Ns News Online Desk: As we’ve been reporting, Vladimir Putin has said peace talks between Ukraine and Russia have stalled. Here’s the latest from the Russian president – and the view from the Ukrainian side: Putin says talks with Ukraine “have again returned to a dead-end situation for us” while meeting his Belarusian ally Alexander Lukashenko
He also says Russia’s “military operation” will continue, blaming Ukraine for “inconsistency in key issues” from talks and “fake claims” about war crimes
However, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has today told Reuters that although negotiations are “extremely difficult”, they will continue
Podolyak said he believes Russia is trying to put pressure on future peace talks by making public statements beforehand People in eastern Ukraine know the Russians are about to step up their offensive here. Even the dogs on the streets seem to know, and can be heard barking whenever there’s a heavy thump of artillery in the distance.
Hundreds of thousands of people have already fled to the relative safety of western Ukraine. Once again large columns of Russian vehicles have been spotted by satellite – this time heading towards the east.
Here in Donbas we’ve also seen signs of Ukraine bringing in more military equipment, including armored vehicles and longer range air defense systems. But not in the volume of Russia’s reinforcements.
Ukraine may be being more tactically astute about their movements, or simply have less. Both are probably true.
Many believe this next phase of the war in the east could decide the outcome of this conflict. Many also expect it to be bloody. President Putin has made a rare public appearance alongside the leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and described Russia’s military goals in Ukraine as noble.
He said peace talks had reached a dead end, saying Ukraine had made “fake claims” about war crimes and extended demands for security guarantees.
Meanwhile Lukashenko said allegations of atrocities in northern Ukraine were “a psychological operation carried out by the English”
Russia and Ukraine are building up forces in the eastern region of Donbas as Moscow switches the focus of its offensive. Satellite images show a build-up of Russian troops and equipment in at least three places on Ukraine’s border.
Ukraine says it’s checking unverified information that Russia has used chemical weapons in its siege of Mariupol. The US and UK are also looking into the reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said in a speech to the Lithuanian parliament that the European Union was still too hesitant in imposing sanctions on Moscow.
Germany’s energy regulator says the country’s gas reserves could last until late summer or later if supplies from Russia were cut off now. Klaus Mueller told Die Zeit newspaper the reserves were in better shape than a month ago.
The World Food Program me says the war could worsen humanitarian crises in countries like Yemen and Afghanistan, as grain supplies from Ukraine, a major exporter, dry up. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko toured the vast Vostochny Cosmodrome, in Russia. It was a sign of the close relationship between the two countries and their leaders.
Later they held a press conference where Putin announced they will increase cooperation in areas like the economy, space infrastructure and technology and the Russian president called for “deeper integration” with Belarus.
Putin said it is important given the West’s sanctions on Russia. He sees it as an attempt to isolate Russia from the global economy, adding that Western sanctions would “only make us stronger”.
Belarusian President Lukashenko said: “Know that no matter what the situation is, you can count on us, and the Russians can count on us. We will always be there.”
