the Russian warfare in this way. He described the ongoing shelling of Ukrainian energy facilities by the Russian military as a necessary response to attacks by Kiev. "Unfortunately, we have seen a series of strikes against our energy facilities recently and were forced to respond," he said. According to Putin, the Russian shelling of Ukrainian power plants serves to "demilitarize the neighbouring country", as it affects the output of arms production.
The night before, Russia had destroyed several thermal power plants with heavy missile attacks and once again damaged numerous facilities and power lines in Ukraine. Russia began these attacks shortly after the start of the war, primarily targeting the Ukrainian civilian population.
Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine orders forced evacuation of children
Meanwhile, the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, which is particularly affected by Russian shelling, has ordered the forced evacuation of families with children from 47 villages near the border. These are communities in the three districts of Bohodukhiv, Isyum and Kharkiv, announced the military governor of the region, Oleh Synyehubov, via Telegram. However, the regional capital was not affected. The reason for this was the almost daily shelling of the towns by the Russian army. He promised that all those affected would receive the appropriate humanitarian and legal assistance. The day before, a young girl had been killed by Russian shelling in the village of Lypzi in the Kharkiv district, just ten kilometers from the Russian border.
IAEA chief sees increasing risk of nuclear accident at Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the danger situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine has recently worsened considerably. The latest drone attacks on the plant "have significantly increased the risk of a nuclear accident", warned IAEA chief Grossi in Vienna. At a special meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, he urged military decision-makers and the international community to ensure de-escalation. At the IAEA meeting, representatives of Kiev and Moscow once again blamed each other for the incidents.
©Keystone/SDA
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