Mercenary boss returns to Russia to collect money and guns
RIGA, Latvia — Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin was in Russia on Thursday, according to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, raising further questions about the murky agreement under which Prigozhin avoided insurgency charges for a failed rebellion that posed a brazen challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority.
The Kremlin, in announcing the agreement on June 24, had said that Prigozhin and fighters loyal to him could avoid prosecution by leaving Russia for Belarus. Russian authorities then quickly began dismantling Wagner’s operations and the rest of Prigozhin’s sprawling business empire.
But on Thursday, 12 days after Prigozhin abruptly turned around columns of fighters that he had sent rolling toward Moscow, Lukashenko said the mercenary boss had been back in his home city of St. Petersburg and may have flown to Moscow on Thursday morning.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin was in Russia on Thursday, according to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, raising further questions about the murky agreement under which Prigozhin avoided insurgency charges for a failed rebellion that posed a brazen challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority.
The Kremlin, in announcing the agreement on June 24, had said that Prigozhin and fighters loyal to him could avoid prosecution by leaving Russia for Belarus. Russian authorities then quickly began dismantling Wagner’s operations and the rest of Prigozhin’s sprawling business empire.
But on Thursday, 12 days after Prigozhin abruptly turned around columns of fighters that he had sent rolling toward Moscow, Lukashenko said the mercenary boss had been back in his home city of St. Petersburg and may have flown to Moscow on Thursday morning.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed Thursday that the leader of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, is no longer in Belarus but in Russia.
- In Ukraine, four people were killed and 34 others were injured in an overnight Russian cruise missile attack on the western city of Lviv, regional governor Maksym Kozytsky said Thursday on Telegram.
- Both Russian and Ukrainian forces must “immediately stop” using controversial cluster munitions, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.
- Fierce fighting continues in the Russian-held town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency did not discover mines or explosives during recent inspections at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine, the U.N. watchdog agency said Wednesday.
More live updates here.
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed Thursday that the leader of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, is no longer in Belarus but in Russia.
- In Ukraine, four people were killed and 34 others were injured in an overnight Russian cruise missile attack on the western city of Lviv, regional governor Maksym Kozytsky said Thursday on Telegram.
- Both Russian and Ukrainian forces must “immediately stop” using controversial cluster munitions, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.
- Fierce fighting continues in the Russian-held town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency did not discover mines or explosives during recent inspections at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine, the U.N. watchdog agency said Wednesday.
More live updates here.
Biden approves cluster munition supply to Ukraine
President Biden has approved the provision of U.S. cluster munitions for Ukraine, with drawdown of the weapons from Defense Department stocks due to be announced Friday.
The move, which will bypass U.S. law prohibiting the production, use or transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1 percent, comes amid concerns about Kyiv’s lagging counteroffensive against entrenched Russian troops and dwindling Western stocks of conventional artillery.
It follows months of internal administration debate over whether to supply the controversial munitions, which are banned by most countries in the world.
Read the full story here and follow our live coverage.
President Biden has approved the provision of U.S. cluster munitions for Ukraine, with drawdown of the weapons from Defense Department stocks due to be announced Friday.
The move, which will bypass U.S. law prohibiting the production, use or transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1 percent, comes amid concerns about Kyiv’s lagging counteroffensive against entrenched Russian troops and dwindling Western stocks of conventional artillery.
It follows months of internal administration debate over whether to supply the controversial munitions, which are banned by most countries in the world.
Read the full story here and follow our live coverage.
Russia to close Finnish Consulate in St. Petersburg, expels diplomats
Russia has withdrawn consent for Finland to operate its consulate in St. Petersburg and expelled nine Finnish diplomats, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.
The decision was announced just days before NATO heads of state and government gather in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the alliance’s annual summit, which is to be followed by a visit to Finland by President Biden. Moscow’s decision also follows by about a month Finland’s announcement that it would expel nine Russian diplomats.
Although the expulsion of diplomats — nine for nine — appears to be a tit-for-tat move, the closing of the Finnish Consulate in St. Petersburg, a city not far from the Russia-Finland border, suggests an escalation designed to get the attention of Helsinki — and Washington.
Read the full story here.
Russia has withdrawn consent for Finland to operate its consulate in St. Petersburg and expelled nine Finnish diplomats, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.
