Conflict in real time
Ukrainian troops advance to Bakhmut
CNN: Kiev has asked the United States to send cluster bombs
Ukraine has asked the Biden administration in recent months to have warheads loaded with cluster bombs. The request is one of the most controversial that Kiev has made to Washington. Officials of the US administration would not have rejected the request for now because this weapon is banned in more than 100 countries and the go-ahead from Congress is needed for the transfer of ammunition subject to prohibition. So far both Ukrainians and Russians have used cluster bombs since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, but Moscow has used them more extensively, devastating large swathes of the country, according to a Human Rights Watch report. 2.30
Moscow: Ready for dialogue with the United States, but only on an equal basis
Russia is not considering possible unilateral concessions in the strategic stability dialogue with the United States, but is ready to resume this dialogue on an equal and balanced basis. This was stated by the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergey Ryabkov, in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper, according to the Tass agency. “The dialogue can only be carried out on an equal, pragmatic and balanced basis. And results can only be expected if the other side understands that unilateral concessions from Russia are out of the question. This is not an option, it is not even taken into consideration”.
Moscow: talks with the United States on strategic stability suspended
Russian-US talks on strategic stability, New START, have been suspended but not interrupted, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper, released today. “It was a difficult decision, Ryabkov said, it was a political decision. It has been said more than once that the situation, with the deeper and more dangerous US involvement in developments in and around Ukraine, directly affected the our decision. The conclusion was negative: it’s not the right time to meet in this format,” he noted.
Scholz: International pressure has reduced Moscow’s nuclear threat
The risk of Moscow using nuclear weapons in the conflict in Ukraine has decreased thanks to international pressure on Russia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said so in an interview published today. “One thing has changed for the moment: Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons,” the chancellor said in an interview with German media group funke. And this was a consequence of the fact that the international community, including China, “drew a red line” on this issue.
