White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said that Moscow is actively blocking the export of food from Ukrainian ports and is increasing hunger in the world
Medical workers load a patient onto a specially equipped train in Dnipro, Ukraine
Russian forces advance by forced marches in Lugansk, eastern Ukraine, where they already control 95% of the territory and they are at the gates of Severodonetsk, the administrative center of the region that they intend to separate from the rest of the country.
The dictator of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, announced that he will form a military command and send a battalion tactical group to the area of his country’s border with Ukraine.
Lukashenko did not elaborate, but battalion tactical groups usually consist of mechanized infantry, including tanks. The territory of Belarus was used by Russia to launch rocket attacks on Ukraine, but the Belarusian armed forces are not involved in the Russian ground operation.
The Russian authorities who took control of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol decided to abolish the summer school holidaysto prepare students for the Russian school program, said a local Ukrainian official.
Here is the minute by minute of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (Ukrainian time, GMT+3):
Friday, May 27:
4.35: The White House has ruled out talks with Moscow about lifting sanctions due to the proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin,to make a “significant contribution” to tackle the food and supply crisis.
The White House spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, specified in a press conference that “Russia is actively blocking the export of food from Ukrainian ports and is increasing hunger in the world”. “This is on them,” she added.
La Casa Blanca ruled out talks with Moscow about the lifting of sanctions due to the proposal of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin
03.48: The president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, criticized the fact that the European Union does not apply new sanctions against Moscowand he specified that Russia receives almost 1,000 million euros a day from the Europeans for energy supply.
“Of course, I thank our friends who are promoting new sanctions. But where did those who block the sixth package get so much power from? Why are they still allowed to have so much power, even in intra-European proceedings?” he said.
03.11:Italy stripped Russian Prime Minister Mikhail V. Mishustin and three other Russian citizens of one of the main civil decorations, considering that they are no longer worthy of it.
The Order of the Star of Italy was created in 2011 to recognize those who have promoted “friendly and cooperative relations between Italy and other countries,” according to the Italian president’s website. The Foreign Office recommends the decorations to the president, who has final approval.
02.10: The United States Government confirmed this Thursday that it is withdrawing the license that allowed Russia to pay its debt in dollars..
One day after said license expired, the White House spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, confirmed what was expected, that the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury does not extend said permit.
Jean-Pierre recalled that this license was temporary and sought to provide an orderly transition for bondholders so that they could collect.
Now, without this license, he recalled that Russia will likely fail in its obligation to pay debt and will reinforce its status as a “pariah” in the global financial system.
01.16: The advisor to the Ukrainian Presidency, Mijailo Podoliak, has assured that the The Armed Forces of the country will manage to recover the southern territories currently occupied by Russia once they amass the necessary arms forces.
“The Kremlin is throwing everything it has into battle, but time is on our side. As soon as Russia is exhausted and loses its offensive potential, and Ukraine accumulates enough forces, the south of our country will be liberated”, Podoliak defended in a message on his Telegram channel.
The adviser of the Ukrainian Presidency, Mikhailo Podoliak, has assured that the country’s Armed Forces will manage to recover the southern territories currently occupied by Russia
00.23: The President of Ukraine , Volodimir Zelensky, and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, held a telephone conversation in which, among other matters, they discussed the resumption of wheat and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian territory.
“We have discussed the options to establish a humanitarian corridor so that the export of grain and fertilizers can be resumed”, said Prime Minister Rutte on his profile on the social network Twitter.
News in progress…