Ukraine latest updates: EU approves $507m for Ukrainian arms
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- European Union foreign ministers have agreed to another $507m of funding to supply arms to Ukraine, taking the bloc’s security support to $2.5bn since February.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has renewed his threat to “freeze” the NATO membership bids of both Sweden and Finland unless they comply with Ankara’s conditions.
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- European Union foreign ministers have agreed to another $507m of funding to supply arms to Ukraine, taking the bloc’s security support to $2.5bn since February.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has renewed his threat to “freeze” the NATO membership bids of both Sweden and Finland unless they comply with Ankara’s conditions.
- The European Commission has signed a deal with Azerbaijan to double imports of natural gas to the bloc by 2027.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin says it will be impossible to cut Russia off from the rest of the world despite sweeping sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West.
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These were the updates on Monday, July 18:
Ukraine’s first lady meets US secretary of state
Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska has met with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken as she begins a series of high-profile appearances in Washington, DC that will include a session with her US counterpart Jill Biden.
Zelenska will also deliver remarks to the US Congress on Wednesday, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office said.
Blue and yellow Ukrainian flags flew alongside US ones on Pennsylvania Avenue as Zelenska headed for the meeting with Blinken.
Russian shelling of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine kills six
Russian shelling of a town in eastern Ukraine Monday killed six people, Ukraine’s Emergency Service said.
Rescue workers in blue helmets dug through debris and cleared rubble from a collapsed two-storey building in Toretsk in the industrial east that was struck by Russian artillery early on Monday.
“I had my windows open. There was a huge explosion around 5am [02:00 GMT] – stones and dust,” local resident Nadia told AFP journalists, still shaking.
Emergency services said five people had been pulled dead from the rubble, while a sixth, seriously wounded, had died in hospital.
Toretsk, a town of about 30,000 residents, lies 50km (31 miles) south of Kramatorsk, a key target for Russian forces, who invaded Ukraine in late February.
EU approves another $507m for arms to Ukraine
European Union foreign ministers have agreed to another 500 million euros ($507m) of EU funding to supply arms to Ukraine, taking the bloc’s security support to $2.5bn since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.
“Today at the EU foreign ministers meeting, a political agreement was reached on the fifth tranche of military assistance to Ukraine,” Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde said in a statement.
The money should help the EU continue to jointly buy equipment and supplies for the Ukrainian military, including lethal weaponry, which the bloc has said should be used for defensive purposes.
EU rules normally prevent the bloc from using its seven-year budget to fund military operations, but the so-called European Peace Facility, which has a limit of $5bn, is off budget and can be used to provide military aid.
Why is Zelenskyy sidelining close allies in his administration?
Two top Ukrainian officials have been suspended pending investigations but have not been formally dismissed, a senior presidential aide has said.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ivan Bakanov had been removed as head of the SBU domestic security agency and Iryna Venediktova had been removed as prosecutor general, citing dozens of cases of collaboration with Russia by officials in their agencies.
Doug Klain of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center told Al Jazeera that security breaches during the war are why Zelenskyy had lost confidence in his security chief.
“Just today Ukraine’s [ex-head of Crimea’s SBU] was arrested on charges for high treason and passing intelligence to Russians. He’s one of many high officials in the intelligence services who have been charged with collaborating with the invaders,” he told Al Jazeera.
Read more here.
EU top justice official: Perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine will be prosecuted
It may take years to hold perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine accountable, but those responsible should know the threat of prosecution will hang over them “forever”, European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders has told Reuters news agency.
The European Union’s top justice official spoke as the United States and more than 40 other countries work to align evidence to help prosecutions for atrocities that Russian troops have committed in Ukraine.
“It will be for the next weeks, next months, next years, maybe for the next decades. For some cases, it will be very fast. It will be longer for others,” Reynders said.
“But it is also a clear message to the Russian authorities – the risk of these investigations and prosecutions and trials will hang over them for the rest of their lives. It’s forever.”
