Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed yesterday that the energy problems in Europe are connected not with what is happening in Ukraine, but with the accumulation of mistakes by European politicians. Yesterday at an energy conference, he said that Europe will get natural gas from the market, and developing countries will pay higher prices. He added: “The Europeans forced us to take the measures we took and they are responsible for the price increase.”
Putin stressed that the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline was “international terrorism” and that forces behind the sabotage were seeking to sever relations between Russia and Europe, pointing out that the regime in Ukraine was practicing terrorism, as he put it. US President Joe Biden felt that his Russian counterpart “underestimated” the ability of his forces to occupy Ukraine, and his “calculations were completely wrong” about the resistance he expected to meet.
Biden said his meeting with his Russian counterpart during the G20 summit scheduled in Indonesia for next November “depends” on the circumstances.
“I think he’s a very rational person,” Biden said in an interview with CNN. He added that Putin “thought he was going to be greeted with hugs, and I think his calculation was completely wrong.”
Asked about Putin’s suggestion that nuclear weapons could be used against Ukraine, Biden replied: “I don’t think he would. But I think it’s irresponsible of him to talk about it.”
The US President stressed that he “does not intend” to meet with his Russian counterpart during the G20 summit scheduled for November next year in Indonesia, but he does not completely rule out such a possibility, since he said that “it depends” on the circumstances. “Look, I’m not going to date him,” Biden said.
“But, for example, if he comes to me at the G20 and says he wants to talk about the release[звезды американского баскетбола, задержанной в России]Britney Grainer, I’ll meet him. I mean, it depends on the circumstances.”
But the US president emphasized that he refuses to “negotiate with Russia about anything related to their (Russian) presence in Ukraine or the preservation of part of Ukraine.”
In turn, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that Russia will face serious consequences if it uses nuclear weapons, stressing that victory is impossible in any nuclear war.
He stated that the alliance is ready for a long war in Ukraine, noting that providing Ukraine with air defense systems is a top priority for the allies.
He added that next week, the 30-nation alliance will conduct a long-planned exercise to test the state of readiness of its nuclear capabilities.
He pointed out that Russian missile strikes against Ukraine showed “weakness”, especially since Ukraine has gained momentum on the battlefield and managed to regain some of its lands.
In an exclusive interview with the BBC yesterday, Stoltenberg said that the way Russia has responded with missile strikes against civilians and infrastructure shows that Russia has no other choice and that it can no longer regain land lost over the past few years. years. weeks in Ukraine.
Stoltenberg explained that NATO intends to intensify its efforts to support Ukraine by providing various defensive capabilities and providing improved air defense systems that have proven to be highly effective, with which Ukraine has been able to shoot down many missiles aimed at it over the past period.
Ukraine returns 5 occupied cities
Ukraine announced the restoration of 5 cities in the south of the country from the Russians.
Kyiv said that in two days, Russian missile strikes hit 30% of the infrastructure. He also called on the West to provide him with air defense systems to protect airspace and infrastructure.
“Ukrainian forces liberated five more settlements in the Pereslavl district of the Kherson region: Novovasylivka, Novohryhorovka, Novaya Kamenka, Trifonovka and Shirvoni,” the report says.
As Russian bombing of Ukrainian territory enters its third day, sources in Ukraine said the bombing was focused on energy sources, causing Ukrainian cities to suffer power and water outages.
Ukrainian sources report that Russian incendiary shells fell on the city of Nikopol.
In turn, the Russian Defense Ministry yesterday announced the destruction of warehouses of American HIMARS missiles near the village of Bredtichino in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
Russia used Iranian marches in recent strikes
The UK Ministry of Defense said yesterday that Russia used Iranian drones as part of a massive bombing campaign against Ukraine this week. In her daily intelligence report on the war, she explained that Shaheed drones are slow and fly at very low altitudes, making them easier to target by air defenses.
She added that there is a “real possibility” that Russia has had some success using multiple drones at the same time.
The British Ministry of Defense said Russian troops have been using Iranian drones, including the Shahed 136 kamikaze, since at least August, adding that “despite a range of 2,500 kilometers, the Shahed 136 has only a small explosive payload.”
Agency director: The station has lost external energy sources
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday that the IAEA team at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in Ukraine informed him that the plant had lost all external sources of energy for the second time in five years. days.
Grossi added via his Twitter account that the station’s standby diesel generators currently power nuclear safety and security missions.
He explained that the frequent power outages at the Zaporozhye NPP were a cause for concern, emphasizing the urgent need to create a nuclear safety and security zone around the NPP site.
It comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his “openness to dialogue” with the International Atomic Energy Agency over the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, which has been under Russian control since March last year.