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Zelensky slams NATO over no clear path to membership, despite Biden unity pitch
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday upended a summit of NATO leaders discussing his country’s potential membership, blasting an agreement for its lack of a concrete timeline for Kyiv to join the alliance as well as the “absurd” process by which it was drafted.
In a fiery tweet, Zelensky frustrated Ukrainian advocates inside the alliance who believed they had secured a win for Kyiv by pushing the United States, Germany and other reluctant countries to consent to “issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when the allies agree and conditions are met,” The language was read out by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after the agreement among NATO’s 31 leaders was made.
Ukraine has demanded a concrete timeline for NATO membership, pushing members to commit to specific steps for making that happen.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday upended a summit of NATO leaders discussing his country’s potential membership, blasting an agreement for its lack of a concrete timeline for Kyiv to join the alliance as well as the “absurd” process by which it was drafted.
In a fiery tweet, Zelensky frustrated Ukrainian advocates inside the alliance who believed they had secured a win for Kyiv by pushing the United States, Germany and other reluctant countries to consent to “issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when the allies agree and conditions are met,” The language was read out by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after the agreement among NATO’s 31 leaders was made.
Ukraine has demanded a concrete timeline for NATO membership, pushing members to commit to specific steps for making that happen.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- VILNIUS, Lithuania — NATO leaders would invite Ukraine to join the military alliance “when the Allies agree and conditions are met,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Tuesday as NATO begins its annual summit in this Baltic nation.
- The U.S. delegation was furious with Zelensky’s tweet, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive diplomatic considerations.
- President Biden will meet with Zelensky at the summit, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday.
- In a boost to the alliance, Turkey dropped its opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership bid on the eve of the summit, paving the path for Stockholm’s eventual inclusion as the bloc’s 32nd member state.
- Biden was generous in his praise for Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, after the Turkish president agreed on Monday to drop his opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership bid.
More live updates here.
- VILNIUS, Lithuania — NATO leaders would invite Ukraine to join the military alliance “when the Allies agree and conditions are met,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Tuesday as NATO begins its annual summit in this Baltic nation.
- The U.S. delegation was furious with Zelensky’s tweet, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive diplomatic considerations.
- President Biden will meet with Zelensky at the summit, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday.
- In a boost to the alliance, Turkey dropped its opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership bid on the eve of the summit, paving the path for Stockholm’s eventual inclusion as the bloc’s 32nd member state.
- Biden was generous in his praise for Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, after the Turkish president agreed on Monday to drop his opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership bid.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- As the second day of the NATO summit got underway, Ukraine’s allies indicated that they would provide Ukraine with security guarantees to bolster the country’s defenses in the long term. “The United States, along with G-7 leaders, will announce our intent to help Ukraine build a military that can defend itself and deter future attack,” Amanda Sloat, National Security Council Director for Europe, said Wednesday.
- The long-term security agreement for Ukraine that allies expect to announce Wednesday should be coupled with measures to support Ukraine’s path to NATO membership, the United Kingdom said. This “will send a strong signal to President Putin and return peace to Europe,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the alliance agreed to exempt Ukraine from the Membership Action Plan process that most prospective members must follow.
More live updates here.
- As the second day of the NATO summit got underway, Ukraine’s allies indicated that they would provide Ukraine with security guarantees to bolster the country’s defenses in the long term. “The United States, along with G-7 leaders, will announce our intent to help Ukraine build a military that can defend itself and deter future attack,” Amanda Sloat, National Security Council Director for Europe, said Wednesday.
- The long-term security agreement for Ukraine that allies expect to announce Wednesday should be coupled with measures to support Ukraine’s path to NATO membership, the United Kingdom said. This “will send a strong signal to President Putin and return peace to Europe,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the alliance agreed to exempt Ukraine from the Membership Action Plan process that most prospective members must follow.
More live updates here.
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Four maps explain how Sweden and Finland could alter NATO’s security
Sweden’s path to joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization appeared clearer this week when Turkey, after months of stalling, agreed to let the Scandinavian country enter the alliance.
Over more than 70 years, NATO has grown to an alliance of more than 30 countries. Founded in 1949 to counterbalance the growing power of the Soviet Union, NATO — long a source of tension between the West and Russia — has reasserted itself as a significant and unified force against Moscow since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland, a traditionally neutral nation, officially joined the alliance in April, after submitting a request along with Sweden in response to the war.
