Zelensky accompanies Azovstal commanders back to Ukraine
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Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner’s mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders just five days after the aborted mutiny and pledged loyalty to his regime, the Kremlin said.
The three-hour meeting took place on June 29, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday, in a likely attempt to portray a return to normalcy in ties between the two men who clashed in the military’s most big that Russia has seen in decades.
Prigozhin himself has not commented on the meeting, which was first reported yesterday.
During the meeting, Putin made an assessment of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield of Ukraine, where mercenaries have fought alongside regular Russian troops, and of the revolt itself.
Elsewhere, Joe Biden will meet Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in Lithuania tomorrow, US officials confirmed to The Independent.
The meeting comes as Mr Biden expressed doubts in recent days about Ukraine’s long-sought goal of joining the transatlantic alliance. The two leaders last met in Japan in May for the G7 summit.
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Europe will face ‘catastrophic consequences’ if Ukraine war escalates, says Russian diplomat
Europe will be the first to face “catastrophic consequences” if the war in Ukraine escalates, Konstantin Gavrilov, a Russian diplomat and senior security negotiator based in Vienna, told the RIA news agency on Tuesday.
Gavrilov, who blamed the United States for driving the escalation, spoke as NATO countries held a summit in Vilnius.
Martha MchardyJuly 11, 2023 08:35
NATO should remove requirement for Ukraine’s accession action plan: Stoltenberg
NATO allies should agree to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Ukraine to become a member of the alliance in the future, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.
“Ukraine has come a long way since we made the decision in 2008 that the next step would be a Membership Action Plan. Ukraine is much closer to NATO, so I think the time has come to reflect that in NATO’s decisions,” he said ahead of a summit of NATO leaders in Vilnius.
“All together, including that we will make it clear that Ukraine will become a member, we will withdraw the Membership Action Plan, (…) we will send a very strong and positive message from NATO to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said. added
Maanya SachdevaJuly 11, 2023 08:30
NATO policy increases risk of conflict with Russia, diplomat says
NATO’s policy toward Russia increases the risk of direct conflict between the bloc’s members and Moscow, Russian Ambassador to Belgium Alexander Tokovinin told Russian news agency RIA on Tuesday.
Tokovinin said the regional defense plans NATO plans to adopt at the summit starting Tuesday in Vilnius will make the bloc’s confrontation with Russia more tense and prolonged.
Maanya SachdevaJuly 11, 2023 08:00
NATO to send ‘positive signal’ on Ukraine’s bid to join alliance, US says
NATO will send Ukraine a “positive signal” about Kiev’s bid to join the alliance when its leaders meet today for a summit in Lithuania, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
The top US official was speaking to reporters as negotiators from the 31-strong alliance were finalizing a final communiqué outlining Kiev’s path to membership.
In retaliation, Russian diplomats said differences between the US and Moscow were now narrowing.
Arpan RaiJuly 11, 2023 07:26
Disgruntled Russian diplomats blast US, NATO: ‘Most unfortunate’ confrontation
Russian diplomats accuse the US of pushing NATO into a “most unfavorable” confrontation with Moscow with decisions expected at the alliance’s summit in Lithuania starting today, claiming the allies of Kiev are “losing” in Ukraine.
“The situation continues to slide towards the most unfavorable outcome in the confrontation between the Russian Federation and the members of the alliance,” the Russian ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, said last night.
Accusing Washington of preparing to take anti-Russian decisions at the NATO summit, he said: “Everything is being done to prepare local public opinion for the approval of any anti-Russian decision that will be taken in Vilnius in the next few days.”
The Kremlin says that Ukraine’s possible accession to the alliance would be a threat to Russia and that Moscow will react “clearly and firmly”.
The summit in the Lithuanian capital will be dominated by the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with leaders set to approve NATO’s first comprehensive plans since the end of the Cold War to defend against any attack from Moscow .
Diplomats also said differences are narrowing over Ukraine’s push for NATO membership.
Konstantin Gavrilov, a Vienna-based Russian diplomat and senior Russian security negotiator, told Russian state news agency RIA in an interview that the West is “losing” in Ukraine.
Arpan RaiJuly 11, 2023 06:48
Moscow threatens to end contracts with volunteer construction firms for Ukraine war, UK MoD says
Moscow city authorities are likely to threaten to withdraw contracts from construction companies if they fail to meet quotas to provide “volunteers” to serve in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.
