11/08/2022
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 05:15 progress in the NATO dispute? Sweden’s Kristersson visits Erdogan +++
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara today in the dispute over NATO’s northern expansion. Turkey has so far refused to clear the way for Sweden and Finland to join NATO by ratifying the so-called accession protocols. The country justifies this with the alleged Swedish and Finnish support of the Syrian Kurdish militia YPK. Of the 30 NATO member states, 28 have already ratified the Swedish and Finnish applications to join, only Turkey and Hungary are still missing.
+++ 03:30 Central European countries assure Ukraine support +++
The 17 states of the Central European Initiative (CEI) reaffirmed their support for Kyiv in view of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The organization is strongly committed to supporting Ukraine, Secretary General Roberto Antonione emphasized at a foreign ministers’ meeting in Bojana near Sofia, as reported by the Bulgarian news agency BTA. The coordination of efforts for Ukraine, solidarity and unity are the answers to the urgent problems, according to a final declaration of the meeting. The Republic of Moldova took over the presidency of the initiative from EU member Bulgaria. The organization includes 17 countries in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe.
+++ 02:10 North Korea denies supply of artillery ammunition to Russia +++
North Korea has denied US allegations that it secretly sent artillery shells to Russia for the war against Ukraine. The state news agency KCNA quoted a deputy department head in the North Korean defense ministry as saying that these were “unfounded” rumors spread by the United States in order to damage North Korea’s international reputation. North Korea has no arms deals with Russia and has “no intention of doing so in the future,” the statement said. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that North Korea had shipped a “significant” quantity of ammunition to Russia and was trying to create the impression that the shipments were destined for the Middle East or North Africa. According to Kirby, however, it was unclear whether the ammunition arrived in Russia.
+++ 00:48 Zelenskyj: Russia must be forced to the negotiating table +++
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia must be forced into serious peace talks. “Russia’s destabilizing influence is confronting the world with war, energy and food crises and the destruction of normal international relations,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. The climate agenda, “I really suffer”, but cannot be put on hold. “Those who are serious about the climate agenda must also be serious about the need to stop Russian aggression immediately, restore our territorial integrity and force Russia into genuine peace negotiations.” According to Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podoliak, Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia – but only with President Vladimir Putin’s future successor.
+++ 23:32 White House assures Ukraine support even after the US elections +++
The White House assures Ukraine of firm US support in the war against Russia regardless of the outcome of the midterm elections. “We are confident that US support will be steadfast and unwavering,” said US President Joe Biden’s spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. As before, Biden is striving for cross-party cooperation in support of Ukraine. The leader of the opposition Republicans in the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, recently said that if his party wins the expected majority in the Congress Chamber, there will be no “blank check” for Ukraine in the future.
+++ 22:24 Selenskyj speaks of hundreds of Russians killed every day +++
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Russian army is suffering enormous losses in the Donetsk region in the east of the country. “The Donetsk region remains the epicenter of the greatest madness of the occupiers,” says Zelenskyj in his nightly video address. “Hundreds of them are killed every day. The ground in front of Ukrainian positions is littered with the bodies of the occupying forces.” The cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka are currently the focal points of the heaviest fighting in the Donetsk region. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow denies such high losses in its own ranks.
+++ 22:09 Kyiv: “missile terror” only strengthens the world’s willingness to help +++
“The current escalation of Russian missile and drone terror has only resulted in the world (…) responding with new aid for Ukraine,” said Ukrainian President Zelenskyj, praising the international community’s willingness to help. Kyiv had previously announced that it had received new US and Italian-made anti-aircraft systems. Most recently, Russian missile and drone attacks had destroyed significant parts of Ukraine’s electricity and water infrastructure. Millions of Ukrainians only have electricity for a few hours every day. Zelenskyj also reports on successes in pushing back Russian troops in the occupied areas in southern and eastern Ukraine.
+++ 21:28 The White House is hardly surprised by the Russian commitment +++
The US government is unsurprised by the admission that Russia is influencing the upcoming US elections. “These comments tell us nothing new or surprising,” said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. The head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, had previously spoken of interference in US elections, but without giving any details. “It is well known and publicly well-documented that organizations linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin have attempted to influence elections around the world, including the US,” says Jean-Pierre. In the United States, a new Congress and numerous governors will be elected on Tuesday, and thousands more political offices will be filled at state and local level.
You can read earlier developments in the Ukraine war here.