“Moscow is ready.” The threat to the West –

Ukrainian authorities have acknowledged that the Russian armed forces have achieved ”tactical successes” in their offensive in Kharkiv, in north-eastern Ukraine, which has been underway since May 10. “The enemy is achieving tactical successes at the moment,” the General Staff of the Ukrainian army reported on social media. After the capture of several settlements in the Kharkiv oblast, fighting is now underway around the village of Vovchansk, which is only five kilometers from the border with Russia. Russia has no intention of retreating. If Western countries want to resolve the Ukrainian crisis on the battlefield, then Moscow is ready during Federation Council consultations on his reappointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs “It is their right, if they want to be on the battlefield, they will be on the battlefield,” Lavrov said, reiterating that the conference on Ukraine. in Switzerland scheduled for June and to which Russia was not invited, is reduced only to the drafting of an ultimatum to Moscow.

Lavrov also returned to pointing the finger at the peace conference in Ukraine promoted by Switzerland for June, which Moscow has said it will not participate in. For the Foreign Minister, this initiative “is reduced to reaffirming the ultimatum to Russia” who, according to Lavrov, would be treated like “a bad student” summoned by the teachers’ council “who has already decided everything for him and to whom we limited ourselves to announcing the verdict”. But, Lavrov commented, “you cannot talk” to those who adopt such an approach. “The situation is difficult” in Kharkiv and there is a risk that “the fighting will spread to other settlements”. This was stated by the governor of Kharkiv Oleh Syniehubov, underlining that “the Russians are trying to lengthen the front line”. Syniehubov spoke of a “massive bombing” of the city of Vovchansk, with attacks also on other settlements in Kharkiv Oblast such as Lukyantsi and Bugruvatkata.