One company has reportedly set a target of 30 volunteers by the end of August 2023, the ministry said today in its latest intelligence update.
He added that this ultimatum would likely “primarily affect ethnic minorities in Russia’s poorer regions such as Dagestan and Central Asian states, who make up the majority of Moscow’s construction workers.”
“This move is very likely, at least tacitly, approved by Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. He continues his track record of trying to minimize the impact of the conflict on the wealthiest Muscovites, even as he is seen to support the war effort,” the ministry said.
Arpan RaiJuly 11, 2023 06:26
Why Ukraine’s request to join NATO is a challenge for the West
For Ukraine’s Western allies, the question of whether the country should be granted its desire to join NATO is not so simple.
The advantages in terms of security guarantees of being a member of the alliance are obvious, and only more so given the scale of destruction caused by the Russian invasion.
While some Eastern Europeans have been pushing for a quick timetable for admitting Ukraine, given their own misgivings about Russia’s actions near their borders, a number of Western nations are more cautious, aware that a bond built on collective defense can only remain secure if everyone believes it is strong.
Yesterday, the Kremlin made it clear that “Ukraine’s membership in NATO will have very, very negative consequences.”
Offering Ukraine membership if the war ends doesn’t work either.
It gives Moscow an incentive to keep the war going, allowing Vladimir Putin to continue pushing one of his narratives that the West is trying to claim that Ukraine will weaken Russia.
Chris Stevenson explain here:
Arpan RaiJuly 11, 2023 05:58
Russia shoots down Iranian Shahed drones in Kiev hours before NATO summit
Russia shot down Iranian Shahed drones in Kiev in an airstrike earlier today, Ukrainian military officials said, confirming the second attack this month.
“The enemy attacked Kiev from the air for the second time this month,” said Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration.
He added that Ukraine’s air defense systems shot down all the drones Russia launched before they reached their targets, but did not mention the total number of aerial targets shot down and intercepted.
There was no immediate information on damage or casualties.
This comes just hours before the start of the NATO summit in Lithuania which is to focus on threats to Moscow’s security.
The Air Force of Ukraine confirmed that air raid alerts were sounded over Kiev for an hour or more in parts of eastern Ukraine.
Russia has spoken out against the United States and the wider NATO alliance on the eve of the summit over its support for Ukraine, warning that Kiev’s possible NATO membership would be met with a “clear and firm” reaction.
Arpan RaiJuly 11, 2023 05:31
Wagner chief commanders meet Putin after short-lived mutiny, pledge loyalty
Wagner’s mercenary boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and his commanders met with Russian President Vladimir Putin just five days after the aborted mutiny and pledged loyalty to the government, a senior Kremlin government spokesman said.
The three-hour meeting took place on June 29 and involved not only Mr Prigozhin but also commanders of his military contractor Wagner Group, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday in a likely attempt to show the normality in the ties between two men who faced each other for the most part. military mutiny that Russia has seen in decades.
He added that Putin made an assessment of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield of Ukraine, where mercenaries have fought alongside regular Russian troops, and of the revolt itself.
“The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They stressed that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue fighting for their land,” he said Peskov.
The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops in a march on Moscow last month to demand a change in military leadership, was extraordinary.
Although the Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and promised harsh punishments, the criminal case against the mercenary chief on rebellion charges was later dropped.
Prigozhin himself has not commented on the meeting. He could still be prosecuted for financial crimes or other charges, as his boss threatened.
This came on the same day that the Russian Defense Ministry released a video featuring military chief General Valery Gerasimov, who was one of the main targets of Prigozhin’s rebellion. Monday was the first time Gerasimov has been seen since last month’s revolt.
Arpan RaiJuly 11, 2023 4:24 am
Russia launches overnight airstrike in Kiev
Parts of Ukraine are under airstrike alert as Russia launches overnight airstrikes against the besieged country.
The head of the Ukrainian military administration, Serhiy Popko, said that Russia had launched airstrikes against Kiev and that air defense systems were committed to repelling the attack.
Airstrikes have resumed five days after a missile attack on Lviv killed four civilians.
Arpan RaiJuly 11, 2023 03:52