Analysts say the move will transform Europe’s security landscape for years to come — and further strain relations with Russia, which opposes the alliance’s eastern expansion.
Read the full story here.
Sweden’s path to joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization appeared clearer this week when Turkey, after months of stalling, agreed to let the Scandinavian country enter the alliance.
Over more than 70 years, NATO has grown to an alliance of more than 30 countries. Founded in 1949 to counterbalance the growing power of the Soviet Union, NATO — long a source of tension between the West and Russia — has reasserted itself as a significant and unified force against Moscow since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland, a traditionally neutral nation, officially joined the alliance in April, after submitting a request along with Sweden in response to the war.
Analysts say the move will transform Europe’s security landscape for years to come — and further strain relations with Russia, which opposes the alliance’s eastern expansion.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- President Biden delivered a sweeping speech at Lithuania’s Vilnius University on Wednesday, expressing unremitting support for Ukraine and NATO unity, after day two of the annual summit for NATO leaders.
- Earlier Wednesday, the Group of Seven countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States — issued a joint declaration of “unwavering” support for Ukraine.
- NATO would invite Ukraine to become a member “when allies agree that conditions are met,” Stoltenberg said during the news conference with Zelensky, echoing language from a joint communiqué published Tuesday.
- Yuriy Malashko, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, said Wednesday that 18 people, including six children, were injured in a Russian strike on a bedroom community in Zaporizhzhia city.
More live updates here.
- President Biden delivered a sweeping speech at Lithuania’s Vilnius University on Wednesday, expressing unremitting support for Ukraine and NATO unity, after day two of the annual summit for NATO leaders.
- Earlier Wednesday, the Group of Seven countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States — issued a joint declaration of “unwavering” support for Ukraine.
- NATO would invite Ukraine to become a member “when allies agree that conditions are met,” Stoltenberg said during the news conference with Zelensky, echoing language from a joint communiqué published Tuesday.
- Yuriy Malashko, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, said Wednesday that 18 people, including six children, were injured in a Russian strike on a bedroom community in Zaporizhzhia city.
More live updates here.
At NATO summit, Biden’s caution clashed with calls to draw Ukraine closer
The negotiations about Ukraine’s glidepath toward NATO membership had come down to the wire, and Biden administration officials believed they had finally found a compromise: a vow to ease Kyiv’s membership process, once the wartime situation allows it.
Then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky weighed in with a tweet blasting the draft offer as far too little. It crashed President Biden’s careful balance between two constituencies: his own conviction that a U.S. misstep in Ukraine could start World War III, and the voices channeling Kyiv’s desire to join the fast track to NATO membership.
Zelensky’s intervention midway through NATO’s high-stakes summit here made members of the U.S. delegation “furious,” one official said. And it crystallized a broader tension facing Biden as Ukraine’s counteroffensive runs up against entrenched Russian defenses: The United States is by far Kyiv’s biggest military backer.
Read the full story here.
The negotiations about Ukraine’s glidepath toward NATO membership had come down to the wire, and Biden administration officials believed they had finally found a compromise: a vow to ease Kyiv’s membership process, once the wartime situation allows it.
Then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky weighed in with a tweet blasting the draft offer as far too little. It crashed President Biden’s careful balance between two constituencies: his own conviction that a U.S. misstep in Ukraine could start World War III, and the voices channeling Kyiv’s desire to join the fast track to NATO membership.
Zelensky’s intervention midway through NATO’s high-stakes summit here made members of the U.S. delegation “furious,” one official said. And it crystallized a broader tension facing Biden as Ukraine’s counteroffensive runs up against entrenched Russian defenses: The United States is by far Kyiv’s biggest military backer.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- President Biden is in Finland — NATO’s newest member state — for a summit with Nordic leaders. It follows a two-day NATO summit this week, which “put to rest any doubts” about Ukraine’s future membership in NATO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address, despite the lack of a concrete timeline that Zelensky had earlier described as “absurd.”
- In Russia, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov claimed he was forced to retire after highlighting problems with the army fighting in Ukraine, according to a voice message published by a Russian lawmaker.
- The Group of Seven pledged to provide Kyiv with security assistance and modern military equipment. Its member states will prioritize supplying air defense, armored vehicles, and artillery and long-range weapons, their leaders said in a statement.
- The Wagner mercenary group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, Moscow said.
