Updates: Russia says raid repelled, 30 Ukrainian fighters dead
Ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russia has come under repeated attack in recent days.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Thursday, June 1:
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Thursday, June 1:
- Russia says it has repelled three attempted incursions along its border with Ukraine, by what it casts as pro-Ukrainian fighters, while heavy shelling prompted a partial evacuation of civilians from the area.
- At least 30 Ukrainian fighters were killed, according to Moscow, a claim that was not possible to verify.
- At least three people, including a girl and her mother, have been killed in a Russian missile strike on Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Moldova for a European summit, pressing his case for NATO membership as the military alliance meets in Oslo.
Brazil’s Lula says he remains neutral in Ukraine war to broker peace
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has reiterated his country’s criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but said he has been trying to remain neutral in order to be able to broker potential peace talks.
Lula told reporters after a meeting with Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto in Brasilia that he was looking to create conditions for both countries to engage in peace negotiations to “stop the war when they are ready”.
Lula has pitched himself as a peace broker to end the war, which began when Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022. But the Brazilian president irritated Western countries earlier this year when he suggested the West had been “encouraging” war by arming Ukraine.
The leftist leader had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, after failing to meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan in May, which Lula said was due to a scheduling issue.
Russia to hinder grain export deal until requirements met
Russia informed officials overseeing the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) that it would limit registration of ships to the port of Pivdennyi, in Ukraine’s Odesa province, until all parties agree to unblock the transit of Russian ammonia, a United Nations spokesman has said.
Ukraine’s renovation and infrastructure ministry said on Thursday that the UN-brokered BSGI had been halted again because Russia had blocked the registration of ships to all Ukrainian ports.
The UN and Turkey brokered the BSGI between Moscow and Kyiv last July to help tackle a global food crisis aggravated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a leading global grain exporter.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said there had been a “continuous slowdown” in vessel departures under the Black Sea deal from April through May, and that the average daily inspection rate for ships had fallen to three.
“This is a very serious situation. We need to move forward,” Dujarric told reporters at the UN in New York.
NATO stronger in spite of Putin’s attempt to crack the alliance: Biden
Joe Biden has said NATO is stronger in spite of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to crack the alliance with his invasion of Ukraine. It is bolstered further, he said, by the recent admission of Finland, “and soon, Sweden”.
“It will happen, I promise you,” Biden said, but provided no details.
The United States president was speaking at the US Air Force Academy days after he hinted at a possible deal to overcome Turkey’s opposition to admitting the Nordic country to the alliance.
On Monday, Biden spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him on his re-election.
Biden told reporters Erdogan repeated Ankara’s desire to buy F-16 fighter jets from the United States, while Biden urged Ankara to drop its objection to Sweden’s joining NATO.
The White House has denied that Biden is pursuing a deal with Turkey to lift its opposition in exchange for F-16s.
The president emphasised US support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.
“The American people’s support for Ukraine will not waiver,” Biden said.
Ukraine needs strong security guarantees: Macron, Scholz
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Ukraine needed to be given clear and strong security guarantees at a NATO summit in Lithuania in July.
“Vilnius must send a clear message to Ukraine and Ukrainians. I favour stronger, concrete very clear security guarantees,” Macron told reporters after a European leaders summit in Moldova, adding he would hold talks on the issue with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Potsdam on June 7.
Scholz told reporters that the guarantees should be designed in such a way that they give Ukraine the security it needs against the danger of being attacked.
Scholz said such guarantees must “also stabilise Ukraine at the same time, which of course also means a commitment with regard to the establishment of defence capability on the part of Ukraine”.
Zelenskyy wants similar security guarantees given to Israel
President Volodymr Zelenskyy has told reporters he wants clear guarantees if Kyiv is not given NATO membership in the immediate term.
He did not elaborate on what sort of guarantees, but said it needed to be somewhere between what security guarantees Israel receives and full NATO membership.
“We have to give a long-term perspective to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “It is imperative that the [upcoming NATO] Vilnius summit gives these immediate guarantees.”
Netherlands wants to buy Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine: Report
The Netherlands wants to buy dozens more Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine, the Dutch press agency ANP has reported, citing sources.
It said the Dutch government wants to buy the tanks from a Swiss company, which would require permission from the Swiss government.
Macron to head to Germany for Ukraine security guarantees
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will go to Germany next Tuesday and is working closely with Berlin on the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine.
Macron made his comments at a gathering of political leaders in Moldova.
Romania asks EC to extend import curbs on Ukrainian grains
Romania has asked the European Commission to extend import curbs on Ukrainian grains and oilseed crops for five Eastern European nations until the end of 2023, Agriculture Minister Petre Daea has said.
