An adviser to the Ukrainian president has accused Europe and the United States of having an "irrational fear" of Russia. Mykhailo Podolyak told Interfax Ukraine that the West's financial priorities take precedence in decision-making.

"The West wants to go back to the pre-war period and does not want to solve the current problems," said Podolyak, who led Ukraine's negotiating team with Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia did not rule out a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky, but that any such talks should be prepared in advance.

Peskov added that people in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Donbas must decide their own future, and the Kremlin has no doubt that they will make "the best decision."

Earlier, Ukraine warned that the annexation of the regions by Russia would end peace talks between the two countries.

The mayor of the strategically important city of Sievierodonetsk still hopes the city will not fall into the hands of Russian forces.

"60 percent of the city is under Russian control," Alexander Striuk told Reuters, adding that it was impossible for Ukrainian authorities to provide water and food for the city's remaining 13,000 residents.

Moscow has assessed "extremely negatively" the new package of US military aid to Ukraine, including the supply of modern missile systems. This was stated for RIA Novosti by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in the Bundestag that Berlin would provide Ukraine with short-range IRIS-T guided missiles, the most advanced system currently available to Germany, as well as a radar tracking system capable of detecting enemy missile artillery.

Follow Novinite.com on Twitter and Facebook

Write to us at editors@novinite.com

Информирайте се на Български - Novinite.bg

/BNR

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!