Ukraine doesn’t have enough weapons for counter-offensive, official says

Ukraine does not have enough weaponry to launch a much anticipated counter-offensive against Russia, a senior official has warned.

Volodymyr Zelensky visited 10 countries and held more than 60 meetings last month in an attempt to get more weapons with an official saying “all is needed” for a counter offensive.

The Ukrainian president held three meetings with Rishi Sunak as part of his efforts to bolster arsenals and air defences with talks of a spring push now seeming more likely to happen in the summer.

Dr Ihor Zhovkva, Ukraine’s deputy head of the president’s office and his chief foreign affairs adviser, has said the country needs further weapons to re-take land that Russia has advanced into.

“I’m not a military man,” he told The Sunday Times. “I’m working on the diplomatic front and my task is more weapons, more support, more ammunition.

“But if you want to start a successful counter-offensive you need everything at your disposal, including artillery, armoured vehicles and tanks, so probably we don’t have enough.”

The official’s comment follows the leader of the Wagner group saying on Saturday that infighting between Kremlin factions had opened a Pandora’s Box of rifts.

Key Points

• Wagner chief says Kremlin factions are destroying the Russian state

• We are ready for counteroffensive, Zelensky tells Putin

• Mercenary boss accuses Moscow of trying to kill his troops

• U.S. seeks ‘just and lasting peace’ for Ukraine, Blinken says

• Russia attacks Ukraine with 15 cruise missiles, 18 drones in overnight aerial attack

Twenty injured, others trapped in blast near Ukrainian city of Dnipro

23:33 , William Mata

An explosion near the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Saturday hit a two-storey dwelling, injuring 20 people including five children, and rescuers pulled residents out from under the rubble, the regional governor said.

Serhiy Lysak, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said three of the children were in serious condition. A total of 17 people were being treated in hospital.

Media reports said emergency teams had pulled four people from under rubble in the town known as the Pidhorodnenska community. Lysak said another child was likely still trapped.

Reports on social media said a Russian missile caused the explosion and that an emergency services building was also hit.

There was no confirmation of a missile strike from Ukrainian military officials.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, also writing on Telegram, said the explosion occurred between two dwellings.

“Unfortunately, there are people under the rubble,” Mr Zelensky wrote. “Once again, Russia proves it is a terrorist state.”

Moscow denies its military forces target civilians.

Ukraine: ‘We need more weapons for counter-offensive’

20:23 , William Mata

Dr Ihor Zhovkva, Ukraine’s deputy head of the president’s office and his chief foreign affairs adviser, has said the country is in need of further weapons to re-take land that Russia has advanced into.

“I’m not a military man,” he told The Sunday Times. “I’m working on the diplomatic front and my task is more weapons, more support, more ammunition.

“But if you want to start a successful counter-offensive you need everything at your disposal, including artillery, armoured vehicles and tanks, so probably we don’t have enough.”

Zelensky shared condolences after India train crash

20:00 , William Mata

Volodymyr Zelensky has shared a message of condolence after the train crash in Odisha.

He tweeted on Saturday: “On behalf of myself and the people of Ukraine, I express my deepest condolences to Prime Minister @narendramodi and all relatives and friends of those killed in the train accident in the state of Odisha.

“We share the pain of your loss. We wish a speedy recovery for all those injured.”

Round up: Some key events from June 3

19:00 , William Mata

Here are some of Saturday’s headlines:

First up, the leader of Russian mercenary group Wagner said on Saturday that infighting between Kremlin factions had opened a Pandora’s Box of rifts. “Pandora’s Box is already open – we are not the ones who opened it,” Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a message posted by his press service. See above for more on this one.

Concerns around civilian safety spiked in Ukraine on Saturday, as officials announced that an inspection had found nearly a quarter of the country’s air-raid shelters locked or unusable, just days after a woman in Kyiv allegedly died waiting outside a shuttered shelter during a Russian missile barrage. Full story here.

Alexy Navalny turns 47 this week but it will not be a pleasant birthday for the critic of Vladimir Putin who will be in a cell with hardly any light. In a span of a decade, Mr Navalny has gone from the Kremlin’s biggest foe to Russia’s most prominent political prisoner.

China / US / Turkey: Meetings and big decisions ahead

18:00 , William Mata

Leaders and negotiators from three countries with interests in Russia and Ukraine are set for meetings and decisions this weekend. Here is a brief round-up:

Firstly, Turkey’s longtime president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is to be sworn in for his third term on Saturday. The country of 85 million controls NATO’s second-largest army, hosts millions of refugees and played a crucial role in brokering a deal that allowed the shipment of Ukraine grain, averting a global food crisis.

Then there is American secretary of defense (sic) Lloyd Austin who vowed on Saturday that Washington would not stand for any “coercion and bullying” of its allies and partners by China.

Meanwhile, CIA Director William Burns went to Beijing in May to meet with Chinese counterparts. Burns’ visit, first reported by The Financial Times, comes as Washington tries to cool tensions with Beijing over the balloon and other recent conflicts between the world’s two largest economies and geopolitical rivals.

Pope to visit Mongolia at end of summer in visit rich in geopolitical significance

17:00 , AP

Pope Francis is traveling to Mongolia at the end of the summer, a visit that will be a first for a pontiff and one rich in geopolitical significance given its proximity to Russia and China.

The Vatican on Saturday confirmed the August 31 to September 4 trip to the landlocked US-allied country sandwiched between Russia and China, two countries popes have never visited.

The visit comes as Francis is trying to toe a diplomatic line in his relations with both countries: With Moscow, Francis is seeking an opening for a peace envoy to nudge Russia and Ukraine to negotiations to end the war.

Read the whole AP report here.

Wagner chief says Kremlin factions are destroying the Russian state

15:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Saturday that Kremlin factions were destroying the state by trying to sow discord between him and Chechen fighters.

That row had now been settled but infighting in the Kremlin had opened a Pandora’s Box of rifts, he said.

Prigozhin, a 62-year-old former restauranteur who founded the Wagner mercenary group and is a member of President Vladimir Putin’s wider circle, has gained widespread notoriety during the 15-month war in Ukraine.

His troops have spearheaded battles in the city of Bakhmut and elsewhere, but he has also rowed with the Russian military over tactics, logistical support and other issues.

Prigozhin said a dispute between him and Chechen forces who are also fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine had been resolved. But he laid the blame for the discord on unidentified Kremlin factions – which he calls “Kremlin towers”.

Their scheming had got so out of hand that Putin had been forced to scold them at a Security Council meeting, he said.

“Pandora’s Box is already open – we are not the ones who opened it,” Prigozhin said in a message posted by his press service. “Some Kremlin tower decided to play dangerous games.”

“Dangerous games have become commonplace in the Kremlin towers…they are simply destroying the Russian state.”

He did not identify the Kremlin faction but said that it continued its attempts to sow discord, it would have “hell to pay”. The Kremlin did not comment on his remarks.

Kremlin says France can hardly be a ‘moderator’ in Ukraine conflict

15:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

France can hardly be a “moderator” in the Ukrainian conflict due to its active participation in it, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Peskov told Russian state television reporter Pavel Zarubin that, at the same time, President Vladimir Putin is open to any contacts in order to achieve Russia‘s goals.

US, allies clash with Russia, China over North Korea’s failed military spy satellite launch

14:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The United States and its allies clashed with Russia and China on Friday over North Korea’s failed launch of a military spy satellite this week in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, which Moscow and Beijing refused to condemn.

The confrontation was the latest over the North’s escalating nuclear, ballistic missile and military programs, which U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood warned are threatening international peace and security. The failed launch “not only disrupted maritime and air traffic in the region, but it also caused alarm for its neighbors in Japan and the Republic of Korea,” he said.

Pyongyang is threatening another launch soon.

Read more here:

US, allies clash with Russia, China over North Korea’s failed military spy satellite launch

A six-year-old Ukrainian girl saved by adoption or a murderous adult imposter: Who really is Natalia Grace?

13:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Michael and Kristine Barnett, of Indiana, decided in 2010 to open their home to a disabled six-year-old from Ukraine — or so they thought.

What followed was a rapid cascade of suspicion and allegations that led to the demise of their marriage, criminal charges against each of them and an unbelievable tale that questions the innocence of all involved, writes Sheila Flynn:

Six-year-old saved by adoption or murderous adult imposter: Who is Natalia Grace?

Russia warns United States: don’t brandish ultimatums on arms control

13:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia warned the United States on Saturday it should stop brandishing ultimatums over the collapse of arms control agreements, saying Moscow would only return to a nuclear arms reduction treaty if Washington abandons its hostile stance.

Russia and the United States, by far the biggest nuclear powers, have both expressed regret about the disintegration of the tangle of arms control treaties which sought to slow the Cold War arms race and reduce the risk of nuclear war.

Amid the crisis triggered by the Ukraine conflict, President Vladimir Putin announced in February that Russia was suspending participation in the New START treaty – an agreement signed in 2010 that limits the number of Russian and U.S. deployed strategic nuclear warheads.

