China News Agency, Beijing, June 5th. Comprehensive news: The battle between Russia and Ukraine over the city of Severo Donetsk continues. The Ukrainian side said that the town has now been divided into two. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia will not block Ukraine’s grain exports, but new Western sanctions on Russia will exacerbate the crisis in the global fertilizer market and cause food prices to rise.
Severe Donetsk battle continues
The Russian Satellite News Agency reported on the 4th that the head of the Russian National Defense Command Center Mizhantsev said that many Ukrainian troops lost 90% of their forces during the Severo Donetsk battle and began to retreat in the direction of Lisichansk. In addition, Miztsev also said that the Ukrainian army placed a large number of mines in Severo Donetsk to obstruct the offensive of the Russian army.
On the other hand, according to a report by Ukrainian News Agency on the 5th, Sergei Gede, the military administrator of the Luhansk region, posted on social media that the Russian army controlled 70% of the area of Severo Donetsk, but in the past two days , Ukrainian troops repelled the invaders, and the town is now divided in two, with heavy Russian casualties.
According to Archyde.com, the mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine, Klitschko, posted on social media that on the 5th local time, several explosions occurred in the city of Kyiv, and rescuers had arrived at the scene.
Earlier in the day, air raid sirens were sounded in most of Ukraine, including the Kyiv region, according to Al Jazeera.
Putin says Russia will not block Ukrainian grain exports
According to the TASS news agency on the 4th, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Russia’s first TV station that if Ukraine clears the mines in its ports, Russia guarantees that ships carrying Ukrainian grain will be unobstructed and can ensure their passage through Berdyansk and Mariupo. Exports from controlled ports such as Seoul.
Putin emphasized that Russia will not hinder Ukraine’s grain exports, and in fact there are multiple ways to transport grains out of Ukraine. He pointed out that Kyiv can also export food by land, and the most logical route is through Belarus, but it is necessary for the West to lift sanctions on Belarus.
Referring to the Western sanctions, Putin said that the new Western sanctions on Russia will exacerbate the crisis in the global fertilizer market, which means that there will be fewer grain harvests and food prices will only rise. “This is absolutely short-sighted, wrong, and stupid policy that leads people down a dead end.”
In addition, according to a report by the Russian Satellite News Agency on the 4th, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that due to the EU’s restrictions on the shipping of Russian oil, Russia will significantly expand oil exports to markets outside the EU.
He pointed out that given the high oil prices brought about by Western policies, Russia would have nothing to lose. On the contrary, Russia may significantly increase the income from energy exports this year.
IAEA ends Chernobyl nuclear power plant mission
The Russian Satellite News Agency reported on the 4th that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Grossi said that the agency had ended its mission at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine on the 3rd.
According to the report, the mission composed of seven experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency will end the mission after completing the scheduled nuclear safety, IAEA safeguards and other measures.
During the three days at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and exclusion zone, IAEA experts provided Ukraine with support in radiation protection, safe handling of radioactive waste and nuclear safety, Grossi said. This is the third time the IAEA has carried out a similar mission in Ukraine since the conflict began.
Macron says he has spent 100 hours talking with Putin
The Russian Satellite News Agency reported on the 4th that French President Emmanuel Macron said that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have accumulated about 100 hours of conversations on the situation in Ukraine.
Macron pointed out that he never concealed his phone call with Putin, and that he was in touch with Putin at Zelensky’s request. Macron also said that France is playing the role of a “good offices country”.
But according to a Archyde.com report on the 4th, Macron’s approach to maintaining dialogue with Putin has been repeatedly criticized by some Eastern European and Baltic countries, who believe it undermines efforts to bring Putin to the negotiating table.
“We must not humiliate Russia so that on the day the war ends, we can establish a safe passage through diplomacy,” Macron said in an interview with the local newspaper.
In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba commented on Twitter that the call to avoid humiliating Russia would only humiliate France and all other countries that asked to do so.
Russian Foreign Minister Says West Does Not Allow Ukrainian Negotiations
According to a report by the Russian Satellite News Agency on the 5th, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said in an interview that the West does not allow Ukraine to negotiate with Russia.
“Ukraine is a bargaining chip, a tool largely manipulated by the US and the UK. Such an Anglo-Saxon collective is leading the West. NATO and the EU, which has lost its independence for quite some time, are completely at its mercy. They control the Ukrainians as a containment of our country. , as they now say, ‘consume’ Russia, and ‘on the battlefield’ defeat Russian tools.” (End)