New York Has Russia’s ruler Vladimir Putin gambled or is he pulling his strength together for the great storming of Kyiv? That is the big question as rockets continue to fall in Kharkiv and other cities this morning, hundreds of thousands more flee war centers, and international diplomacy braces for another day of high-speed negotiations.
And the answer to this question seems eerily already given in view of a 64-kilometer-long Russian military convoy, which, according to satellite images from the US company Maxar, is building up near Kyiv during the night.
Even on the seventh day following Russia’s attack on Ukraine and following the fruitless talks between negotiators and Russia and Ukraine in Belarus on Monday, there is little reason for hope. The media and ear witnesses in Kharkiv and Kyiv also reported further explosions during the night.
Other ground troops and helicopter gunship units have also been spotted in southern Belarus, less than 20 miles north of the Ukrainian border.
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Despite this, the Russian military appears to be still struggling to gain ground in Ukraine. According to the German Inspector General Eberhard Zorn, Putin underestimated the effectiveness of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.
Putin’s troops for the second and third waves
“What we are witnessing is a very brave army of Ukrainian armed forces, supported by the civilian population and by a clever formation,” Zorn explained on Monday evening in the ZDF “heute journal”. “In this respect, the advance of the Russian armed forces is currently faltering.”
So far, however, only regarding a third of the Russian soldiers deployed on the Ukrainian border have been deployed. “That means there are still forces, we call them second and third waves, available,” said Zorn. It is assumed that these would be used with artillery and air force support. Correspondingly more victims among the civilian population would then be expected.
Images released by the US satellite company Black Sky in the morning also show the extent of the destruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure by the Russians.
The crater on the right shows the followingmath of a Russian attack.
The question of Russia’s further action also sparked a discussion regarding Ukraine’s airspace. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the establishment of a no-fly zone for Russian missiles, planes and helicopters in a video address at night.
This step is controversial. The USA is currently keeping a low profile on the subject. US government spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in Washington in the evening (local time) that such a no-fly zone “requires the deployment of the US military to enforce it, which means direct conflict, potentially direct conflict and potential war with Russia.” that we don’t want to get involved in,” Psaki said.
UN Security Council meets once more
The United Nations Security Council has meanwhile met once more for an emergency meeting in New York. The committee agreed that further humanitarian aid was to be made available. According to UN emergency aid coordinator Martin Griffiths, this would require significantly more security guarantees and money.
Ukraine accuses Russia of attacking civilian targets. Russia disagrees.
(Photo: Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS)
Meanwhile, the United States wants to provide Ukraine with around 6.4 billion dollars. President Joe Biden wants to propose an aid package to the US Senate that includes humanitarian and economic aid, as well as means for Ukraine’s military self-defense.
More on the Ukraine crisis:
The US Security Council also considered whether Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine. Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Serhiy Kyslytsia said in New York on Monday: “Russia keeps attacking kindergartens and orphanages. Russia attacks hospitals. Russia attacks mobile medical support brigades with shell fire and sabotage groups.”
These are not the files of a state with security concerns. “These are the files of a state determined to kill civilians. There is no debate: these are war crimes.” Russia denies the accusation of attacking civilian facilities.
This should also be an issue for the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced on Monday evening that they wanted to start an investigation “as soon as possible”.
Meta blocks RT and Sputnik
The West continues to crack down on the Kremlin’s information channels. Meta and other Silicon Valley tech companies restrict access by news organizations RT and Sputnik. In the European Union, the state media should no longer have access to the meta-platforms. This was announced by the chief lobbyist and head of the group’s global affairs department, Nick Clegg, late Monday evening.
The EU had previously asked the company to take the step. Clegg explains on Twitter: “Given the exceptional situation, we will currently be restricting access to RT and Sputnik in the EU,” Clegg said. He did not name a period for blocking the provider.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “State-run Russia Today and Sputnik and their subsidiaries will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin’s war and sow division in our Union.” “So we are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe.”
Markets surprisingly resilient
On Wall Street, the most important indices close only slightly below their level from the previous day – the technology-heavy Nasdaq even closes in positive territory. Asian investors are using the breather to stock up on tech stocks. The Japanese Nikkei was up around one percent in the morning.
Nevertheless, economists warn of the effects of the EU’s tough sanctions course on the economic recovery following the corona crisis. The German economist Veronika Grimm warned: “As a result of the crisis, the economy will slow down in the short term, for example due to an intensification of the supply chain problem, persistently high energy prices or reactions of the financial markets to the sanctions,” the economist told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
The potentially rising energy and commodity prices as a result of the Ukraine crisis might also have an impact on inflation in the euro zone in particular. Deutsche Bank boss Christian Sewing told the “Bild” that his bank expects an inflation rate of five percent for 2022.
What is important today
In Brussels, the European Parliament is holding an extraordinary plenary session on Ukraine. Around noon, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, will address the press. US President Biden’s State of the Union speech is also being eagerly awaited – it will be broadcast from Washington at 9 p.m. local time on US television.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock travels to New York to give a speech on the Ukraine war at the emergency session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
More: Fake news or stupidity? Russian news agency publishes comment on Russia’s victory
with MMaterial from dpa and Archyde.com