The United States said this week it would stop providing Russia some notifications required under the treaty, including updates on its missile and launcher locations, to retaliate for Moscow’s “ongoing violations” of the accord.

Russia‘s point man for arms control, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, said Washington had informed Moscow about the move ahead of going public with it so it was no surprise.

But Ryabkov said the pillars of arms control were collapsing and were in a “semi-lethal” condition due to what he cast as the hostile policies of the United States.

“Talking to the Russian Federation in the language of ultimatums just does not work,” Ryabkov told Russia‘s three main news agencies.

“Through the fault of the United States, many elements of the former architecture in this area have either been completely destroyed or moved in a semi-lethal state.”

Indonesia proposes demilitarised zone

12:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Indonesia’s defence minister on Saturday proposed a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, calling for a demilitarised zone and a United Nations referendum in what he called disputed territory.

Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko dismissed the plan, reiterating Kyiv’s position that Russia should withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

Prabowo Subianto called on defence and military officials from around the world, gathered at the Shangri-La Dialogue defence meeting in Singapore, to issue a declaration calling for a cessation in hostilities.

He proposed a multi-point plan including a ceasefire and establishing a demilitarised zone by withdrawing 15 kilometres (nearly 10 miles) from each party’s forward position.

The demilitarised zone should be observed and monitored by a peacekeeping force deployed by the UN, he said, adding that a UN referendum should be held “to ascertain objectively the wishes of the majority of the inhabitants of the various disputed areas”.

“I propose that the Shangri-La dialogue find a mode of … voluntary declaration urging both Ukraine and Russia to immediately start negotiations for peace,” Prabowo said.

Nikolenko said Russia had committed the act of aggression, occupying Ukrainian territories, and any proposals for a ceasefire would allow it to regroup and reinforce.

“There are no disputed territories between Ukraine and the Russian Federation to hold referendums there,” he said.

“In the occupied territories, the Russian army commits war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Russia is now trying in every possible way to disrupt the Ukrainian counteroffensive.”

Russia has denied Ukrainian accusations of war crimes and genocide.

Inside the penal colonies: A glimpse at life for political prisoners swept up in Russia’s crackdowns

12:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

When Alexei Navalny turns 47 on Sunday, he’ll wake up in a bare concrete cell with hardly any natural light.

He won’t be able to see or talk to any of his loved ones. Phone calls and visits are banned for those in “punishment isolation” cells, a 2-by-3-meter (6 1/2-by-10-foot) space. Guards usually blast patriotic songs and speeches by President Vladimir Putin at him.

“Guess who is the champion of listening to Putin’s speeches? Who listens to them for hours and falls asleep to them?” Navalny said recently in a typically sardonic social media post via his attorneys from Penal Colony No. 6 in the Vladimir region east of Moscow.

He is serving a nine-year term due to end in 2030 on charges widely seen as trumped up, and is facing another trial on new charges that could keep him locked up for another two decades. Rallies have been called for Sunday in Russia to support him.

Inside the penal colonies: A glimpse at life for political prisoners swept up in Russia’s crackdowns

We are ready for counteroffensive, Zelensky tells Putin

11:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the country was ready to launch its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russian forces to recapture occupied territories.

Mr Zelensky warned the counteroffensive was “not a movie”, adding that it is difficult to describe it to the public in advance.

“I don’t know how long it will take. To be honest, it can go a variety of ways, completely different. But we are going to do it, and we are ready,” he said.

Japan’s growing military strength not a threat – minister

11:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Japan will not use its growing military strength to threaten other countries, its defence minister said on Saturday, while affirming its aim to prioritise diplomatic efforts and dialogue to avert misunderstandings.

“We do not seek rivalry or conflict,” Yasukazu Hamada said in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a security conference in Singapore with 600 delegates from 49 countries.

Japanese aggression before and during World War Two is still a cause of tension in relations with some countries, especially South Korea and China.

The United States in 1947 imposed a constitution on Japan that renounces war but in recent years governments have been boosting defence capacities and in December, Japan unveiled its biggest military build-up since the war.

Hamada said Japan did not aim to establish military power to pose a threat to others.

The defence ministry would pursue diplomatic efforts first, he said.

“As a nation that generally desire peace, we aim to enhance our own and original deterrent capabilities and promote the resolution to differences in interest and opinions through dialogue,” he said.

Under a five-year defence, which will double defence spending, Japan will acquire longer-range missiles that it hopes will deter China from resorting to force in East Asia.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government worries that Russia‘s attack on Ukraine could embolden China to attack neighbouring Taiwan.

Russia ‘less flexible’ after suffering heavy casualties, UK defense ministry says

10:34 , Vishwam Sankaran

Russia is “less flexible” in reacting to operational challenges’ after Bakhmut, according to the UK defense ministry.

In the region, Russia is redeploying regular units after Wagner mercenary forces complete their withdrawal.

The UK defense ministry said Russian forces will be likely “less flexible to operational challenges” after suffering heavy casualties and weapon expenditure in Bakhmut.

Russian drones found to have parts built by Ukraine’s allies

10:22 , Vishwam Sankaran

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said today that Russia’s Shahed drones had parts made by Ukraine’s allies.

The drones were part of Russia’s “most massive attack” on Kyiv last month.

Mr Danilov said the Iranian-made Shahed drones contained components that were produced by Ukraine’s allies.

ICYMI: Germany calls on South Africa to arrest Putin if he attends BRICS summit

10:00 , Vishwam Sankaran

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on South Africa to adhere to abide by “international law” if Russian president Vladimir Putin attended the upcoming BRICS summit.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant on March 17, and South Africa is one of the 123 countries party to the Rome Statute which established the ICC.

This means that the African country is obliged to arrest Putin if he enters its territory, according to international law.

“International law is clear on this point. War criminals and those responsible for waging aggressive wars will eventually be held accountable,” Ms Baerbock said.

ICYMI: ‘We are ready,’ says Zelensky on launching counteroffensive

09:00 , Vishwam Sankaran

Ukrainain president Volodymyr Zelensky said today the country is ready to launch its anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces.

The long-awaited move is aimed at recapturing Russian-occupied territories in the country.

“I don’t know how long it will take. To be honest, it can go a variety of ways, completely different. But we are going to do it, and we are ready,” Mr Zelensky said.

Last month he said Ukraine needed more armoured vehicles from the West before launching the counteroffensive.

Without providing more details on when exactly the counteroffensive moves would start, the Ukrainain president said “you will understand that it has begun.”

Russia may have lost about 45,000 people due to Ukraine war – report

08:00 , Vishwam Sankaran

Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet working with BBC Russia, says Russia may have lost about 45,000 people in the aftermath of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

This figure according to BBC and Mediazona is by the most conservative estimate.

The total “irreversible losses” to Russia, including those who were wounded, killed, or missing, may amount to 203,000, the analysis suggests, according to Kyiv Independent.

Children among those injured in new waves of Russian attacks

07:30 , Vishwam Sankaran

Russian attacks have killed at least 4 people and injured 10 yesterday across Ukraine, local reports say.

A child was reportedly injured in a wave of Russian attack on Kyiv last night.

Ukraine’s Air Force said launched cruise missiles with Tu-95 bombers from the Caspian Sea to hit Kyiv.

The attack also reportedly included kamikaze drones, with the waves of assault causing civilian casualties on the ground in the city.

US says it is satisfied with Ukraine’s counteroffensive readiness

07:00 , Vishwam Sankaran

US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said he believes, along with allies and partners, the US has adequately provided military assistance to Ukraine for its counteroffensive.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that the main goal of the upcoming counteroffensive is to liberate Russian-occupied territories.

Some of the “complex measures” needed for Ukraine’s counteroffensive were “already underway” in the east of the country, deputy defense minister Hanna Maliar said in April.

Wagner accuses Russia of placing mines along mercenary group’s exit route

06:29 , Vishwam Sankaran

Wagner mercenary group’s founder Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian Defense Ministry of placing mines the exit routes of teams of the mercenary group from Bakhmut.

He accused “representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry” of placing mines along the troops’ exit routes.

Mr Prigozhin said there were explosive devices placed along Wagner troops’ exit routes, including “hundreds” of anti-tank mines.

“We conducted investigative actions jointly with law enforcement agencies to document everything. Currently, investigations are underway,” he said, according to the Kyiv Independent.

‘This is a moment of transition in the war,’ retired US general says

05:54 , Vishwam Sankaran

Retired US general David Petraeus said there is currently a “moment of transition in the war” following Russia’s failure to achieve the objectives of their winter offensive.

“They barely were able to take Bakhmut, where the Ukrainians described it as a mousetrap for enabling the killing of very large numbers – tens of thousands, reportedly, of Russian soldiers,” he told Kyiv Independent in an interview.

Mr Petraeus added with Ukrainians developing additional brigades, including six armor brigades, would enable Ukraine them to better carry out a counteroffensive against Russia.

“This counteroffensive is going to attack Russian forces that are significantly depleted. They’ve taken very heavy losses. They’ve been in combat in many cases for a year or more, continuous, in the lines,” the retired general said.