The decision was announced just days before NATO heads of state and government gather in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the alliance’s annual summit, which is to be followed by a visit to Finland by President Biden. Moscow’s decision also follows by about a month Finland’s announcement that it would expel nine Russian diplomats.
Although the expulsion of diplomats — nine for nine — appears to be a tit-for-tat move, the closing of the Finnish Consulate in St. Petersburg, a city not far from the Russia-Finland border, suggests an escalation designed to get the attention of Helsinki — and Washington.
Read the full story here.
Russian missile strike kills five civilians in Lviv, far from front line
A barrage of Russian cruise missiles killed at least five civilians and injured dozens just before dawn on Thursday in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, far from the front lines of the war.
The attack, which local authorities called the worst in Lviv since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, was another demonstration of how civilians are dying every day in Ukraine, despite the Kremlin’s repeated denials that it strikes nonmilitary targets.
Last week, at least 13 people, including a acclaimed writer, were killed when a missile hit a popular restaurant in Kramatorsk, in the eastern Donetsk region.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down seven of 10 Kaliber cruise missiles that were fired from the Black Sea early that morning. Several missiles hit a residential area in Lviv, damaging at least 30 houses and 50 cars. At least 40 people were wounded in the attack, authorities said.
Read more here.
A barrage of Russian cruise missiles killed at least five civilians and injured dozens just before dawn on Thursday in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, far from the front lines of the war.
The attack, which local authorities called the worst in Lviv since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, was another demonstration of how civilians are dying every day in Ukraine, despite the Kremlin’s repeated denials that it strikes nonmilitary targets.
Last week, at least 13 people, including a acclaimed writer, were killed when a missile hit a popular restaurant in Kramatorsk, in the eastern Donetsk region.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down seven of 10 Kaliber cruise missiles that were fired from the Black Sea early that morning. Several missiles hit a residential area in Lviv, damaging at least 30 houses and 50 cars. At least 40 people were wounded in the attack, authorities said.
Read more here.
Biden approves cluster munition supply to Ukraine
President Biden has approved the provision of U.S. cluster munitions for Ukraine, with drawdown of the weapons from Defense Department stocks due to be announced Friday.
The move, which will bypass U.S. law prohibiting the production, use or transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1 percent, comes amid concerns about Kyiv’s lagging counteroffensive against entrenched Russian troops and dwindling Western stocks of conventional artillery.
It follows months of internal administration debate over whether to supply the controversial munitions, which are banned by most countries in the world.
Read the full story here.
President Biden has approved the provision of U.S. cluster munitions for Ukraine, with drawdown of the weapons from Defense Department stocks due to be announced Friday.
The move, which will bypass U.S. law prohibiting the production, use or transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1 percent, comes amid concerns about Kyiv’s lagging counteroffensive against entrenched Russian troops and dwindling Western stocks of conventional artillery.
It follows months of internal administration debate over whether to supply the controversial munitions, which are banned by most countries in the world.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The White House has approved providing Ukraine with cluster munitions and is set to announce a drawdown of the weapons from the Defense Department on Friday.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are scheduled to meet in Istanbul for talks likely to focus on Sweden’s bid for NATO membership and a soon-to-expire grain deal with Russia.
- Questions remain about the agreement under which the militia leader at the helm of a failed rebellion against Russian defense officials avoided insurgency charges.
- The European Union has moved toward a deal to use half a billion euros ($544 million) from its budget to ramp up production of ammunition and missiles.
- The Czech Republic pledged to send more attack helicopters and large-caliber ammunition to Ukraine.
More live updates here.
- The White House has approved providing Ukraine with cluster munitions and is set to announce a drawdown of the weapons from the Defense Department on Friday.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are scheduled to meet in Istanbul for talks likely to focus on Sweden’s bid for NATO membership and a soon-to-expire grain deal with Russia.
- Questions remain about the agreement under which the militia leader at the helm of a failed rebellion against Russian defense officials avoided insurgency charges.
- The European Union has moved toward a deal to use half a billion euros ($544 million) from its budget to ramp up production of ammunition and missiles.
- The Czech Republic pledged to send more attack helicopters and large-caliber ammunition to Ukraine.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Human rights groups criticized the U.S. move on cluster munitions, describing the weapons, which can leave behind unexploded ordnance that can kill years after a conflict ends, as a “grave threat to civilian lives” that “would inevitably cause long-term suffering.”
