The army command considers limiting the attacks on the aforementioned cities as a ploy by the Russians to strengthen and regroup the forces. The Russian delegation presented yesterday after the end Consultation between the two countries It has been known in Turkey to carry out fewer attacks around the capital for some time. “Russia also wants to create a false impression by announcing the withdrawal of units from the encirclement of Kyiv, which is supposed to have been stopped,” said a commander in the Ukrainian army. Practically speaking, the Russians have had hard times in this region in recent days and have not made any territorial gains.

The British Ministry of Defense also said in its daily update on Ukraine, that it was almost certain that Russia had failed in its plan to encircle Kyiv due to the disappointing results and Kyiv’s counterattack. “Russian statements about reducing activities around Kyiv and withdrawing certain units from that region may mean that Russia accepts that it has lost the initiative in the region,” the ministry said.

According to the Ukrainians, the Russian army meanwhile withdrew some units from the areas around Kiev and Chernihiv, but according to the General Staff, there are indications that these soldiers will be deployed to other places in eastern Ukraine (Donbass). Meanwhile, fighting continues near Donetsk to the east. The Russians will also reinforce their positions and lay mines in the villages of Novokarlivka and Luhivske, near Zaporizhzhya.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, these developments show that his country’s “military efforts” cannot be reduced. On the other hand, the president said in his video message sent to Telegram, Tuesday, that “positive signs” have emerged from the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Turkey.

It also emerged from these consultations that countries such as Turkey, Poland, Canada and Israel will soon be able to play a role – through the United Nations Security Council – in providing Ukraine with the required security guarantees. In turn, the latter country wants to abandon its controversial membership in NATO and also adopt a neutral position on the world stage. Membership in the European Union must remain an option. The Russian delegation submits proposals to President Putin.

Zelensky: “We can say that the signals we receive are positive, but they do not make us forget about Russian explosives and grenades,” he said in his video message. The president stressed that he saw no reason to believe the words of “representatives of a country that continues to fight with the intent of our destruction.” In addition: “The Russian army is still able to continue its attacks on our country.”

In any case, according to Zelensky, the question of lifting international sanctions on Russia cannot be raised as long as the war in Ukraine continues. “The question of sanctions cannot even be raised until this war is over, until we return what is ours.”

The war is also a cause for concern in other regions. UN Food Coordinator David Beasley said last night that the conflict in Ukraine threatens to destroy the World Food Program’s efforts to feed some 125 million people worldwide.

The World Food Program is the food aid arm of the United Nations. It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization dedicated to hunger and food security. According to Beasley, 50 percent of the grain purchased by the WFP comes from Ukraine. “So you can imagine the devastation this would have on our operations,” he told the UN Security Council.

Beasley also said the food crisis is being exacerbated by the shortage of fertilizer products from Belarus and Russia. “If you don’t fertilize the crops, your yield will be reduced by at least 50 percent. So we are looking at what could be a disaster on top of a disaster in the coming months.” The food crisis may thus extend beyond what we have seen since World War II, Beasley said.

Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the World Food Program was already suffering from high fuel and food prices. As a result, the food program has had to cut rations for millions of people in countries like Yemen, where the population is already suffering from massive food shortages due to years of civil war.

Beasley warned that if the conflict in Ukraine did not end, “the world will pay a heavy price.” “The last thing we want to do is for the World Food Program to take food from hungry children and give it to hungry children.”

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