In early May, the European Union set restrictions until June 5 on imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
With access to its own Black Sea ports blocked and later limited by Russia’s invasion, Ukraine, one of the world’s leading grain exporters, has had to find alternative shipping routes through neighbouring states.
Millions of tonnes of grains and oilseeds, cheaper than those produced in the European Union and exempt from customs tax, ended up in Central and Eastern Europe, where some local farmers were holding on to their crops expecting prices will rise.
Daea also said he has informed his Ukrainian counterpart of the request.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had called for the unconditional removal of all export restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products at talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Ukraine shipped 3.33 million tonnes of grains through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta in the first quarter, the port authority said.
Canada slaps sanctions on Moldovans over Russia connections
Canada is imposing sanctions on Moldovan oligarchs, business people and politicians over their connections to Russia and to prevent alleged Russian destabilisation efforts in the region, the Canadian foreign ministry has said.
The sanctions were announced as European leaders are meeting in Moldova in a show of support for the former Soviet republic, which has denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Moldova’s government has accused Russia of trying to destabilise the mainly Romanian-speaking country through its influence over the separatist movement in mainly Russian-speaking Transdniestria region of Moldova.
Since the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine in February 2022, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,900 individuals and entities.
Russia paves way for another trial against Alexei Navalny
A Moscow court has set a new date for a hearing paving the way for another trial of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny that could keep him in prison for decades.
The Moscow City Court had initially scheduled a preliminary hearing on Wednesday to discuss technical issues related to the trial of the Kremlin’s longtime opponent, but moved it to next Tuesday without explaining the reason.
Navalny has said that the new extremism charges which he rejected as “absurd” could keep him in prison for another 30 years.
The accusations against Navalny come as Russian authorities are conducting a stepped-up crackdown on dissent amid Moscow’s military action in Ukraine, which Navalny has harshly criticised.
Energy concerns resulting from Ukraine war give renewable alternatives a boost
The International Energy Agency has said high fossil fuel prices — resulting from Russia’s attack on Ukraine — and concerns about energy security boosted the rollout of solar and wind power installations, which are expected to reach 440 gigawatts in 2023.
That’s about a third more than the world added the previous year, taking the global installed capacity to 4,500GW, roughly the combined total power output of the United States and China, the Paris-based agency said.
NATO eyes Ukraine security plan as allies prepare to meet in Lithuania
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said that the military organisation is looking at boosting Ukraine’s non-member status in the alliance and preparing a framework for security commitments that it can offer once the war with Russia is over.
Stoltenberg said that the alliance wants to make progress on long-term funding and the security plan for Ukraine when its leaders meet in Lithuania next month.
US Pentagon to buy Starlink for Ukraine
The US Department of Defense will buy Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service for Ukraine, the Pentagon said in a statement.
“We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the resilient satellite and communication capabilities they need. Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine’s overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type,” the statement said.
US to open diplomatic station in Norwegian Arctic
The US will open a diplomatic station in the Norwegian Arctic town of Tromsoe, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says.
“To deepen our own engagement in the high north, I am announcing today the United States will be opening an American presence post in Tromsoe,” Blinken told reporters after a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo.
“For us, the presence post in Tromsoe is really an ability to have a diplomatic footprint above the Arctic Circle,” he said.
Blinken’s announcement comes just after Norway took over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
The council comprises the eight Arctic states of Russia, the United States, Canada, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark.
Two wounded in Belgorod after drone blast
Two people were wounded when an unknown device detonated in Russia’s city of Belgorod, the regional governor said.
“An unknown device exploded in Belgorod. According to preliminary data, the UAV fell on the roadway. There are two victims. One man with a suspected concussion is taken by an ambulance to the city hospital No. 2, the second man refused hospitalisation with minor bruises,” Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram.
State-owned TASS news agency also reported that 11 residents were hospitalised following shelling in Belgorod.
Roman Protsenko, the head physician, told reporters that four are in intensive care, and one is undergoing surgery.
BRICS meeting overshadowed by Putin’s ICC warrant
A BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) meeting of foreign ministers in South Africa has been overshadowed by questions on whether Putin will be arrested if he attends a bloc summit in August.
South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said it is looking into the legal options if Putin, who has been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC), did attend the planned Johannesburg summit of emerging economies.
As South Africa is a member of the ICC, it would theoretically be required to arrest Putin if he attended.
“The answer is the president [Cyril Ramaphosa] will indicate what the final position of South Africa is. As matters stand an invitation has been issued to all [BRICS] heads of state,” Pandor said.