- Germany’s foreign minister said Friday that Berlin opposes sending cluster munitions to Ukraine, shortly after the United States committed to doing so, Reuters reported.
- Despite Zelensky’s last-minute appeals, “Ukraine will not be joining NATO” at the alliance’s upcoming summit in Lithuania, Sullivan said at a briefing on Friday.
- Talks between former U.S. officials and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not serve any diplomatic purpose, even indirectly, Sullivan said.
More live updates here.
- Human rights groups criticized the U.S. move on cluster munitions, describing the weapons, which can leave behind unexploded ordnance that can kill years after a conflict ends, as a “grave threat to civilian lives” that “would inevitably cause long-term suffering.”
- Germany’s foreign minister said Friday that Berlin opposes sending cluster munitions to Ukraine, shortly after the United States committed to doing so, Reuters reported.
- Despite Zelensky’s last-minute appeals, “Ukraine will not be joining NATO” at the alliance’s upcoming summit in Lithuania, Sullivan said at a briefing on Friday.
- Talks between former U.S. officials and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not serve any diplomatic purpose, even indirectly, Sullivan said.
More live updates here.
Ukraine wants and expects an invitation to join NATO. Allies are not sure.
KYIV, Ukraine — Top Ukrainian officials are hoping that next week’s NATO leaders’ summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, will be an epic moment — when Ukraine finally receives a “clear signal” that it will eventually join the alliance, anchoring the country in the West’s security infrastructure and sending an unequivocal message to Moscow.
Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, said the summit “must end” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg “standing next to each other” and proclaiming, in Sak’s words: “Today, we have reached a historical decision. Today, we have invited Ukraine to join NATO.”
“Then everyone drinks champagne,” Sak said.
But just days before leaders arrive in the Lithuanian capital, it’s far from clear that corks will be popping — or that there are even any bottles to put on ice.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Top Ukrainian officials are hoping that next week’s NATO leaders’ summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, will be an epic moment — when Ukraine finally receives a “clear signal” that it will eventually join the alliance, anchoring the country in the West’s security infrastructure and sending an unequivocal message to Moscow.
Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, said the summit “must end” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg “standing next to each other” and proclaiming, in Sak’s words: “Today, we have reached a historical decision. Today, we have invited Ukraine to join NATO.”
“Then everyone drinks champagne,” Sak said.
But just days before leaders arrive in the Lithuanian capital, it’s far from clear that corks will be popping — or that there are even any bottles to put on ice.
Read the full story here.
Russia makes a land grab ... in Canberra, Australia
RIGA, Latvia — A Russian embassy staffer has been squatting for days on the planned construction site of a new embassy building in Canberra, the Australian capital, after the government last week evicted Russia from the site for security reasons.
Dragging on his cigarette, wearing blue sweatpants and a navy puffer jacket, the staffer, who has not been identified, emerges from a small temporary cabin only to smoke and take food deliveries, Australian media reported. He did not respond to shouted questions from a journalist.
“This is just wild. It’s almost unheard of,” opposition lawmaker Keith Pitt told Sky News. “You can’t just occupy territory and then claim it,” Pitt said, drawing a comparison to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine where the Kremlin aims to annex four regions.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — A Russian embassy staffer has been squatting for days on the planned construction site of a new embassy building in Canberra, the Australian capital, after the government last week evicted Russia from the site for security reasons.
Dragging on his cigarette, wearing blue sweatpants and a navy puffer jacket, the staffer, who has not been identified, emerges from a small temporary cabin only to smoke and take food deliveries, Australian media reported. He did not respond to shouted questions from a journalist.
“This is just wild. It’s almost unheard of,” opposition lawmaker Keith Pitt told Sky News. “You can’t just occupy territory and then claim it,” Pitt said, drawing a comparison to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine where the Kremlin aims to annex four regions.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest on Ukraine:
- An apparent renegotiation between Ukraine and Turkey allowed for the return of the Azov Brigade commanders, who defended a steel plant in the southern port city of Mariupol last year during a nearly three-month siege.
- At this week’s NATO summit, Biden faces the challenge of uniting allies as divisions over the Ukraine war mount.
- The leaders of Britain, Germany and Spain said they would not send cluster munitions to Ukraine, following the U.S. decision.
