The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, participates in the European Council, this time via videoconference, after one year passed last month since the invasion of Brussels and a day after he devoted himself to the situation in the north and east of the country, visiting the regions of Kharkov and Donetsk, including the Bakhmut area.
Even with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Russian soil, after a summit discussing Beijing’s peace plan, Moscow launched a drone attack on residential areas in the Kiev region, killing seven. “Every time someone hears the word peace, a criminal attack like this is ordered in Moscow,” the Ukrainian leader said.
The heads of government and state of the 27 will meet in Brussels today and tomorrow for yet another European Council with Ukraine on the agenda. This time, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will participate in the morning and Zelensky in the afternoon. It is expected that Guterres will address some issues related to the conflict, such as the agreement on the export of grains in the Black Sea, and global food security more generally.
According to the program revealed in the invitation of the President of the Council, Charles Michel, at the age of 27, the discussion of the war in Ukraine includes the question of the responsibility of the perpetrators of war crimes, the use of frozen Russian assets as well as ways to mobilize the global community around the rules-based international order.
411. The reconstruction of Ukraine requires 411 billion dollars (378 billion euros), estimate the World Bank, UN, EU and the Ukrainian government.
Michel also referred to the increase in the production capacity of the defense industry, taking into account not only the supply of one million ammunition to Kiev, but also the guarantee of supplies in Europe. On Monday, EU foreign and defense ministers approved a €2 billion package to produce 155mm caliber projectiles and send them to Ukraine, so discussion should focus on funding and strengthening the European Peace Support Mechanism . Portugal is part of the group of 18 countries that will jointly purchase weapons.
Russia attacked Kyiv and two other Ukrainian regions on Tuesday night with 21 Iranian-made drones. Seven people, including a child, were killed and nine injured near the capital in the attack on a student residence and school building in the Kyiv region of Rzhishchiv.
According to the Ukrainian army, anti-aircraft systems failed to intercept five of the 21 drones. Hours later, another attack: This time, a missile hit an apartment building in Zaporizia, killing at least one person and injuring 28. Faced with this news, the Ukrainian leader said that “all Russian attacks will have a military, political response. It’s cool”.
And yet
American offer to Slovaks
The Slovak defense minister announced that his government has received an offer from the US to compensate his country’s aid to Ukraine. According to Jaroslav Nad, Bratislava will pay $340 million for 12 Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and their 500 Hellfire missiles when the value of the equipment exceeds one billion. This compensation comes from the fact that the Slovaks are preparing to deliver 10 operational MiG-29 aircraft and another three for parts and a KUB air defense system, in addition to the fact that the F-16s ordered from the US are delayed incurred delivery.
Abrams tanks in the fall
The Pentagon has announced that it will send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine sooner than expected. In January, Washington had said it would contribute 30 M1A2 Abrams tanks, but they would still be produced, so delivery would take at least a year. Now Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder has said it will be faster to refurbish the older M1A1s and have them ready in the fall, though without clarifying whether it will be in the same amount.
Lavrov warns about uranium
After Vladimir Putin said the day before that Russia would be “forced to respond” if Kiev receives depleted uranium ammunition, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this is “a step towards a new escalation, and a serious step “. British Defense Secretary Annabel Goldie said her country was preparing to send armor-piercing munitions, which contain depleted uranium. Lavrov further warned that such munitions would drastically reduce Ukraine’s ability to “produce high-quality, uncontaminated food”.
Sweden approves NATO
Sweden’s parliament approved the country’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization by 269 votes to 37. The government expects formal admission to the summit in July, but by then the parliaments of Turkey and Hungary must ratify membership.
Source: DN