Russia’s Gazprom tells Europe gas halts are beyond its control
Gazprom has told customers in Europe it cannot guarantee gas supplies because of “extraordinary” circumstances, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
Dated July 14, the letter from the Russian state gas company said it was declaring force majeure on supplies, starting from June 14, Reuters reported.
Known as an “act of God” clause, force majeure is standard in business contracts and spells out extreme circumstances that excuse a party from its legal obligations.
Germany rejects Russian explanation for gas supply cut
Germany’s government has said that a turbine at the centre of uncertainty about future gas deliveries through a major pipeline from Russia to Europe was only supposed to be installed in September, underlining its insistence that there should be no technical obstacle to the gas flow.
“We don’t see technical reasons,” Ministry for Economic Affairs spokeswoman Beate Baron told reporters in Berlin. “Our information is that this turbine is a replacement turbine that was earmarked for use in September but, again, we are doing everything to take away possible pretexts for the Russian side.”
Meanwhile, Germany’s biggest importer of Russian gas said it had received a letter from Russia’s Gazprom claiming “force majeure” – events beyond its control – as the reason for past and current shortfalls in gas deliveries, a claim that the customer rejected.
Gazprom reduced gas deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany by 60 percent last month. The state-owned gas company cited alleged technical problems involving equipment that partner Siemens Energy sent to Canada for overhaul and couldn’t be returned because of sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Nord Stream 1 shut down altogether for annual maintenance on July 11. German officials are concerned that Russia may not resume gas deliveries at all after the scheduled end of that work on Thursday, and could cite another alleged technical reason not to do so.
As Russia wages war, Poland’s role in NATO evolves
As the war in Ukraine grinds on, Poland is becoming an increasingly valuable NATO member.
Firmly on Kyiv’s side, the central European nation shares borders with Ukraine, Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad, and Belarus, and is a bulwark against Moscow’s aggression on the transatlantic security alliance’s eastern flank.
Ukraine names new acting head of security agency
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed an experienced security official and corruption fighter as the acting head of the domestic security agency after abruptly sidelining his predecessor.
Zelenskyy signed a decree appointing Vasyl Maliuk as acting chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (Sluzhba Bespeky Ukrayiny, or SBU), one day after the president suspended childhood friend Ivan Bakanov over what Zelenskyy portrayed as a failure to root out treason in the agency.
Maliuk, 39, had been the first deputy head of the SBU since March 2020 and headed the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organised Crime of the SBU’s Central Directorate, according to his profile on the SBU website.
Ukraine urges EU not to fall for ‘trap’ of giving ground to Putin
Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has warned his European Union counterparts against any temptation to loosen their sanctions on Russia or give in to the demands of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Backing down and bowing to his demands will not work, it has never worked. This is a trap,” Kuleba told a meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers on Monday, according to remarks shared with reporters.
Read more here.
Turkey will ‘freeze’ Finland, Sweden’s NATO bids if promises unkept: Erdogan
Turkey’s president says Ankara will “freeze” Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership bids if the Nordic countries do not keep promises on “terrorism” made last month.
“I want to reiterate once again that we will freeze the process if these countries do not take the necessary steps to fulfil our conditions,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters.
“We particularly note that Sweden does not have a good image on this issue,” he added.
Finland and Sweden applied for membership in the transatlantic military alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but were initially met with opposition from Turkey, which accused the Nordic countries of supporting groups it deems to be “terrorists”.
The three countries signed an accord at the NATO summit in Madrid last month to lift Ankara’s veto in exchange for pledges on “counter-terrorism” and arms exports.
Countries seeking to join the NATO alliance must have their membership applications approved by all 30 existing member states, and ratified by the countries’ respective parliaments.
Russia fines Google $370m over alleged content violations
A Russian court has fined Alphabet’s Google 21.1 billion roubles ($373m) over what it described as repeated failures to remove content that Moscow deems illegal, according to state communications regulator Roskomnadzor.
Roskomnadzor said in June that Alphabet’s video platform YouTube was deliberately spreading false information about the conflict in Ukraine, and had permitted content promoting extremist views and calls for children to participate in unauthorised protests.