Coalition providing Ukraine with fighter jets now has nine countries

05:30 , Vishwam Sankaran

The coalition of countries providing Ukraine with Western-built fighter jets now comprises nine countries, according to Volodymyr Zelensky’s Deputy Chief of Staff Ihor Zhovkva.

He said the coalition includes the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal, and France.

These countries have either pledged to train Ukrainian pilots or to provide the war-torn country with modern fighter jets.

The coalition is now reportedly taking steps to accelerate the training of Ukrainian pilots to “including, but not limited to, the F-16s.”

Ukraine’s counteroffensive ‘not a movie,’ Zelensky says

04:48 , Vishwam Sankaran

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country’s upcoming counteroffensive to liberate Russian-occupied territories is “not a movie,” adding that it is difficult to describe it to the public in advance.

“The main thing is for Russia to watch it. And not only watch it but feel it,” Mr Zelensky said at a press conference yesterday.

Without providing details on the timeline of when the counteroffensive would start, he said “you will understand that it has begun.”

Blinken calls Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ‘case study in failure’

04:08 , Vishwam Sankaran

US secretary of state Antony Blinken told a crowd at the Helsinki City Hall in Finland that the full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia was a “case study in failure”.

“When you look at President Putin’s long-term strategic aims and objectives, there is no question: Russia is significantly worse off today than it was before the full-scale invasion,” he said, according to KyivPost.

Mr Blinken said the Russian president has “revealed weakness where he aimed to project strength and where he intended to divide, he has united.”

He called out Mr Putin for sending Russians to die in “a meat grinder of his own making.

Car bomb targets ‘Kremlin supporters’

04:01 , Jane Dalton

A car bomb targeted four “collaborators” in Russian-occupied Mykhailivka, The Kyiv Independent reports.

According to exiled Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov, the “Kremlin supporters” were in a car that exploded, it said.

There was no information yet on whether anyone was killed.

Mykhailivka is in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, near the nuclear power plant, and has been under Russian occupation since the start of the invasion.

British troops train Ukrainian volunteers

03:01 , Jane Dalton

Ukrainian troops have been having urban combat training with British troops at an undisclosed location in England.

The Ukrainian volunteers undergo urban warfare training, as well as field training exercises under the UK-led support programme, which includes instruction in weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the law of armed conflict.

US says tanks and F-16s will not be ready for counteroffensive

02:01 , Jane Dalton

Training for Ukrainian forces on advanced US Abrams tanks has begun, but will not be ready in time for the imminent counteroffensive, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has warned:

U.S.: Tanks, F-16 jets part of long-term strategy for Ukraine, won’t be ready for upcoming offensive

Russian attack on Kharkiv leaves residents homeless

01:01 , Jane Dalton

Residents have been receiving free meals from volunteers after their apartments were damaged in a Russian rocket attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine.

How Dmitry Medvedev went from being Russia’s president to Vladimir Putin’s attack dog

Saturday 3 June 2023 00:01 , Natalie Crockett

When Dmitry Medvedev gave back the top spot in the Kremlin to Vladimir Putin in 2012, many observers hoped that the more liberal of the two men would continue to use his position to gently steer Russia in the direction of democratic reforms.

What they did not expect was how, a decade on, Medvedev has become Moscow’s primary mouthpiece for nuclear sabre-rattling, as well as death threats to the leaders of Western nations, following his mentor’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A law graduate and then assistant professor at St Petersburg State University in the 1990s, Medvedev entered politics as a consultant to Putin during his time as an official in the St Petersburg city administration, before leading Putin’s first presidential election campaign.

Arpan Rai has more:

How Dmitry Medvedev went from being Russia’s president to Vladimir Putin’s attack dog

No immediate Nato membership for Ukraine

Friday 2 June 2023 23:00 , Natalie Crockett

Volodymyr Zelensky has pressed Nato to let Ukraine join the alliance but members of the Western defence alliance are divided over how fast that should happen.

Many are wary that such a move could thrust member states into war with Russia.

In a joint briefing in Kyiv with Estonian President Alar Karis on Friday, Zelensky said joining the alliance was the best security guarantee for Kyiv.

“But we are adequate people and understand that we will not pull any Nato country into a war,” Zelensky said. “And that’s why we understand that we won’t be a member of Nato while this war is ongoing. Not because we don’t want to, because it’s impossible.”

Mercenary boss accuses Moscow of trying to assassinate his troops

Friday 2 June 2023 21:55 , Jane Dalton

Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has been arguing with top military brass for months, has escalated the feud by accusing pro-Moscow forces of trying to blow up his men.

Prigozhin’s Wagner Group troops have largely pulled back from the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, most of which they captured last month after taking heavy casualties, and handed over their positions to regular Russian forces.

Prigozhin, writing on Telegram, said his men had discovered a dozen locations in rear areas where defence ministry officials had planted various explosive devices, including hundreds of anti-tank mines. When asked why the charges had been set, the officials indicated it was an order from their superiors.

“It was not necessary to plant these charges in order to deter the enemy, as it (the area in question) is in the rear area. Therefore, we can assume that these charges were intended to meet the advancing units of Wagner,” he said.

None of the charges went off and no one was hurt, he said, adding: “We assume this was an attempt at a public flogging.”

Zelensky orders audit of air raid shelters after deaths

Friday 2 June 2023 21:00 , Natalie Crockett

President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered a review of all Ukrainian air raid shelters after three people died when they were locked out during a Russian attack.

A nine-year-old girl, her mother and another woman were killed by falling debris after rushing to a Kyiv shelter on Thursday and finding it was shut.

“There can be no excuses for this level of negligence in the city,” Zelensky said in his evening video address. He said he had told ministers to conduct a “full audit of bomb shelters”.

It comes as police detained four people as part of an investigation into the deaths. Three of them may be charged with official negligence, the country’s interior ministry said in a statement on Telegram.

Kremlin foe Navalny’s demands in prison: moonshine, a balalaika and a pet kangaroo — all denied

Friday 2 June 2023 20:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny released excerpts of his correspondence with prison administrators Friday, detailing his sarcastic demands for things like a bottle of moonshine, a balalaika and even a kangaroo. His requests were denied.

Responses from prison officials, posted on his social media account apparently by his team, came after he has spent almost 180 days in solitary confinement since last summer at Penal Colony No. 6 in the Vladimir region east of Moscow.

Navalny, 46, is serving a nine-year sentence after being convicted of fraud and contempt of court — charges he says were trumped up for his efforts to expose official corruption and organising anti-Kremlin protests. He was arrested in January 2021 upon returning to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve-agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.

“When you are sitting in a punishment isolation cell and have little entertainment, you can have fun with correspondence with the administration,” wrote Navalny.

Read more:

Kremlin foe Navalny’s demands in prison: moonshine, a balalaika and a pet kangaroo — all denied

Special insurance fund for companies coming to Ukrainian Black Sea ports, says Ukraine’s agriculture minister

Friday 2 June 2023 19:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine’s agriculture minister Mykola Solsky said the government had already created a special insurance fund of around $547 million for companies whose ships would come to Ukrainian Black Sea ports under a new arrangement.

“If we are completely blocked, which has almost happened (already) in fact, then the carriers can go (via) this corridor with guaranteed insurance from our government,” Solsky said.

He said that ship owners could have “strong enough” confidence that the Ukrainian military and its air defences “can do their job”.

He said Ukraine still hoped the current Black Sea grain initiative would work despite the current difficulties while any new option would need a new agreement or format.

“Since in legal terms the first format is working and we have hope for it, we will try to make it work and already if we have nothing to lose, then obviously we will discuss the details of plan “B”, Solsky said.

A U.N. spokesman said on Thursday that Russia had informed officials overseeing the initiative that Moscow would limit registrations to the port of Pivdennyi until all parties agree to unblock the transit of Russian ammonia.

Ukraine would be ready to export grain across Black Sea as part of ‘plan B’, says Ukraine’s farm minister

Friday 2 June 2023 18:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine would be ready to continue exporting grain across the Black Sea as part of a “plan B” without Russian backing if Moscow pulls the plug on the current grain export deal and it collapses, Ukraine‘s farm minister said on Friday.

The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative between Moscow and Kyiv last July to help tackle a global food crisis aggravated by Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a leading global grain exporter.

Agriculture minister Mykola Solsky told Reuters that Russia had already blocked the use of Ukraine‘s major Black Sea port of Pivdennyi despite the deal and was allowing only one ship a day to deliver Ukrainian food to certain countries.

Russia has said it will allow more ships through if all parties to the grain deal agree to unblock the transit of Russian ammonia via a pipeline through Ukrainian territory to Pivdennyi for export.

“The latest actions that are taking place there during yesterday, the day before yesterday, today, it says more about the fact that in fact only legally it looks like this corridor works, but in reality nothing much is happening there,” Solsky said.

US sanctions Iranian firm for helping government censor internet

Friday 2 June 2023 18:20 , Eleanor Noyce

The U.S. imposed sanctions on an Iran-based technology firm on Friday for its role in facilitating the Iranian government’s censorship of the internet as anti-government protests have swept the country since September.

