Russia urges to increase military weapons; Ukrainian president speaks out on Donbass referendum

Russian President calls for supplying weapons to the army as soon as possible:Russian President V. Putin emphasized that, given the situation, challenges and threats facing the country, defense industry enterprises are working with high intensity and stress. Therefore, during the working session on September 20, he proposed to focus on the most specific and urgent issues, namely organization, finance and technology. First of all, to discuss issues related to the supply of weapons, equipment and ammunition to the army, mainly to units and subunits participating in special military operations.

Russian BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system during military operations in Ukraine. Photo: Russian Defense Ministry

"Organizations of the defense-industrial complex need to ensure the supply of necessary weapons and equipment to the army as soon as possible," President Putin said. At the same time, according to him, Russian weapons used there have shown high efficiency in combating nationalist formations and also help to minimize personnel losses.

Russia says conflict in Ukraine cannot be resolved through negotiations:The conflict in Ukraine cannot be resolved through negotiations in the current situation, Interfax quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying. Asked if there was a path to a diplomatic solution, Peskov replied that "there is no such prospect today."

Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhie hold referendums on joining Russia and the West's reaction:On September 20, the leaders of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, decided to hold referendums on joining the Russian Federation. Meanwhile, Ukraine announced that it would continue to liberate its territories.

Responding to the announcement, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the moves illegal and called on the "international community" to provide more support to Ukraine. White House National Security Adviser John Bolton echoed Stoltenberg's sentiments, calling the referendums "an insult to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity." Meanwhile, the EU threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia after the LPR, DPR, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions announced their referendums.

Ukrainian President speaks out about Donbass region's referendum to join Russia:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that one of the country's current tasks is to provide more support to the Ukrainian armed forces. President Zelensky said that Kiev's position and goals will not change despite the announcement of upcoming referendums on joining Russia for the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.

Spanish Prime Minister Says Russia Is at War with the Entire EU:Russia is not only at war with Ukraine but also with the entire European Union (EU), Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in an interview with Politico on September 20.

Mr Sanchez said Russia's military campaign in Ukraine was failing and that the war would only make the EU stronger. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, the Spanish Prime Minister accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of using "energy as a weapon" because "he feels threatened by EU values".

Assessment of the effectiveness of Western sanctions against Russia:In the current confrontation between Russia and the West, it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of Western sanctions imposed on Russia, not to mention that this is a double-edged sword that can backfire on the West.

Ukraine reveals “formula to defeat Russia” and when to stop asking for weapons support:Kiev will not ask for weapons from the West only after Ukraine gains the upper hand over Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said, adding that such arms deliveries are part of a “recipe to defeat” Russia.

"Sometimes I am asked when we will receive enough weapons. I always say that the amount of weapons will be enough only after Ukraine wins. Until then, we will ask for more weapons," said Mr. Kuleba.

The Ukrainian foreign minister also stressed that the recent Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kherson region has shown that the combination of the Ukrainian army's "endurance" and Western-supplied weapons is "a recipe for defeating Russia" on the battlefield. Russia asserted that it has withdrawn its troops from some areas to reorganize its forces and strengthen its forces in the Donbass region.

Serbian President predicts world faces risk of global conflict in coming months:The world is at risk of falling into a conflict on a global scale not seen since World War II in the next few months, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on September 20.

"For small countries like us, we just want to ensure the security and safety of our people, but that's not easy. I predict that relations will become more complicated, not only between the West and Russia but also between the West and China," he said.

President Joe Biden officially nominates new US ambassador to Russia:President Joe Biden has officially nominated Lynne Tracy, the US ambassador to Armenia, to be the US ambassador to Russia. Lynne Tracy previously served as senior adviser on Russia in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the US State Department and served as deputy chief of mission to Russia. She has also held various positions in Central and South Asia.

NATO affirms not to wage war with Russia:NATO will not go to war against Russia even as the alliance is supporting Ukraine with large amounts of weapons to push back Moscow’s forces on the battlefield, NATO’s military committee chairman Robert Bauer said. While Ukraine will decide how the conflict ends, Bauer said one of NATO’s main goals is to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty. The NATO official said the short-term goal is for Ukraine to regain the territory that Russian forces have controlled since February 24.

Hungary's dilemma in relations with the EU and Russia:Tensions between Hungary and European Union (EU) officials have recently become more serious, due to the country's Prime Minister Viktor Orban criticizing the EU's policy towards the conflict in Ukraine.

President Putin signs decree on partial mobilization in Russia:Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on partial general mobilization in Russia on September 21.

"In this situation, I think it is necessary to make the following decisions. These are decisions that are appropriate to the threats we face. Accordingly, they include: protecting the motherland, its sovereignty and territorial integrity; ensuring the security of our people, as well as the population of liberated areas. I think it is necessary to support the proposal of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff to carry out a partial general mobilization in the Russian Federation," President Putin announced.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu also announced on September 21 that a total of 300,000 Russian reservists will be mobilized for Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine. According to Shoigu, this is part of a partial nationwide mobilization program. He added that Russia has "huge reserves."

Minister Shoigu said nearly 6,000 Russian soldiers had died in Ukraine:RT news agency quoted Mr. Shoigu's statement saying that Russia had lost 5,937 soldiers in the war with Ukraine, but the number of soldiers lost by Ukraine was even 10 times higher. This is the first time Russia has announced losses in the military campaign since late March. At that time, the Russian Defense Ministry said the number of soldiers killed was 1,351.

President Putin declared that he will use all means to protect Russia:Russian President Vladimir Putin made an assessment of the possibility of using nuclear weapons on September 21, saying that "those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the wind can change direction." Announcing a partial mobilization to strengthen forces in Ukraine, President Putin stressed that Russia could "use various means of destruction."

"I would like to reiterate that we have various means of destruction, some of which are more modern than NATO's. If our territorial integrity is threatened, we will certainly use all available means to protect Russia and its people," President Putin said.

New weapons could become a headache for Ukraine in Kharkiv:Iranian UAVs, although not as advanced as similar systems from the US, UK, Israel, China and even Russia, could pose a tactical nuisance to Ukrainian ground forces.

The significance of Russia's mobilization statement in the context of the Ukraine conflict:As many predicted, Russian President Putin has finally announced a partial nationwide mobilization of reserve forces. This is a remarkable new development in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Russia declares to prevent any attempt of Ukraine to attack in the South:Russia has thwarted all attempts by Ukraine to launch an offensive in the south, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on September 21, asserting that Moscow had inflicted heavy losses on the Ukrainian army in recent weeks./.