Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia could take a provocative step by starting the prosecution of captured Ukrainian soldiers next week, when Kyiv celebrates 31 years of independence. Zelensky based on media reports that Russia is preparing to subject Ukrainian soldiers captured by its forces during the siege of Mariupol to a public trial to coincide with Independence Day next Wednesday.
Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24 marks six months since Russia invaded its former Soviet republic and unleashed a devastating war that claimed thousands of lives.
“If this vile trial is held and our people are brought to these places,” Zelensky said in his evening speech, “it will be a violation of all international conventions and rules.”
He stressed that this is “a line beyond which there can be no negotiations.”
The capital Kyiv announced a ban on mass events on Independence Day, and a curfew will be introduced in Kharkov on holidays.
In his speech, Zelenskiy returned to a theme he raised the night before, warning late Saturday night that Russia “might try to do something especially heinous and cruel” during Ukraine’s independence celebrations.
“One of the main goals of the enemy is to humiliate us,” he added, “to sow despair, fear and conflict,” but “we must be strong enough to resist any provocation” and “make the occupiers pay the price for their terror.” ”
For his part, EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said yesterday that the EU will discuss launching an operation to “train and support” Ukrainian forces in neighboring countries.
Borrell told a news conference in Santander, northern Spain, that the proposal would be discussed next week at a meeting of European Union defense ministers in Prague. “Hopefully it will be approved,” he added.
On the other hand, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov considers NATO’s “destructive” policy of ignoring Moscow’s “red lines” to be very risky.
“The destructive path of NATO countries to ignore our red lines and get involved in a confrontation with Russia in Ukraine, which is teetering on the brink of direct armed conflict, is fraught with dangers,” Russian RIA Novosti quoted Ryabkov as saying. News Service. It is clear that this is fraught with further escalation, up to a military clash of nuclear powers, with grave consequences.” Ryabkov added to the dangers of using nuclear weapons, noting that countries with nuclear arsenals must adhere to the assumption that war among themselves is inadmissible.
