Fierce battles in the Ukrainian Vogledar ... and Putin talks about "neo-Nazis"

Russia: The key to ending the war is in the hands of Biden, and he does not want to use it

Ukrainian soldiers firing mortars from their positions not far from Bakhmut, Donetsk region.

A.F.B

Russia said yesterday that the key to ending its war in Ukraine is in the hands of US President Joe Biden, but he is not willing to use it.

And while Kyiv and Moscow announced that a "fierce" battle was shaking the city of Vogledar, which Russian forces are trying to enter in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused "neo-Nazis" in Ukraine of committing crimes against civilians, on the day of remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust.

In detail, the Kremlin said yesterday that US President Joe Biden has the key to ending the conflict in Ukraine by directing Kyiv, but Washington does not yet want to use it.

"The key to the Kyiv system is largely in Washington's hands," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing.

"Now we see that the current leader of the White House ... does not want to use this key. On the contrary, he chooses the path of pumping more weapons into Ukraine," he added.

Meanwhile, both Kyiv and Moscow announced that a "fierce" battle was shaking the city of Voglidar, which Russian forces are trying to enter in eastern Ukraine, while Ukraine asserts that the Russians are "exaggerating" in describing their victories.

And the head of the Russian administration in the Ukrainian Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, confirmed that he “expects good news” from the city of Vogledar, where about 15,000 people lived before the war began.

"Encircling and controlling the city will solve some issues," he told the "Ria Novosti" news agency, stressing that the victory might allow "to change the balance of forces on the front," by opening the way for an attack on the towns of Pokrovsk and Korakhovi.

His advisor, Ian Gaggen, said that "serious and violent battles" were underway, and that Russian forces were "present in the southeast and east of the city".

For his part, the spokesman for the Ukrainian army in the east, Sergey Cherevaty, confirmed the occurrence of "fierce battles" and the expulsion of Russian forces.

"The Russian army is already trying to achieve success in this sector, but it has not been able to do so thanks to the efforts of the defense forces of Ukraine," he told a television channel.

He added, "He exaggerates his success ... and retreats in front of his losses."

For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday accused "neo-Nazis" in Ukraine of committing crimes against civilians on Holocaust Remembrance Day, in a speech he has always used to justify his military operation in Ukraine.

"Forgetting the lessons of history leads to the repetition of terrible tragedies," Putin said, adding, "This is confirmed by crimes against civilians, ethnic cleansing and punitive measures organized by neo-Nazis in Ukraine."

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commemorated the anniversary by calling on the world to stand together in the face of "indifference" and "hatred".

In Moscow, the Russian Information Agency quoted the Ministry of Defense as saying yesterday that it had carried out massive missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the last 24 hours.

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