A firm known as Arvan Cloud, its co-founders Pouya Pirhosseinloo and Farhad Fatemi, and a United Arab Emirates-based firm were all sanctioned for helping to facilitate the Iranian government’s attempts to control and censor internet traffic.

Internet disruptions were instituted after homegrown anger over the September death of Masha Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman detained by the country’s morality police, escalated into large-scale protests.

Iran’s export of attack drones to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine has increased tensions.

Read the full story:

US sanctions Iranian firm for helping government censor internet

One woman dies and three children injured after car drives over mine in Kharkiv

Friday 2 June 2023 17:50 , Eleanor Noyce

One woman has died and three children have been injured after the car they were travelling in drove over a mine, Sky News reports.

“I emphasise once again that mine danger in Kharkiv Oblast remains very high,” Oleg Sinegubov, head of Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv region, said, adding that the vehicle was “blown up by an unknown explosive device.”

The incident occurred in the Bogodukhiv district at approximately 12pm on Friday.

“Be as careful as possible. Do not visit forests, fields, forest strips, roadsides, water banks”, Mr Sinegubov added.

A 37-year-old woman died at the scene, with three teenagers – two 12-year-olds and a 15-year-old – taken to hospital after they sustained serious injuries.

Analysis: The tension between Kosovo and Serbia has deep roots. The EU and US are still struggling to find a solution…

Friday 2 June 2023 17:20 , Eleanor Noyce

While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was the issue that loomed largest over the summit of 47 European leaders in Moldova on Thursday, a significant undercurrent involved a crisis between Kosovo and Serbia around 500 miles away.

Tensions that have existed for decades burst into fresh violent clashes this week in northern Kosovo – and the political fallout shows few signs of abating quickly. The US, the EU and Russia are among those weighing in, while Nato has said it is ready to send more troops to the area if an end to the unrest is not forthcoming.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Analysis: The decades of tension behind violent clashes in Kosovo

Russia’s Belgorod governor: two hurt, industrial site ablaze after shelling

Friday 2 June 2023 16:55 , Eleanor Noyce

The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region said on Friday that two people had been injured and an industrial facility had caught fire after shelling around the border town of Shebekino.

Both Belgorod region and the town of Shebekino, which are adjacent to Ukraine‘s Kharkiv region, have come under repeated fire in recent weeks from the Ukrainian side of the border.

Watch: Antony Blinken delivers speech on Russia’s ‘failure’ in Ukraine during Finland trip

Friday 2 June 2023 16:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Watch as Antony Blinken delivers a speech on how Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has “failed” as part of his trip to Finland on Friday, 2 June.

The US secretary of state was expected to talk about how the US will continue to support Ukraine in pursuit of lasting peace.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Blinken met his Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto in Helsinki to sign a joint statement and make short remarks.

Mr Blinken has made a trip to Europe to “deepen transatlantic cooperation on top national security and economic priorities.”

He is visiting Helsinki to highlight the US’s relationship with Nato’s newest ally.

Watch:

Watch: Antony Blinken delivers speech Ukraine war during Finland trip

Russia: Chechen special forces waging offensive in east Ukraine

Friday 2 June 2023 16:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that the “Akhmat” group of Chechen special forces were waging an offensive near the town of Mariinka, in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk.

Together with the Wagner mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, troops from Russia’s Chechen Republic have been one of the main driving forces behind Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.

Akhmat commander Apti Alaudinov said on Thursday that his forces were being moved to “another area” in preparation for a counter-offensive, but did not say where the troops were or where they were going.

Unlike Prigozhin, who has repeatedly lambasted Russia’s military leadership, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has recently refrained from echoing criticism of the defence ministry.

Members of the two groups have since openly sparred, with one of Kadyrov’s close allies on Thursday casting Prigozhin as a blogger who yells all the time about problems.

Brics nations mull new trading currency to ‘not become victims’ of Western sanctions

Friday 2 June 2023 15:50 , Eleanor Noyce

The Brics group of nations is mulling a new, common currency as an alternative to the US dollar for international trade so they can avoid the brunt of the West’s sanctions on Russia amid its war in Ukraine.

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa’s foreign ministers convened in Cape Town for a two-day summit to assert their aspirations in the face of rival Western countries.

The bloc was briefed by the New Development Bank, a Shanghai-based lender created by it in 2015, about the potential use of alternative currencies to the current internationally traded currencies, said Naledi Pandor, the foreign minister of host nation South Africa.

Without directly mentioning Russia, she said the aim was “to ensure that we do not become victim to sanctions that have secondary effects on countries that have no involvement in issues that have led to those unilateral sanctions”.

The bloc’s joint statement after the summit, that concluded on Friday, was titled “The Cape of Good Hope”.

Shweta Sharma reports:

Brics nations mull new trading currency to ‘not become victims’ of Western sanctions

How Dmitry Medvedev went from being Russia’s president to Vladimir Putin’s attack dog

Friday 2 June 2023 15:20 , Eleanor Noyce

When Dmitry Medvedev gave back the top spot in the Kremlin to Vladimir Putin in 2012, many observers hoped that the more liberal of the two men would continue to use his position to gently steer Russia in the direction of democratic reforms.

What they did not expect was how, a decade on, Medvedev has become Moscow’s primary mouthpiece for nuclear sabre-rattling, as well as death threats to the leaders of Western nations, following his mentor’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A law graduate and then assistant professor at St Petersburg State University in the 1990s, Medvedev entered politics as a consultant to Putin during his time as an official in the St Petersburg city administration, before leading Putin’s first presidential election campaign.

Arpan Rai reports:

How Dmitry Medvedev went from being Russia’s president to Vladimir Putin’s attack dog

Russian-backed official says Ukraine shelled port of Berdyansk

Friday 2 June 2023 15:10 , Eleanor Noyce

A Russian-installed official in Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia region said on Friday that Ukrainian forces had shelled the Russian-controlled port city of Berdyansk on the Sea of Azov and that a number of people had been injured.

“Information on the fatalities is being clarified,” Vladimir Rogov said on the Telegram messaging app. He was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency that British “Storm Shadow” missiles had been used in the attack.

Zaporizhzhia is one of five Ukrainian regions, including the Crimea peninsula, that Russia claims to have annexed.

The notorious Russian jail holding US journalist Evan Gershkovich

Friday 2 June 2023 14:50 , Eleanor Noyce

For decades, Lefortovo prison has been a symbol of oppression and control in Russia, especially for those who dare to challenge power. It is within these walls that American journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested in March, remains detained, awaiting trial on espionage charges – which he, the White House and Gershkovich’s employer, The Wall Street Journal, strongly deny.

Lefortovo serves as a pre-trial detention centre. Still, prisoners can spend years there. Paul Whelan, a former US marine, was at the prison for two years before being convicted on charges of espionage, and is now serving a 16-year sentence at a penal colony.

Based on descriptions by inmates, lawyers and prison monitors, including letters and sketches, as well as documentaries and photos of Lefortovo, we have built a portrait of what life is like inside the prison.

Former inmates describe a facility designed to instil fear, isolation and despair, write Mary Ilyushina, Francesca Ebel and Júlia Ledur:

The notorious Russian jail holding US journalist Evan Gershkovich

Kremlin says Europe knows risks of Ukraine joining NATO, but U.S. calls the tunes

Friday 2 June 2023 14:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Many European countries are aware of the problems that would arise if Ukraine were to join NATO but it is the United States that “calls the tunes” for the alliance, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

Asked at a regular news briefing about Ukraine‘s push to join the Western military alliance, Peskov said Kyiv’s NATO ambitions underscored its unwillingness to resolve problems at the negotiating table.

Peskov added that Ukrainian membership of NATO would cause problems for many years to come and that Russia would protect its own security and interests.

U.S.: Tanks, F-16 jets part of long-term strategy for Ukraine, won’t be ready for upcoming offensive

Friday 2 June 2023 14:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Training for Ukrainian forces on advanced U.S. Abrams tanks has begun, and while those systems will not be ready in time for the imminent counteroffensive, those weapons will be critical in the longer-term to Ukraine ultimately pushing Russia out of its occupied territories, Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Mark Milley said.

Tank training began as the U.S. and allies began to work out agreements to train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets — another long-wished-for advanced capability. Ultimately, while the tanks are needed to expel Russian forces from Ukrainian territory, the F-16s would be part of a longer-term security plan to deter future attacks, Milley said Thursday.

“Everyone recognizes Ukraine needs a modernised Air Force,” Milley said. “It’s going to take a considerable amount of time.”

Tara Copp reports:

U.S.: Tanks, F-16 jets part of long-term strategy for Ukraine, won’t be ready for upcoming offensive

Ukraine’s Zelensky: NATO membership ‘impossible’ until Russia war ends

Friday 2 June 2023 14:10 , Eleanor Noyce

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday he knew it would be “impossible” for Ukraine to join NATO while Russia was waging war on his country.

