Replay: Ukraine’s Zelensky addresses Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia
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Britain’s Ministry of Defense has said Russia has redeployed troops to the key battleground town of Bakhmut after Ukrainian forces made tactical gains there.
It comes amid doubts about the commitment of fighters in Bakhmut belonging to the Russian mercenary group Wagner, whose leader has become increasingly critical of the Kremlin.
Elsewhere, Volodymyr Zelensky has landed in Japan for the G7 summit, marking his first high-level visit to Asia since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year .
His visit comes after a massive boost to Ukraine’s war effort, with US President Joe Biden telling G7 leaders that Washington supports joint allied training programs for Ukrainian pilots in F-16 fighter jets.
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Zelensky arrives in Japan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Hiroshima on Saturday for diplomatic talks with the leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies that have tightened sanctions to punish Moscow and change the course of its 15-month invasion of Ukraine.
Japan says Zelenskyy’s decision to visit Hiroshima stems from his “strong desire” to participate in talks that will influence his nation’s defense against Russia.
An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief reporters on the deliberations, said Zelenskyy will take part in two separate sessions on Sunday. The first session will be with G7 members only and will focus on the war in Ukraine. The second session will include the G7 as well as the rest of the nations invited to participate in the summit, and will focus on “peace and stability”.
(AP)
(BBC)
Matt Mathers20 May 2023 08:15
Zelenksy meets the Italian Meloni
Volodymyr Zelensky has held talks with the Prime Minister of Italy on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
The UK President spoke to Giorgia Meloni after arriving for the meeting in Hiroshima, Japan this morning.
Zelensky is at the summit to drum up support from the world’s rich democracies and probe leaders from the “Global South” with long ties to Russia.
(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Matt MathersMay 20, 2023 10:10 am
Sanctions against Russia and what the G7 can do to strengthen them
The Group of Seven advanced economies is expected to announce a new set of sanctions against Russia in a bid to further hamper its war effort in Ukraine during its summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
By traveling to Japan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will help drive home the need to better implement measures aimed at stifling Moscow’s war machine.
Russia is now the most sanctioned country in the world, but there are doubts about its effectiveness. EU Council President Charles Michel said the plan was to close loopholes and ensure the sanctions are painful for Russia, not the countries that apply them.
Elaine Kurtenbach reports:
Matt Mathers20 May 2023 09:45
Watch live: Zelensky arrives in Japan for G7
Matt Mathers20 May 2023 09:15
Peace will be “closer today” – Zelenksy
Peace will be “closer today”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy said ahead of his visit to Japan for the G7 summit.
Zelenksy landed in Hiroshima earlier for the gathering of the world’s biggest economies in meetings that will be dominated by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine last February.
“Japan. G7. Important meetings with Ukrainian partners and friends,” Zelenksy said in a tweet. “Enhanced security and cooperation for our victory. Peace will be closer today.”
Matt Mathers20 May 2023 08:45
White House: Biden to discuss Ukraine with Brazil’s Lula and India’s Modi
US President Joe Biden aims to speak with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this weekend about Ukraine and the “sacrosanct” issue of sovereignty and territorial integrity, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Saturday.
Lula and Modi are attending a Group of Seven (G7) summit of wealthy nations in Hiroshima at the invitation of Japan, this year’s host of the G7, which also includes the US, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada .
Asked if Biden would pressure or urge the two leaders to toughen their approach on China and Russia, Sullivan said, “I think pressure is the wrong word. I mean, that’s not how President Biden operates with these key leaders with whom he has a deep relationship. relationships, such as President Lula and President Modi.”
Instead, Biden would “seek an opportunity to talk with both about the constructive role that each country can play in supporting the most basic and fundamental element of any outcome, which is sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is sacrosanct in the United States”. the Charter of Nations,” Sullivan told reporters in Hiroshima.
Matt Mathers20 May 2023 07:20
Putin redeploys several battalions to Bakhmut as capture remains key war objective: UK MoD
Russia is likely to have redeployed up to several battalions to reinforce the Bakhmut sector in the past four days, Britain’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) said today.
“Russia’s leadership likely continues to see the capture of Bakhmut as the immediate war objective that would allow them to claim some degree of success in the conflict,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update on the ongoing war
He added that the heavy redeployment of several troops “follows Ukraine’s tactical gains on the flanks of the disputed city of Donetsk Oblast until mid-May and publicly cast doubt on the commitment of Wagner Group forces to continue to fight in the sector”.
“With Russia likely maintaining relatively few uncommitted combat units in Ukraine, the redeployment represents a notable commitment by the Russian command,” the Defense Ministry said.
Arpan RaiMay 20, 2023 07:02
UK says Russia will ‘pay the price’ for Ukraine invasion
Rishi Sunak has issued a warning to Vladimir Putin that he and other Western leaders “will not go away”, at the start of the G7 summit in Japan.
The prime minister said the Russian president must understand that Ukraine’s Western allies are “firm” in their support for the country’s resistance to its invasion.
“My message to Putin is simple. We will not get away with it,” Sunak told Sky News at Hiroshima’s Seifukan tea house shortly before the start of the summit.
Read the full story here:
Arpan Rai20 May 2023 06:22
Russia puts International Criminal Court prosecutor on wanted list
Russia has put International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan on a wanted list following an ICC arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, independent Russian publication Mediazona has reported.
Mr Khan’s photo and personal information are visible on the Home Office database, where he is listed as “wanted on criminal charges”, the report added.
In early March, the ICC issued arrest warrants against Putin and Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, finding them “allegedly responsible” for the illegal transfer and deportation of children from Ukraine and the territories occupied by Russia during its large-scale invasion. of the country since last February.
Arpan RaiMay 20, 2023 06:08
Fallen debris causes fire in Dnipro, official says
A fire has been caused by falling debris in the capital’s Dnipro district, Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said.
“Fire on the roof of a 9-story building in one of the housing complexes in the Dnipro district. All services work on site. No casualty information has been received yet,” he said.
Arpan RaiMay 20, 2023 05:33
