War in Ukraine: Trump warns Putin, 'he is playing with fire'

Today, 27 May, Merz returned to talk about Ukraine. "We are threatened and we will defend ourselves. There must be no doubt that we will defend ourselves'. Merz, at a press conference in Helsinki with his counterpart Patteri Orpo, thus answered a question from journalists on the developments in the war. If Putin does not even accept mediation by the Vatican, he reiterated, it means that he 'shows no interest in a truce'.

Today, Russia has also returned to talk about the possibility of German missiles being used against it. If Germany supplies Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles, they will 'burn like matches', as has already happened to the Leopard tanks, and Berlin will 'sink further into the pit in which the Kiev regime it supports has been in for a long time', Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, quoted by Interfax. "Any German weapons will not change the course of the special military operation," Zakharova added, after German Chancellor Merz announced yesterday that Germany had lifted restrictions on the use against Russian territory of weapons supplied to Kiev.

Meanwhile, as if to justify Merz's words, more than 20 ships, 25 aircraft and around 3,000 Russian military personnel are exercising in the Baltic Sea: this was stated by the press service of the Russian Baltic Fleet in a statement, reported by Interfax. "The exercise involves more than 20 warships, boats and supply ships, including a frigate, corvettes, missile ships and boats, anti-submarine warfare corvettes, minesweepers and supply ships. Approximately 3,000 soldiers, around 25 aircraft and helicopters, and up to 70 pieces of military and special equipment are participating in the exercise,' the release states.

Instead, Kremlin spokesman Peskov spoke of peace. The peace process in Ukraine is "complex and, of course, it needs time", he said . "It is clear," Peskov said, quoted by the Ria Novosti news agency, "that not everything is simple. It is clear that we would like everything to happen sooner, but the matter of solving the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict is so complex that time is needed. The work is progressing'.

Donald Trump 'is interested in the continuation of talks between Russia and Ukraine', 'it was his and President Putin's initiative'. This was said by Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov at a press conference, picked up by Tass, with his Turkish colleague, Hakan Fidan. "President Trump has already declared that this is not his war," he added. "The most hysterical in their Russophobic positions want to force the US and the current administration" to change their minds and "adopt Joe Biden's war stance".

The need for peace and respect for humanitarian law in conflict-affected areas with a special focus on what is happening in Gaza and Ukraine. After the numerous appeals by Pope Leo XIV, this time it was the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who in an interview with the Holy See's media issued a strong message. "What is happening in Gaza is unacceptable," said Parolin, "International humanitarian law must always apply, and for everyone. We call for the bombing to stop and for the necessary aid for the population to arrive: I believe the international community must do everything possible to put an end to this tragedy. At the same time, we strongly reiterate our request to Hamas to immediately release all the hostages it still holds captive, and to return the bodies of those who were killed after the barbaric attack on Israel on 7 October 2023'. Parolin then also expressed his thoughts on the attack that took place in Washington, with the killing of two Israeli embassy staffers. "I was deeply shocked," he said, "as happened on 7 October, these are innocent victims, and they were also committed to peace and humanitarian initiatives. We must be vigilant and ensure that the cancer of anti-Semitism, never definitively defeated, does not raise its head again'.

The Secretary of State then expressed his thoughts on the conflict in Ukraine. "Pope Leo gave the Holy See's full availability to host possible negotiations, with the offer of a neutral, protected place. It was therefore not a question of mediation, because mediation must be requested by the parties. In this case instead there was only the public offer of a willingness to host a possible meeting. There is now also talk of other possible locations, such as Geneva. In any case, it is not important where the negotiation between Russians and Ukrainians that we all hope for will take place. What really matters is that this negotiation can finally begin, because it is urgent to stop the war'. Parolin added that 'first of all a truce is urgent, to put an end to the devastation, to the destroyed cities, to the civilians losing their lives. And then it is urgent to arrive at a stable, just and lasting peace, therefore accepted and agreed upon by both parties'.

The president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, also spoke on the two conflict situations. "We call for respect for international humanitarian law, the entry of aid without restrictions, the opening of humanitarian corridors and, above all, the promotion of a dialogue that can realise the 'two peoples, two states' solution," he said regarding the situation in Gaza during the introduction of the Permanent Council of the Italian Bishops' Conference. With regard to the conflict in Ukraine, he emphasised that "the threads of dialogue, already so difficult" can find "the necessary guarantees inserted in a framework that allows for a just and secure peace".

If the West had not helped Ukraine Putin 'would have taken 40 per cent and not 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory, then 60, then 80, then 100 per cent because it was a colossal lie that he only wanted the Russian-speaking provinces. A story that he told with the great ability that the people have to mystify, to influence even public opinion'. This was said by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto speaking on Quarta Repubblica.

'I,' he added, 'have worked from the beginning for peace, the truce to develop in every possible way, even helping Zuppi when he was appointed by Pope Francis to deal with the issue, to try to find a solution. I helped him personally and defended him in his mission to Ukraine and Russia. But this is not the case. Putin clearly does not want peace. Putin wants Ukraine. We have to take note of that. Today Trump said some very harsh things. I don't hope and I don't want Russia to be wiped out, I want peace'.

Charlie Hebdo is suing unknown persons over a series of fake covers that appeared online and appear to be propagandising Russia. "For some time now we have been witnessing the appearance on the Internet of 'covers' that imitate the style of the newspaper and shamelessly use the signature of its cartoonists" with the intention of "denigrating Ukraine and mocking Europe's support". accused Richard Malka, a lawyer for the French satirical magazine, who has filed a complaint. "At the moment we don't know who the perpetrator of this is, so we have filed a complaint against unknown persons, but all these clumsy forgeries have one thing in common: they vilify Ukraine, mock Europe's and France's support for President Volodymyr Zelensky and sometimes spread rumours about the gender identity of the French premiere dame, Brigitte Macron. One wonders if Putin himself did not order them'. Malka admitted that although "there is little chance" of the lawsuit reaching court he still felt it necessary to defend the paper's editorial line to "publicly disavow these caricatures, which could lead uninformed readers to believe that 'Charlie Hebdo' shares the same views as Putin". "Propaganda is operating at full capacity and it would be a mistake to continue to underestimate its damaging impact. These deplorable drawings are part of the brainwashing strategy,' the magazine said, claiming that the use of his image for propaganda purposes is 'much more cruel' than other incidents he has been subjected to, such as the fatwa of the Iranian ayatollahs or the judicial persecution of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.