Talks between Ukrainian President Zelensky and his counterpart Duda have been underway since yesterday regarding the "aggressive behavior" by Russia. The quotation mark is from Warsaw, which continues: "Russian provocations and escalations represent an enormous danger to the security of a large part of the continent".
The Polish position
"Poland supports Ukraine" the Polish presidency affirmed, but above all, it continued "Will not accept Russia's aggressive policy and oppose any concessions". That said, the host commented that Warsaw believes "that Ukraine deserves the full support of the Western world and NATO allies". We do not believe that it is read in the offices of Pałac Prezydencki Online Defense in the morning, of course this answers our question yesterday about Polish concerns (v.articolo).
British industriousness
The new German Chancellor Scholz and the British Prime Minister Johnson said they had had a telephone conversation on the development of the tension between Russia and Ukraine. The question of the overflight of German territory by the RAF vehicles in charge of supplying Kiev with armaments and military advisers was not on the agenda, given that - as communicated by London - it was never requested, as the planes flew over the North Sea, Denmark and Poland to reach Ukrainian territory.
In the last few hours London has also heard from General Milley, United States Joint Chief of Staff since 2019, who has traced, with his British counterpart, the transfer of anti-tank mines and a group of about thirty men from a body of British elite in Ukraine to help train the Ukrainian army on new anti-tank weapons from the UK. Troops are part of the Ranger Regiment, a unit of four battalions and about a thousand men formed just two months ago and part of the program Future Soldiers of the British government.
NATO does not stand by
While London shows signs of activism, other NATO allies are not standing by. The Czech Republic, perhaps mindful of the Soviet-led invasion of 1968 (137 dead and 300.000 refugees, we remember this for the record), has sent some pieces of artillery to Ukraine in the last few hours. Not least Spain, which has sent warships to join NATO naval forces in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. An Iberian minesweeper is already en route and a frigate will sail within three to four days, Defense Minister Robles said. to reporters. The Madrid government is also considering sending fighter jets to Bulgaria, he officially said.
This is echoed by US Secretary of State Blinken who argues that governments and citizens around the world should be concerned about what is happening in Ukraine as "this is not a distant regional dispute or yet another example of Russian bullying. . The principles at stake have made the world safer and more stable for decades ”.
Moscow plays its game
The Russian administration of the occupied Ukrainian cities of Simferopol and Kerch decided today to cancel classes in schools due to bomb threats. It is not known whether it is an exercise or propaganda aimed at educating the population in view of a conflict.
Lavrov, meanwhile, has returned to talk about the Russian security proposals that provide for the withdrawal of the forces of other NATO countries from Bulgaria and Romania. He did not remember Poland, as it would have been too much provocation. He also asked for American participation in the Normandy Format, along with France and Germany. The latter promptly opposed it.
Eyes open, we are Yankees
Finally, it is worth noting the American commitment to monitor the situation around and over Ukraine by means of the USN P8 maritime patrol vessel. Poseidon AE67FE on a mission to the Black Sea, of the C-135W Rivet joint JAKE11 and USAF RQ4 drones Global Hawk UAVGH000, which are flying over the Ukrainian steppes.
Luigi and Emanuele, friends forever
"I reiterated (to the Ukrainian foreign minister) Italy's full support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and the non-recognition of the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea". This was said by the Italian foreign minister Luigi di Maio on 10 June. In the ministry's latest official comment on the issue on January 19, however, "He underlined Italy's belief in the need for further efforts to establish a political dialogue with Moscow" and to this end "The need to establish coordination between NATO members in order to achieve a unified, balanced and proportionate response, discouraging further tensions between Russia and Ukraine". In short, full support has emptied itself.
It should be noted that the position of the Farnesina very much mirrors that of the Elysée, in the sense of a "European" dialogue with Russia without American mediation, which instead is what Moscow is looking for, because it is a former superpower - and God forbid! - certainly does not let Emmanuel Macron and Luigi Di Maio calm down, sorry for the frankness.
Dixit dragons
Thinking of the largest aggressive military device ever deployed in Europe since the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, that is to say about 175.000 troops with important armaments, the words, neglected by the local media but well reported abroad, spoken by the premier during the press conference at the end of the year in Rome. Anticipating Di Maio and Macron's "disarmed" and not very authoritative diplomatic activism, Draghi drew attention to the EU's lack of its own military strength and also highlighted the weaknesses of any sanctions that could be directed at the Kremlin . “Do we have missiles, ships, cannons, armies? Not at the moment! And right now NATO has different strategic priorities ".
Draghi said that economic sanctions (implied: stop the purchase of Russian gas) would be the only possible means of "deterrence", but Europe is not in a position to give up supplies from Moscow1.
1https://www.ft.com/content/dd808ad2-585c-488d-a62b-8f963b1a4bb7
Photo: the presidential office of Ukraine
