We are facing "a historic moment for Europe and for Finland . The request for membership of NATO is a clear response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the threat it represents for peace in Europe, for our collective security. . Italy strongly supports the decision of Finland, as well as that of Sweden ". This was stated by Prime Minister Mario Draghi , who today met the Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin in Rome.
Italy, therefore, supports the entry of Helsinki, as well as that of Stockholm, into the Atlantic Alliance. And it was Italy that ended up in Moscow's crosshairs again, not only for its position on NATO enlargement, but also for its firm support for EU sanctions. Also for this reason, Russia has announced the expulsion of 24 Italian diplomats .
AZOVSTAL - On the front of the fighting in Ukraine, according to Moscow there are almost a thousand fighters who in the last hours, obeying an order from Kiev to lay down their arms, surrendered in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol in Ukraine where they had barricaded themselves for weeks. Among them also dozens of wounded.
The soldiers of the Azov battalion, the most diehard of the defense troops, have been transferred to the separatist territories controlled by Moscow . According to TASS , Russia will question them but their future is unknown: the Ukrainian deputy defense minister said they would be the subject of an exchange of prisoners, but some Russian officials say they could be tried or even executed .
The fate of the soldiers still remaining under the tunnels , which could be several hundred, including their commanders, also remains uncertain. Volodymyr Zelensky continues to negotiate in the "hope of saving them", but threatening signals are coming from Moscow.
"Nazi criminals should not be exchanged, but tried," thundered Lower House Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, while the Attorney General asked the Supreme Court to recognize the Azovs as a "terrorist organization". From the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov limited himself to explaining that Azovstal's fighters will be treated "in line with international law".
Meanwhile , the Army continued to press across the southeast , tightening its grip on Severodonetsk . The most important city in Lugansk still in the hands of the Ukrainians is almost completely surrounded. While Donetsk remained under Russian fire across the front line. Missiles also hit a military base in the Lviv region , near the border with Poland, and a village in Cherhiniv , in the north of the country: local authorities spoke of 8 civilians killed and 12 wounded.
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The day by the hour:
Moscow, nearly 3 million Ukrainian refugees in Russia
Almost 3 million Ukrainians "have sought refuge in Russia", according to the head of the national defense center in Moscow, Mikhail Mizintsev, quoted by Interfax. "To date, there are 2,756,034 requests for evacuation in Russia, coming from 2,135 cities in Ukraine," said the manager. In the last 24 hours alone, he added, there were 17,000 refugees from the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
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The US will not tolerate aggression against Sweden and Finland
"The US, like its allies, is ready to send a clear message, which we will not tolerate
no aggression against Sweden and Finland during the NATO accession process ", said Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
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Russian raid in eastern Ukraine: 5 dead, including a child
At least 5 civilians, including a two-year-old boy, were killed in a Russian air raid in Bakhmut, in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. This was announced by the regional prosecutor's office, quoted by Ukraine Pravda, specifying that the attack took place yesterday but the victims
they subsequently emerged among the debris of affected buildings. Another 4 people were injured, including three minors between the ages of 9 and 17.
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Di Maio: "The EU must impose a maximum price on gas"
"The EU must have the courage to impose a ceiling on the price of gas. This was stated by Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio." This war "in Ukraine" could last over a year, there is no perception that it will end soon. But it depends on the EU, the gentle force of the world. For us as Italy there must be three fundamental objectives: peace, energy, food security ", explains the head of the Farnesina.
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"Another thousand Ukrainian soldiers at Azovstal"
"There are over a thousand Ukrainian soldiers still in the basement of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, including their commanders". This was stated by the leader of the pro-Russian separatists of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin.
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US-China phone call on Ukraine and regional security
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke on the phone today with Yang Jiechi, a Politburo member of the Communist Party of China and Director of the Foreign Affairs Commission Office whom he met in Rome on March 14. This was reported by the White House in a note. The conversation focused on the war in Ukraine, the issues of regional security and non-proliferation but also US-China relations.
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Farnesina condemns the Russian aggression: "Ceasefire immediately"
"In reiterating its firm condemnation of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, Italy is strongly calling for an immediate ceasefire that will put an end to the suffering of the civilian population and ensure the launch of concrete negotiations for a political solution and sustainable conflict ". It can be read in a note from the Farnesina.
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Erdogan: "Sweden and Finland must extradite the terrorists"
"We asked them to extradite 30 terrorists, but they refused to do so. Do not send the terrorists back to us and then ask us for our support for your NATO membership. We cannot say yes to ensure that this security organization is without safety". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this about Sweden and Finland and their request to join NATO.