More live updates here.
- President Biden is in Finland — NATO’s newest member state — for a summit with Nordic leaders. It follows a two-day NATO summit this week, which “put to rest any doubts” about Ukraine’s future membership in NATO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address, despite the lack of a concrete timeline that Zelensky had earlier described as “absurd.”
- In Russia, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov claimed he was forced to retire after highlighting problems with the army fighting in Ukraine, according to a voice message published by a Russian lawmaker.
- The Group of Seven pledged to provide Kyiv with security assistance and modern military equipment. Its member states will prioritize supplying air defense, armored vehicles, and artillery and long-range weapons, their leaders said in a statement.
- The Wagner mercenary group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, Moscow said.
More live updates here.
Russia fires top commander in Ukraine who criticized Defense Ministry
A top Russian general leading Moscow’s forces in occupied southern Ukraine said he was abruptly removed from his post after he criticized the Russian Defense Ministry.
Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is active in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, recorded an appeal to servicemen that was published late Wednesday on the Telegram channel of Andrei Gurulev, a deputy in the State Duma (Russia’s lower house of parliament).
In the recording, Popov said he was dismissed “one day” after he “outlined all the problems existing in the army in terms of combat work and support” and expressed this criticism to figures “at the very top.”
Read the full story here.
A top Russian general leading Moscow’s forces in occupied southern Ukraine said he was abruptly removed from his post after he criticized the Russian Defense Ministry.
Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is active in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, recorded an appeal to servicemen that was published late Wednesday on the Telegram channel of Andrei Gurulev, a deputy in the State Duma (Russia’s lower house of parliament).
In the recording, Popov said he was dismissed “one day” after he “outlined all the problems existing in the army in terms of combat work and support” and expressed this criticism to figures “at the very top.”
Read the full story here.
Exclusive: Zelensky’s angry tweet on NATO membership nearly backfired
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s confrontational tweet this week challenging NATO leaders on the glacial pace of his war-torn country’s admission into the alliance so roiled the White House that U.S. officials involved with the process considered scaling back the “invitation” for Kyiv to join, according to six people familiar with the matter.
Ultimately, the United States and its allies agreed they would preserve the declaration’s language as eventually presented Tuesday at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The declaration lacks a timeline for Ukraine’s membership into the bloc but was the product of hard-won efforts to move the Biden administration and other European leaders to grant more-specific offers to Kyiv amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Read the full story here.
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s confrontational tweet this week challenging NATO leaders on the glacial pace of his war-torn country’s admission into the alliance so roiled the White House that U.S. officials involved with the process considered scaling back the “invitation” for Kyiv to join, according to six people familiar with the matter.
Ultimately, the United States and its allies agreed they would preserve the declaration’s language as eventually presented Tuesday at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The declaration lacks a timeline for Ukraine’s membership into the bloc but was the product of hard-won efforts to move the Biden administration and other European leaders to grant more-specific offers to Kyiv amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Exclusive: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s fiery response to NATO’s conditions-based pledge in Vilnius touched off a scramble — and brief consideration of watering down what Kyiv would be offered, officials said.
- President Biden is in Finland — NATO’s newest member state — for a summit with Nordic leaders.
- In Russia, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov claimed he was forced to retire after highlighting problems with the army fighting in Ukraine, according to a voice message published by a Russian lawmaker.
- The Group of Seven pledged to provide Kyiv with security assistance and modern military equipment.
- The Wagner mercenary group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, Moscow said.
- Moscow would regard Ukraine’s Western allies supplying it with F-16 fighter jets as a “nuclear” threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
More live updates here.
- Exclusive: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s fiery response to NATO’s conditions-based pledge in Vilnius touched off a scramble — and brief consideration of watering down what Kyiv would be offered, officials said.
- President Biden is in Finland — NATO’s newest member state — for a summit with Nordic leaders.
- In Russia, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov claimed he was forced to retire after highlighting problems with the army fighting in Ukraine, according to a voice message published by a Russian lawmaker.
- The Group of Seven pledged to provide Kyiv with security assistance and modern military equipment.
- The Wagner mercenary group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, Moscow said.
- Moscow would regard Ukraine’s Western allies supplying it with F-16 fighter jets as a “nuclear” threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The Pentagon has assessed that Wagner, the Russian mercenary group that conducted a brief but dramatic mutiny against the Kremlin last month, is not “participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine.”
