On Monday, a beleaguered Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky strengthened its ties with the West by submitting an application to join the European Union, while the first round of talks between Ukraine and Russia aimed at halting the conflict ended with no quick breakthroughs.
Under the shadow of Putin’s nuclear threats, and with Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine encountering unexpectedly stiff resistance, Russian and Ukrainian officials met on Day Five of the war. The first round of discussions with Russia had ended early Monday night, according to a key adviser to Ukraine’s president, and both delegations had returned home for consultations in their respective capitals.
Zelensky uploaded images of signing EU application
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine uploaded images of himself signing the EU application, a mostly symbolic move that might take years to materialize and is unlikely to please Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long accused the West of attempting to entice Ukraine into its circle.
Mykhailo Podolyak provided little information, other than to state that the talks, which took place near the Ukraine-Belarus border, were focused on a prospective cease-fire and that a second session could happen “shortly.” Ukraine is still a long way from meeting the criteria for EU membership, and the EU’s 27-nation union is overcrowded and unlikely to take on new members anytime soon.
Furthermore, any addition to the EU must be unanimously authorized, and several member states have lengthy approval processes. Overall, there is a consensus that Ukraine’s deep-seated corruption will make it difficult for it to gain EU recognition. “We want them in the European Union,” EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in an interview with Euronews on Sunday.
Meanwhile, outgunned Ukrainian forces slowed Russia’s advance, and Western sanctions began to bite into Russia’s economy, but the Kremlin raised the prospect of nuclear war once more, announcing that its land, air, and sea nuclear forces were on high alert following Putin’s weekend command.
Putin called US and allies an empire of falsehoods
Putin further increased his rhetoric, calling the US and its allies an “empire of falsehoods.” After two nights stuck inside by a harsh curfew, residents lined up in Kyiv to buy food, water, and pet food, while social media video from Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, showed residential areas being bombarded, with apartment complexes shook by repeated, loud blasts. At least seven people have been killed and scores have been injured, according to Kharkiv authorities. They cautioned that the death toll might be far higher.
“They planned to have a blitzkrieg, but it didn’t work out, so they act this way,” said 83-year-old Valentin Petrovich, who uses only his first name and his Russian-style second name for fear of being killed. From his downtown flat, he described seeing the shelling.
Despite ample evidence of bombardment of homes, schools, and hospitals, the Russian military has denied targeting residential areas.
Putin attempting to keep currency stable
Meanwhile, as Russia’s Central Bank struggled to keep the ruble afloat, Putin signed a regulation governing foreign money in an attempt to keep the currency stable. However, this did little to assuage Russian anxieties. People queued up in Moscow to withdraw cash as the sanctions threatened their jobs and savings.
Meanwhile, scared families congregated in bunkers, basements, and hallways across Ukraine. “I wait and pray that these discussions to succeed so that they can find an agreement to stop the carnage and there will be no more war,” Alexandra Mikhailova said, sobbing in a makeshift shelter in Mariupol, a crucial southeastern port city. Parents gathered around her to calm and warm their children.
According to Zelenskyy’s office, an immediate cease-fire and removal of Russian soldiers would be demanded. However, although Ukraine sent its defense minister and other top officials, Putin’s cultural adviser led the Russian mission – an unusual ambassador for peace and maybe a measure of how seriously Moscow takes the negotiations.
The Russian president made a clear connection between the tightening of sanctions and his decision to boost Russia’s nuclear posture on Sunday. He also mentioned NATO’s “aggressive comments.” Extra personnel has been deployed to Russian nuclear forces, according to Moscow’s Defense Ministry, and the high alert applies to nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines, and long-range bombers.
On Monday, EU defense ministers were scheduled to meet to decide how to get the weapons into Ukraine. A trainload of Czech equipment arrived on Sunday, and another was on its way on Monday, though Russian officials have made it plain that stopping such supplies is a top priority.