- US hosts defense talks on arming Ukraine
- Germany reportedly to supply Ukraine with tanks
- Russia’s Lavrov says NATO ‘in essence’ engaged in proxy war with Russia
- Zelenskyy says Russia ‘won’t win’ the war in Ukraine
This article was last updated at 08:04 GMT/UTC
US kicks off Ukraine conference at Ramstein air base
A defense conference on securing Ukraine’s long-term security is now underway at the US airbase in Ramstein, Germany.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has invited around 40 countries to the conference. While many NATO members will be present, a number of the countries invited are not NATO member states.
The attendees will include NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht.
The meeting seeks to boost weapons deliveries to Ukraine and bolster the country’s long-term security.
Austin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday and pledged additional military assistance to Kyiv. Austin and Blinken are expected to brief allies on Ukraine’s security needs during the conference.
No imminent threat of direct confrontation with Russia — UK armed forces minister
British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said he did not think there was an imminent threat of escalation in the war in Ukraine leading to nuclear conflict.
“What the West is doing to support its allies in Ukraine is very well calibrated … Everything we do is calibrated to avoid direct confrontation with Russia,” Heappy told BBC television.
Heappey’s remarks follow a statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said that NATO was “in essence engaged in war with Russia through a proxy” and that the “risks” of nuclear escalation were “considerable.”
“Lavrov’s trademark over the course of 15 years or so that he has been the Russian foreign secretary has been that sort of bravado. I don’t think that right now there is an imminent threat of escalation,” Heappey said.
Heappy also told Sky News that it is not NATO that is providing military support to Ukraine.
“The donor effort is something that has been brought together by countries that are yes, many of them are from NATO, but others are from beyond … it is not NATO that is doing the military aid,” Heappy said.
Germany reportedly to supply Ukraine with ‘Gepard’ tanks
According to the dpa news agency, Germany’s federal government intends to allow tanks from industry stocks to be delivered to Ukraine. German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann will be given the green light to sell “Gepard” anti-aircraft tanks from previous Bundeswehr stocks, dpa reported.
Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported that Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht will pledge the anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine during today’s meeting at the Ramstein US air base.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Monday following a meeting with Ukrainian officials that Kyiv had requested tanks as it seeks to adapt to the shifting conditions of the conflict.
Germany is reportedly to supply Ukraine with anti-aircraft “Gepard” tanks
Kreminna in Luhansk region has fallen — UK defense ministry
Britain’s Defense Ministry said in a Tuesday intelligence update that the town of Kreminna in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region has reportedly fallen to Russian forces.
Russian troops are attempting to advance north to Sloviansk and east to Kramatorsk, according to the ministry.
“Russian forces are likely attempting to encircle heavily fortified Ukrainian positions in the east of Ukraine,” the intelligence update said, adding that Ukrainian forces have been preparing defenses in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.
UK drops import tariffs on goods from Ukraine to zero
The UK has dropped tariffs on all goods coming from Ukraine, following a direct request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“The UK will continue to do everything in its power to support Ukraine’s fight against Putin’s brutal and unprovoked invasion,” British International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said.
The average tariff on Ukrainian imports was about 22%.
The British government said it would also impose further export bans on products to Russia, including cash, maritime goods and technology, and energy-related goods.
Ukraine wants UN to seek Mariupol evacuation
Ukraine has urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to press Russia for an evacuation of the besieged port of Mariupol. Guterres is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday.
The UN chief “should focus primarily on one issue, evacuation of Mariupol,” Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told The Associated Press in an interview.
“This is really something that the UN is capable of doing. And if he demonstrates political will, character, and integrity, I hope that will allow us to make one step forward,” he said.
Russian forces have surrounded fighters in the last Ukrainian stronghold in the Azovstal steel plant, but an estimated 100,000 civilians are also trapped in the city.
Kuleba also said he was concerned Guterres could fall into a Kremlin “trap.” He cited trips to the Russian capital by foreign officials ahead of the invasion on February 24 as evidence of the Kremlin dictating diplomacy.
On Thursday, Guterres is expected to head to Ukraine for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Kuleba.
Zelenskyy urges Ukrainians to make country ‘unbearable’ for Russian occupation
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called Ukrainians to think of how to make “the presence of occupiers at our land even more unbearable.”
In his nightly address, Zelenskyy predicted Russia would lose the war, but said it would require sacrifice.
“Every day of the fight will add years and years to the peaceful life after this war, after our victory,” Zelenskyy said.
He was aware the Ukrainians wanted to know “when it all be over,” but said “there is no simple answer to that at this time.”
US to host Ukraine-focused defense talks at Germany’s Ramstein air base
The US military expects officials from more than 20 countries to attend talks on Tuesday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany focused on arming Ukraine.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is hosting the event following a trip to Kyiv, where he pledged additional support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In remarks following his appearance in Kyiv on Monday, Austin said he would like “to see Russia weakened to the point where it can’t do things like invade Ukraine.”
General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a key goal of the talks was to synchronize and coordinate security assistance to Kyiv that includes heavy weaponry, like howitzer artillery and well-armed drones and ammunition.
“The next several weeks will be very, very critical,” Milley told reporters traveling with him to Germany.
“They need continued support in order to be successful on the battlefield. And that’s really the purpose of this conference.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is expected to attend the meeting, along with representatives from NATO and non-NATO countries.
Lavrov says NATO engaged in ‘proxy war’ with Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Russian state television that NATO was “in essence engaged in war with Russia through a proxy” by supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Speaking to the Russian First Channel he said, “these weapons will be a legitimate target for Russia’s military.”
“Storage facilities in western Ukraine have been targeted more than once [by Russian forces]. How can it be otherwise? War means war,” he said.
The foreign minister also said Monday evening that Moscow wants to reduce the chance of “artificially” elevating the risks of a nuclear conflict.
“This is our key position on which we base everything. The risks now are considerable,” Lavrov said.
The top diplomat said peace talks with Ukraine would continue.
He conceded the war in Ukraine would probably end finish with the signing of an accord but added the terms would depend on the military situation in the country at the time.
After Lavrov’s interview, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter that Russia had lost its “last hope to scare the world off supporting Ukraine.”
“This only means Moscow senses defeat,” he added.
Summary of Monday’s events in the Ukraine-Russia crisis
Vadym Boychenko, the mayor of the besieged city of Mariupol, said a new mass grave had been identified 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of the city. Several victims were located there, though authorities are trying to identify how many victims are in the unmarked graves.
Russia said it expelled 40 German diplomats in response to Berlin’s decision to kick out Russian diplomats over the conflict in Ukraine. Germany Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the move was unjustified as the Russian staff expelled from Germany had been “spies” rather than diplomats.
Finnish newspaper Italehti has reported Finland and Sweden have agreed to submit NATO applications at the same time during the week of May 16.
Swedish paper Expressen writes that its sources confirm there is an agreement between the two countries.
Ukrainian Railways reported that five train stations in central and western Ukraine had come under fire and had been hit by missile strikes. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it used missiles to destroy facilities powering the railways supplying Ukrainian forces with foreign weapons.
About 15,000 Russian troops have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said. Ukraine has claimed 22,000 Russian troops were killed since the invasion. Russia has acknowledged only 1,351 military deaths.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russia is trying to brutalize parts of Ukraine but failing in its war aims.
After a visit to Kyiv, Blinken said Russia’s military was underperforming, and its economy was “in shambles” due to sanctions and a mass “exodus” from the country.
You can revisit our live updates from April 25 here.
si, lo/wmr, rs (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
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