American aid for Ukraine is still not arriving, blocked in Congress by Donald Trump’s supporters, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is worried about a possible withdrawal of troops if nothing happens.
In Poland, Donald Tusk, recently appointed Prime Minister, warns that “war is no longer a concept of the past” in Europe, while a senior NATO official asks that member countries prepare for an extension of the conflict, although no signal from Russia is pushing in this direction… for the moment.
This morning we return to the highlights of the war in Ukraine spotted during the night.
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Without American aid, withdrawal is inevitable, warns Zelensky
If Ukraine does not receive the promised American military aid, currently blocked due to a dispute in Congress between elected Democrats and Republicans, its forces will have to withdraw “in small steps”warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview published Friday by the Washington Post and relayed by the Canadian-British agency Reuters.
“If there is no American support, that means we have no air defense, no Patriot missiles, no jammers for electronic warfare, no 155-millimeter artillery shells”he listed. “This means that we will go back, retreat, step by step, with small steps”he continued. “We are trying to find a way not to go backwards”he added, however.
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Ammunition shortage means “that we must do with less”he also underlined. ” How? Of course, going backwards. Reduce the front line. If it breaks, Russians will be able to go to big cities »he warned.
Democratic President Joe Biden has urged the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives to approve the military and financial aid package, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has been delaying passage of the bill since months, citing national priorities.
For Poland, Europe has entered the “pre-war era”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that “war is no longer a concept of the past” in Europe, now entered into the“pre-war era” according to him, during an interview given to the European press this Friday and relayed by theFrance Media Agency.
Russia has intensified its airstrikes against Ukraine, Poland’s neighbor, in recent weeks. New massive Russian strikes damaged three thermal power plants there on Friday, leading to power cuts in several regions. “I don’t want to scare anyone, but war is no longer a concept of the past. It is a reality and it started more than two years ago”with the invasion of Ukraine, said Donald Tusk.
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“The most worrying thing at the moment is that absolutely all scenarios are possible. We have not experienced such a situation since 1945”declared the former President of the European Council on Friday. “It seems devastating, especially for the younger generation, but we have to get used to the fact that a new era has begun: the pre-war era. I am not exaggerating “. “If Ukraine loses, no one in Europe will be able to feel safe”he insisted.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fears have emerged about a possible extension of the conflict to border countries. The Polish military said Sunday that a Russian cruise missile launched against towns in western Ukraine violated Polish airspace for 39 seconds.
A NATO officer wants to be reassuring
A senior NATO official, however, tempers the Polish position, directly neighboring Ukraine, without invalidating it. Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, assured this Friday March 29 that there is currently no sign that Russia plans to attack a member of the military organization… while affirming that ‘a future escalation had to be anticipated.
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“There is no indication that Russia plans to attack any of the NATO countries. I don’t think there is a direct threat.”Bauer told reporters in Riga, details the Ukrainian English media Tea Kyiv Independent. He then warned that “Russia’s ambitions go beyond Ukraine. We know this, which is why the alliance as a whole must prepare more”.
The Kyv independent recalls that the think tank Institute for the Study of Warbased on various economic and military indicators, claims that Russia could prepare for a large-scale conventional war with NATO in a shorter time frame than expected.