- U.S.-supplied cluster munitions are now in Ukraine, U.S. Lt. General Douglas A. Sims II, the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s director of operations, told reporters. They have not yet been used, Ukrainian Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, told CNN.
- Ukrainian forces will seek to use cluster munitions “in a tactical environment,” unlike Russia, which has employed the munitions “against civilian communities,” Sims said.
- President Biden authorized the Pentagon to mobilize up to 3,000 reservists for duty in Europe. Pentagon officials said the move would not increase the overall level of U.S. troops in Europe, which stands at about 80,000, but could alter its makeup by allowing commanders to deploy additional reservists.
More live updates here.
- The Pentagon has assessed that Wagner, the Russian mercenary group that conducted a brief but dramatic mutiny against the Kremlin last month, is not “participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine.”
- U.S.-supplied cluster munitions are now in Ukraine, U.S. Lt. General Douglas A. Sims II, the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s director of operations, told reporters. They have not yet been used, Ukrainian Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, told CNN.
- Ukrainian forces will seek to use cluster munitions “in a tactical environment,” unlike Russia, which has employed the munitions “against civilian communities,” Sims said.
- President Biden authorized the Pentagon to mobilize up to 3,000 reservists for duty in Europe. Pentagon officials said the move would not increase the overall level of U.S. troops in Europe, which stands at about 80,000, but could alter its makeup by allowing commanders to deploy additional reservists.
More live updates here.
Russia says Wagner has returned tanks, missile systems, weapons, ammo
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that the Wagner Group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, in the latest sign that Moscow is still working to break up the mercenaries’ influence following their dramatic and short-lived mutiny last month.
The ministry released a video that it said showed staff inspecting some of the more than 2,000 pieces of equipment and 2,750 tons of ammunition. The haul included tanks, Pantsir and other missile systems, and around 20,000 small arms, the ministry said.
The Washington Post was unable to verify the video or confirm that the weapons featured were used by the Wagner Group.
Read the full story here.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that the Wagner Group has handed over thousands of tons of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Russian army, in the latest sign that Moscow is still working to break up the mercenaries’ influence following their dramatic and short-lived mutiny last month.
The ministry released a video that it said showed staff inspecting some of the more than 2,000 pieces of equipment and 2,750 tons of ammunition. The haul included tanks, Pantsir and other missile systems, and around 20,000 small arms, the ministry said.
The Washington Post was unable to verify the video or confirm that the weapons featured were used by the Wagner Group.
Read the full story here.
Greece request for U.S. fighter jets sticking point for Turkey’s F-16s
Turkey’s agreement this week to allow Sweden to become a NATO member, in apparent exchange for President Biden’s willingness to push forward Ankara’s long-stalled purchase of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, may not be the end of the issue.
There is another NATO member in the eastern Mediterranean that also wants to buy sopisticated American aircraft, and U.S. lawmakers from both parties say that one deal should not go forward without the other.
Greece — Turkey’s longtime regional rival — wants F-35s, the most advanced U.S. fighter jets, a pending purchase that has been in limbo. And though senior members of Congress appear to have softened their opposition to Turkey’s F-16 request following Ankara’s agreement to drop its objections to Sweden’s NATO accession, they have linked the two deals.
Read the full story here.
Turkey’s agreement this week to allow Sweden to become a NATO member, in apparent exchange for President Biden’s willingness to push forward Ankara’s long-stalled purchase of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, may not be the end of the issue.
There is another NATO member in the eastern Mediterranean that also wants to buy sopisticated American aircraft, and U.S. lawmakers from both parties say that one deal should not go forward without the other.
Greece — Turkey’s longtime regional rival — wants F-35s, the most advanced U.S. fighter jets, a pending purchase that has been in limbo. And though senior members of Congress appear to have softened their opposition to Turkey’s F-16 request following Ankara’s agreement to drop its objections to Sweden’s NATO accession, they have linked the two deals.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The Russian mercenary group Wagner, which conducted a brief but dramatic rebellion against the Kremlin last month, is now training troops in neighboring Belarus, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense said Friday.
- Putin said he laid out options for the Wagner Group’s future five days after the rebellion, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.
- A suspected Russian spy has been extradited to the United States from Estonia to face charges of providing American-made electronics and ammunition to the Russian military.
- Zelensky infuriated U.S. officials with a tweet challenging NATO leaders on the pace of his war-torn country’s admission into the alliance, roiling the White House, The Post reported.
