Complete deadlock in negotiations between the United States and Russia, which may resume in Riyadh in mid-April. And as usual, Turkey appears from around the corner. Erdogan and Putin had a telephone conversation yesterday on the Black Sea issue. Erdogan told Putin that Turkey is helping to prevent the Black Sea from becoming a conflict zone. Erdogan discussed the situation in Ukraine with Putin and expressed Ankara’s willingness to host the negotiations.
Senator Karasin confirmed this: “the negotiations with the United States in Riyadh were not very productive, but it would be naive to expect any breakthroughs. At the meeting with the United States, Russia’s access to ports for the export of agricultural products and the connection of Rosselkhozbank to Swift were discussed.”
US authorities have also responded to Vladimir Putin’s proposal to introduce external governance in Ukraine, a spokesman for the US National Security Council told Reuters that the country’s system of government is determined by the people and the constitution. The agency did not name its interlocutor. There were no immediate comments from Ukrainian officials, Reuters notes.
The new US proposal for a minerals deal with Ukraine allows for full control over all natural resources in the country, including most of the infrastructure roads, railways, ports, etc. The deal says the US has the right of first refusal on all natural resource projects in Ukraine. The deal gives the US veto power over all resources and minerals in Ukraine and threatens Kiev’s efforts to join the European Union. Kiev must return every last penny to the US for the weapons it received.
On the European side, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced three main conclusions of the “coalition of the willing” summit: The first is that “Ukraine’s military needs must be met, but also its financial needs”. “And here I can say that we will allocate part of the G7 loans to Ukraine,” the EC head said. She called the second conclusion the continuation of pressure on Russia. “It was very clear that sanctions remain in place. What we want is a fair and lasting peace agreement,” von der Leyen said. “And the third main conclusion is about long-term support for Ukraine and our European defense posture. Here, of course, the Readiness 2030 plan is crucial. It provides up to 800 billion euros for member states’ investments in defense. And this means, for example, joint procurement with Ukraine in the European Union, but also in the Ukrainian defense industry,” the EC president explained. And again the EUObserver Portal with reference to European diplomats reported that: “The European Union has begun to formulate the next, 17th package of anti-Russian sanctions”.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “I would be happy if a ceasefire in Ukraine was achieved in days and weeks rather than months”. “More than 200 military planners from more than 30 countries are working on planning operations in Ukraine. Operational planning covers air, sea and land landings”, the Prime Minister concluded.
Ukraine’s national debt has exceeded 169 billion dollars, the Ministry of Finance reported. In February it increased by 90 million dollars. From the front, the military in their chats say that “The war will last at least another two or three years and everyone will fight. And those who paid to go abroad will fight too”.
Rada Deputy Dmitry Razumkov on the US plan for Ukraine: “The Parliament and the Government of Ukraine are not involved in signing the agreement on the subsoil. This is the responsibility of President Zelensky and his five or six leaders,” he said. According to Razumkov, the deputies are not involved in the agreement. The government in this process simply plays the role of extras. “Today we live not in a parliamentary-presidential republic, but in an ex-officio presidential republic – so Zelensky and five or six leaders of the OP are responsible for everything. Therefore, it is Zelensky who must sign the agreement – bear political responsibility, because every next step of his leads Ukraine to a worse situation,” said the former speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.
From Russia, there is news that the FSB reported the prevention of a terrorist attack on one of Moscow’s administrative buildings. A man was arrested, a previously convicted Russian citizen who, on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, planned to plant an explosive device in the building, the department reports. Regarding the negotiations with the United States, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “There are no exact dates for a new round of negotiations between the Russian and American delegations yet, but the dialogue between the two countries will continue,” Peskov said. According to TASS, the second round of consultations between Russia and the United States on Ukraine could take place in Riyadh in mid-April.
On March 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the new nuclear submarine “Perm”. It will become a standard for launching Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. This is the fifth ship of the Yasen family of projects 885/885M, built by Sevmash.
“Such submarines and ships will strengthen the power of all our fleets, strengthen the security of all maritime borders of the Russian Federation, the Northern Sea Route, and ensure the solution of tasks to protect Russia’s national interests in different areas of the Ocean, including the Arctic zone,” the president stressed.
