By The Associated Press
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Monday that Ukraine dangers scary World War III and mentioned the specter of a nuclear battle “should not be underestimated.”
In an in-depth Russian TV interview, Lavrov blamed Ukraine for stalled talks between the 2 nations, and accused the United States and Britain of pressuring Kyiv to not attain settlement.
“Everyone is reciting incantations that in no case can we allow World War III,” Lavrov mentioned, and accused Ukrainian leaders of scary Russia by asking NATO to grow to be concerned within the battle.
By offering weapons, NATO forces are “pouring oil on the fire,” he mentioned, in keeping with a Russian transcript on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s web site.
Lavrov apparently made the remarks after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned the United States desires “to see Russia weakened to the point where it can’t do things like invade Ukraine.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba informed The Associated Press in an interview Monday that solely discussions between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin would carry decision.
___
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:
— US guarantees new assist to Ukraine in combat in opposition to Russia
— To Europe’s aid, France’s Macron wins however far-right beneficial properties
— Russian officer: Missile to hold a number of hypersonic weapons
— Follow all AP tales on Russia’s conflict on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
___
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Opera and the Polish National Opera are organizing a Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra to tour Europe and America from July 28 to Aug. 20.
The orchestra is to collect in Warsaw on July 18 for rehearsals and can embody musicians from Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv and Odesa plus Ukrainian members of European orchestras, the businesses mentioned Monday.
Keri-Lynn Wilson, a Canadian-Ukrainian conductor who’s married to Met basic supervisor Peter Gelb, will lead musicians who embody members of the Kyiv National Opera, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra and Kharkiv Opera plus the Tonkunstler Orchestra of Vienna, the Belgian National Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
The tour will open at Teatr Wielki, the Polish National Opera, on July 28 and embody a televised efficiency on the BBC Proms in London on July 31.
That shall be adopted by stops on the Chorégies d’Orange Festival in France (Aug. 2); Berlin (Aug. 4); Edinburgh, Scotland (Aug. 6); Snape Maltings in England (Aug. 8); Amsterdam (Aug. 11); Hamburg, Germany (Aug. 13); New York (Aug. 18 and 19), and Washington (Aug. 20).
__
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s overseas minister on Monday urged the U.N. chief to press Russia for an evacuation of the besieged port of Mariupol, calling it one thing the world physique is able to reaching.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba informed The Associated Press in an interview he was involved that by visiting Moscow on Tuesday earlier than touring to Kyiv, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres may very well be susceptible to falling right into a Kremlin “trap” within the conflict.
Kuleba mentioned Guterres “ought to focus totally on one challenge: evacuation of Mariupol.
An estimated 100,000 persons are trapped within the seaside metropolis whereas a contingent of Ukrainian fighters maintain out in opposition to Russian forces in a metal mill the place a whole bunch of civilians are also taking shelter.
__
MARIUPOL, Ukraine — Officials within the embattled Ukrainian metropolis of Mariupol say a brand new mass grave has been recognized north of the town.
Mayor Vadym Boychenko mentioned authorities try to estimate the variety of victims within the grave about 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) north of Mariupol.
Satellite pictures launched over the previous a number of days have proven what seem like pictures of different mass graves.
Mariupol has been decimated by fierce combating over the previous two months. The seize of the town would deprive Ukraine of a significant port and permit Moscow to determine a land hall to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014.
__
ZAGREB, Croatia — Moscow is accusing Croatia of getting an anti-Russian coverage for failing to offer “humanitarian” passage for twenty-four Russian diplomats and embassy employees who had been expelled from the nation over the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned Monday that the federal government of Croatia is “systematically destroying bilateral relations,” in keeping with the Russian TASS information company.
“The inhumane, cynical attitude towards our fellow countrymen won’t go without an answer,” she added.
Croatia has adopted a number of different European Union states in expelling Russian diplomats for the bloody Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic mentioned on Monday that Zakharova’s claims are Russian propaganda and that the expelled Russians already left the nation, in all probability through neighboring Serbia. He added that Russia “attacked Ukraine, which is our friendly country, killed women and children and we responded to it like most other countries.”
___
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are stressing the pressing want for “effective access through humanitarian corridors” to evacuate Ukrainian civilians and ship humanitarian assist to communities impacted by the conflict.
Guterres met Erdogan on Monday in Ankara and expressed help for Turkey’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to finish the conflict, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric mentioned, including that they “agreed to stay in contact to follow up on ongoing initiatives.”
The U.N. chief and the Turkish president “reaffirmed that their common objective is to end to the war as soon as possible and to create conditions to end the suffering of civilians,” Dujarric mentioned.
During the assembly, Erdogan additionally mentioned Turkey would proceed to work carefully with the U.N. to finish the humanitarian disaster in Ukraine and to assist in the evacuation of civilians, .
Guterres is scheduled to journey to Moscow to satisfy Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and can then head to Kyiv to satisfy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday. The Ukrainian chief has criticized the secretary-general for visiting Moscow earlier than going to Kyiv.
