03.07.2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 02:40 Serbian President Vucic receives Russian Deputy Foreign Minister +++
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko in Belgrade. He spoke with Grushko about bilateral relations between Serbia and Russia and “rated them as very good,” Vucic explained on Instagram. He also thanked Russia “for its support of Serbia’s territorial integrity and with regard to the UN resolution on Srebrenica.” Moscow still refuses to recognize Kosovo’s independence. Serbia has been a candidate for EU membership since 2012, but continues to maintain good relations with the Kremlin despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
+++ 01:29 Russian court sentences 19-year-old to twelve years +++
A Russian court has sentenced a 19-year-old to 12 years in prison for “high treason” after he was accused of donating money to the Ukrainian army. “The Rostov Regional Court found the man guilty and sentenced him to 12 years in a penal colony,” said a commentary by the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, which was picked up by the Kremlin’s state media. The teenager is said to have sent money to help the Ukrainian army buy food and drones. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Russians have been arrested and many of them imprisoned. In 2023, at least 21,000 people were the target of repression against war opponents, according to Amnesty International.
+++ 00:20 A quarter of US citizens find Washington’s help too little +++
Nearly a quarter of Americans believe the United States is not providing enough military aid to Ukraine, a share that has increased since November last year, according to a Pew Research Center poll. It found that 24 percent of respondents believe the United States is not providing enough aid to Ukraine, up from 18 percent in November 2023, when the poll was last conducted. However, even more Americans (31 percent) believe the United States is providing too much aid, and 25 percent believe it is providing enough aid.
+++ 22:53 Lithuania reports airspace violation by Russian aircraft +++
Lithuania reports that its airspace was violated by a Russian aircraft. The unspecified aircraft belonging to the Russian airline Pobeda entered the airspace of the Baltic EU and NATO member state without permission on the evening of June 30 and remained there for about a minute, according to the Foreign Ministry in Vilnius. The representative of the Russian ambassador was summoned and the Russian authorities were asked to take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The airspace violation occurred over the Baltic Sea when the aircraft was on its way from Moscow to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which borders Lithuania. The EU has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft in response to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
+++ 22:12 Survey in member states: Great trust in NATO, but not in Selenskyj +++
Next week, NATO will celebrate its 75th anniversary. The transatlantic defence alliance is viewed favourably by its member states, according to a Pew Research surveyOn average, 63 percent of the population in 13 countries have a positive opinion, while 33 percent have a negative one. Germany is slightly above average with a positive view of 64 percent. The rating in Poland is excellent: 91 percent have a positive image of the alliance. Trust in Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is on average 40 percent and has decreased in the member states over the past year. Poland also stands out here, where the head of state has lost 22 percent – from 70 to 48 percent. In Germany, trust has fallen by 7 percent to 54 percent.
Viktor Orbán and Volodymyr Zelensky
(Photo: AP)
+++ 21:27 Zelenksyj rejects Orban’s peace proposal +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has rejected Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s proposal for peace talks. During his first visit to Kyiv since the war began, Orbán proposed a quick ceasefire. This could “speed up” peace talks with Moscow, he said. “The president listened to him, but in response made Ukraine’s position clear and rejected the proposal,” said a spokesman for the presidential office. Kyiv had previously rejected ceasefires on the grounds that Russia’s armed forces could regroup during this time.
+++ 21:02 Ukraine: Moscow recruits minors +++
Russia is actively recruiting 17-year-olds for the war in Ukraine, Ukraine says. Recruitment contracts are signed with the minors and come into force when they reach adulthood. “They hope to use propaganda to recruit tens of thousands of teenagers,” says the Ukrainian National Resistance Center. “We warn that any enemy on our territory will be eliminated.” Russia also employs minors on occupied Ukrainian territory, for example to manufacture drones.
You can read all previous developments here.