- Russia says its unfair that its athletes will not be invited to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
More live updates here.
- The Russian mercenary group Wagner, which conducted a brief but dramatic rebellion against the Kremlin last month, is now training troops in neighboring Belarus, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense said Friday.
- Putin said he laid out options for the Wagner Group’s future five days after the rebellion, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.
- A suspected Russian spy has been extradited to the United States from Estonia to face charges of providing American-made electronics and ammunition to the Russian military.
- Zelensky infuriated U.S. officials with a tweet challenging NATO leaders on the pace of his war-torn country’s admission into the alliance, roiling the White House, The Post reported.
- Russia says its unfair that its athletes will not be invited to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The United Nations said that, since June 27, no new ships have been allowed into the Black Sea corridor protected by the expiring grain deal, a vital passageway for grain from Ukraine to make its way to vulnerable parts of the world.
- Putin said that he offered Wagner fighters a chance to stay together under the command of a different leader, in his interview with Kommersant.
- The Wagner Group is now reportedly training troops in neighboring Belarus, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense said in a statement Friday, describing the Wagner fighters as “instructors in a number of military disciplines.”
- Zelensky said Friday that he partook in the Allen & Co. Sun Valley Conference, which is sometimes called “summer camp for billionaires.”
- Russia is “investing everything they can” to stop Ukraine from reclaiming territory in the east and south, Zelensky said in his nightly address.
More live updates here.
- The United Nations said that, since June 27, no new ships have been allowed into the Black Sea corridor protected by the expiring grain deal, a vital passageway for grain from Ukraine to make its way to vulnerable parts of the world.
- Putin said that he offered Wagner fighters a chance to stay together under the command of a different leader, in his interview with Kommersant.
- The Wagner Group is now reportedly training troops in neighboring Belarus, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense said in a statement Friday, describing the Wagner fighters as “instructors in a number of military disciplines.”
- Zelensky said Friday that he partook in the Allen & Co. Sun Valley Conference, which is sometimes called “summer camp for billionaires.”
- Russia is “investing everything they can” to stop Ukraine from reclaiming territory in the east and south, Zelensky said in his nightly address.
More live updates here.
Pentagon may activate up to 3,000 reservists for Russia deterrence
President Biden on Thursday authorized the Pentagon to mobilize up to 3,000 military reservists for duty in Europe, signaling the toll that ongoing efforts to deter Russia and reassure NATO allies is taking on a force deployed across the continent since war erupted in Ukraine early last year.
It was not immediately clear when the Defense Department will send additional reservists to Europe under the new authority, which Biden announced Thursday in a statement.
Pentagon officials said the move would not increase the overall level of U.S. troops in Europe, which now stands at about 80,000, but would potentially alter its makeup by allowing commanders to deploy additional reservists. Units that will be deployed had not yet been identified, the officials said.
Read the full story here.
President Biden on Thursday authorized the Pentagon to mobilize up to 3,000 military reservists for duty in Europe, signaling the toll that ongoing efforts to deter Russia and reassure NATO allies is taking on a force deployed across the continent since war erupted in Ukraine early last year.
It was not immediately clear when the Defense Department will send additional reservists to Europe under the new authority, which Biden announced Thursday in a statement.
Pentagon officials said the move would not increase the overall level of U.S. troops in Europe, which now stands at about 80,000, but would potentially alter its makeup by allowing commanders to deploy additional reservists. Units that will be deployed had not yet been identified, the officials said.
Read the full story here.
To defeat Russia, Ukraine’s top commander pushes to fight on his terms
KYIV, Ukraine — A career military man, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny long ago confronted three questions: Am I ready to die? Am I ready to kill? Am I willing to send people to die and kill?
Now, Ukraine’s top commander in a war with a Russian force larger and better-equipped than his own is asking himself a new question: How can I reduce the loss of life? He starts each morning by learning how many soldiers were killed or wounded following his orders the day before. Sometimes he stumbles across a contact in his cellphone who is dead. He refuses to delete them.
Zaluzhny said he’s saving the grieving for later. Mourning now would distract him from his important work as the man Ukrainians trust to keep them safe and Western partners trust with billions in security assistance. Both expect him to re-create Ukraine’s earlier underdog success on the battlefield.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — A career military man, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny long ago confronted three questions: Am I ready to die? Am I ready to kill? Am I willing to send people to die and kill?