___
LONDON — The British authorities says it believes 15,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine since Moscow launched its invasion two months in the past.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace mentioned 25% of the Russian fight items despatched to Ukraine “have been rendered not combat effective,” and Russia had misplaced greater than 2,000 armored autos and greater than 60 helicopters and fighter planes.
Russia has acknowledged 1,351 army casualties.
Wallace mentioned Russia had failed in most of its army aims thus far. He informed British lawmakers that “we anticipate this next phase of the invasion will be an attempt by Russia to occupy further the Donbas in order to connect it via Mariupol” to Russian-controlled Crimea. He mentioned worldwide assist and weapons are essential to assist Ukraine face up to the anticipated onslaught.
Wallace mentioned Britain had despatched greater than 5,000 antitank missiles, in addition to air-defense methods and anti-air missiles, and would quickly ship “a small number” of Stormer armored autos outfitted with missile launchers.
___
STOCKHOLM — Two newspapers – one Swedish, the opposite one Finnish – are reporting that the governments of Sweden and Finland have agreed to submit NATO functions on the similar time and that it’ll occur in the course of subsequent month.
The Finnish newspaper Iltalehti mentioned that the Swedish authorities has expressed a want to Finland that they apply collectively within the week ending May 22, and Swedish authorities sources confirmed the knowledge to Sweden’s Expressen tabloid.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to rising help in Sweden and Finland, a Russian neighbor, for becoming a member of NATO.
Though not members, each Nordic nations carefully cooperate with NATO, permitting, amongst different issues, the alliance’s troops to train on their soil. Helsinki and Stockholm have additionally considerably intensified their bilateral protection cooperation up to now years.
___
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department says it has accredited the sale of $165 million in legacy Warsaw Pact ammunition and different non-standard ammunition to Ukraine to assist in its protection in opposition to Russia.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency accredited the potential sale and has supplied the legally required notification to Congress. Lawmakers can block weapons gross sales however are unlikely to take action due to sturdy help for Ukraine following the Feb. 24 invasion.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” the State Department mentioned in saying the potential sale Monday.
The sale got here on the request of Ukraine’s authorities and contains rounds for mortars, computerized grenade launchers and howitzers.
___
Russia is expelling 40 German diplomats in response to Germany expelling the identical variety of Russian diplomats earlier this month.
The Russian Foreign Ministry mentioned Monday that it had summoned German ambassador Géza Andreas von Geyr for a “strong protest at the clearly unfriendly decision” to expel the Russian diplomatic employees.
The ministry mentioned von Geyr was informed that 40 members of employees at German diplomatic missions in Russia can be formally declared unwelcome in Russia.
Germany introduced the expulsion of 40 Russian diplomats on Apr. 4 following mounting proof of civilian killings and mass graves in Bucha, close to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
___
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Environmental campaigners have used kayaks and a dinghy to cease a Russian oil tanker from unloading its cargo south of Norway’s capital, saying Norwegian firms “are financing Russia’s warfare”.
Greenpeace says its members chained themselves to the Hong Kong-registered Ust Luga, leased by Russian oil firm Novatek, because it arrived at its vacation spot, an Esso’s terminal close to Toensberg.
The tanker with 95,000 tonnes of gasoline had left St. Petersburg.
Esso spokeswoman Anne Fougner informed Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet that the oil had been purchased earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine. She added that Esso Norway “does not have other contracts for the purchase of products from Russia.”
Several different activists had been stopped by police earlier than they may participate within the motion, Norwegian information company NTB reported.
___
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The International Criminal Court’s prosecution workplace is becoming a member of a joint investigation staff arrange by Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland to probe atrocities dedicated through the conflict in Ukraine.
The ICC’s Prosecutor Karim Khan signed an settlement Monday to take part within the multinational effort that goals to facilitate investigations and cooperation.
Eurojust, the European Union’s judicial cooperation company, says the settlement sends “a clear message that all efforts will be undertaken to effectively gather evidence on core international crimes committed in Ukraine and bring those responsible to justice.”
Khan mentioned final month he was opening an investigation in Ukraine and has despatched investigators there and visited crime scenes himself.
___
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian authorities say at the least 5 individuals have been killed by Russian strikes on the central Vynnytsia area.
The Vynnytsia regional prosecutors mentioned one other 18 individuals had been wounded in Monday’s Russian missile strikes on the cities of Zhmerynka and Koziatyn.
Vinnytsia regional Governor Serhiy Borzov mentioned earlier that the Russian missiles focused “critical infrastructure,” however didn’t elaborate.
The Vynnytsia area is totally managed by Ukraine and is way behind the entrance traces.
___
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine has mentioned the United Nations ought to step in to supervise an evacuation route for civilians from the besieged metal mill in Mariupol which is Ukrainian troops’ final stronghold within the port metropolis.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk mentioned on the Telegram messaging app {that a} Russian announcement of a “humanitarian corridor” out of the Azovstal plant to function later Monday was not agreed to by Ukraine. Vereshchuk added that Ukraine doesn’t think about the route protected for that motive and mentioned Russia had breached agreements on related evacuation routes earlier than.
Ukrainian officers have mentioned that as much as 1,000 civilians have sheltered on the sprawling metal plant.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to go to Russia and Ukraine this week. Vereshchuk referred to as on Guterres to be the “initiator and guarantor” of a humanitarian route out of Azovstal and for U.N. and International Committee of the Red Cross personnel to accompany any evacuees.
