Finland, Sweden NATO messages receive critical support
(Bloomberg) – Finland’s and Sweden’s applications to join NATO overcome an important obstacle after Turkey agreed to allow membership negotiations to proceed.
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A group of seven nations advanced with the ambition of limiting President Vladimir Putin’s energy revenues by lowering oil and gas prices, a day after a Russian missile attack on a shopping center in central Ukraine killed at least 20 people.
Heads of state and government are on their way to Madrid for a NATO summit, with plans to increase the size of its contingency force to 300,000 to strengthen its defense against Russian aggression.
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Important developments
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Finland, Sweden Closer to joining NATO with Turkey
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Soviet terror sacrificed other natures to the Baltics
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NATO will label China as a “Systemic Challenge” at a strategic level
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Russia slips into historical standard when sanctions are muddy next step
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Russian crude oil flows are declining, but it is likely to prove temporary
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Putin leaves Russia for the first time since Ukraine’s invasion
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What Ukraine’s EU candidacy means and what awaits: QuickTake
On the ground
Russian forces are moving forward with their goal of occupying all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said during a video briefing. Kyiv-led forces withdrew from Sievierodonetsk, as the Russian military moved into neighboring Lysychansk from the south, approaching the last major stronghold in the Luhansk region that Kyiv still controls. While Lysychansk remained the main hotspot for military action, Russian troops shelled Ukrainian positions and civilian areas elsewhere along the front line, including with air-to-land missiles. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, is also being shelled, its mayor said.
(All times CET)
NATO agreement on Finland, Sweden closer (20:49)
Turkey will support inviting Finland and Sweden to NATO’s military alliance, with details to be hashed out at a summit that began in Madrid on Tuesday, the President of Finland and NATO Secretary General said in a statement.
“I am delighted to conclude this stage on Finland’s path towards NATO membership,” said Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. “I now look forward to fruitful talks on Finland’s role in NATO with our future allies here in Madrid.”
Ankara is pleased with promises from Finland and Sweden that address its security concerns, including restrictions on Kurdish groups that Turkey considers terrorists, according to an official who declined to be mentioned in a confidential matter.
Dnipro among goals in last missile block (18:53)
Six rockets were fired by Russia at central Dnipropetrovsk region of central Ukraine, with several hits on railway infrastructure, an industrial company and a car service station in the region’s major city of Dnipro, said Valentyn Reznichenko, head of the regional government, in his Telegram account.
Fire broke out after a missile attack on the gas station, where employees are still under rubble, and it is being extinguished, he said. Explosions were also heard on Tuesday in another major city, the southern port of Mykolayiv.
Johnson says Allies can send a signal to China with Ukraine’s action (18.00)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain and its allies must stand by their principles to support Ukraine and show China that countries will not be allowed to expand their territory by military force.
On a flight to Madrid for a summit with NATO leaders, Johnson was asked whether failure to support Ukraine could encourage China to consider invading Taiwan.
“It is very important that countries around the world are not able to read through events in Europe and conclude that the world will simply be passive if borders change by force,” Johnson said. “This is one of the most important lessons we learn from Ukraine.”
Treasury Announces Sanctions Against Russian Gold, Company (17:21)
The US Treasury Department announced its previously planned ban on imports of Russian gold and issued completely blocking sanctions against the Russian defense company Rostec. The measure also targeted several other military entrepreneurs and individuals linked to the industry.
“Targeting Russia’s defense industry will weaken Putin’s capabilities and further complicate his war against Ukraine, which has already been plagued by poor morale, broken supply chains and logistical failures,” Finance Minister Janet Yellen said in a statement timed to coincide with the end. of the G7 summit.
Pentagon Watchdog to investigate division of Ukraine’s Intel (16:51)
The Pentagon’s inspector general has launched an investigation into US intelligence sharing with allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Ukraine over Russia’s invasion.
“The purpose of this evaluation is to determine the extent to which the DoD has developed, planned and implemented the sharing of intelligence across multiple domains with European partners in support of Ukraine,” Maurice Foster, Acting Deputy Inspector General for evaluations, said in a statement.
Officials at the Department of Defense and other agencies have been questioned by lawmakers and analysts about the scope and details of the U.S. tactical and strategic intelligence division.
At least 20 killed in missile attack at shopping mall (16:17)
The number of people killed in the shopping center strike in Kremenchuk has risen to at least 20, and more than 40 are missing, said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president’s office, at Telegram. Another 59 were injured.
Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said in televised comments that the identification of the remains was complicated by serious burns, adding that many seemed to have ignored a plane alarm and remained in the building. Zelenskiy said in a video address that about 1,000 were at the scene, calling the Russian state the “largest terrorist organization in the world.”
Nearly 3,000 civilians have been killed in Russian attacks since the invasion began on February 24, Ukraine’s state rescue service told Telegram.
European gas demand rose to the highest in a decade in 2021, says BP (14:09)
Europe’s demand for natural gas soared to its highest level in a decade last year, and the war in Ukraine will only tighten the market further, BP Plc said in its annual Statistical Review.
Energy use was already roaring in 2021 when nations emerged from months of pandemic restrictions. But the recovery coincided with limited gas flows from Russia and pressure on liquefied natural gas. The European market ended the year with volatility at the highest level ever, and the wild price fluctuations have continued in 2022 with the invasion of Ukraine that raised fears of supply.
Leader wants urgent evaluation of energy price ceiling (13:45)
The G-7 leaders agreed that they want the ministers to discuss and evaluate as soon as possible how the prices of Russian oil and gas can be curbed in order to limit the revenues that go to the government in Moscow.
“We reaffirm our commitment to phase out our dependence on Russian energy,” the leaders said in a statement following the three-day summit in the Bavarian Alps. “In addition, we will examine further measures to prevent Russia from benefiting from its war of aggression.”
G-7 nations will participate in G-20 in November, says Scholz (13:30)
Asked if Germany and other G-7 nations would attend a G-20 summit in November, which Putin could also attend, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there was “broad agreement” among Bavarian leaders that they “do not want to drive apart the G-20.”
Read more: The presidents of Ukraine, Russia accept Indonesia’s G-20 invitation
“As it stands, the decision of the countries gathered here is that they will participate,” Scholz said at a news conference. Both Putin and Zelenskiy have accepted invitations to the meeting in Bali from the G-20 presidency of Indonesia, although it is not clear if they will attend in person. Putin has refused to meet with Zelenskiy, who has said it is the only way to end the war.
Johnson seems to rule out increased defense spending (1:30 p.m.)
The British Prime Minister seemed to rule out increasing Britain’s defense budget after his defense secretary, Ben Wallace, called for a 20 per cent increase in spending over five years – and General Patrick Sanders, the British army chief, said Britain and its NATO allies must be “unequivocally prepared”. to fight “if Russia attacks any of their territory.
Speaking about leaving Germany after the G-7 summit, Johnson told reporters that Britain has “more than fulfilled our promise” to spend 2% of national income on defense and last year was the third largest spending on defense in the country world. . “I do not think it will come to that,” Johnson said when asked if Britain would be forced to fight Russia directly.
Russia says the strike in the mall was not intentional (12:20)
The Russian Defense Ministry said it was carrying out a “precision-guided attack” on hangars storing weapons and ammunition that Ukraine has received from the United States and European countries. It said the explosion triggered a fire in the nearby mall, which it described as “not working”. The ministry did not provide any evidence to support its claims, and Ukraine was quick to refute them.
Ukraine’s Interior Minister said in a speech on national television that there is no military facility within a radius of five kilometers (30 miles) from the mall. He also said that more than 100 missiles had been fired at Ukraine in the last three days.
Australian Prime Minister warns China to learn from Putin’s mistakes (03:48)
The invasion of Ukraine brought democratic nations together, “whether they are members of NATO or non-members like Australia,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in an interview with the Australian Financial Review, conducted on his way to Spain for the NATO summit.
Asked what message the Chinese government should take from Russia’s invasion, especially for its ambitions towards Taiwan, Albanese said the war “had shown that attempts to force a sovereign country into force met with resistance.”
Read more: Australian Prime Minister warns China to learn from Putin’s mistakes
NATO will label China as “Systemic Challenge” (02:26)
NATO will label China as a “systemic challenge” as it outlines its new policy guidelines this week, while highlighting Beijing’s deepened partnership with Russia, according to people familiar with the matter.
The “Strategic Concept” document will outline the Alliance’s priorities for the coming decade and will be signed by NATO leaders at a summit in Madrid this week. The previous version, published in 2010, did not mention China and referred to Russia as a partner, a wording that will be scrapped.
Read more: NATO will label China “Systemic Challenge” at strategic level
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