Russia’s Dozhd TV station announces relaunch from abroad
Russian independent TV station Dozhd (TV Rain) says it is due to resume broadcasting on Monday evening from abroad after being forced to shut its Moscow studio following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Dozhd said in a statement on Monday that it had received a European Union broadcasting licence and would be working from studios in Latvia, France and the Netherlands – as well as Georgia, where many Russians uncomfortable with the invasion have moved since February.
It will also stream on YouTube, which is not censored in Russia and is likely to be the only way most people in Russia will be able to see it.
“Due to the repressive laws and military censorship adopted in Russia, we were forced to leave our homes. Now we are resuming our work from outside the country,” Dozhd’s statement said.
On March 1, Russia’s communications watchdog announced it was blocking Dozhd’s output, accusing it of spreading “deliberately false information about the actions of Russian military personnel” in Ukraine. The next day, Dozhd announced that its team had left Russia.
Ukraine accuses Russia of mistreating captured foreign fighters
Ukraine’s foreign ministry has accused Russia of illegally mistreating foreign fighters captured by Moscow’s forces and using them for political purposes.
The ministry also called on Moscow to ensure foreigners taken prisoner of war while battling on Kyiv’s behalf amid the conflict were given humane treatment.
It urged Russia to adhere strictly to the provisions of international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which define international legal standards for humanitarian treatment.
The ministry also said “all foreign citizens and stateless persons” fighting for Ukraine on Ukrainian territory had been voluntarily accepted for military service, and that international humanitarian law should apply to them.
Italy eyes increased gas supplies from Algeria
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has said that gas supplies from Algeria to Italy will become more significant in the coming years as Rome seeks to reduce its reliance on Russia for energy.
Draghi said Italy was a “privileged partner” of Algeria and that the two countries were also cooperating in the development of renewable energy following a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Algiers.
Kremlin: Putin, Erdogan to discuss Ukrainian grain exports
Putin and Erdogan will discuss the export of Ukrainian grain at their meeting in Tehran on Tuesday, a Kremlin aide has told reporters.
“The issue of Ukrainian grain shipment will be discussed with Erdogan … We are ready to continue work on this track,” Yuriy Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to Putin, said.
Ushakov’s remarks came amid expectations that Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations will sign a deal later this week aimed at resuming the shipping of grain from Ukraine across the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, until now the main conduit for its agricultural exports, have been blocked since Russia began what it terms its “special military operation” in Ukraine in late February.
EU reaches deal with Azerbaijan to double gas imports by 2027
The European Commission has signed a deal with Azerbaijan to double imports of Azeri natural gas to at least 20 billion cubic metres a year by 2027.
“Today, with this new Memorandum of Understanding, we are opening a new chapter in our energy cooperation with Azerbaijan, a key partner in our efforts to move away from Russian fossil fuels,” von der Leyen said.
The EU is seeking alternative suppliers to Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine.
Azerbaijan is already increasing deliveries of natural gas to the EU from 8.1 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2021 to an expected 12bcm in 2022, the Commission said.
Turkey says meeting on Ukraine grain exports expected this week
Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations will most likely meet this week to discuss resuming Ukraine’s Black Sea grain exports, Turkey’s defence minister has said.
Hulusi Akar said on Monday there was an agreement on “a plan” and “general principles” regarding the export corridor, and added a meeting between all parties to discuss the details of the proposal was “probable” this week.
He said technical matters like forming a monitoring centre in Istanbul, identifying safe routes, and checkpoints at port exits and entries were on the agenda.
Last week, Akar said Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN would sign a deal this week on the grain exports corridor, but UN chief Antonio Guterres warned there was still “a long way to go” before there would be peace talks to end the war.
Putin says Russia cannot be cut off from rest of world
Putin has said it will be impossible to cut Russia off from the rest of the world, and that the country must focus on developing its own technology and supporting fast-growing companies.
“Clearly, we cannot develop in isolation from the rest of the world, but we won’t. In today’s world, you can’t just, you know, circle everything with a compass and put up a huge fence, it’s just not possible,” the Russian president said during a video conference with government officials.
