Developments in Ukraine The split among European countries over aid to Kyiv

According to the report of the international group Tasnim news agency, newspaper ” The New York Times wrote in an analysis: As US support for Ukraine has declined due to internal problems, there is a growing divide among European countries trying to fill the void.

This publication reminds, that is why Vladimir Zelensky during his current trip to the Baltic Sea countries is trying to ask for more support from them, but in other countries the will to provide military aid has weakened and fatigue The increasing and financial problems have shown themselves in this regard.

This article states: “In the situation where the approval of the additional aid of the United States is still in an aura of uncertainty And the Republican representatives of Congress continue to block the allocation of about 61 billion dollars in arms and financial aid, European leaders face a very difficult problem of bridging as much as possible the current gap with the United States to maintain support for Ukraine. p style=”text-align:justify”>At the same time, Washington’s possible refusal to help Kiev could become a reason for a number of European countries to reduce their support for the Ukrainian side. The publication adds: “The real problem now is not whether the West and Europe will continue to support Ukraine, but whether they can realistically continue to allocate the necessary amount of their resources, especially in the military field.” or not This issue is not only related to their will and desire, but also to their capabilities.

The New York Times pointed out at the end that the leaders of the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe There are growing concerns that the current rift could lead to Ukraine’s imminent defeat in a military conflict with Russia.

A few days ago, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson Khah asked the Joe Biden administration to specify precisely what the US strategy is for Kiev, especially in the context of increasing government debt. In a meeting with Zelenskiy in mid-December, the US president announced that he had signed an order to allocate another 200 million dollars for Ukraine, but said that Washington was getting close to losing the possibility of providing more aid to the country. /p>

Next, you can follow the developments related to the 687th day of the Ukrainian war:

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Telegraph: Putin can end the Western alliance in its current form

Telegraph newspaper wrote in an analysis: Russian President Vladimir Putin may end the existence of the military bloc of Western countries in its current form. The authors of the article believe that the European countries that are members of NATO urgently need to restore their industrial capacity and start the process of renewing their weapons. And if they don’t, Putin could end the Western alliance as we know it. The development of its military industrial complex to meet the needs of Russia’s armed forces has gained momentum, while Western support for Kiev may soon end. Now, Russia has increased its production of artillery and missile ammunition, and unlike Ukraine, which is dependent on the aid of its foreign partners, it does not lack them.

At the end of these materials, it is stated: “The West may soon give the key to Europe in the hands of Putin.” has denied

Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, denied his involvement in the failure of the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in the spring of 2022 . Last night, Wednesday, in an interview with The Times, he claimed that the information about his involvement in this matter is “absolute nonsense”. He did not say that after the above negotiations, he talked with Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, and expressed concern about the possibility of concluding any agreement between Moscow and Kiev. According to him, then he emphasized that London is ready to give 1000% assistance to Ukraine.

Bundestag considers Ukraine’s victory in the conflict with Russia impossible >

Jan Nolte, a member of the defense committee in the Bundestag (German parliament) in an interview pointed to the fact that Western politicians no longer believe in the military victory of Ukraine, but in the effort They continue to finance and arm Kiev before the upcoming negotiations with Moscow.

The parliamentary official said: “If Germany had to do it alone, 16% of the country’s gross domestic product would cost for this, but this will not happen. Now everyone knows that there will be no victory for Ukraine, and the West is only trying to provide Kiev with a stronger negotiating position.”

Moreover On this, Nolte emphasized that in Europe, the conflict with Russia is considered more as an ideological goal based on European values. He explained: If Ukraine fails, this situation will be a shock for the West, which has taken its superiority, including morally, for granted for decades. The West still considers it a normal thing to play the role of global police. According to him, of course, the conflict in Ukraine and its consequences will have a significant impact on the West, its future and global politics.

An extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council was held on Wednesday. It was held at the request of Kiev in the context of increasing the military actions of the Russian armed forces in the operational area. As a result of this meeting, Ukraine received a promise of billions in aid in 2024, although the details of how to provide possible aid in the future have not been announced. The Prime Minister of Hungary announced the approval of the allocation of 50 billion euros to Ukraine in the years 2027-2024, provided that the amounts of these aids are agreed annually. The authorities in Budapest have not yet confirmed or denied this issue.

American senator’s warning about turning the situation in favor of Russia in the war with Ukraine

Chuck Schumer, the leader of the majority of the Democrats in the US Senate, warned in last night’s session of the House of Representatives that with the Ukrainian army running out of ammunition, the Russian military is gaining complete superiority on the battle front. are, so without U.S. help, the situation on the battlefield could take a “sad turn in Russia’s favor.” Understand well: If the Senate does not approve an increase in aid to Ukraine, the war, which has already shifted in favor of Russia, could have tragic results for Ukraine within a month. And this situation is happening only because of the lack of weapons.

