Aspen Security Forum: Senior Officials Discuss Ukraine War
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country’s counteroffensive to push back Russian occupation forces must “gain momentum” as Kiev expects more military aid from its allies, including the US.
Zelensky called on allies to provide fighter jets and more long-range missiles, with Washington planning to announce a new military package to Ukraine imminently.
The US national security adviser told the same security forum in Colorado that the results of the counteroffensive will only become clear once Kiev fully commits its forces, saying that has not yet happened.
Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin accused NATO member Poland of having territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union and said any aggression against Russia’s neighbor and close ally Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia.
Moscow would react to any aggression against Belarus “with all the means at our disposal,” Putin told a meeting of his Security Council in televised remarks.
And a South African court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin ahead of a Brics summit in Johannesburg next month. The Kremlin says Putin will not attend.
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Traffic resumes on the Kerch bridge
According to reports, traffic has resumed after a brief suspension.
Drivers crossing the bridge were stopped earlier for an unspecified reason.
A satellite image shows a view of the Crimean Bridge in the Kerch Strait
(via REUTERS)
Matt DrakeJuly 22, 2023 09:49
Russia claims that Ukraine tried to attack with a drone
According to the governor of the occupied peninsula installed by Russia, Ukraine tried to attack the infrastructure of Crimea.
Matt DrakeJuly 22, 2023 09:25
People trapped on Crimean bridge told to ‘keep calm’
So far, no reason has been given for the traffic stop.
An official Telegram channel said: “Those on the bridge and in the inspection area are asked to remain calm and follow the instructions of the transport security officers.”
Two civilians were killed in the drone strike this week and part of the road bridge was out of order.
It had recently returned to full operation after being heavily damaged in a similar attack in October by Ukraine.
Pictured, traffic resumed on the bridge last Tuesday after an attack the previous day
(Marat Khusnullin/Telegram)
Matt DrakeJuly 22, 2023 09:20
Traffic on the Crimean bridge temporarily blocked, according to reports
Russian state news agency TASS said traffic on the Crimean bridge is temporarily blocked.
The reports have not been independently verified and the situation remains unclear.
It comes just two days after Russia lifted restrictions on cargo ships along the Kerch Strait following a drone attack on the bridge last Monday.
Pictured is the Crimean Bridge also called Kerch Straight Bridge
(REUTERS)
Matt DrakeJuly 22, 2023 08:44
Supermarket fuel margins have more than doubled since the war in Ukraine began
Fuel margins at supermarkets including Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have more than doubled since the start of the war in Ukraine, new analysis suggests.
From averaging about 4.7 p. of €per liter in fuel sales in February 2022, these supermarkets’ fuel margins are now around 10p. per litre, leading to higher pump prices, the RAC noted.
“While we accept that the cost of running the forecourts may have increased, these inflated margins must make difficult reading for the millions of drivers who are already struggling with the rising cost of living,” said RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams.
“In short, this means that everyone is paying more than they should to a greater or lesser extent depending on where they live,” he said.
Vishwam SankaranJuly 22, 2023 08:30
UK fuel margins have more than doubled since the start of the Ukraine war
Supermarkets have more than doubled their fuel margins since the start of the war in Ukraine, according to new analysis.
The RAC said Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s were making an average of around 4.7p per liter on fuel sales when the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
The motoring services company found this had risen to around 10p per litre, leading to higher pump prices.
Supermarket fuel margins were 2.3p per liter in 2016.
Lower fuel prices helped cause the consumer price index measure of inflation to fall to 7.9% last month, down from 8.7% in May.
Matt DrakeJuly 22, 2023 08:29
The US is set to present a new military aid package to Ukraine, according to a report
The United States is reportedly planning to announce a new military package worth up to $400 million to Ukraine consisting of artillery, air defense missiles and ground vehicles.
This new package will not include the controversial cluster munitions and may be announced as early as Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing officials close to the matter.
It is also expected to include armored personnel carriers, mine-clearing equipment and anti-tank weapons, but the list is subject to change before the announcement.
If approved, it would mark the 43rd such military assistance package provided by the US to Ukraine since its invasion by Russia in February 2022.
Vishwam SankaranJuly 22, 2023 08:00
Zelensky says counteroffensive is about to “gain momentum”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the country’s counter-offensive to push back Russian forces in occupied Ukraine is set to “gain momentum”.
The long-awaited effort began later than Kiev had hoped due to the lack of sufficient supplies of ammunition from allied countries.
But Zelensky said yesterday that the weeks-long counteroffensive is about to change momentum, with Ukraine poised to receive more weapons.
He called on his allies to provide the war-torn country with more long-range missiles as well as advanced fighter jets as he addressed international leaders at the Aspen Security Forum.
“We are approaching a time when relevant actions can gain momentum because we are already going through some mines and we are demining these areas,” Zelensky said.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told the audience in Colorado that the results of Ukraine’s military effort would only become clear once Kiev had fully committed its forces.
“It’s at that point when they make that commitment that we’re really going to see what the results are going to be on the counteroffensive,” Sullivan said.
Vishwam SankaranJuly 22, 2023 07:22
Russia attack on Ukraine ports will deal another blow to ‘global food security’, UN says
UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo said yesterday that Russia’s bombing of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports could have further impacts on global food security.
Condemning Russia’s airstrikes on the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Mykolaiv, Ms DiCarlo said this new wave of attacks would have “far-reaching impacts on global food security, particularly in developing countries”.
“Any risk of the conflict spilling over as a result of a military incident in the Black Sea, whether intentional or accidental, must be avoided at all costs, as this could have potentially catastrophic consequences for all of us,” he added.
“We strongly condemn these attacks and urge Russia to stop them immediately,” DiCarlo said.
Vishwam SankaranJuly 22, 2023 07:00
Ending Black Sea grain deal risks ‘famine and worse’ for millions, UN warns
Russia’s withdrawal from a deal allowing the safe export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea “potentially threatens millions of people with starvation and worse”, the UN aid chief said yesterday.
The landmark agreement, negotiated a year ago to combat a potential global food crisis, allowed grain exports from Ukraine across the Black Sea, but by withdrawing from the deal on Monday, higher prices will be “felt strongly by families in developing countries”, said Martin Griffiths, the aid chief at the UN Security Council.
The UN said the deal had benefited poorer countries by helping to lower global food prices.
But Russia effectively abandoned the deal on Monday, saying it considers any ship traveling to Ukraine’s Black Sea ports likely to be carrying military cargo.
“Some will starve, some will starve, many may die as a result of these decisions,” Griffiths said, according to Reuters.
Vishwam SankaranJuly 22, 2023 06:30
