According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Russian state and military leaders will one day have to answer for the offensive war against Ukraine. The central theme of the international conference “United for Justice” (United for Justice) in Lviv was “the responsibility of Russia and its leadership – personal responsibility – for aggression and terror against our country and our people,” Zelenskyj stressed in his video on Friday address for an overnight conference. “And when they are held accountable, justice will be restored.” The meeting was also attended by representatives of the EU and other European institutions.
Zelenskyj: Putin must get his just punishment
Ukraine has been trying for months to form an international court modeled on the Nuremberg Trial for Nazi War Criminals with its supporters, before which leading representatives of Moscow must answer for the war against the neighboring country. The meeting in Lviv was apparently kept secret for security reasons until it ended Friday evening.
The meeting was attended by US Attorney General Merrick Garland and Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Wopke Hoekstra. Zelenskyy’s address to the participants was not published until after the conference ended. “The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and all his accomplices must be given fair and legal punishment,” Zelensky demanded. “For all they have done, in the name and in memory of all whose lives they have taken and whose fate they have destroyed.”
However, the plans for this tribunal, which Kiev is striving for, have so far lacked effective measures to bring Moscow’s political and military leadership to the quay.
The US promises new military aid to Ukraine
The US is providing new military aid worth $400 million (about €377 million) to Ukraine to defend against Russian aggression. The package mainly contains ammunition, for example for the US-supplied Himars multiple rocket launchers and howitzers, the US State Department reported on Friday. Ammunition for Bradley armored personnel carriers is also included. According to the latest Pentagon figures, US military aid to Ukraine since the start of the war has totaled more than $32 billion, not counting the new package.
Ukraine: Private charity buys armored vehicles for the army
In Ukraine, well-known comedian and TV presenter Serhiy Prytula’s fund claims to have bought more than 100 used armored vehicles to support the army in its fight against Russia. “The first part – 24 vehicles – is already in Ukraine,” said a message distributed Friday. The 41-year-old appeared in a video with the armored but unarmored tracked vehicles of eight different types in the background. These were acquired and processed in Britain, it said. According to its own information, the fund raised the equivalent of 5.8 million euros in a day and a half after a call for donations in November.
Russia has lost more than 2,000 main battle tanks so far, according to NATO’s Supreme Commander in Europe. More than 200,000 Russian soldiers and more than 1,800 officers were killed or wounded, General Christopher Cavoli said at an event at Hamburg’s city hall on Friday. On average, the Russian army fires more than 23,000 artillery shells per day.
Kiev reports continued heavy fighting over Bakhmut
Meanwhile, Russian troops continued their attacks on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Friday. “The enemy is still trying to encircle the city,” Ukraine’s General Staff said in its daily situation report in the evening. A series of attacks on various foci around Bakhmut were repulsed by the Ukrainian defenders. The Russian army has been trying to take the city for weeks. The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force deployed there, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said Friday that his fighters had almost completely surrounded the city. The information could not be independently verified.
The city, which once had a population of 74,000, is now largely destroyed. Authorities estimate that about 5,000 civilians still live in Bakhmut.
President of the European Parliament in Kiev
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Friday evening for a visit. “It’s nice to be back in Ukraine,” she tweeted in both English and Ukrainian. “With these brave people who have inspired the world; with the heroes who do not surrender; with those who sacrificed everything for our values; with Europeans living in our European Union.” She added a Ukrainian and an EU flag to her message. Initially, no information was available about Metsola’s program in Kiev. The Maltese politician already visited Ukraine in April last year.
What will Saturday bring?
Russian troops are likely to continue their attacks on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Saturday. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
