Russia says military aims expanding in Ukraine
Russia said on Wednesday that its military aims in Ukraine have expanded beyond the industrial Donbas region as its forces launched deadly barrages over the east and the south of the country. The warning came as the European Commission called on EU countries to slash demand for natural gas to relieve dependence on Russian energy and the bloc agreed an embargo on Russian gold imports. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview that Moscow's military was no longer "only" focused on wresting control of the east Ukraine regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, which have been partially controlled by pro-Moscow rebels for years. "The geography is different now. It is not only about the DNR and LNR, but also the Kherson region, the Zaporizhzhia region and a number of other territories," he explained to state media. Russian forces, since attacking Ukraine on February 24, have steadily advanced into each of those regions, wreaking destruction as they captured key cities and met fierce resistance. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba responded to Lavrov's remarks by calling on allies of his country to ramp up sanctions on Moscow and speed arms deliveries to Kyiv. "By confessing dreams to grab more Ukrainian land, Russian Foreign Minister (Sergei Lavrov) proves that Russia rejects diplomacy and focuses on war and terror," he said. Lavrov also dismissed the idea of further peace talks with Ukraine, claiming that earlier rounds showed Kyiv was unwilling to negotiate in "earnest". "It doesn't make any sense in the current situation," he told state media. Russian and Ukrainian delegations are nevertheless expected in Istanbul in the coming days for more talks on unblocking Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports. Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday he hoped an agreement could be formulated "this week". (AFP)