Putin also said Moscow would overcome the “colossal” problems his country is facing as a result of sweeping Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
“Not just restrictions but the almost-complete closure of access to foreign hi-tech products is being deliberately, intentionally used against our country,” Putin said.
“It is clear that this is a huge challenge for our country, but … we are not going to give up and stay in a state of disarray or, as some of our ‘well-wishers’ predict, go back decades. Of course not,” he added, noting Moscow would “look for new solutions in an energetic and competent manner”.
EU seeks to double gas imports from Azerbaijan
EU chief Von der Leyen says the bloc wants to double its gas imports from Azerbaijan as it urgently seeks to reduce its reliance on Russian energy imports.
“The EU is turning to more reliable energy suppliers. Today I’m in Azerbaijan to sign a new agreement. Our goal: double the gas delivery from Azerbaijan to the EU in a few years,” she tweeted during a visit to the Caucasus country.
The EU is turning to more reliable energy suppliers.
Today I’m in Azerbaijan to sign a new agreement.
Our goal: double the gas delivery from Azerbaijan to the EU in a few years.
🇦🇿 will be a crucial partner for our security of supply and on our way to climate neutrality. pic.twitter.com/fVHPr921Ui
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 18, 2022
As his war on Ukraine rages, Russia’s Putin is set to visit Iran
Putin is expected to meet his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran on Tuesday.
The meeting, which will also be attended Erdogan, will take place in the trilateral “Astana format” aimed at resolving differences in Syria, but there is much more at stake as the war in Ukraine rages on.
Read more here.
Ukraine needs more external aid to prevent crisis: Official
Ukraine’s foreign partners need to increase their financial support for Kyiv to help it maintain financial stability during the war with Russia, an adviser to Zelenskyy has said.
Tymofiy Mylovanov said the current size of loans and other assistance provided was not enough to finance Ukraine’s needs, which had increased significantly because of the conflict while revenues had fallen.
“If we don’t cut expenditures, don’t increase inflows, in particular from international partners, if we don’t stabilise the situation, then … we may have a month or two to spare, and then we will have a crisis,” Mylovanov told national television.
UK media regulator says Russian broadcaster RT broke impartiality rules
The United Kingdom’s media regulator, Ofcom, has said Russian news channel RT failed to preserve due impartiality in relation to its coverage of the war in Ukraine.
The regulator said the channel had breached its rules on 29 occasions in four days, between February 27 and March 2 of this year.
“Ofcom considers that these breaches were serious and repeated, and we are minded to consider them for the imposition of a statutory sanction,” Ofcom said in a statement. It added it had been alerted to the breaches by a combination of complaints from viewers and its own monitoring.
In response to the findings, RT said: “The logic of these decisions mirrors the one guiding their delivery many months after Ofcom’s revocation of RT’s license: it is a trial after a conviction.”
Ofcom revoked RT’s broadcast licence on March 18, less than a month after Moscow launched its invasion on February 24, citing its links to the Kremlin.
Photos: At a Donbas maternity clinic, war heightens anxieties
In the last specialist maternity ward still in Ukraine’s control in the eastern Donbas region, the windows are packed with sandbags.
Rooms used for births at the Perinatal Centre in the city of Pokrovsk follow the two-wall rule, which says the safest parts of a building are separated from the outside by at least two walls.
Click here to see photos documenting the clinic’s efforts to adapt amid war.
Russian shelling kills six in Donetsk: Emergency service
Six people have been killed by Russian shelling in the town of Toretsk, in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, according to the country’s State Emergency Service.
Rescuers retrieved five bodies from the rubble of a two-storey house and another person died in hospital, the department said in a Facebook post.
Russia, which describes its offensive in Ukraine as a “special military operation”, has repeatedly denied deliberately targeting civilians during the war.
Donetsk is one of two regions – alongside neighbouring Luhansk – which together form the area known as the Donbas, where Moscow has focused its attacks in recent months.