It seems that Kyiv and Moscow want to negotiate on Monday morning +++ Ursula von der Leyen supports Ukraine’s accession to the European Union

According to the US Department of Defense, the advance of Russian invading forces in Ukraine continues to be hampered by fierce resistance from the Ukrainians. “Ukrainians are resisting very hard,” a senior ministry official told reporters on Sunday (local time). “It’s heroic, it’s inspiring, and it’s so clear for the world to see.” One also notes the “fuel and logistical bottlenecks” of the Russian forces. “In our estimation, they did not anticipate the level of resistance they would encounter,” the government official said. However, it can be assumed that the Russian armed forces will adapt and overcome challenges. According to US estimates, Russian President Vladimir Putin owns two-thirds of the “combat power” that he deployed to invade the border in Ukraine.

The ministry official was highly critical of Putin’s announcement that he would put nuclear deterrent weapons on special alert. This step is unnecessary because Russia has never been threatened by the West, NATO or Ukraine. It also represents an escalation, in the event of a “miscalculation”, the situation could become more serious.

The ministry official declined to comment on whether the US forces had been placed in a state of heightened defensive readiness. In principle, no information was provided on this. “I just want to tell you that we remain confident in our ability to defend ourselves, our allies and our partners.”

The official said US estimates as of Sunday morning EDT indicate that Russian forces have fired more than 320 missiles – the day before, the Pentagon put the number at 250. “There are indications that some of these launches failed, though not all of the missiles were successfully launched,” the official said. “.