- The NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday and Wednesday will take place under high security, with nearly 1,000 troops from 16 members countries and advanced air defense systems pressed in service, Reuters reported.
- Portugal supports Ukraine’s NATO candidacy, a joint statement issued by Portugal and Ukraine said Saturday, following a phone call between the countries’ leaders.
More live updates here.
- An apparent renegotiation between Ukraine and Turkey allowed for the return of the Azov Brigade commanders, who defended a steel plant in the southern port city of Mariupol last year during a nearly three-month siege.
- At this week’s NATO summit, Biden faces the challenge of uniting allies as divisions over the Ukraine war mount.
- The leaders of Britain, Germany and Spain said they would not send cluster munitions to Ukraine, following the U.S. decision.
- The NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday and Wednesday will take place under high security, with nearly 1,000 troops from 16 members countries and advanced air defense systems pressed in service, Reuters reported.
- Portugal supports Ukraine’s NATO candidacy, a joint statement issued by Portugal and Ukraine said Saturday, following a phone call between the countries’ leaders.
More live updates here.
Kremlin smears Wagner boss Prigozhin, hailing Putin as Russia’s savior
The Kremlin does not speak his name.
Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin is threatened with political erasure, the modern-day equivalent of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s purging of enemies from official photographs.
The Kremlin’s powerful propaganda apparatus is in overdrive working to discredit Prigozhin and to project President Vladimir Putin as the wise leader who saved Russia from civil war and proved the “maturity” and strength of his state, just in time for summer vacation.
In a rash of coordinated reports smearing Prigozhin on state television and in pro-Kremlin media, Putin’s spinmasters are once again manipulating public sentiment, this time to overcome perceptions of weakness in Putin’s decision to drop insurgency charges in connection with the Wagner rebellion, and to deal with a serious political problem: Prigozhin’s popularity among hard line, pro-war nationalists.
Read more here.
The Kremlin does not speak his name.
Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin is threatened with political erasure, the modern-day equivalent of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s purging of enemies from official photographs.
The Kremlin’s powerful propaganda apparatus is in overdrive working to discredit Prigozhin and to project President Vladimir Putin as the wise leader who saved Russia from civil war and proved the “maturity” and strength of his state, just in time for summer vacation.
In a rash of coordinated reports smearing Prigozhin on state television and in pro-Kremlin media, Putin’s spinmasters are once again manipulating public sentiment, this time to overcome perceptions of weakness in Putin’s decision to drop insurgency charges in connection with the Wagner rebellion, and to deal with a serious political problem: Prigozhin’s popularity among hard line, pro-war nationalists.
Read more here.
Ukraine pushes to reclaim Bakhmut, fighting on fallen city’s flanks
TORETSK, Ukraine — Everything was set for a nighttime mortar attack by a Ukrainian special forces team close to the Russian front line.
A four-man squad assembled a fire base in the blasted remains of a kindergarten in a village near here, about 18 miles south of Bakhmut, while another reconnoitered nearby.
The moon was up. The night was still. The sky was clear — all excellent conditions to pinpoint a mortar strike or float a drone so close to Russian front lines that incoming Ukrainian artillery could be heard whistling on the ride down.
“We will find them with the drone, and we will hit them,” said Lisnyk, the Ukrainian special forces team leader, who requested to be identified by his call sign in keeping with military protocol. “If we don’t find them, we’ll look elsewhere.”
Read the full story here.
TORETSK, Ukraine — Everything was set for a nighttime mortar attack by a Ukrainian special forces team close to the Russian front line.
A four-man squad assembled a fire base in the blasted remains of a kindergarten in a village near here, about 18 miles south of Bakhmut, while another reconnoitered nearby.
The moon was up. The night was still. The sky was clear — all excellent conditions to pinpoint a mortar strike or float a drone so close to Russian front lines that incoming Ukrainian artillery could be heard whistling on the ride down.
“We will find them with the drone, and we will hit them,” said Lisnyk, the Ukrainian special forces team leader, who requested to be identified by his call sign in keeping with military protocol. “If we don’t find them, we’ll look elsewhere.”
Read the full story here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met mercenary leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin in Moscow, five days after Wagner rebellion
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group mercenary boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin and 35 of his commanders on June 29 in Moscow, five days after Wagner’s brief mutiny aimed at ousting the country’s top military officials, who were criticized by Prigozhin for botching the invasion of Ukraine.
