Russia Warns the West Of "Direct Military Confrontation" On Arms Supply to Ukraine

INTERNATIONAL: Russia on Saturday warned the U.S. of direct military confrontation should the U.S.-led Western states continue pumping Ukraine with weapons and ammunition.

Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, made the remarks during an interview with New York-based Newsweek, adding that Ukraine is now stuffed up with Western weapons.

Prior to the ambassador's statement, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday vowed to provide more economic and military assistance to Kiev amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a one-day visit.

German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said Saturday that Germany has almost exhausted its ability to supply Ukraine with weapons from its army reserves. She added that direct deliveries from the arms industry are possible.

Foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states on Wednesday held a meeting in Brussels on stepping up military support for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that some allies are already providing a significant amount of advanced heavy weapons for Ukraine and that he expected the foreign ministers would make more commitments on how NATO can further support Ukraine.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the U.S. will provide an additional 100 million U.S. dollars in security assistance to Ukraine, including anti-armor systems.

Russia on Saturday demolished 65 military facilities of the Ukrainian army during an air assault, including four command posts and communication stations, three arsenals, and 41 strong points and weapon storage points, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Meanwhile, the "intensive" shelling in Kharkov still continued, said a Ukrainian military spokesman on Saturday, adding that the Russian army is also amalgamating infantry and armored divisions to intensify operations in Donetsk and Lugansk.

The two sides conducted two rounds of prisoner exchanges on Saturday night and Sunday, involving four employees of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation and some soldiers, according to the human rights representative of the Russian Federation, Tatyana Moskalikova.

The Russian government said Sunday that it has raised its reserve fund by 273.4 billion rubles (3.4 billion U.S. dollars) to ensure economic stability in the face of external sanctions.

The largest source of the increase, or 271.6 billion rubles, was additional oil and gas revenues received in the first quarter of 2022, the government said in a statement.

Russia's reserve fund was created to finance unforeseen expenses and significant measures not covered by the federal budget.

Pope Calls for Easter Truce in Ukraine

^{PHOTO: POPE FRANCIS CALLING FOR EASTER TRUCE IN UKRAINE LEADING TO PEACE NEGOTIATIONS, OLIVE BRANCH, UKRAINIAN FLAG, POPE IN POPEMOBILE}

INTERNATIONAL: Pope Francis on Sunday (April 10) called for an Easter truce in Ukraine, leading to negotiations and peace.

"Put the weapons down!" he said at the end of a Palm Sunday service for tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square.

"Let An Easter truce start. But not to rearm and resume combat but a truce to reach peace through real negotiations," he said.

Earlier in the morning, Pope Francis condemned the "folly of war," as he led Palm Sunday services in St. Peter's Square, saying in a reference to

Ukraine that those who cause mothers to mourn and soldiers to kill know nothing of God.

Since the war began, Francis has only mentioned Russia specifically in prayers, such as during a special global event for peace on March 25. But he has referred to Russia by using terms such as invasion and aggression.

Last Wednesday (April 6), he condemned "the massacre of Bucha" and kissed a Ukrainian flag sent from the town where tied bodies shot at close range littered the streets after Russian troops withdrew and bodies poked out of a mass grave at a church.

The Kremlin says allegations Russian forces committed war crimes by executing civilians including in Bucha were a "monstrous forgery" aimed at denigrating the Russian army.

Tunisians Protesters Accuse President of “Failed Dictatorship”

^{PHOTO: TUNISIANS PROTESTING AGAINST PRESIDENT KAIS SAIED INTERVIEW WITH PROTESTOR}

INTERNATIONAL: Tunisians on Sunday (April 10) protested against President Kais Saied, accusing him of imposing one-man rule in the North African country after he dissolved parliament last month.

A political crisis in the country intensified last month when more than half of the members of parliament held an online session to revoke Saied's decrees.

“I think that Kais Saied has become the problem and dialogue should take place with all other bodies in order to stop the populist advance Kais Saied is carrying out,” one of the leaders of the “citizens against the coup” movement, Jawher Ben Mbarek said.

Many members of parliament participated in the protest on Sunday, which took place with a heavy presence of anti-riot police. Protesters chanted: "The people want to overthrow the coup."

After last month's online session, which Saied dissolved, anti-terrorism police summoned the main opposition figure Rached Ghannouchi and other lawmakers for questioning, prompting criticism from abroad as well as at home.

A delegation from the European Parliament will visit Tunisia on Monday to urge the return of the democracy established after the 2011 revolution that ended the autocratic rule of the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Saied took control of executive power in the middle of last year and has ruled by decree, which his opponents describe as a coup.

He has rejected his opponents' accusations and said he would hold talks on political reforms, but that "traitors and thieves" would not participate in the talks.

Saied has previously said he would form a committee to rewrite the constitution, put it to a referendum in July and then hold parliamentary elections in December.

The country's two main parties Ennahda and Free Constitutional, which are bitterly opposed, have both said they will oppose those plans.