Zelensky has pressed for Ukrainian membership of the military alliance but allies are divided over how fast that should happen. Western governments are wary of any move that might take the alliance closer to war with Russia.

In a joint briefing in the Ukrainian capital with Estonian President Alar Karis, he said joining the alliance was still the best security guarantee for Kyiv.

“But we are adequate people and understand that we will not pull any NATO country into a war,” Zelensky said. “And that’s why we understand that we won’t be a member of NATO while this war is ongoing. Not because we don’t want to, because it’s impossible.”

Voices: The drone attack on Moscow imperils Putin like never before

Friday 2 June 2023 13:50 , Eleanor Noyce

A review of the months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would turn up a succession of events that, depending on the outcome, could one day be seen as turning points. From the retreat of the huge Russian armoured convoy threatening Kyiv, to the ending of early ceasefire talks, to Russia’s capture of Mariupol (and so the land route to Crimea), and more recently its victory at Bakhmut – possibly opening Russia’s way to seize more of the Donbas.

To these potential landmarks must now be added the 30 May drone attacks on the Moscow suburbs, which appeared to target, among other places, the elite suburb of Rublyovka, home to the hidden mansions of the capital’s rich and powerful. The president’s official residence is not quite in the same area, but it is not far away.

Kyiv denied responsibility for the Rublyovka attack, as it had done with the drone attack on the Kremlin earlier in the month, and with the growing number of small-scale attacks in regions of Russia closer to the border. This time, though, the denial was more muted.

If the war spreads, so the possible scenarios for its fallout in Russia need to be urgently broached, writes Mary Dejevsky:

The drone attack on Moscow imperils Putin like never before | Mark Dejevsky

Kremlin: Discussions on peace in Ukraine must consider Russia

Friday 2 June 2023 13:40 , Eleanor Noyce

The Kremlin said on Friday that it noted there were more and more discussions about peace in Ukraine, but that they had not shown the “political will” to take Russia’s concerns into account.

‘Path is open’ for Ukraine to join NATO – British defence minister

Friday 2 June 2023 13:22 , Eleanor Noyce

Britain supports adding Ukraine to NATO and “that path is open” to them, although political realities may slow the process, defence minister Ben Wallace said on Friday on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security meetings in Singapore.

He noted that it is not possible to add members in the middle of a war, and that the way forward was to continue aiding and arming Ukraine for both short- and long-term security.

“The best thing we can do to help Ukraine is now to help them defeat Russia,” Mr Wallace said in an interview. “After that is to make sure they’re ready and capable and resilient.”

Ukraine‘s membership of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, is on the agenda for the group’s July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Kyiv wanted “a clear decision” on its accession at the summit.

In pictures: Ukrainian military helicopters host drills in country’s north

Friday 2 June 2023 13:20 , Eleanor Noyce

On Thursday (June 1), Ukrainian military carried out drills in the north of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian air defenses shot down more than 30 Russian cruise missiles and drones in Moscow‘s sixth air attack in six days on Kyiv, local officials said on Friday.

The Ukrainian capital was simultaneously attacked from different directions by Iranian-made Shahed drones and cruise missiles from the Caspian region, senior Kyiv official Serhii Popko wrote on Telegram.

A 68-year-old man and an 11-year-old child were wounded in the attack, with private houses, outbuildings and cars sustaining damage from falling debris, according to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office.

China weighs next Ukraine peace mission after first yields little progress

Friday 2 June 2023 12:50 , Eleanor Noyce

The Chinese envoy who toured European capitals last month seeking to promote Ukraine peace talks said on Friday that Beijing is considering another mission, after acknowledging that his trip may not produce immediate results.

At a news conference, Li Hui rejected a media report saying he promoted a ceasefire that would leave its ally Russia occupying parts of Ukraine and said Beijing would “do anything” to ease tensions.

However, there are high hurdles to finding common ground between the warring sides, he added.

“We felt that there is a big gap between both sides’ positions … Getting all sides to negotiate now would still face a lot of difficulties,” said Li, China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs and a former long-serving ambassador to Moscow.

“China is willing to actively consider sending another delegation to relevant countries to engage in dialogue on resolving the Ukraine crisis,” said Li, without elaborating on which countries.

In May, Li completed a 12-day tour of Kyiv, Warsaw, Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Moscow in what China said was a bid to find common ground for an eventual political settlement.

White House wants to engage Russia on nuclear arms control in post-treaty world

Friday 2 June 2023 12:20 , Eleanor Noyce

The White House is ready to have talks with Russia without preconditions about a future nuclear arms control framework even as it is enacting countermeasures in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s decision to suspend the last nuclear arms control treaty between the two countries.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan will make clear the Biden administration’s desire for talks on building a new framework during an address to the Arms Control Association on Friday, according to two senior administration officials who previewed the address on the condition of anonymity.

Putin announced in February he was suspending Russia’s cooperation with the New START Treaty’s provisions for nuclear warhead and missile inspections amid deep tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Russia, however, said it would respect the treaty’s caps on nuclear weapons.

Read more:

White House wants to engage Russia on nuclear arms control in post-treaty world

Putin: We will not let enemies destabilise Russia

Friday 2 June 2023 11:54 , Eleanor Noyce

President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of his Security Council on Friday that “ill-wishers” were increasingly trying to destabilise Russia and that this must be prevented.

“We must do everything we can to make sure that under no circumstances will they be allowed to do this,” Putin said.

China Ukraine envoy urges governments to ‘stop sending weapons to the battlefield,’ negotiate peace

Friday 2 June 2023 11:50 , Eleanor Noyce

China’s Ukraine envoy appealed Friday to other governments to “stop sending weapons to the battlefield” and hold peace talks but gave no indication that his trip to the region made any progress toward a settlement.

Li Hui’s appeal came as Washington and its European allies are ramping up supplies of missiles, tanks and other weapons to Ukrainian forces that are trying to take back Russian-occupied territory.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government says it is neutral and wants to serve as a mediator but has supported Moscow politically.

“China believes that if we really want to put an end to war, to save lives and realize peace, it is important for us to stop sending weapons to the battlefield, or else the tensions will only spiral up,” Li told reporters.

Li visited Ukraine, Russia, Poland, France, Germany and the European Union headquarters during a May 15-28 trip.

Read more:

China Ukraine envoy urges governments to ‘stop sending weapons to the battlefield,’ negotiate peace

U.S. seeks ‘just and lasting peace’ for Ukraine, Blinken says

Friday 2 June 2023 11:26 , Eleanor Noyce

The United States is working with Ukraine and other allies to build consensus around the core elements of a “just and lasting peace” to end the war with Russia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.

Washington would also encourage initiatives by other countries to end the conflict, as long as they upheld the United Nations Charter and Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, he said in a speech.

“We will support efforts – whether by Brazil, China, or any other nation – if they help find a way to a just and lasting peace,” Blinken added.

Still, Washington would continue to support Ukraine militarily as the prerequisite for meaningful diplomacy is that Kyiv is capable of deterring and defending against any future aggression.

“Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine has been a strategic failure,” Blinken said.

Speaking in Finland, the newest member of the NATO alliance, Blinken said the United States would help build a “Ukrainian military of the future”.

Sanctions on Russia over Ukraine must be maintained, Japan says

Friday 2 June 2023 11:14 , Eleanor Noyce

Japan and like-minded countries must be united and maintain sanctions on Russia until it ends its aggression in Ukraine, Japan’s foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said on Friday.

“Judging from the situation and especially what Russia is saying and doing, I think it’s important that the G7 and like-minded countries still remain united and continue severe sanctions against Russia,” Hayashi told a press conference.

He said he hoped sanctions would encourage Russia to put an “end its aggression as soon as possible so that we can reach the phase that we can use the dialogue and peace talks”.

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries met in the city of Hiroshima last month and renewed their commitment to sanctions against Russia, while vowing to work to prevent them being circumvented.

The G7 countries said they would restrict exports of industrial machinery, tools, and technology useful to Russia’s war effort, and would limit its revenue from trade in metals and diamonds.

Pro-Kyiv group reports second day of fighting in Russia’s Belgorod

Friday 2 June 2023 11:57 , Eleanor Noyce

A group of pro-Ukrainian forces said on Friday they were fighting Russian troops on the outskirts of a village just inside Russia’s western border, a day after Moscow said it had repelled three cross-border attacks.

The attacks follow a major incursion into Russia’s western Belgorod region on May 22-23 and an increase in cross-border shelling in recent weeks as Ukraine prepares to launch a big push to recapture Russian-occupied land in its east and south.

“We have active fighting on the outskirts of the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka (in Belgorod region). Unfortunately, there are wounded legionnaires, but freedom is won through blood,” the Freedom of Russia Legion said in a statement.

Reuters was unable to verify the situation in Belgorod region.

The group describes itself as Russians fighting against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government to create a Russia that would be part of the “free world”.

Along with the Russian Volunteer Corps founded by a far-right Russian nationalist, they say they Russian volunteers attacking under their own steam, and not on the orders of Ukraine, which denies involvement.

