06/17/2023
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 02:14 Selenskyj: Every meter regained is of the utmost importance +++
Every meter that Ukrainian forces recaptured is of the utmost importance, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his late-night video address after a meeting with senior military commanders. “The most important thing in our advance.”
+++ 00:54 “Russian influence”: MPs in Poland decide to change controversial law +++
After heavy criticism from Washington and Brussels, the law establishing a controversial commission of inquiry into “Russian influence” is being revised again in Poland. In the evening, the House of Representatives, controlled by the national-conservative ruling party Law and Justice (PiS), launched a modified version of the legal text passed at the end of May. The new version lifts the planned ten-year ban from public office, which should apply to people who, according to the commission’s verdict, are “under Russian influence”. This original rule was obviously directed against the opposition. Critics saw this as, among other things, an attempt by the PiS party to politically eliminate opposition leader Donald Tusk before the parliamentary elections in autumn.
+++ 23:49 Insider: Stoltenberg will probably remain NATO chief +++
Jens Stoltenberg is expected to remain NATO Secretary General for another year. Two people familiar with the process told Reuters. Stoltenberg has been in office for nine years and is supposed to step down in September. The Norwegian enjoys broad support in the Western military alliance and is a successful NATO chief, says an informant who wishes to remain anonymous. “The administration (of President Joe Biden) has become comfortable with the idea of ​​Stoltenberg staying in office for another year,” said a senior US government official who also wished to remain anonymous. “It doesn’t look like there is a consensus within the Alliance on his successor at the moment.” Biden believes Stoltenberg did an excellent job during a difficult time.
+++ 22:13 report: Ukrainian troops take five to ten prisoners of war every day +++
one Report of the “Kyiv Post” According to reports, since the beginning of the offensive in the Donbass and in the Zaporizhia region, the Ukrainian military has been capturing five to ten Russian soldiers every day. More than 70 Russian prisoners of war were registered within a week. After reviewing 31 videos provided by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the outlet found that most of the Russian soldiers surrendered when the Kiev infantry overran their positions.
+++ 21:44 “I don’t really understand”: Selenskyj skeptical about the African peace initiative +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is skeptical about a peace initiative by African states. At a joint press conference in Kiev, he said about the plan of several African presidents to travel to Moscow on Saturday: “It’s their decision. I don’t really understand whether that’s reasonable.” South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa says he wants to talk to Putin about the United Nations Charter. The territorial integrity of the states stipulated there must be respected.
All events from the previous day can be found here.