This was announced on Monday by pro-Russian separatists from the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic. evacuated more than 300 citizens on Sunday from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, to two Russian-controlled cities. Ukrainian army demands reconquest of territory in Kharkov, the second largest city in Ukraine, which managed to force the “enemy” to retreat close to the Russian border. In the north of the country, a Chernihiv regional official said authorities had already begun rebuilding electricity and plumbing infrastructure, hospitals and kindergartens destroyed by Russian bombing.
President of Ukraine dismissed Commander of the Territorial Defense Forces armed forces,
at a time when negotiations to rescue soldiers stranded in the Azovstal tunnels in Mariupol remain difficult.
Minister of Foreign Affairs (MNE) of Ukraine, Dmitry Kuleba today participates in Brussels in the meeting of heads of EU diplomacy (EU) to discuss a Russian military invasion of the country when the 27 try to approve new sanctions.
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NATO membership bid: Sweden to send diplomats to Turkey to try to overcome Ankara’s objections
Sweden will send diplomats to Turkey to try to overcome Ankara’s objections to the NATO membership bid, Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said, British newspaper The Guardian reported.
Turkey surprised its Atlantic Alliance allies by saying it does not view Finland and Sweden’s requests in a positive light, and President Tayyip Erdogan said: “The Scandinavian countries are guest houses for terrorist organizations.”
Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told public broadcaster SVT: “We will send a group of diplomats to discuss and dialogue with Turkey to see how this can be resolved and what it really is.”
Turkey has said it wants the Nordic countries to suspend support for Kurdish fighters present on their territory and lift bans on the sale of certain weapons to Turkey.
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McDonald’s will sell business in Russia
Restaurant chain McDonald’s announced on Monday that it has begun the process of selling its business in Russia, which includes 850 locations and employs about 62,000 people.
The company justified its decision on the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, saying that keeping business in Russia “is no longer sustainable and not in line with McDonald’s values.”
The decision came after the fast-food restaurant chain announced in March that temporary closure of stores located in Russia. At the time, he ensured that employees would continue to receive their paychecks.
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Odessa was subjected to another rocket attack
The Ukrainian authorities say that the Odessa region has become the target of another rocket attack, according to a note published in Telegram.
According to Interfax, at least three people were injured, including a child.
Several buildings and tourist infrastructure were damaged in the attack.
“The enemy continues to attack the damaged and inactive bridge across the Dniester Estuary,” the regional authorities said in a statement. “But it targets civilians.”
Massive shelling continues in Mariupol, especially in the area of the Azovstal plant.
Fierce fighting was also recorded this Monday in Luhansk and Donetsk.
Russian forces will try to move south and have increased their presence in these regions over the weekend.
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Moscow considers Sweden and Finland joining NATO a serious mistake
The candidacy of Sweden and Finland to NATO in response to the Russian offensive against Ukraine is a “serious mistake,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday.
“This is another serious mistake, the consequences of which could be significant,” said Moscow’s deputy foreign minister, quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax.
According to Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s response “will depend on the practical implications of accession” two Scandinavian countries in the Atlantic Alliance.
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Embargo on Russian oil: Brussels may agree “in the coming days”
The European Commission has not yet agreed on a sixth package of sanctions against Russia, which includes an embargo on Russian oil, but this could happen “in the coming days.”
Information about this was made public on Monday by German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock.
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“If I were Russian, I would start to think that Putin is an American agent working against Russia”
José Milhazes says Russia’s little progress in Ukraine, and now Finland and Sweden joining NATO, could lead to the downfall of President Vladimir Putin.
In SIC Notícias, he says that everything is going backwards for the Russian president:
“The invasion of Ukraine is not a victory. He wants to stop the expansion of NATO and provokes the exact opposite process. If I were a Russian patriot, I would start to think that Putin might be an American agent working against Russia,” he says.
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Chernihiv starts restoring key infrastructure
A regional official in Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, said authorities had already begun rebuilding the electricity and water supply infrastructure. hospitals and kindergartens destroyed by Russian bombardments.
According to the newspaper “Kyiv Nezavisimaya”, this was announced today by the head of local government Vyacheslav Chaus.
⚡️Restoration of critical infrastructure facilities begins in Chernihiv.
The governor of the Chernihiv region, Vyacheslav Chaus, said on May 16 that the authorities had begun restoring power grids, water supply facilities, hospitals and kindergartens that had been damaged by the war with Russia.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 16, 2022
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EU MNE without guarantees against Russian oil embargo, warns Josep Borrell
The head of EU diplomacy today expressed skepticism about Russia’s imposition of an oil embargo in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Josep Borrell said that the EU foreign ministers who are meeting in Brussels today cannot give such a guarantee yet.
Borrell warned of some “hard positions” from some EU member states.
