3:25 p.m .: Johnson – West must not push Ukraine to make a disadvantageous peace
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned Western countries not to pressure Ukraine into a peace deal with Russia to their detriment. Attempts to force a “bad peace” on Ukraine with territorial concessions to Russia are “morally repugnant,” Johnson said in Blackpool.
Ukrainians are “the victims” in this war and have “the absolute right to defend a free and independent country,” added the Prime Minister. He did not say who his criticism was aimed at, but French President Emmanuel Macron said last week that Western states should not “humiliate” Russia in order to continue to allow a diplomatic “way out”.
3:20 p.m .: EU provides Ukraine with another 205 million euros
The EU is providing a further EUR 205 million to Ukraine in response to a worsening humanitarian emergency. “With these funds, our humanitarian partners are providing food, water, medical care, shelter, protection and cash assistance,” EU Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic said during a visit to Ukraine. They are working closely with the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that the aid from the EU member states meets the constantly changing needs, it said.
So far, more than 700 million euros in EU aid have been made available in the course of Russia’s war of aggression once morest Ukraine – 13 million of which, according to the EU Commission, are earmarked for projects in neighboring Moldova. In addition to financial aid, the 700 million euros also include material aid from EU countries – including first aid kits, food, protective clothing, fire engines and mobile hospitals.
3:06 p.m .: Von der Leyen calls for sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for sustainable post-war reconstruction in Ukraine. “We will rebuild Ukraine. That is not only in our interest, but also our moral obligation,” she said in Rome in a panel discussion at the start of the “New European Bauhaus” festival: “But if we do it, then do it we get it right.” According to von der Leyen, Ukraine should be built in the spirit of the “New European Bauhaus”, which aims for sustainability as part of the EU plan for climate neutrality (Green Deal).
2.45 p.m .: Scholz and Stoltenberg call for determination at the NATO summit
Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have called for “a signal of determination and unity” from the upcoming summit of the transatlantic alliance. Both politicians emphasized this in a video link, said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. Scholz has confirmed that the federal government will make an appropriate contribution to the collective protection of the Euro-Atlantic area. In this context, the Chancellor explained the establishment of the special fund for the Bundeswehr and the “increased German contribution to security in the eastern alliance area”.
2.38 p.m .: EU candidate Ukraine? Recommendation of the EU Commission probably on June 17th
The EU Commission is expected to issue its recommendation on June 17 on whether Ukraine should be granted EU candidate status. A spokesman for the Brussels authority said the college of commissioners would hold an orientation debate on Monday. It will also deal with the membership applications from Moldova and Georgia. The spokesman emphasized that the plan is not yet final.
According to the recommendation of the EU Commission, the EU summit on June 23rd and 24th will discuss Ukraine’s application. A decision on whether to grant candidate status must be taken unanimously by EU states. The country had applied to join the EU shortly following the start of the Russian war once morest Ukraine.
2:26 p.m .: Scholz fears a protracted war in Ukraine
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) fears that Russia’s war once morest Ukraine will take a long time. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet understood that his plans will not work, Scholz told the radio station Antenne Bayern.
“After he failed to conquer all of Ukraine,” Putin is now “above all Donbass, and obviously has the idea that if he’s bombed everything there, it can then become part of the Russian empire,” Scholz said: “But that won’t work.” “Putin will not get rid of Western sanctions without doing what we are asking him to do all the time, namely to withdraw his troops and agree on a fair peace with Ukraine.”
2:07 p.m .: Germany and Poland want to help Ukraine with grain exports
Germany and Poland want to support Ukraine in exporting grain. Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir said in Warsaw that he had discussed with his Polish counterpart Kowalczyk how Germany might help with the handling of the transports. The difficulty is getting the grain out of Ukraine, “because we are not able to transport the amount that is involved via alternative routes,” emphasized the Green politician.
Özdemir condemned Russia’s President Putin’s “cynical game” of using hunger in addition to refugees to exacerbate the crisis: “It must also be clear that Russia cannot benefit from this cowardly attack on Ukraine, and that expressly applies to the Theft committed by Russia of Ukrainian grain.”
2:01 p.m .: Kremlin – No further gas delivery stops planned
Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark will no longer receive gas from Russia – but according to the Kremlin, no other countries will be added. When asked whether new gas supply stops were planned, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Interfax agency: “No. The system works, the system has been adjusted, and those who receive gas are already working under the new system.”
At the end of March, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin ordered a new payment system in response to Western sanctions in the wake of Russia’s war of aggression once morest Ukraine. The procedure stipulates that customers open a so-called K-account with the state-owned Russian Gazprombank. There they can still pay their bills in euros or dollars, the bank converts the money into rubles and transfers it to Gazprom.
1:34 p.m .: Kyiv – Every day “up to a hundred Ukrainian soldiers are killed” – the situation in Donbass is difficult
According to the government, Ukraine records “up to a hundred soldiers killed and up to 500 wounded” every day in the fighting with the Russian army. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said the situation on the front lines in the eastern Donbass region was difficult.
“The Kremlin continues to press with sheer masses, stumbles, meets strong resistance and suffers heavy losses,” Reznikov said in a statement published online. The minister called for faster arms deliveries from the West: “I cannot say that I am satisfied with the speed and the number of arms deliveries.”
According to the governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Gajday, Sievjerodonetsk is now “largely” under Russian control. However, the neighboring city of Lyssychansk is still fully controlled by the Ukrainian army. Taking the two cities would allow Moscow to advance towards the major city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region. This would bring the Kremlin a decisive step closer to its goal of completely conquering the Donbass.
