US: “They have everything they need”
According to the US government, Ukraine has all the necessary resources to recapture the territories occupied by Russia in a counteroffensive. “They have what they need to successfully recapture areas that Russia has taken by force over the past 14 months,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a press conference with his British counterpart James Cleverly in Washington on Tuesday. Earlier, the US government announced extra military aid to Ukraine worth 1.2 billion dollars (about 1.1 billion euros). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressly welcomed the new aid package.
“I thank President (Joe) Biden, Congress — both parties — and every American family for their continued support and for the American strength that makes us stronger,” Zelenskyj said in his nightly video address Tuesday. The new US aid is mainly intended to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and satiate the need for munitions, the US State Department said. The US is also sending additional artillery shells and support for the maintenance of existing weapons systems.
The United States is considered Ukraine’s main ally in defense against the Russian invasion. The United States has contributed more than $36.9 billion in military aid since the start of the war, according to the Department of Defense.
Ukrainian foreign minister tempers offensive expectations
According to German Inspector General Carsten Breuer, Ukraine is making progress with preparations for a counter-offensive. “It was explained to me how the battle is fought on the front line. The ground is still muddy and damp. Sometimes there are still large lakes on the fields. The conditions for a comprehensive offensive had not yet been met in recent weeks, Breuer of the German news agency said. “But in all the conversations it has become clear to me that there are plans for a Ukrainian offensive.” The highest-ranking German soldier was in Ukraine last week and met army chief Valeriy Saluschnyj and defense minister Oleksiy Resnikov.
However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warns against too high expectations of the expected spring offensive. “Don’t take this counter-offensive as the last, because we don’t know what will come of it,” he told the newspaper “Bild” (Wednesday). Only if this offensive succeeds in liberating the territories occupied by Russia will it be the last. “But if not, it means we have to prepare for the next counter-offensive.”
Ammunition deliveries: EU Parliament votes for emergency procedure
The European Parliament is discussing a plan for significantly more ammunition deliveries to Ukraine in an urgent procedure. Negotiations on the details of the project with EU countries should start as early as June, as Parliament announced on Tuesday.
Last week, the European Commission presented proposals to encourage the European arms industry to rapidly expand production capacity with financial incentives running into the billions. The reason for this is, in particular, the difficulties of the EU states in supplying Ukraine with sufficient ammunition for the defensive war against Russia.
Fighting continues in eastern Ukraine
Ukrainian defenders and Russian attackers were once again engaged in heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday. The center of events was again the city of Bakhmut, which had been the subject of fierce fighting for months, as the Ukrainian General Staff announced in its evening situation report. In addition to Bakhmut, Russian troops also advanced at Liman, Avdiivka and Marjinka. In total, about 30 attacks have been repulsed there in recent hours.
As the French news agency AFP announced on Tuesday, its video journalist Arman Soldin was killed this afternoon in a rocket attack near Bakhmut. French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter that the pain of Soldin’s relatives and colleagues was shared. “From the first hours of the conflict, he was at the front to establish facts. To let us know.” According to Reporters Without Borders, six journalists were killed in Ukraine last year, and this year another reporter died there before Soldin.
Von der Leyen draws a positive conclusion after consultation in Kiev
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, drew a positive conclusion from her recent trip to the Ukrainian capital Kiev. On the return journey, she said, there were detailed discussions on progress and work still to be done at the start of EU accession negotiations. After this visit, she was more than ever impressed by the determination of the Ukrainians.
During her visit to Kiev, von der Leyen met President Selenskyj and Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal, among others. According to you, the EU Commission will orally present an initial assessment of Ukraine’s current reform efforts to the Council of Member States as early as June. A written report should then be available in October, on the basis of which a decision on the start of accession negotiations should be taken. Ukraine has been an official candidate for EU membership since last summer.
What’s important today
Heavy fighting is expected to continue in eastern Ukraine, especially around the city of Bakhmut. (yam/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.
