North Korea and Russia have committed to providing military assistance in the event of an attack. This was reported by the North Korean state news agency KCNA after the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang. According to the agreement, both countries have pledged to provide each other with “all possible military and other support” in the event of an armed attack. They also agreed not to conclude any agreements with third countries that could harm the interests of the partner. In addition, neither state will allow its territory to be used to endanger the security and sovereignty of the other. The comprehensive strategic partnership agreement also regulates cooperation in areas such as nuclear energy, space travel, and food and energy security.
+++ 04:53 Estonia buys self-propelled howitzers in France +++
Estonia continues to arm itself: The Baltic EU and NATO country is purchasing twelve Caesar self-propelled howitzers from France. Six of the self-propelled weapon systems with a caliber of 155 millimeters are to be delivered by the end of 2024, the remaining units by the middle of next year. Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur described the Caesar howitzer as a “weapon system that has proven itself successfully in the defense of Ukraine against the Russian war of aggression.” It offers Estonia “mobile, flexible and long-range fire support.” Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is seen as a direct threat to national security in the state bordering Russia. The government in Tallinn has therefore significantly increased military spending and is massively arming the armed forces.
+++ 04:13 Thuringia’s CDU top candidate Voigt: Citizen’s allowance for Ukrainians was a “serious mistake” from the start +++
Mario Voigt, head of the CDU in Thuringia, has now joined the debate about benefits for Ukrainian refugees. The candidate for prime minister describes the citizen’s allowance for war refugees from Ukraine as a “serious political mistake” – and has been from the very beginning. “People feel it is unfair that Ukrainians have the same rights as Germans without ever having contributed anything to the country,” Voigt told the Tagesspiegel. “Our model of life in Germany is not full state support, but work.” This applies to everyone who comes to the country.
+++ 03:05 NATO chief: Authoritarian powers are moving ever closer together +++
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the new defense alliance between Russia and North Korea shows the increasing rapprochement between authoritarian powers and underlines the importance of a united front of democracies. “We must be aware that the authoritarian powers are moving ever closer together. They are supporting each other in a way we have never seen before,” he said at a panel discussion during an official visit to Ottawa. North Korea has supplied Russia with “an enormous amount of ammunition,” and China and Iran are also supporting Moscow in the war against Ukraine. The growing closeness between Russia and other Asian states makes it all the more important for NATO to work with its allies in the Asia-Pacific region. For this reason, the heads of government of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea have been invited to a NATO summit in Washington next month.
+++ 01:49 Zaporizhia builds underground schools +++
In the embattled region of Zaporizhia, children and young people will be taught in underground schools in the future. In view of the risks of the front-line area, the Defense Council decided to have the entire educational process take place in shelters, writes the head of the region’s military administration, Ivan Fedorov, on TelegramConstruction has begun at five locations, and one of the facilities is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of this year. Later, a total of 50,000 students will be taught offline in the shelters.
+++ 00:41 Selenskyj promises Ukrainians solutions to energy problems +++
Ukrainian President Zelensky promises to improve the country’s electricity supply by winter, which is currently catastrophic due to Russian attacks. “We are preparing solutions to get through the heating season more safely and to offer people more opportunities to survive this extremely difficult time in terms of energy supply, bottlenecks and outages,” says Zelensky in his daily video address. Kyiv will also mobilize other partners for this. According to previous statements by Zelensky, Russia has now destroyed energy capacity of nine gigawatts. That is half of what Ukraine had at its disposal last winter. This is also why Zelensky keeps calling for the air defense system to be strengthened.
+++ 00:06 Putin received in Hanoi +++
After his visit to North Korea, Russian President Putin is arriving in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. According to the Russian news agency, he will be received there with military honors at the start of his state visit. According to Russian sources, Putin is to meet with the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Ngueyn Phu Trong, at whose invitation he is in Hanoi, as well as with President To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Talks are planned on “the state and prospects for the further development of a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam in trade and economy, research and technology, and in humanitarian areas.” The two-day visit will also address international political issues.
+++ 23:25 Beluga whales evacuated from Kharkiv +++
Two beluga whales have been brought to Spain from the disputed region of Kharkiv. The two marine mammals, aged 14 and 15, arrived in Valencia in the evening after a “grueling journey,” according to the Oceanogràfic aquarium in the Spanish port city. The whales were initially transported overland from Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine to the port of Odessa in the south of the country. They were then taken across the border to the Moldovan capital of Chisinau. From there they were flown to Valencia on board a chartered plane.
+++ 21:47 Thuringia’s Interior Minister calls on able-bodied Ukrainians to return +++
Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier is advising able-bodied Ukrainians in Germany to return to their country to defend it. “For me, these men have a moral duty to defend their homeland,” Maier told “Spiegel”. “If we supply weapons to Ukraine, but the people who can operate them live with us, that doesn’t make sense.” Maier says, however, that he does not believe in exerting pressure by withholding social benefits: “It is Ukraine’s job to ensure that its able-bodied men are available.” The SPD politician says he also does not know what the point would be of no longer paying citizens’ allowances to Ukrainians who have recently come to Germany. This demand was made by the Union and FDP.
+++ 21:15 Patriot missiles go to Ukraine instead of Switzerland +++
US-made missiles for the Patriot air defense system, which are being manufactured for Switzerland, are to be delivered to Ukraine despite contractual obligations. This is reported by the Swiss newspaper “Blick”, citing unnamed sources. They told the newspaper that the US had decided to postpone the delivery to Switzerland and instead send the weapons to Ukraine, which urgently needs them to protect itself from Russian air attacks.
+++ 20:37 French right-wing leader: Will continue to support Ukraine +++
The head of the right-wing populist Rassemblement National (RN), Jordan Bardella, wants to continue to support Ukraine in principle even as a possible prime minister. “I reject the delivery of long-range missiles and weapons with which Ukraine can attack Russian territory,” explains Bardella.
+++ 20:05 Ukraine creates register for sexual violence by Russian troops +++
The Ukrainian authorities have set up a register for suspected cases of sexual violence by Russian forces. This was reported by Deputy Prosecutor General Viktoriya Litvinova. It is a pilot project, on the basis of which five people have already been convicted in absentia. Litvinova declined to give details of the cases. According to Ukrainian sources, the underlying crimes were committed in areas that were attacked or occupied by the Russian forces. “In the past, we had to visit areas where hostilities are taking place ourselves,” she says. “But now people who have experienced sexual abuse are asking us for information.”
+++ 19:28 Ukraine announces signing of security agreement with the EU +++
After a series of security agreements with Western allies, Ukraine wants to conclude a similar agreement with the EU soon. “The negotiating teams of Ukraine and the EU have finalized the text of the security agreement and agreed to sign it in the near future,” the Ukrainian presidential office explains.
You can read all previous developments here.