War

One thousand four hundred and eighty-nine day. Europe is trying to appease Trump so that he does not stop helping Ukraine, writes Politico

Since February 24, 2022, Meduza has been broadcasting live about the Russian-Ukrainian war. We publish your letters every day because we are sure that we need to continue talking about the war. Share with us your thoughts about the war. What feelings are you experiencing? How does war affect your life and your attitude towards the world? If you have a story related to the war, tell it . The feedback form is at the end of this article. A review of the previous day can be read here .

World

EU countries fear that US President Donald Trump will take revenge on Europe for not participating in the war with Iran and completely stop aid to Ukraine - so they are making efforts to appease him. Politico writes about this with reference to anonymous European diplomats.

Now European countries are trying to negotiate with Trump on limited support for his war in Iran in order to convince him to continue to help Ukraine and put pressure on Moscow. The US President has previously repeatedly criticized the largest countries in Europe for refusing to take part in unblocking the Strait of Hormuz. “We will remember this,” he wrote last weekend on the social network Truth.

In addition to Trump’s mood, Europe is also concerned about the situation with air defense missiles, which US allies in the Middle East are actively spending to fend off Iranian attacks. “This shouldn’t become an either-or situation where the US only has enough resources for one conflict and abandons Ukraine,” one source told Politico.

As the publication’s interlocutors note, now key European leaders are trying with all their might to show Trump that they support him in his quest to open the Strait of Hormuz. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte plays the most active role in this - publicly he constantly praises Trump’s actions. So, last week he called the destruction of Iran’s military potential “very important,” saying that it was also useful for European security.

In an interview with CBS News released yesterday, Rutte, among other things, emphasized that the United States continues to ensure uninterrupted arms supplies to Ukraine, and is also “again providing critical intelligence support.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, writes Politico, is publicly more cautious in expressing support for Trump, but he has recently been extremely active in non-public contacts - last week, in two telephone conversations, Macron assured Trump that France would help restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. A Politico source said that this was done specifically for the purpose of “managing” Trump’s position.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was the main initiator of the statement, which was signed by Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Japan, in which they expressed their readiness to “contribute to ensuring safe passage through the strait.” “We need to show Trump that we are active in the Middle East. This is in our interests – and in the interests of Ukraine,” another Politico interlocutor explained the appearance of this document.

War in photographs. Saint Petersburg

St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region were attacked by Ukrainian drones last night and tonight. Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko said that in total more than 70 drones were shot down over the region.

Due to the attack, Pulkovo Airport has been operating in a limited mode since yesterday evening, and since midnight it has completely stopped accepting and sending flights. The ban was completely lifted only at 11 am.

According to the Russian Ministry of Transport, 62 flights were canceled to Pulkovo, more than 80 were delayed, and another 45 planes flying to St. Petersburg landed at alternate airfields in nearby cities.

Delays and cancellations have left thousands of people stranded at the airport, many of them in the "clear" area after going through pre-flight security.

War through the eyes of Meduza readers

Oksana (Zaporozhye) . Four years since the war began. Then in 2022 it seemed: well, one or two, maximum three months, and everything would be over, but it’s already been four years. I don’t understand how such evil, such injustice can exist.

Every night, every day, drones and missiles fly at us. The worries are endless. It's scary to walk and drive on the city streets. I turn up the music in the car so as not to hear the siren, and drive to work. At night in bed I listen to the hum of “Shahed”, and if the hum is steady, then it means there is no need to run behind two walls. Destroying a peaceful state, mocking peaceful people, killing children and adults is terrorism, a crime. There will be justice, and the criminals (Russian military led by the bunker) will be punished.

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