This Democratic senator also scared his colleagues by predicting that if this situation continues and Russia wins, apparently “the effect Schumer called the situation in Ukraine a history-making conflict that could change the balance of power in the world since the end to change the Cold War among Western democratic countries. He pointed out that Ukraine is losing the ammunition and weapons that the United States plays a major role in providing, and thus tried to convince the representatives of the Senate about the need to continue financial support to Kiev.

Russia’s opposition to inviting representatives of some European countries to the Security Council meeting on Ukraine

Vasily Nebenzia, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, announced last night that this country opposes the invitation of delegations from Poland, Italy and a number of other countries to the Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

Nebenzia said during his speech: “Despite the opposition of the Russian side, I would like to emphasize the approach chosen by the French presidency by inviting six European delegations to today’s meeting.”

This diplomat noted that all the countries participating in this meeting (Italy, Germany, Poland, Estonia) are members of the European Union, with the exception of Ukraine. In addition, the European Union delegation also participates separately in this meeting. The representative of Russia added: As we have seen many times, their statements are not worth discussing in the Security Council, because they are the same copy-pasted theses repeated in line with the common positions of the European Union and NATO.

Nebenzia expressed regret that this approach of France during his presidency will weaken the authority of the Security Council.

Ukraine armed forces’ fear of drones Russian

An intelligence officer of the Ukrainian armed forces admitted in an interview last night that the increased activity of Russian drones in the conflict zone allowed Ukrainian soldiers to leave the shelters. He did not give up and forced them to hide in the trenches for a long time.

Now we almost never come out of our holes, he said, because the [Russian] drones ] are constantly flying and throwing grenades at the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces.

The Ukrainian military confirmed that Russia has a powerful “drone army”, while The armed forces of Ukraine do not have such reserves. He said: Russian drones act like a merry-go-round: they do not literally land, they are constantly working. And this has never happened before.

Newsweek also reported yesterday that the modern Russian “Kub” drones that have recently been used significantly in the conflict zone. taken, they can become a real nightmare for the armed forces of Ukraine.

The European Union called Zelenskiy’s “peace formula” irreplaceable

Peter Stano, the spokesperson of the European Union’s foreign policy office, announced that Western countries are not considering an alternative to the so-called peace formula of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the context of resolving the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

He said: Peace efforts continue, especially based on the “peace formula” proposed by Ukraine. The European Union supports this “formula” based on respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, which is defensible under the UN Charter. The peace formula is the only comprehensive framework for achieving a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine.

Vladimir Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, for the first time in late 2022, his “peace formula” presented This document contains 10 articles, including the withdrawal of Russian forces from the territory of this country, as well as the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine according to its recognized borders at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union (in 1991). According to Zelensky, the implementation of these ten points will apparently help end the conflict.

Kremlin: It is very strange to discuss Zelensky’s “formula” without Russia

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman of the Kremlin last night, in response to journalists’ questions, reminded that at the moment, the inexplicable process surrounding the “peace formula” proposed by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is in progress, while discussing the Kiev plan without the participation of Russia, which is a party to the conflict, seems very strange.

Moscow authorities have repeatedly stated They said that any proposal that does not take into account the current situation on the battle front, as well as the fundamental interests of ensuring the security of the Russian Federation, cannot be the basis of the process of negotiations and the creation of long-term peace. At the end of 2023, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the “Peace Formula” the product of a sick imagination.

The Italian Parliament passed a resolution extending military aid to Ukraine. approved

The Italian lower house of parliament passed a resolution to extend support to Ukraine, including military aid, ANSA news agency reported last night. According to this information, 195 representatives voted in favor of this resolution, 50 representatives voted against and 55 other representatives abstained. The members of the Italian House of Representatives asked the government to support from Ukraine in accordance with the existing obligations or in case of agreement with foreign partners in NATO and the European Union. Before the vote, the government’s position on the need for continued aid to Ukraine was outlined by Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosto. He emphasized that the new package of military aid to Kyiv contains equipment exclusively for defense purposes. He expressed hope that the next package could contain more humanitarian aid and the necessary resources for the reconstruction of Ukraine. And it is Ukraine

Guido Crosto, the Minister of Defense of Italy, yesterday in his speech in the lower house of the country, expressed his opinion that the counterattack of Ukrainian forces in 2023 It did not bring the desired results, but 2024 will be a key year for this conflict. Also, the military of this country is facing a difficult military winter and will be faced with the launching of missiles and drones by the Russians. But in the spring of 2024, due to the holding of a series of elections in Russia, the United States and European countries, it will be a key year for the Ukraine crisis. Russia, although it has not achieved its desired goals, appears to show no signs of weakening, he admitted. The time factor, which some thought favored Kiev, now appears to favor Moscow.