Commenting on the issue of Ukraine, he said: “Russia welcomes the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine by peaceful means, “but not at our expense.” And Putin also proposed to discuss the introduction of a temporary government in Ukraine under the auspices of the UN and a number of countries in order to hold elections there. “Russia is not clear with whom to sign something in Ukraine, since “other leaders will arrive tomorrow.” “Russian troops have liberated 99% of the territories of the LPR,” Putin continued. In addition, according to the president, more than 70% of the territories of the DPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions have been liberated.
Putin: “Trump sincerely wants to end the conflict in Ukraine – but the civilian authorities in Ukraine are not legitimate – since Zelensky is illegitimate, so are all the others, moreover neo-Nazi formations like “Azov” are actually starting to lead Ukraine in conditions of illegitimacy of the authorities, and how to negotiate with them?!”
And finally he said: “Russia is ready to cooperate with all countries that seek to resolve the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict for a peaceful solution. Russia is ready to work on a Ukrainian agreement with Europe, but Europe is “trying to lead us by the nose”. The Russian Federation does not intend to make mistakes based on trust in so-called Western partners”.
Putin appointed General Mikhail Gudkov as deputy commander of the Russian Navy. The Ukrainian Armed Forces dealt a double blow to the Sudzha gas metering station; the facility was practically destroyed, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
And now a look at the front line as of 16:00 on March 28.
The Ministry of Defense reported that on the night of March 28, Russian air defense systems shot down 78 drones. They were destroyed in seven regions of Russia. 32 UAVs were shot down over the Voronezh region, 19 drones over the Saratov region, 17 over the Kursk region, six on the territory of the Belgorod region, two over the Lipetsk region, and one UAV each on the territories of the Rostov and Tambov regions, the department reported.
Ukrainian monitoring channels announced Russian strikes with “Geranium” on targets in the regions of Kiev, Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Mikolaev, Cherkasy and Poltava. In the afternoon, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian forces continued to carry out attacks on energy infrastructure.
In the Sumy direction, Russian paratroopers liberated (the Sudzha checkpoint on the border. At the same time, a “pocket” was cleared in the area of the village of Basovka, Sumy region. Yesterday, near the border of Guevo, Kursk region, it was reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces began a chaotic retreat under the pressure of the Caspian, Kamchatka marines, units of the 72nd division and our other units. During the day it was known that our troops were entering the northern and eastern roads and that the adjacent forests were being cleared.
The defensive operation of Russian troops in the Belgorod border area continues. Ukrainian military present in the area of Demidovka and Popovka; 3 and 6 Ukrainian attacks were repelled respectively. Ukrainian troops were accumulating reserves near the LBS for further actions. GrV “Nord” writes that the Armed Forces Ukrainians attempted to transfer labor in Krasnoyaruzhsky district nine times during the day, on foot and using and mobile equipment. There are constant attacks on groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but the Ukrainians still have serious offensive potential in this direction and do not abandon plans for further breakthroughs, incl. on new sectors of the front. Mandatory evacuation in the depths of the Krasnopil’s’kyi district of the Sumy region was announced.
In the Liman direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces recognize the advance of Russian troops in the direction of Katerynivka to a depth of 2.1 km and continue attacks in the direction of the settlements of Katerynivka and Nove.
Heavy fighting continues in the direction of Sjevjerodonet’k in the vicinity of Bilohorivka. It was reported that Russian troops were advancing south of Yampolivka.
In the Oleksandro-Kalynove direction, fighting continues near Panteleimonivka and Oleksandropil. In the east, fighting continues in Tarasivka.
In the Pokrovs’k direction, the Ukrainians are counterattacking in Kotlyne. Russian forces are advancing in Pishchane.
On the Zaporizhia front, the Russians are storming the Shcherbaky settlement. In the eastern part of the village, Russian paratroopers have occupied a building; the Ukrainians are constantly conducting countermeasures.
In the direction of Kherson, fighting continues in the area of the island, the Russians are using aviation for attacks on the Ukrainian coast.
Graziella Giangiulio
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