Responding to a question about Putin’s possible appearance, the Kremlin only said Russia would take part at the “proper level”.
Who controls what?
Here are four maps charting the latest war developments.
Zelenskyy discusses peace plan with EU’s von der Leyen
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he spoke to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about Ukraine’s peace plan and the security guarantees Kyiv needs before joining the NATO military alliance.
On Twitter, the Ukrainian leader said: “As part of my participation in the European Political Community Summit, I met with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
“We discussed specific ways to implement the Ukrainian Peace Formula and consolidate global support for Ukraine’s peace initiative. We also touched upon the topic of security guarantees that our country seeks to receive before becoming a full member of NATO.
“In addition, I emphasized the need to unconditionally lift export restrictions on agricultural products.”
As part of my participation in the European Political Community Summit, I met with President of the European Commission 🇪🇺 @vonderleyen. We discussed specific ways to implement the Ukrainian Peace Formula and consolidate global support for Ukraine's peace initiative. We also…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 1, 2023
Russia names third suspect in St Petersburg blast
Russian investigators are seeking a third suspect in the killing of popular pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in an explosion at a café in St Petersburg in April.
The war blogger, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, had been addressing an event in the café when the blast occurred.
The Investigative Committee said on Telegram that Roman Popkov, a Ukraine-based Russian journalist who was previously a leader of Russia’s banned ultranationalist National Bolshevik Party, was wanted on terrorism and explosives charges.
Russian officials have previously named Russian citizen Darya Trepova and Ukrainian national Yury Denisov as suspects in the killing.
Trepova, an anti-war and feminist activist, was arrested on April 3, while Denisov is believed to be still in Ukraine.
Ukraine says Russia is blocking grain exports
Ukraine’s Ministry of Renovation and Infrastructure says the Black Sea grain export deal has been halted again because Russia had blocked the registration of ships to all Ukrainian ports.
“The Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul has announced that it is impossible to draw up an inspection plan for June 1 due to another unjustified refusal of the Russian delegation to register the incoming fleet for participation in the Initiative,” the ministry said on Facebook.
Earlier in the day, Russia’s TASS news agency reported that the director of Russia’s Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, said grain transport corridors were being used to attack the Russian coast.
No set date on peace summit, says Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy says he has not fixed a date for a peace summit because Kyiv is still working to bring as many nations as possible to the table.
“We are organising a summit – we want to involve as many countries as possible; that’s why we did not set the date yet,” Zelenskyy told reporters on arrival at a gathering of European leaders in Moldova.
Zelenskyy laid out Kyiv’s plan to end the war and proposed a global summit for July while attending the G7 summit in Japan and the Arab League summit.
Ukraine tops agenda at Moldova summit : AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker, reporting from the European Political Community summit in Moldova, says the war in Ukraine is “very high” on the list of topics leaders will discuss.
“We heard from the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, being the first to arrive. I don’t think that was by chance, saying that he called for European support on the ground, in the air against what he called Russian aggression. [He also] called for the same to be applied to Moldova,” she said.
Dekker said security and cybersecurity would also be discussed during the meeting, adding that it is a “very broad table of topics”.
“The interesting thing about this conference is that even though there are so many things that can be discussed, there is no pressure, there is no agenda, [and] nothing will be signed at the end of the day,” Dekker said.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 463
Click here for a roundup of key events on day 463 of the war.
Zelenskyy calls for a ‘coalition’ of Patriot defence systems and fighter jets
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for a “coalition” of Patriot air defence systems and modern fighter jets in an address to other European leaders.
“A coalition of Patriots that will put an end to Russian blackmail by ballistic missiles, and a coalition of modern fighter jets that will prove that terror against our citizens has no chance” are “decisive components,” Zelenskyy said in Moldova.
Ukraine has already received some Patriot air defence systems, and some European countries have agreed to train Ukrainian pilots.
China to closely monitor new EU sanctions on Russia, says official
China will closely follow European Union discussions on an 11th Russian sanctions package, which could result in trade restrictions, Shu Jueting, a commerce ministry spokesperson, says.
“China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorised by the [UN] Security Council as well as long-arm jurisdiction,” Shu said, calling on the EU to “act prudently and to not set a bad precedent”.
The European Commission has proposed a tool to limit trade with third countries deemed to be bypassing sanctions already in place.
Germany has previously raised concerns within the EU over targeting China under the new measures.
On Wednesday, the Dutch and Polish prime ministers said one of the focal points of the proposed measures was sanctions circumvention.