Erdogan: Conflict in Ukraine causes race Arms in a number of countries

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his opinion that the military conflict in Ukraine will cause many countries that previously lacked defense spending. He warned: In the current state of the world, geopolitics has become increasingly prominent. In this process, we see that fundamental changes have been made in the security doctrine. Countries that only 5-10 years ago considered defense spending to be heavy, are now entering a new arms race.

According to Erdogan, Ankara in the past has continuously has invested in the defense industry, so those who used to criticize Turkey for it now appreciate it, and our activities in the defense industry are followed with admiration around the world.

A few days ago, during a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Vladimir Zelensky, the President of Turkey announced Ankara’s readiness to play the role of a mediator and hold peace talks to achieve peace in Ukraine.

Zelensky: I would like a defense and political decision to be made at the NATO summit :justify”>The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced that he expects the NATO summit in Washington to strengthen defense support and the political decision on the country’s accession to NATO.

Zelensky, after his talks with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausda, raised this issue in a group of journalists and emphasized: I would like two things to be clarified in this meeting: a defense solution and a political solution. In terms of political decisions, he expressed his desire to take a concrete step towards joining NATO, and in terms of defense, he would like to see a strengthening of the country’s air defense systems.

The president of Ukraine explained: “And these are special systems and missiles that are capable of countering Russian ballistic missiles”.

The summit NATO will be held in Washington on July 9-11.

Lithuanian President’s promise to transfer new armored personnel carriers to Ukraine

Lithuanian President Gitanas Navseda announced on Wednesday, during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, that Vilnius will receive a number of M577 armored personnel carriers, ammunition in early 2024. and will send other military equipment to Kiev.

He said: We will again send ammunition, generators, explosives to Ukraine in January, and in February – M577 armored personnel carriers. In addition, we will also train Ukrainian soldiers. He also stressed that European defense industries should work faster in order to continue providing military aid to Ukraine.

This, the Ukrainian ambassador noted the domestic political dynamics in Western countries that affect aid to Ukraine. According to this diplomat, these developments include the upcoming presidential elections in the United States, changes in the structure of the government of Hungary and Slovakia, as well as the blockade of farmers for the passage of Ukrainian trucks at the border points of Poland, all of which have had a negative impact on the situation around Ukraine. /p>

The White House’s refusal to explain information about the meetings between Biden and Klitschko

White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre on Wednesday declined to comment on reports that Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko had business meetings with then-US Vice President Joe Biden in 2015.

At a regular briefing for reporters, Jean-Pierre was asked to comment on a New York Post report that quoted sources as saying Klitschko was a “major shareholder”. to comment on a subsidiary of Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, on which Hunter Biden Jr. was also on the board. According to the sources of this publication, Joe Biden, in the position of vice president in 2015, had meetings with Klitschko and these talks had nothing to do with the political relations between the United States and Ukraine.

“I’ll refer you to the White House Office of Political Counsel,” Jean-Pierre replied. And I have no explanation about this.”

Violation of Belarusian borders by Ukrainian border guards text-align:justify”>Alexander Volfovich, the secretary of the Security Council of Belarus, announced on Wednesday that Ukrainian border guards enter the territory of Belarus from time to time and regularly violate the airspace of this country using drones.

He stated this information during his inspection of the maneuver of the border guard units of this country. The Secretary of the Security Council emphasized that Belarus does not threaten any country, but the situation on the border with Ukraine has become alarming to the neighboring regions.

described it as turbulent and added: Ukrainian border guards often serve in a drunken state, point their weapons towards the territory of the Republic of Belarus and send their drones to our border territory, thereby violating the airspace of Belarus.

Putin called cultural diversity one of Russia’s greatest assets

President Vladimir Putin During his first-ever visit to the Chukotka region on Wednesday, Russia declared that cultural diversity is one of Russia’s greatest assets, stressing that regardless of the national language, local languages ​​are “pieces of the broader Russian culture.” ” are things that should be paid attention to.

He recalled that during the Soviet Union, many magazines and books were published in local languages ​​and suggested the revival He gave this action.

Putin: Unemployment has decreased in Russia