Ukraine's Foreign Minister requests weapons after Lavrov reveals Russia's expansionist aim

Ukrainian Foreign Minister has urged allies to bolster sanctions on Russia and speed up the supply of weapons to his country. On Wednesday, Dmytro Kuleba asserted that Russians wanted "blood and not talks" as the war in his country became bloodier. Notably, his remarks came hours after the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow's objectives in Ukraine were 'expanding beyond the Donbas region'. 

Speaking about the same, Kuleba said that “by confessing dreams to grab more Ukranian land”, Lavrov had proved that Russians focused on war and terror and not diplomacy. "Russians want blood, not talks. I call on all partners to step up sanctions pressure on Russia and speed up arms deliveries to Ukraine," he added. On February 24, Putin launched a military offensive on Ukraine saying that he wanted to denazify Ukraine, however, later statements pointed out his intention to annex Ukraine's land.

Lavrov admits Russia aims at territorial expansion

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Kremlin's ambition in Ukraine extended far beyond the industrial region of Donbas. "It is far from being only DPR (Donetsk People's Republic) and LPR (Luhansk People's Republic), it is also Kherson Region, Zaporizhzhia Region and a number of other territories, and this process continues, it continues steadily and persistently," Lavrov told Ria Novosti. As Putin's troops continue to pound the eastern Donbas region, military experts have warned that the falling of Donbas would mean that Russians overrun the entire territory in the Ukrainian east. 

As the war in Ukraine enters its sixth month, Russian troops have continued to strike cities and villages in Ukraine’s south and industrial east. Earlier on Tuesday, they fired missiles on Kramatorsk, leading to the death of one person and injuring ten other residents. In a separate attack, Putin’s forces killed two individuals and partially obliterated a residential building in Sloviansk, State Emergency Services said.

In the southern port city of Odesa, Russian troops fired seven Kalibr cruise missiles overnight, injuring six people. Russian Ministry of Defence later justified the attack stating that  strikes on the village of Bilenke achieved a legitimate military goal and “destroyed depots of ammunition for weapons supplied by the United States and European countries.” 

(Image: AP)