Russia says Ukraine hit western regions in overnight attacks

Friday 2 June 2023 10:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Several regions in western Russia were hit by shelling and drones on Friday in overnight attacks from Ukraine, but no one was injured, local officials said in posts on the Telegram messaging app.

The governor of Russia’s western Bryansk region said Ukrainian forces had shelled two villages close to the Ukrainian border, while the governor of the neighbouring Kursk region said some buildings had been damaged in an overnight drone attack.

Ukraine denies its military is involved in the incursions and says they are conducted by Russian volunteer fighters.

Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Friday at least one incident of shelling had been reported overnight in the Shebekino district, and over 2,500 people were being evacuated from the area.

US to offer to keep nuclear arms curbs until 2026 if Russia does same

Friday 2 June 2023 10:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The United States on Friday will offer to abide by the nuclear weapons limits set in the New START treaty until its 2026 expiration if Russia does the same, in order to bolster global security, two senior administration officials said.

U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan will make the offer in a speech to the Arms Control Association, the oldest U.S. arms control advocacy group, the officials said on Thursday on condition of anonymity.

Sullivan will say President Joe Biden’s administration is open to resuming unconditional talks with Moscow on managing nuclear dangers, including replacing New START with a new pact, the sources said.

He also will repeat that the U.S. is ready to begin a risk reduction dialogue with China, which is expanding its nuclear arsenal, a call that Beijing so far has rejected amid deep strains with Washington.

“When political relations are at a low, when tensions are high, we find that arms control and nuclear risk reduction to be most important and we would argue that we find ourselves in that moment today,” said one official.

Man strips naked on Vatican church altar in protest over Ukraine war

Friday 2 June 2023 10:20 , Eleanor Noyce

An unidentified man stripped naked on the main altar of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City to protest Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The man had an inscription painted on his back which read that children in Ukraine should be saved.

The incident took place on Thursday just before the church was to be closed, Reuters reported.

According to a source, the Vatican guards later handed over the man to the Italian police.

He also reportedly had self-inflicted wounds and cuts on his back from his fingernails.

Maroosha Muzaffar reports:

Man strips naked on Vatican church altar in protest over Ukraine war

Russian-installed official says Ukraine hit ‘hospital camp’ in Zaporizhzhia region

Friday 2 June 2023 10:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A Russian-installed official said on Friday that Ukrainian forces had hit a “hospital camp” in the region of Zaporizhzhia, without providing details.

“Information about casualties and damage is being clarified,” Russian-installed official Vladimir Rogov said on the Telegram messaging app.

Reuters was not able to immediately verify the reported attack. Zaporizhzhia is one of four regions in Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed.

Vivek Ramaswamy to call for end to US support for Ukraine and Nato exit from Eastern Europe

Friday 2 June 2023 09:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur and anti-woke asset manager turned Republican presidential hopeful, has a plan for ending Russia‘s year-and-a-half war on Ukraine – sort of.

The 38-year-old political newcomer will unveil what he describes as a plan to bring the brutal conflict to a close by halting American support for Kyiv and “negotiating a peace treaty with Russia that achieves a vital US security objective: ceasing Russia’s growing military alliance with China”.

In remarks to be delivered on Friday in New Hampshire to the Belknap County GOP Lincoln Day, Mr Ramaswamy will say his plan is the mirror-image approach of the late US president Richard Nixon’s effort to break up the Soviet Union’s alliance with the People’s Republic of China, citing what he describes as Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s status as “the new Mao”.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Vivek Ramaswamy to call for end to US support for Ukraine

Kyiv defenses thwart Russia’s 6th air assault in 6 days against Ukraine capital

Friday 2 June 2023 09:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian air defenses shot down more than 30 Russian cruise missiles and drones in Moscow‘s sixth air attack in six days on Kyiv, local officials said Friday.

The Ukrainian capital was simultaneously attacked from different directions by Iranian-made Shahed drones and cruise missiles from the Caspian region, senior Kyiv official Serhii Popko wrote on Telegram.

A 68-year-old man and an 11-year-old child were wounded in the attack, with private houses, outbuildings and cars sustaining damage from falling debris, according to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office.

A recent spate of attacks on the capital has put strain on residents and tested the strength of Ukraine’s air defenses while Kyiv officials plot what they say is an upcoming counteroffensive to push back the Kremlin’s forces 15 months after their full-scale invasion. Kyiv was the target of drone and missile attacks on 17 days last month, including daylight attacks.

Moscow’s strategy could backfire, however, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank.

Susie Blann reports:

Kyiv defenses thwart Russia’s 6th air assault in 6 days against Ukraine capital

UN warns of new threat to global food security after Russia limits Ukraine grain shipments

Friday 2 June 2023 08:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Warning of a new threat to global food security, the United Nations said Thursday that Russia is limiting the number of ships allowed to pick up Ukrainian grain at Black Sea ports in its campaign to get Kyiv to open a pipeline for a key ingredient of fertilizer to get to world markets.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric expressed serious concern that only 33 ships departed from Ukrainian ports in May, half the number compared to April, and exports of grain and other foodstuffs totaled just 1.3 million metric tons last month, less than half the amount of the previous month.

He said Russia informed the center in Istanbul coordinating the arrivals, departures and inspections of ships involved in the Black Sea Grain Initiative “of its decision to limit registrations in the port of Yuzhny as long as ammonia is not exported, and currently it’s not.”

UN warns of new threat to global food security after Russia limits Ukraine grain shipments

US retaliates for Russia’s suspension of New START treaty by revoking visas of nuclear inspectors

Friday 2 June 2023 08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Biden administration is retaliating for Russia’s suspension of the New START nuclear treaty, announcing Thursday it is revoking the visas of Russian nuclear inspectors, denying pending applications for new monitors and canceling standard clearances for Russian aircraft to enter U.S. airspace.

The State Department said it was taking those steps and others in response to Russia’s “ongoing violations” of New START, the last arms control treaty remaining between the two countries, which are currently at severe odds over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“The United States is committed to full and mutual implementation of the New START treaty,” it said. “Consistent with that commitment, the United States has adopted lawful countermeasures in response to the Russian Federation’s ongoing violations of the New START treaty.”

US retaliates for Russia’s suspension of New START treaty by revoking visas of nuclear inspectors

Zelensky salutes ‘powerful support’ from allies at Moldova summit – as he increases pressure over jets

Friday 2 June 2023 08:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky addressed a summit of more than 40 European leaders in Moldova, where he said he had received “powerful support” from his allies as he sought to ratchet up the pressure on the West to provide weapons and security guarantees for Ukraine.

In what has become a familiar refrain for Mr Zelensky, the president spoke of the need to overturn Russian air supremacy with a “sky shield” – a combination of Patriot missile defence systems and F-16 jets provided by Western nations.

While his allies have talked a good game, Mr Zelensky will know that speed is important – given both the barrage of Russian missiles and drones that are hitting Ukrainian cities, and the preparations being made for a long-awaited counteroffensive to try to retake land occupied by Russian forces in the country’s east and south.

Zelensky salutes ‘powerful support’ from allies at Moldova summit

Two long-range drones hit west Russian towns overnight – governor

Friday 2 June 2023 07:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Two long-range drones attacked fuel and energy infrastructure in Russia‘s western Smolensk region overnight on Friday, but no injuries or fires were reported, the region’s acting governor said.

He said the attacks hit the towns of Divasy and Peresna near the region’s capital Smolensk, some 270 km (168 miles) from the Ukrainian border, but did not say who was responsible.

The incident comes a day after the governor of Russia‘s Belgorod region said Ukraine‘s armed forces shelled the border town of Shebekino, setting alight a dormitory and damaging an administrative building.

Ukraine denies it is responsible for attacks within Russian territory.

Ukraine says it downed more than 30 missiles and drones

Friday 2 June 2023 07:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian forces in the capital, Kyiv, said on Friday they shot down more than 30 Russian missiles and drones overnight and two people were injured by falling debris, before authorities lifted air raid alerts across most of the country.

Russia has launched about 20 separate missiles and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities since the beginning of May.

Kyiv military authorities, writing on Telegram, said Russia had launched drones and cruise missiles at the same time.

“According to preliminary information, more than 30 air targets of various types were detected and destroyed in the airspace over and around Kyiv by air defence forces,” they said in a statement.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who earlier reported two separate waves of attacks, wrote on Telegram that there had been no calls for rescue services.

Ukraine‘s military said Russia had launched 15 missiles and 18 drones.

Kyiv region authorities said two people were injured as a result of falling debris, including a child.

“In addition, the falling debris damaged five private houses,” the state administration said on the Telegram messaging service.

Ukraine regularly says its defences destroy the majority of the missiles and drones Russian forces use in their attacks.

Armenia is not Russia’s ally, PM claims

Friday 2 June 2023 06:52 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is not Russia’s ally in its war on Ukraine.

“This has never been said out loud, but I think it shows: in the war with Ukraine, we are not an ally of Russia. And our feeling from this war, from this conflict is anxiety, because it directly affects all our relations” Mr Pashinyan said in an interview with CNN.

