Biden, on the eve, received the leaders of Sweden and Finland to support his candidacy for NATO, an initiative to protect himself from Russia
The formal request of Finland and Sweden to join NATO, a measure they took as protection after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leads Moscow to carry out its warnings against these Nordic countries for their attempt to join that alliance.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that his country will open more than 10 military bases to the west of its territory due to the alleged “increased pressure” after the Helsinki and Stockholm move. That, in Moscow’s opinion, increases the pressure on the Russian West.
It must be remembered that Russia’s main argument for attacking Ukraine was kyiv’s intention to integrate the European Union and NATO, since it accused the expansion of the borders of the coalition and the hemispheric entity close to Russian lands.
Shoigu said that these twelve “units” and “sub-units” will be created before the end of 2022 and will receive more than 2,000 modern weapons and military equipment.
The day before, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, received at the White House the Swedish Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson, and the Finnish President, Sauli Niinistö, representatives of countries that have a long tradition of neutrality.
There he took the opportunity to support the candidacies of Sweden and Finland and asks for “total, absolute and full support” for the entry of these countries into NATO. “The end result is simple, quite simple. Finland and Sweden make NATO stronger (…) a united and strong NATO is the basis of the security of the United States”.
Ukraine ordered to lay down arms in Mariupol
The commander of the Azov regiment, Denis Prokopenko, reported that the Ukrainian military high command ordered the soldiers who were entrenched in the Azovstal steel mill to lay down their arms after 90 days of fighting. The measure was aimed at preserving the life and health of the soldiers.
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“Civilians were able to be evacuated, the seriously injured received the necessary assistance and were able to be evacuated and then exchanged and taken to Ukrainian-controlled territory. As for the dead heroes, the process continues », he specified, showing his hope that the bodies of the fallen defenders will be delivered« and soon the relatives and all of Ukraine will be able to bury their heroes with honors ».
Italy presented peace plan between Russia and Ukraine
The Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Malo, presented a peace plan to the UN to end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and clarified that there is no “imposed peace” but rather to promote dialogue in a progressive process that leads to a ceasefire and then peace.
“Italy promotes the plan and it does so based on the credibility it has because we have supported the Ukrainian people with all our means and this gives us credibility to talk about dialogue, since we do not avoid helping the Ukrainians under attack,” said Di Malo.
The idea includes the UN, the European Union and the OSCE to reach local truces, humanitarian corridors, and then to stop the conflict.
The plan includes four points and therefore it depends on Ukraine to reach peace: ceasefire and demilitarization of the combat front; then talk about guarantees of neutrality that Russia asks for; guarantee the autonomy and security of both territories and a multilateral treaty that contemplates the disarmament or withdrawal of Russian troops in territories whose sovereignty Ukraine claims.
With information from The vanguard / Europe Press / ANSA / The country
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