Kiev under siege, with Russian forces bombing a stiated shopping center in the Podilskyi district of the Ukrainian capital overnight. The bombing toll has risen to six dead.
In the last few hours, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that any failure of the ceasefire negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be the beginning of World War III.
“If these attempts fail, the outcome will be that of a third world war – said Zelensky in an interview with Fareed Zakaria of CNN – I believe that we will not be able to end this war without negotiations – continued the Ukrainian president – If there is even a 1% chance of being able to end this war, we should try. ”
Meanwhile, Ukraine has rejected the ultimatum launched by Russia, which asked the military to leave Mariupol.
“Lay down your weapons”, asked Colonel Mikhail Mizintsev, director of the Russian National Defense Management Center – We are witnessing a terrible humanitarian catastrophe. We guarantee a safe exit from Mariupol to all those who hand over their weapons. ”
Kiev replied, however, with a no, with Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk who, according to the Ukrainska Pravda, replied that “there will be no surrender” and “that we have already informed the Russian counterpart on the matter. Instead of losing time with a letter of 8 pages, which open the humanitarian corridors “.
Today, according to what has been announced by the White House, a telephone conversation is expected between the American President Joe Biden, the French President Emmanuel Macron, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the President of the Italian Council Mario Draghi and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for discuss “a coordinated response to Russia’s unjustified and unjustified attack on Ukraine”. The interview is expected at 4 pm Italian time.