Europe wakes up and Vladimir Putin puts it under nuclear threat

• War in Ukraine Putin puts his nuclear forces on alert in response to Western sanctions

• War in Ukraine The EU will deliver weapons to Ukraine, close its airspace, ban Russia Today and Sputnik and punish Belarus

The sanctions against Russia have caused some lights to go on in the control room of its nuclear warheads.

Vladimir Putin cried out on Sunday that Western sanctions are "illegitimate" and therefore ordered Russia's deterrence forces, including its nuclear weapons, to be "on a state of alert".

A few hours earlier, the European Union had reacted firmly by handing over weapons to Ukraine, and its locomotive, Germany, had turned its security policy around, initiating "a new era" by increasing its defense spending.

The Russian leader met with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, in the Kremlin.

Putin was blunt: "Western countries are not only taking hostile economic measures against our country, but

about us. So I order to move Russia's deterrence forces to the mode of maximum alert".

"Yes!" Shoigu and Gerasimov replied.

Putin stressed that Western countries are also taking hostile action against Russia in the economic sphere: "I am referring to

, of which everyone is well aware."

The response from the White House was not long in coming, stating that Putin "fabricates threats" by putting his nuclear force on alert.

"This is a pattern of President Putin that we have seen throughout this conflict: fabricating threats that don't exist to justify more aggression," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told ABC when asked about Moscow announcement.

"

. It's irresponsible behavior," Jens Stoltenberg told CNN.

BATTLE IN KHARKOV

Moscow announced an "expansion of the offensive" on Saturday, which led to a third dawn with attacks on the inhabitants of the capital, Kiev, and the entry of Russian troops into Kharkov, the country's second largest city, near the border with Russia. .

A city with a notable Russian-speaking majority and closely linked to Russia economically.

An industrial city where there have been no problems of coexistence between people who use Ukrainian and people who use Russian.

This Sunday Russians and Ukrainians fought street to street.

"Russian enemy light vehicles have broken into Kharkov, including the city center," regional governor Oleg Sinegubov said.

"The Ukrainian armed forces are destroying the enemy.

," he insisted.

Hours later, at noon, Ukraine announced that it

from the great Russian city of Kharkov.

"The armed forces, the police and the defense forces are working: the city is completely wiping out the Russian enemy, who is completely demoralized," the mayor added.

He also reported that "a group of five to 10 people [from the Russian army] surrendered to the Ukrainian army."

An apartment building was attacked, according to emergency services.

The tower was heavily damaged and an elderly woman was killed, but rescuers said most residents were not injured because they took shelter in the basement.

Since not everyone has a comfortable basement to shelter in, many headed to the city's subway.

Meanwhile, in the south, there were also advances of soldiers.

, seizing the cities of Henichesk and an airport near Kherson, according to the RIA news agency.

At least 198 Ukrainians, including three children, have been killed in the invasion, the Ukrainian Health Ministry said.

In Kiev, detonations were heard again at dawn

after a somewhat quieter night than expected.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that the city is surrounded, evacuation is impossible.

In an interview with the Associated Press, he assured that

.

However, in recent days some people have managed to get out by train and using the southern and eastern highways, although the traffic is so intense that it takes a day to get away from the capital.

The capital remains in the hands of the Ukrainian government, with Zelensky rallying his people every day despite the Russian bombardment of civilian infrastructure.

The situation deteriorates progressively.

The World Health Organization said medical oxygen was running out.

NEGOTIATE AT THE BORDER

During the day, a relevant announcement materialized: the delegations of Russia and Ukraine will meet in the Belarusian city of Gomel to negotiate a possible cessation of hostilities.

The office of the Ukrainian president confirmed that negotiations with Moscow without preconditions would take place in this city located on the border between Belarus and Ukraine.

"

, but let them try, so that later no citizen of Ukraine will have any doubts that I, as president, tried to stop the war," President Zelensky said.

In the same communication, it is emphasized that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko "has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory remain on the ground during the trip, the talks and the return of the Ukrainian delegation" to Kyiv.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has offered to mediate the end of hostilities in Ukraine during a telephone conversation with the Russian president.

An adviser to Zelensky earlier

but said Russia had imposed unacceptable conditions.

Moscow even asked that Ukraine recognize as legal the Russian annexation of its Crimean peninsula in 2014. Of course, it must renounce NATO and legalize the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk with the territories that the pro-Russians covet, giving away those that are in the power of Kiev.

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Know more

• Russia

• Ukraine

• NATO

• Vladimir Putin

• Belarus

• Alexander Lukashenko

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