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A Russian train loaded with fuel explodes in Melitopol
A Russian armored train with ten wagons and ten fuel tanks was detonated this morning in the occupied area of Melitopol in the southeastern Zaporozhzhia region. The powerful explosion was felt in all areas of the city, the number of victims is not yet known. The defense headquarters of the region announced this on Telegram, reported by Ria Melitopol and other Ukrainian media.
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Expelled diplomats, Italy "takes note"
“Italy takes note of the decision of the Russian Federation to expel 24 members of the Italian diplomatic and consular representations and of the ICE Office in the Russian Federation. The personnel covered by the provision have always exercised their functions in full compliance with the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations ", the Farnesina underlines in a note.
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Moscow: "Difficulty, but the operation continues"
"Despite the current difficulties", Russia will continue its "special military operation" until its completion, "and its objectives, including the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine and the defense of the republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, will be fully achieved". This was stated by the deputy head of the Moscow National Security Council, Rashid Nuurgaliyev, quoted by Russian agencies.
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The flow of Russian gas to Finland could stop on Friday
Finland's largest gas company, Gasum, said in a statement that the inflow of natural gas from Russia to Finland could be cut off on Friday or Saturday at the latest. The Finnish media reports. Gasum CEO Mika Wiljanen told the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper that the company has been preparing for a possible gas outage for some time: "We are able to meet immediate needs during the summer season, assuming there will be no problems. the challenge will arise in winter, when the limit will be the capacity of the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia ".
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Moscow: "Sweden's entry into NATO is a sovereign right"
NATO membership is a sovereign right of Sweden, but Russia's reaction and possible countermeasures will depend on the real consequences of the country's integration into the Alliance. This was stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry, reports Interfax.
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The UN: "Over 3,700 civilians died in the conflict"
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says 3,752 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the February 24 Russian invasion. Another 4,062 were injured. The BBC reports it. Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by bombings, missiles and air strikes. The High Commission believes that the real numbers of civilian casualties in the conflict are significantly higher.
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Marin: "We will make a great contribution to NATO"
"Finland and Sweden will make a great contribution to security. We have a strong and modern army and we already collaborate with NATO. I am very grateful to Prime Minister Draghi for Italy's support. Finland will be a reliable partner of NATO and will contribute to global security" . Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said this at a press conference in Rome.
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Russia expels 24 Italian diplomats
Moscow will announce to the Italian ambassador Giorgio Starace the decision to expel 24 Italian diplomats as a retaliatory measure. This was stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry quoted by Ria Novosti.
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Draghi: "Yes to Finland and Sweden in NATO"
We are facing "a historic moment for Europe and for Finland. The request for membership of NATO is a clear response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the threat it represents for peace in Europe, for our collective security. . Italy strongly supports the decision of Finland, as well as that of Sweden ". Prime Minister Mario Draghi said this at a press conference with the Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin
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Draghi receives the Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin
The premier of Finland, Sanna Marin, arrived at Palazzo Chigi to meet the Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The head of the government received it in the internal courtyard of the Palace.
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Russia summons the Italian ambassador to Moscow
The Italian Ambassador to Moscow Giorgio Starace has been summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Ansa learns this from informed sources.
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Moscow: "959 soldiers in the Azovstal have surrendered since Monday"
The Russian defense ministry announced today that 959 Ukrainian soldiers barricaded at Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant have surrendered since Monday. "In the last 24 hours, 694 fighters, including 29 wounded, have surrendered. Since May 16, 959 fighters, including 80 wounded, have surrendered," the ministry said in a statement.
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Kiev: "Still many people at Azovstal, negotiations in progress"
"There are still many people left in Azovstal and we continue to negotiate to get them out of there": Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar told the BBC, stating that the rescue operation of the Azovstal steel plant will be concluded only when all the Mariupol's defenders will have been evacuated to the territories under Ukrainian control. For Maliar, the appeals by Moscow politicians to try some of the people taken from the steel mills for war crimes "were most likely made for internal Russian propaganda."
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Finland and Sweden submit applications for NATO membership
Finland and Sweden have officially submitted their respective applications for NATO membership. "This is a historic moment at a critical moment for our security," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who received requests from the ambassadors of the two countries: "We hope to conclude the accession process quickly", he said. added.
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"The Duma evaluates Moscow's withdrawal from WHO and WTO"
The lower house of the Russian Parliament (Duma) will evaluate the possible withdrawal of the country from the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as from the World Trade Organization (WTO): the Russian newspaper Kommersant reports, quoting the vice president of the Duma of Russian state, Pyotr Tolstoy.
(Unioneonline)