In the meeting, which lasted about three hours, Putin “gave his assessment” of the private military company’s fighting record in Ukraine as well as its actions on the day of the mutiny, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday in a conference call with reporters.
“The president listened to the commanders’ explanations and offered them options for further employment options and combat application,” Peskov said, without offering more detail.
More live updates here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group mercenary boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin and 35 of his commanders on June 29 in Moscow, five days after Wagner’s brief mutiny aimed at ousting the country’s top military officials, who were criticized by Prigozhin for botching the invasion of Ukraine.
In the meeting, which lasted about three hours, Putin “gave his assessment” of the private military company’s fighting record in Ukraine as well as its actions on the day of the mutiny, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday in a conference call with reporters.
“The president listened to the commanders’ explanations and offered them options for further employment options and combat application,” Peskov said, without offering more detail.
More live updates here.
Outliers Turkey, Hungary threaten NATO unity in standoff with Russia
When the leaders of NATO nations gather in Lithuania this week, President Biden and his closest allies will endeavor to send Russia a forceful message: that the West is united against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
But jeopardizing their show of cohesion will be some of the same leaders joining Biden for the Vilnius summit, whose refusal to admit Sweden as the 31-nation bloc’s newest member underscores the divisions that could erode NATO’s deterrent power amid a dangerous standoff with Moscow.
While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have cited differing objections to the entry of Sweden, whose advanced military will boost NATO’s combat power, their shared status as holdouts highlights the ability of any member state to disrupt widely supported alliance priorities.
Read the full story here.
When the leaders of NATO nations gather in Lithuania this week, President Biden and his closest allies will endeavor to send Russia a forceful message: that the West is united against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
But jeopardizing their show of cohesion will be some of the same leaders joining Biden for the Vilnius summit, whose refusal to admit Sweden as the 31-nation bloc’s newest member underscores the divisions that could erode NATO’s deterrent power amid a dangerous standoff with Moscow.
While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have cited differing objections to the entry of Sweden, whose advanced military will boost NATO’s combat power, their shared status as holdouts highlights the ability of any member state to disrupt widely supported alliance priorities.
Read the full story here.
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Biden and Sunak pledge support for Ukraine ahead of NATO summit
LONDON — President Biden kicked off his high-stakes visit to Europe with a first stop in London to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, where the two leaders emphasized the importance of “providing the support Ukraine needs to win this war and secure a just and lasting peace,” according to a 10 Downing Street spokesman.
While the war in Ukraine, slogging through its second year, was expected to dominate Biden’s trip to Europe, his one-day visit to Britain touched on a broader array of topics, including the environment, energy supplies, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. Biden also met with the new king.
It was Biden’s first meeting with Charles III since his coronation, and aides said the two men used the time to discuss something on which they largely agree: the need to boost private-sector investment in combating climate change.
Read the full story here.
LONDON — President Biden kicked off his high-stakes visit to Europe with a first stop in London to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, where the two leaders emphasized the importance of “providing the support Ukraine needs to win this war and secure a just and lasting peace,” according to a 10 Downing Street spokesman.
While the war in Ukraine, slogging through its second year, was expected to dominate Biden’s trip to Europe, his one-day visit to Britain touched on a broader array of topics, including the environment, energy supplies, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. Biden also met with the new king.
It was Biden’s first meeting with Charles III since his coronation, and aides said the two men used the time to discuss something on which they largely agree: the need to boost private-sector investment in combating climate change.
Read the full story here.
White House defends sending up to hundreds of thousands of cluster shells to Ukraine
Ukrainian forces are “running out of ammunition,” President Biden said Friday as the administration announced it will send potentially hundreds of thousands of controversial cluster munitions to fuel Ukraine’s efforts to break through Russian defensive lines.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the White House spent “quite some time” weighing the risks to civilians of cluster shells, each of which spreads dozens to hundreds of bomblets over a wide area. Unexploded ordnance, or “duds,” can remain lethal years in the future.