“In the West, they notice that we are an ally of Russia, they notice this more. And in Russia, they see that we are not their ally in the war with Ukraine. And it turns out that we are not an ally to anyone in this situation, which means we are vulnerable.”

Russia attacks Ukraine with 15 cruise missiles, 18 drones in overnight aerial attack

Friday 2 June 2023 06:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russia attacked Kyiv overnight with 15 cruise missiles and 18 Iranian-made Shahed drones in its latest attack on the capital, Ukrainian authorities said.

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Facebook that all the drones were shot down by Ukrainian air defences.

Earlier, Kyiv reported that more than 30 Russian drones were shot down overnight on 2 June.

“Unfortunately, the attacks have killed and wounded civilians, including children. Also, a children’s clinic, apartment buildings, private houses, and other civilian infrastructure have been damaged,” Kyiv said.

“The likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains high.”

Man strips on the altar of St Peter’s Basilica to protest Ukraine war

Friday 2 June 2023 06:05 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A man visiting St Peter’s Basilica yesterday reportedly took off his clothes and stood naked on the church’s main altar, a Vatican source was quoted as saying by Reuters.

It appeared that the man was protesting the war in Ukraine.

The unidentified man had an inscription painted on his back calling for the children of Ukraine to be saved.

The source said that the man had self-inflicted wounds and cuts on his body from his fingernails.

He was later handed over to the Italian police by the Vatican guards.

Russian authorities claim drone attacks in the city of Kursk

Friday 2 June 2023 05:50 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russia claimed that several Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight in the city of Kursk in the western part of the country.

Kursk Oblast governor Roman Starovoyt wrote in a Telegram post: “Tonight the air defence system near Kursk shot down several Ukrainian drones.”

Kyiv has, however, neither denied nor confirmed the drone strike.

A day before, Mr Starovoyt claimed that “drone munition” had been dropped on a substation in the village of Gogolevka in Kursk Oblast, resulting in power blackouts, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron say Ukraine needs security guarantees from Nato members

Friday 2 June 2023 05:33 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor and France’s Emmanuel Macron both emphasised the necessity of security guarantees for Ukraine over Nato membership status.

Speaking at the second European Political Community Summit [EPC] in Moldova yesterday, Mr Scholz said that Ukraine and its allies are still “very far away” from any kind of peace agreement and added that the security guarantees for Ukraine should take precedence over Nato membership, Reuters reported.

“Given the current situation, it is not about establishing membership … We all have to focus on how we as individuals can support Ukraine,” he said.

“They must be designed in such a way that they give Ukraine the security it needs against the danger of being attacked, that they also stabilise Ukraine at the same time, … and of course, it is always part of the security guarantee that it is taken seriously.”

Mr Macron also said that he favoured “stronger, concrete very clear security guarantees” for Ukraine by Nato members.“We have to give a long-term perspective to Ukraine.”

Russia claims it thwarted three cross-border attacks in Belgorod

Friday 2 June 2023 05:02 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russia’s defence ministry claimed that it thwarted three cross-border attacks near the town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region.

“Overall, the attack involved up to 70 militants, five tanks, four armoured vehicles, seven pick-up trucks and a Kamaz truck,” the Russian defence ministry said yesterday evening.

The ministry claimed to have killed more than 50 Ukrainian soldiers.

Russia has lost more than 200,000 troops since the beginning of invasion, Kyiv authorities claim

Friday 2 June 2023 04:34 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russia has lost about 208,000 troops since the beginning of the invasion, according to Ukraine.

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that this was more than the 170,000 Russian forces he says were involved in the initial invasion in 2022.

Meanwhile, Sky News reported that Russia has suffered over 60,000 casualties as of 1 June in its assault on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Last month, Russia declared its success in capturing Bakhmut after approximately a year-long battle.“We judge that capturing Bakhmut has likely cost Russia at least 60,000 casualties in that Bakhmut-Popasna sector over the course of the year-long battle,” it reported citing a Western official.

Yesterday, Russia shelled Ukraine’s position in Bakhmut at least 476 times, according to Mr Cherevatyi.“We are doing everything to exhaust their logistics — we are hitting the accumulation of equipment and personnel, headquarters.”

US to stop giving Russia some New START nuclear arms data

Friday 2 June 2023 04:21 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The United States has decided to stop providing Russia with some notifications required under the New START arms control treaty — including updates on its missile and launcher locations.

In a fact sheet on its website, the State Department said it would also stop giving Russia telemetry information — remotely gathered data about a missile’s flight — on launches of US intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

The move is aimed to reiterate Moscow’s “ongoing violations” of the accord, Reuters reported.

The New START treaty was signed in 2010 by then-presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev and limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. The agreement envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance.

“Beginning 1 June 2023, the United States is withholding from Russia notifications required under the treaty, including updates on the status or location of treaty-accountable items such as missiles and launchers,” the State Department factsheet said.

Kyiv authorities lift air raid alerts and claim 30 Russian missiles and drones were downed

Friday 2 June 2023 04:02 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Authorities in Ukraine today lifted air raid alerts across most of the country, it was reported.

Officials in Kyiv said defences downed more than 30 missiles and drones fired by Russia.

“According to preliminary information, more than 30 air targets of various types were detected and destroyed in the airspace over and around Kyiv by air defence forces,” military officials said in a statement shared on Telegram.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, who earlier reported two separate waves of attacks, wrote on Telegram that there had been no calls for rescue services.

Reminder: Fresh Russian bombardment of Kyiv kills at least three

Friday 2 June 2023 02:50 , Jane Dalton

Russian forces began June with a fresh aerial bombardment of Kyiv on Tuesday, killing at least three people and wounding others, authorities said.

Two of the dead were children, according to city officials:

Fresh Russian bombardment of Ukraine’s capital kills at least 3 people, wounds others

Revealed: Life inside the notorious Russian jail holding a US journalist

Friday 2 June 2023 01:40 , Jane Dalton

For decades, Lefortovo prison, where American journalist Evan Gershkovich is being held, has been a symbol of oppression and control in Russia.

Testimony from inmates, lawyers and prison monitors say it is designed to instil fear, isolation and despair, with psychological pressure that defines the torment of prisoners:

The notorious Russian jail holding US journalist Evan Gershkovich

Brazilian leader hopes to broker peace talks

Friday 2 June 2023 00:30 , Jane Dalton

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 so he could broker potential peace talks.

After a meeting with Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto in Brasilia, Mr Lula said he was looking to create conditions for both countries to engage in peace negotiations to “stop the war when they are ready”.

“Brazil is working with other countries to achieve peace but nothing will happen until Ukraine and Russia want to,” Mr Lula said, adding that he had recently discussed the theme with other leaders including Chinese president Xi Jinping.

Grain exports have halved, says UN

Thursday 1 June 2023 23:15 , Jane Dalton

The United Nations is concerned about the continuous slowdown of the implementation of a Black Sea grain export deal between Russia and Ukraine, a spokesman said.

Only 33 vessels left Ukrainian ports in May, less than half the number seen last month.

He said the UN would engage with the parties toward full resumption of the deal.

Ukraine says the export deal has been halted again because Russia blocked registration of ships to all Ukrainian ports.

Zelensky increases pressure on allies for jets

Thursday 1 June 2023 22:20 , Jane Dalton

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said he received “powerful support” from allies at a summit of more than 40 European leaders, but he ratcheted up the pressure on Western allies to provide weapons:

Zelensky salutes ‘powerful support’ from allies at Moldova summit

‘Pro-Ukrainian militants’ attack Russian border

Thursday 1 June 2023 21:30 , Jane Dalton

Russia says it has repelled an attempted incursion along its border with Ukraine by what it casts as pro-Ukrainian militants, while heavy shelling and a suspected drone attack prompted a partial evacuation of the area by civilians.

Ahead of an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive in the 15-month war, Russia has come under repeated attack in recent days.

Russia’s defence ministry said it repelled three cross-border attacks on Thursday near the town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region, and it accused Ukraine of using “terrorist formations” to try to attack Russian civilians.

“The selfless actions of Russian servicemen repelled three attacks by Ukrainian terrorist formations,” the Russian ministry said. “No violations of the state border were allowed.”

Ukraine denies its military is involved in the incursions into Belgorod and says they were conducted by Russian volunteer fighters.

Opinion: Moscow drone attack highlights threat to Putin

Thursday 1 June 2023 20:45 , Jane Dalton

It’s not impossible that senior officials gagging for more firepower, Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and other paramilitary groups could garner enough support among a disaffected Russian population to organise a rebellion against the Russian leader, writes Mary Dejevsky:

The drone attack on Moscow imperils Putin like never before | Mark Dejevsky

In pictures: Ukraine prepares for counteroffensive

Thursday 1 June 2023 19:45 , Jane Dalton

Girl, 9, and mother killed in Kyiv as air raid shelter stays shut

Thursday 1 June 2023 19:00 , Jane Dalton

A nine-year-old girl, her mother and another woman were killed in a Russian missile strike on Kyiv on Thursday after the air raid shelter they rushed to failed to open, witnesses said.