___
MOSCOW — Russia’s Energy Ministry says a large hearth at an oil depot in western Russia won’t trigger gasoline shortages.
The ministry mentioned in an announcement that Monday’s hearth inflicted injury to a depot containing diesel gasoline in Bryansk, and authorities are coping with the implications of the blaze.
The ministry mentioned gasoline provides to shoppers haven’t been interrupted and famous that the area has sufficient diesel gasoline for 15 days.
The Emergencies Ministry mentioned earlier that an enormous blaze erupted in a single day on the depot owned by Transneft-Druzhba, a subsidiary of the Russian state-controlled firm Transneft, which operates the western-bound Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline carrying crude to Europe. It wasn’t instantly clear what induced the blaze, and whether or not it may have an effect on deliveries to Europe.
___
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the U.S. and its allies of making an attempt to “split Russian society.”
Speaking Monday at a gathering with prime officers on the Prosecutor General’s workplace, Putin mentioned Russia has come below “unprecedented Western sanctions” amid its army motion in Ukraine.
He charged that the U.S, and its allies have sought to “split the Russian society and to destroy Russia from within,” including that their plans have failed.
Putin urged Russian prosecutors to behave extra shortly to dam unsanctioned demonstrations organized from overseas. He additionally famous that they need to deal with exposing “open provocations” in opposition to the Russian army allegedly involving worldwide media and social platforms.
___
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as “encouraging” and “effective.”
Speaking in Monday’s video handle, he mentioned the U.S. is providing “powerful” help to his nation. Zelenskyy added that they agreed “on further steps to strengthen the armed forces of Ukraine and meet all the priority needs of our army.” He famous that ramping up sanctions in opposition to Moscow additionally was on the assembly’s agenda.
Blinken and Austin mentioned the United States had accredited a $165 million sale of ammunition for Ukraine’s conflict effort, together with greater than $300 million in overseas army financing.
Zelenskyy famous that Ukraine would count on the United States to steer different allies in providing a set of safety ensures sooner or later.
The Ukrainian president additionally denounced Russia for launching strikes on Orthodox Easter Sunday, describing them “deliberate destruction of life in Ukraine.”
___
MOSCOW — The Russian army says it is going to open a humanitarian hall for civilians to evacuate from the besieged metal plant in Mariupol.
The Russian Defense Ministry mentioned a humanitarian hall will open at 2 p.m (1100 GMT) Monday for all civilians to go away the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. It mentioned Russian troops will stop hearth to permit civilians to soundly exit the plant.
The mammoth metal plant, which has a sprawling maze of underground channels. has remained the final bulwark of Ukrainian resistance within the strategic Sea of Azov port metropolis.
Ukrainian officers have mentioned that as much as 1,000 civilians have sheltered there. They have repeatedly urged Russia to supply them a protected exit.
___
MOSCOW — Russian authorities say a fireplace has engulfed an oil storage facility in western Russia.
The Emergencies Ministry mentioned an enormous blaze on the depot within the metropolis of Bryansk erupted early Monday. Its trigger wasn’t instantly clear.
The oil depot is owned by Transneft-Druzhba, a subsidiary of the Russian state-controlled firm Transneft that operates the western-bound Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline carrying crude oil to Europe. It wasn’t clear if the depot was a part of the pipeline infrastructure and whether or not the blaze may have an effect on the deliveries.
Russian information reported that one other oil storage facility in Bryansk additionally caught hearth early Monday, and that the trigger wasn’t instantly identified.
Bryansk is situated about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the border with Ukraine, the place Moscow has waged a army marketing campaign for 2 months. Last month, two Ukrainian helicopter gunships hit an oil reservoir in Russia’s Belgorod area that borders Ukraine, inflicting a fireplace.
___
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian officers say the Russian army has unleashed a collection of strikes on the nation’s railways.
Lviv area Governor Maksym Kozytskyy mentioned a Russian missile hit a railway facility in Krasne, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Lviv, early Monday, sparking a fireplace.
Oleksandr Kamyshin, the top of the state-run Ukrainian Railways, mentioned a complete of 5 rail services in central and western Ukraine have been hit by the Russian strikes. He mentioned the assaults have delayed at the least passenger 16 trains.
There was no instant details about the injury from the strikes.
___
NEAR THE POLISH-UKRAINIAN BORDER — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russia is failing in its conflict goals after invading Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Following conferences Sunday in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Blinken informed reporters in Poland on Monday that, with Russia having pulled again its troops from round Kyiv and the north of Ukraine to deal with the jap Donbas area, “When it comes to Russia’s war aims, Russia is failing, Ukraine is succeeding.”
In footage of the assembly later launched by the Ukrainian presidency, Blinken praised the “extraordinary courage and leadership and success that you’ve had in pushing back this horrific Russian aggression.”
“We got used to seeing you on video around the world, but it’s great, it’s good to see you in person,” Blinken mentioned with a smile.
Austin mentioned that “the world has been inspired” by Ukraine within the conflict and that America would proceed its help.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”