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Russia is allegedly burning the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine. The accusation comes from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who posted a video on Twitter showing the alleged shocking practice by Moscow’s troops. “Even after years of war, when we thought the Russians couldn’t get any more cynical, we see something even worse,” he wrote. “Russia,” the post reads, “not only sends North Korean troops to assault Ukrainian positions, but also tries to hide any evidence of their presence by literally burning the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in battle. This madness must be stopped: a reliable and lasting peace and Russia’s responsibility for this cynical war”.

During an online conversation with readers of Le Parisien, reported by Rbc Ukraina, Zelensky then reiterated that “no country or world leader has the right to negotiate with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin without Ukraine, since it is Ukraine that is the victim of this war.” The head of state stressed that Kyiv “has never delegated this mandate to anyone. It would be unfair if everyone started saying how a country should live. The French in France, the Italians in Italy or the Americans in the United States know what they want for themselves. The same goes for Ukrainians.”

Zelensky stressed that “during negotiations it is not so much the person in front of you that plays an important role, but the position you are in. Currently Ukraine is neither in a weak nor a strong position. It remains to be seen whether the country will become a member of NATO and when it will become part of the European Union.”

According to the Ukrainian leader, “negotiations with the Russian dictator under the current circumstances could give him the opportunity to influence decisions. Zelensky therefore believes that “before any discussion it is necessary to develop a specific strategy, which could be a plan of action or a peace initiative.”

On Twitter, Zelensky then denounced an alleged shocking practice by Moscow’s troops. “Even after years of war, when we thought the Russians couldn’t get any more cynical, we see something even worse,” he wrote, posting a video showing North Korean soldiers killed at the front who are allegedly having their faces burned. “Russia,” the post reads, “not only sends North Korean troops to assault Ukrainian positions, but also tries to hide any evidence of their presence by literally burning the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in battle. This madness must be stopped: a reliable and lasting peace and Russia’s responsibility for this cynical war.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence in Russia has announced that forces deployed in Ukraine have taken control of two more settlements in the Donetsk region, Stary Terny and Trudove, near the industrial city of Kurakhove.

“Today a third of Russia’s budget is devoted to military spending. It is a war economy, so it is essential to undermine Vladimir Putin’s potential revenues: last week we adopted the fifteenth package of sanctions, which hits the shadow fleet and circumvention channels” of the restrictive measures, “and the sixteenth package is already in preparation,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recalled today in Strasbourg during the plenary session, ahead of tomorrow’s European Council.

For von der Leyen, “sanctions are weighing on the Russian economy: the ruble is at its lowest since the beginning of the war; despite massive countermeasures taken by the central bank, inflation has reached 70% in some sectors of the economy. We are sending a clear message to the Kremlin: the longer the war against Ukraine lasts, the higher the price the Russian economy will have to pay,” she concluded.

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