Police opened a criminal investigation into the three deaths near a medical clinic in the Desnyanskyi district of Kyiv after the 18th attack on the capital since the start of May.

“Three people, one of them a child, died near the clinic last night,” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

“A rocket fragment fell near the entrance to the clinic four minutes after the air alert was announced. And people headed for the shelter.”

Local residents said people were unable to enter the shelter because it was closed. It was not clear why.

“The air alert sounded. My wife took our daughter and they ran to the entrance here,” local resident Yaroslav Ryabchuk told Reuters. “The entrance was closed, there were already maybe five to 10 women with children.

“No one opened up for them. They knocked loudly enough.

“They tried to enter the shelter, [but] no one opened up for them. My wife died,” he said.

The case caused a public outcry and prompted calls for residents to check shelters and report any safety violations. Local media said prosecutors later searched city administration offices as part of the investigation into the deaths.

At a makeshift memorial for the girl, another parent who was woken by the night-time attacks spoke of her terror.

“I grabbed my child and ran into the corridor because I didn’t have any other options. We sat there the whole time, there were a few more explosions,” said 25-year-old Oleksandra, visiting the memorial with her five-year-old son Hryhoriy.

‘At least 60,000′ Russian troops killed in Bakhmut

Thursday 1 June 2023 18:15 , Jane Dalton

Russia has suffered at least 60,000 casualties in its attempt to capture the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, a western official has said.

They also said that overall Russian casualties are “well over 200,000” and there are indications the anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive could begin within weeks.

Earlier this month, Russia claimed to have captured Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine, after about a year of fighting.

A western official said: “We judge that capturing Bakhmut has likely cost Russia at least 60,000 casualties in that Bakhmut-Popasna sector over the course of the year-long battle.”

They said it was a “conservative estimate” for the number of Russian casualties on that area of the front, and on the estimated breakdown of killed to wounded they said: “I think we would say at least a third killed.”

They reiterated what a number of observers have said in describing Bakhmut as “not strategically significant” in terms of the wider conflict.

Ukraine’s rightful place is in Nato, says Sunak

Thursday 1 June 2023 17:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine’s “rightful place” is in Nato, Rishi Sunak has said.

The Prime Minister is in Moldova for a gathering of European leaders, with his comments coming after a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Kyiv has long called for Ukraine to be admitted to Nato, but allies are divided about when and how any accession might happen as the war with Russia continues.

Mr Sunak, speaking to broadcasters at the European Political Community summit, gave little further detail of the UK position on the Ukrainian path to membership.

The gathering, on the border of Ukraine, comes ahead of a key meeting of Nato leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July.

Dominic McGrath reports:

Ukraine’s rightful place is in Nato, says Sunak

Newsmax branded ‘incompetent hacks’ for using images of Iowa building collapse in Russia drone strike report

Thursday 1 June 2023 17:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The far-right network Newsmax has come under fire for using images from a building collapse in Davenport, Iowa, in a report about a drone strike in Moscow, Russia.

The six-storey building partially collapsed on Sunday afternoon, with city officials now saying that they’re evaluating if further searches for survivors can safely be conducted as the building is at risk of toppling.

Five people are unaccounted for following the collapse, with Mayor Mike Matson saying on Tuesday that officials think two of them may still be in the building, according to CNN.

On Wednesday, Newsmax featured harrowing images of the collapse as host Greta Van Susteren delivered a report on a “disturbing” drone attack in Moscow, Russia, according to Media Matters. In doing so, the network could lead viewers to believe that the drone strike caused the destruction seen in the photo thousands of miles away.

The drone strike was the first to hit a civilian area in Russia since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Gustaf Kilander reports:

Newsmax uses images of Iowa building collapse in report on drone strike in Moscow

Russia, China foreign ministers set for BRICS meet in South Africa with war in Ukraine on agenda

Thursday 1 June 2023 16:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The Russian and Chinese foreign ministers were set to meet with their counterparts from the BRICS economic bloc of developing nations in South Africa on Thursday for discussions that will start with “an exchange of views” on major geopolitical issues, including the war in Ukraine, South Africa’s ambassador to the bloc said.

Most of the BRICS countries differ sharply from the position of the U.S. and its Western allies on the war. Speaking ahead of the meeting, the South African ambassador referred to the West’s military aid to Ukraine as one of the things that “fuels the conflict.”

“Any endeavor that fuels the conflict does not solve the problem,” Anil Sooklal said when asked for his reaction to Western “attempts” to transfer weapons to Ukraine.

“We do not know of any global conflict that has been solved though war,” Sooklal said. “All it does is cause more pain and suffering and, as BRICS countries, this is what we are saying: Let’s focus on finding a peaceful resolution to the challenges, rather than fueling the conflict.”

Gerald Imray reports:

Russia, China foreign ministers set for BRICS meet in South Africa with war in Ukraine on agenda

Administration building burns in Russian border town ‘hit by Ukrainian missiles’

Thursday 1 June 2023 16:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A fire burned in a Russian border town on Thursday, 1 June, as Russian officials reported shelling by Ukrainian forces.

Footage shows an administration building on Lenin Street in Shebekino, Belgorod, up in flames.

Belogrod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that five people were injured on Thursday morning.

“Ukrainian armed forces fired Grad missiles at the center and outskirts of the city,” he said.

Ukraine did not immediately comment on the reports.

It comes after Ukrainian officials reported that a mother and her 11-year-old daughter were among three people killed in a Russian attack on Kyiv on Thursday.

Taiwan donates $5 mln towards rebuilding Ukraine with Lithuania

Thursday 1 June 2023 15:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Taiwan has donated five million dollars towards Lithuanian-led reconstruction projects in Ukraine, a Lithuanian government investment agency said on Wednesday.

The funds will be spent towards rebuilding a school in Borodianka and a kindergarten in Irpin, Central Project Management Agency said in a statement.

Lithuanian government has spent 9.8 million euros ($9.2 million) towards the rebuilding, and the Taiwanese contribution will be used to purchase educational equipment.

“Taiwan sees Ukraine as our own image in a different continent. We both face authoritarian regimes which do not shy from using force to impose its world view”, Taiwanese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roy Chun Lee said introducing the donation in Vilnius.

“If one day Taiwan is facing an increased level of military intimidation from China, we will be looking for your assistance as well, just as we are helping Ukraine“, he added.

In 2022 China downgraded its diplomatic ties with Lithuania, and told multinationals to sever ties with Lithuania or face being shut out of the Chinese market, after the opening of a representative office by Taiwan in Vilnius.

In response, the European Union launched a challenge at the World Trade Organization, accusing China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania that it says threaten the integrity of the single market. The challenge was joined by the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

China views self-ruled and democratically governed Taiwan as its territory and has stepped up pressure on countries to downgrade or sever their relations with the island.

Details of Ukraine’s future security guarantees remain to be decided, NATO chief says

Thursday 1 June 2023 15:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine‘s security must be guaranteed when the war ends, but NATO allies still have to work out the details of how to arrange this, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday.

“When the war ends we must ensure we have a framework in place to ensure it is not a pause in Russian actions against Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said following an informal meeting of NATO countries’ foreign ministers in Oslo.

“We need to stop the vicious circle of aggression against Ukraine. Details of how that can be done remain to be decided.”

Russia says it seeking third suspect over war blogger killing

Thursday 1 June 2023 14:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian investigators said on Thursday they were seeking a third suspect over the April 2 killing of popular pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in an explosion at a cafe in St Petersburg.

In a statement posted on the Telegram messenger app, the Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said 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.

Tatarsky, a native of eastern Ukraine‘s Donbas whose real name was Maxim Fomin, had been addressing an event in the cafe when the blast occurred. Russian officials later said a bomb had been hidden inside a statuette given to him as a gift during the event.

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. Trepova has been charged with terrorist offences.

Trepova’s husband told independent Russian media outlets he believed she had been framed and had not known the statuette she had been told to deliver contained explosives.

In its statement, the Investigative Committee said Popkov had exchanged messages with Trepova over social media and had given her “instructions regarding the preparation of the terrorist act”.

At French Open, Sabalenka of Belarus refuses to answer questions about war in Ukraine

Thursday 1 June 2023 14:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Aryna Sabalenka, a Belarusian tennis player seeded No. 2 at the French Open, declined to answer questions about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after she won a match on Wednesday.

After her first-round win Sunday, Sabalenka had said no Russian or Belarusian athletes support the war, but she was asked Wednesday to personally condemn Belarus’ role in supporting Russia’s invasion.

“I’ve got no comments to you,” the Australian Open champion said in a press conference after her 7-5, 6-2 victory over Iryna Shymanovich in the second round at the Grand Slam tournament.

Sabalenka’s first-round opponent, Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, had urged reporters to ask the 25-year-old Sabalenka if she personally supports or opposes the war.

Sabalenka was asked — in the context of potentially becoming the world’s No. 1 player — about whether she supports Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Read more:

At French Open, Sabalenka of Belarus refuses to answer questions about war in Ukraine

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent’s website