Now, Ukraine’s top commander in a war with a Russian force larger and better-equipped than his own is asking himself a new question: How can I reduce the loss of life? He starts each morning by learning how many soldiers were killed or wounded following his orders the day before. Sometimes he stumbles across a contact in his cellphone who is dead. He refuses to delete them.
Zaluzhny said he’s saving the grieving for later. Mourning now would distract him from his important work as the man Ukrainians trust to keep them safe and Western partners trust with billions in security assistance. Both expect him to re-create Ukraine’s earlier underdog success on the battlefield.
Read the full story here.
Wagner fighters are in Belarus and training Belarusian troops
The Belarusian defense ministry released video of Wagner Group mercenaries training the country’s conscripts on Friday, the first official confirmation that the group is present on its territory following last month.
Wagner mercenaries, who have fought alongside regular Russian troops in Ukraine, turned against their former comrades June 23 as their chief, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, sought to topple Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov. They marched toward Moscow, occupied military facilities, shot down Russian aircraft and killed Russian service members in the greatest challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s 23-year rule.
Putin agreed to drop insurgency charges in exchange for Prigozhin calling off the rebellion. The Russian president said the mercenaries could either sign contracts with the Russian military to keep fighting in Ukraine, move to Belarus or go home.
Read more here.
The Belarusian defense ministry released video of Wagner Group mercenaries training the country’s conscripts on Friday, the first official confirmation that the group is present on its territory following last month.
Wagner mercenaries, who have fought alongside regular Russian troops in Ukraine, turned against their former comrades June 23 as their chief, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, sought to topple Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov. They marched toward Moscow, occupied military facilities, shot down Russian aircraft and killed Russian service members in the greatest challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s 23-year rule.
Putin agreed to drop insurgency charges in exchange for Prigozhin calling off the rebellion. The Russian president said the mercenaries could either sign contracts with the Russian military to keep fighting in Ukraine, move to Belarus or go home.
Read more here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- British Defense Minister Ben Wallace plans to resign “at the next cabinet reshuffle." He announced his exit during a war that has put Europe on edge.
- The British minister pushed European nations to strengthen NATO funding, according to the Times: “You can’t take for granted your allies and partners,” Wallace said in the interview. “You have to contribute.”
- The United Nations said no new vessels had been allowed to join the Black Sea initiative since June 27, despite applications for 29 ships to join.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin told his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa, that pledges to remove obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer exports had not been fulfilled, according to the Kremlin.
Follow more live updates here.
- British Defense Minister Ben Wallace plans to resign “at the next cabinet reshuffle." He announced his exit during a war that has put Europe on edge.
- The British minister pushed European nations to strengthen NATO funding, according to the Times: “You can’t take for granted your allies and partners,” Wallace said in the interview. “You have to contribute.”
- The United Nations said no new vessels had been allowed to join the Black Sea initiative since June 27, despite applications for 29 ships to join.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin told his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa, that pledges to remove obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer exports had not been fulfilled, according to the Kremlin.
Follow more live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- In his interview, Wallace warned of a dangerous future and said his greatest concern was the possibility of military conflict with Russia.
- He also expressed concerns about China and terrorist groups around the world. “Towards the end of the decade, the world is going to be much more unsafe, more insecure. I think we will find ourselves in a conflict,” he said.
- Wallace, who helped lead the U.K.’s response to the Russian war on Ukraine, has served as Britain’s defense secretary for four years, supporting military aid for Kyiv while pushing European nations to strengthen NATO funding.
- The United Nations said no new vessels have been authorized to join the Black Sea Grain Initiative since June 27, which has added to concerns that Moscow may not renew the deal.
More live updates here.
- In his interview, Wallace warned of a dangerous future and said his greatest concern was the possibility of military conflict with Russia.
- He also expressed concerns about China and terrorist groups around the world. “Towards the end of the decade, the world is going to be much more unsafe, more insecure. I think we will find ourselves in a conflict,” he said.
- Wallace, who helped lead the U.K.’s response to the Russian war on Ukraine, has served as Britain’s defense secretary for four years, supporting military aid for Kyiv while pushing European nations to strengthen NATO funding.
- The United Nations said no new vessels have been authorized to join the Black Sea Grain Initiative since June 27, which has added to concerns that Moscow may not renew the deal.
More live updates here.