Stop Playing With Russia, End War: Ukraine’s Zelensky To West

KYIV: Volodymyr President Zelensky urged the West to stop playing with Russia and imposed harder sanctions on Moscow to end the “unreasonable war” in Ukraine, adding that his country would remain independent, the only question was how much the price.Zelensky’s criticism of the West has increased in recent days when the European Union moved slowly towards the possible Russian oil embargo and when thousands of Russian troops tried to surround the two main eastern cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.

Three months into the Ukraine invasion, Russia has left its attack on the capital of Kyiv and is trying to consolidate the control of the East Donbas industrial area, where he has supported the separatist rebellion since 2014.Western military analysts saw the battle for Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk as the potential turning point in the war after shifting momentum to Russia after the surrender of Ukraine Garrison in Mariupol last week.

“Ukraine will always be an independent country and it will not be damaged. The only question is how much the price must be paid by our people for their freedom, and what price will be paid by Russia for this unreasonable war towards us,” said Zelensky in A address late at night on Thursday.Disaster opening events can still be stopped if the world treats the situation in Ukraine as if facing the same situation, if the forces that do not play -play with Russia but really urgent to end the war.”

Zelensky complained about the disagreement in the EU about more sanctions against Russia and asked why some countries were allowed to block the plan.EU is discussing the sixth round of punishment steps, including embargo about Russian oil imports. Such a step requires a round voice but Hungary opposes the idea of ​​now with the reasons of his economy will suffer too much.

“How many more weeks of the European Union tried to approve the sixth package?” Zelensky asked, noted Russia received one billion euros a day from the 27 state block for energy supply.”Pressure on Russia literally is a problem of saving lives. Every day of delay, weaknesses, various disputes or proposals to ‘calm’ aggressors at the expense of victims only means more Ukraine is killed.”

Zelensky’s comments marked the second day in succession that he had sharpened his criticism of the world approach to war.On Wednesday, he bit a suggestion that Kyiv made a concession to bring peace, said the idea that slapped efforts to calm the German Nazi in 1938.

Russian troops attacked from three parties to try to circle Ukraine forces in Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk on Thursday, the Ukraine military said. If the two cities straddled Siverskiy Donets River Fall, almost all provinces of Luhanansk Donbas will be under Russian control.

Luhanansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said around 50 Russian troops had reached the highway and “managed to get a footing”, even preparing an examination post.”The examination post was damaged, they were thrown back … Russian soldiers did not control the current route, but they fired it,” he said. Maybe Ukraine forces will leave “one settlement, maybe two. We need to win the war, not battles,” he said.

“It is clear that our boys slowly retreat to a more fortified position -we need to withstand this mob.”Ukraine Ministry of Home Affairs Advisor Vadym Denisenko told the briefing of 25 Russian battalions who tried to surround Ukraine forces.Reuters journalists in Russian -controlled territories to the south see evidence of the progress of Moscow in Svitlodarsk, where Ukrainian troops resigned earlier this week.

The city is now firmly under the control of pro-Russian fighters, who have occupied the local government building and hung the Soviet hammer and the scythe flag on the door.Drone Reuters recordings from the battlefield left nearby show the crater of the spots of a green field surrounded by buildings that are destroyed. Pro-Russian fighters milling about in the trench.

Donbas Advance has been supported by a large -scale artillery bombing. The Ukraine military said 50 cities in the Provinces of Donetsk and Luhanansk were under the shooting on Thursday.The head of the Ukraine Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhny, asked for a telegram for more western weapons, especially “weapons that will allow us to hit the enemy at a great distance”.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov then warned that every supply of weapons that could reach Russia’s territory would be a “serious step towards an unacceptable escalation”.

Escalation dangers

Western countries led by the United States have given Ukraine long distance weapons, including Howitzer M777 from Washington and Harpoon anti-capal missiles from Denmark.Washington even considers giving KYIV rocket systems that can have hundreds of kilometers, and have held discussions with Kyiv about the dangers of escalation if attacking deep in Russia, the US and diplomatic officials told Reuters.

“We have concerns about escalation and still do not want to put their geographical boundaries or bind their hands too much with the items we give to them,” said a US official, spoke on anonymity conditions.

Russia called his actions in Ukraine as “special operations” to disarm Ukraine and protect him from fascist. Ukraine and the West said that fascist accusations were baseless and that war was an act of aggression that was not provoked. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow expects Ukraine to accept his demands on peace talks in the future. He wants Kyiv to recognize Russia’s sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula confiscated by Moscow in 2014, and the independence of the area claimed by separatist.