After consultations with allies and lawmakers, Biden’s top advisers unanimously recommended going ahead with the cluster transfer, Sullivan said in a briefing for reporters. He noted that any comparison to Russia’s extensive use of the weapons throughout the war was invalid, since Ukraine was fighting for its own survival against Russian aggression.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian forces are “running out of ammunition,” President Biden said Friday as the administration announced it will send potentially hundreds of thousands of controversial cluster munitions to fuel Ukraine’s efforts to break through Russian defensive lines.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the White House spent “quite some time” weighing the risks to civilians of cluster shells, each of which spreads dozens to hundreds of bomblets over a wide area. Unexploded ordnance, or “duds,” can remain lethal years in the future.
After consultations with allies and lawmakers, Biden’s top advisers unanimously recommended going ahead with the cluster transfer, Sullivan said in a briefing for reporters. He noted that any comparison to Russia’s extensive use of the weapons throughout the war was invalid, since Ukraine was fighting for its own survival against Russian aggression.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin in Moscow five days after his failed mutiny, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
- President Biden is in the United Kingdom, his first stop in a three-nation trip focused in part on rallying the support of U.S. allies for Ukraine.
- Wagner commanders pledged their loyalty to Putin at their meeting with him after the June 24 rebellion, according to Peskov.
- Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally altered relations between Russia and the West, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote in a Foreign Affairs article.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan outlined a new condition for Ankara to approve Sweden’s stalled NATO bid: Progress toward Turkish accession to the E.U.
- Russian attacks have killed more than 170 civilians in Kyiv, including seven children, since the start of the invasion, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Sunday.
More live updates here.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin in Moscow five days after his failed mutiny, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
- President Biden is in the United Kingdom, his first stop in a three-nation trip focused in part on rallying the support of U.S. allies for Ukraine.
- Wagner commanders pledged their loyalty to Putin at their meeting with him after the June 24 rebellion, according to Peskov.
- Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally altered relations between Russia and the West, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote in a Foreign Affairs article.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan outlined a new condition for Ankara to approve Sweden’s stalled NATO bid: Progress toward Turkish accession to the E.U.
- Russian attacks have killed more than 170 civilians in Kyiv, including seven children, since the start of the invasion, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Sunday.
More live updates here.
Turkey drops opposition to Sweden’s NATO bid on eve of summit
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday agreed to support Sweden’s NATO bid, a high-stakes, last-minute reversal that came after a year of obstruction and on the eve of a major alliance summit.
The deal announced Monday in the Lithuanian capital does not confer membership. But if Turkey and fellow holdout Hungary indeed ratify Swedish accession, NATO will grow, cementing a major shift in European security in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“This is a historic day,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, expressing confidence that Erdogan would move quickly to have the Turkish legislature approve the ratification. Hungary has said it does not want to be last to ratify, and Stoltenberg said “that problem will be solved.”
President Biden welcomed the news, saying he looks forward to welcoming Sweden “as our 32nd NATO ally.”
Read the full story here.
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday agreed to support Sweden’s NATO bid, a high-stakes, last-minute reversal that came after a year of obstruction and on the eve of a major alliance summit.
The deal announced Monday in the Lithuanian capital does not confer membership. But if Turkey and fellow holdout Hungary indeed ratify Swedish accession, NATO will grow, cementing a major shift in European security in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“This is a historic day,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, expressing confidence that Erdogan would move quickly to have the Turkish legislature approve the ratification. Hungary has said it does not want to be last to ratify, and Stoltenberg said “that problem will be solved.”
President Biden welcomed the news, saying he looks forward to welcoming Sweden “as our 32nd NATO ally.”
Read the full story here.
Biden, U.S. leaders insist war with Russia must end before Ukraine joins NATO
Ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Lithuania, U.S. leaders are insisting that the war with Russia must end before Ukraine is invited to join the powerful military alliance.
President Biden said during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that aired Sunday that he doesn’t believe there will be “unanimity” on the issue of Ukraine’s membership while the nation remains “in the middle of a war.”
“We’re determined to [protect] every inch of territory that is NATO territory,” Biden said, noting that if Ukraine were part of NATO, it would put the alliance at war with Russia.
Read the full story here.
Ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Lithuania, U.S. leaders are insisting that the war with Russia must end before Ukraine is invited to join the powerful military alliance.
President Biden said during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that aired Sunday that he doesn’t believe there will be “unanimity” on the issue of Ukraine’s membership while the nation remains “in the middle of a war.”
“We’re determined to [protect] every inch of territory that is NATO territory,” Biden said, noting that if Ukraine were part of NATO, it would put the alliance at war with Russia.
Read the full story here.