The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, signed it off on Thursday, leaving Hungary as the only country in the 31-member alliance that has yet to ratify the Swedish bid. Russia state media said the black boxes from the plane had been delivered to a special defence ministry laboratory in Moscow and investigators were already working on them. Failure to strike a deal would have global implications, with the Pentagon warning that Ukrainian soldiers on the frontlines of its grinding war with Russia risk running out of ammunition. The Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, has said the “future of the war in Ukraine” and the “security of our western democracy” depend on Congress reaching an agreement.
A Conservative MP has warned that Vladimir Putin may be planning ways to attack the UK and Nato allies, following reports that a fleet of spy ships is mapping wind farms and communication cables in the North Sea. Mr Szijarto will be in the western Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak. Phillips P OBrien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, wrote in an analysis piece that the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House could see the US "neuter" the Western military alliance. The government says it wants to spend 2.5% of national income on defence - but has still not said when. https://euronewstop.co.uk/how-many-troops-does-ukraine-have.html was not making a case for conscription or for an imminent call up of volunteers.
Brussels considers allowing restrictions on Ukrainian grain in case of market 'disturbances'
It is regrettable - and sadly predictable - that we must gather today to condemn Russia’s latest wave of aerial attacks against the Ukrainian people. The US is disappointed Hungary’s ratification of Sweden joining Nato is taking so long, Washington’s ambassador has said, warning that Budapest is “really alone” and that the Hungarian government is pursuing a “foreign fantasy” instead of foreign policy. Suspilne reports a policeman was wounded during the morning shelling of Kupiansk.
- In 1994, the UK - along with the US - signed a memorandum at an international conference in Budapest promising "to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine".
- In response to his speech, the government insisted that a full military call-up is not on the table.
- Far from crippling the entire national infrastructure, the worst they are known to have done is briefly disrupt power and mobile phone networks.
- As well as curbs on foreign consumer goods, there’d be runs on more basic products like medical kits, fuel canisters and masking tape to stop windows shattering during bombing raids.
- Last year, i reported that the ship conducted a six-day tour off the Scottish coast around the same time, in an area with a heavy concentration of oil and gas pipelines and data and power cables.
The United States is unaware of what is causing the delay by the Hungarian government. The Hungarian leader routinely criticises his western allies and has been nurturing relationships with Moscow and Beijing. Ukrainian officials on Thursday did not explicitly deny shooting down the aircraft but said they could not confirm that Ukrainian soldiers on their way to a prisoner exchange were onboard the plane. By committing such atrocities, the Kyiv regime hopes to fuel the fading interest of the world community in the Ukrainian crisis, to encourage its sponsors not only to maintain, but also to increase the volume of financial assistance and arms supplies.
French farmers 'week of danger' begins as armoured vehicles are dispatched to Paris
Russia has gradually built up a force of close to 190,000 troops around the Ukrainian border over the last few weeks but maintained that it had no intention to invade – until last night. Conservative backbencher Alicia Kearns tweeted on Thursday that the Government should consider cyber attacks on Russia if Mr Putin does not withdraw troops. Oil prices have also risen since the invasion, given Russia’s role as an oil producer and as a form of security for investors as the stock market slumps. The country is one of the world’s largest grain suppliers, meaning conflict is likely to cause supply problems, especially in Europe. Up to 5,000 British citizens were estimated to be living in Ukraine before the crisis. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has since advised all UK citizens to leave the country, but it is not known how many remain and the FCDO has declined to comment on numbers.
Western materiel and equipment are being depleted at a rapid rate on the battlefields of Ukraine, leading to concerns that neither government nor industry have moved to the war-footing required for resupply. Serious discussion of defence spending, procurement and supply will be a new reality for the government for years to come. As prime minister Boris Johnson promised to increase defence spending from an existing 2% to 2.5% of GDP; his successor Liz Truss went further by committing to 3%. The question remains as to why the Foreign Office had a comparatively low number of staff focused on the region prior to Russia’s invasion – and the extent to which that hindered the UK’s response. The new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is tasked with plotting the UK’s course out of the crisis.
How does the Russian invasion of Ukraine affect the UK economy?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has profoundly changed the calculus in deciding where to invest and where to cut. That means extremely difficult choices for a Treasury gearing up for retrenchment and conscious that protecting military budgets means cuts would fall even more heavily on public services, themselves in desperate need of more investment. Nato has a strong partnership with Ukraine (even though the country is not an official member) so it’s not surprising prime minister Boris Johnson has also joined in with Western allies in calling for an immediate de-escalation from Putin. For now the UK appears likely to stick to sanctions rather than engaging in direct military action unless a Nato ally is attacked, although some Conservative MPs have called for the Government to provide air support to Ukraine. The UK therefore faces price rises on three fronts as a result of the invasion – oil, gas and food – at a time when inflation is already high and many are facing a cost-of-living crisis.
- Some Republicans have set a deal on border security as a condition for further Ukraine aid.
- They also promised to provide assistance to Ukraine if it "should become a victim of an act of aggression".
- Russian president Vladimir Putin wants to assert his power over the neighbouring country of Ukraine because he believes they should both be under the same sphere of influence, as they were both part of the Soviet Union in the 20th Century.
- Russia also supplied military personnel, mercenaries and other resources in support of a small but militant minority of pro-Russian separatists in the largely Russian-speaking cities of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine’s east.
- The UK "cannot and will not just look away" at Russia's "hideous and barbaric" attack on Ukraine, Boris Johnson has said.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the UK should brace itself for the "economic pain" the country will experience by imposing sanctions against Russia. The UK's Ministry of Defence said Russian forces based in Belarus were advancing towards Ukraine's capital Kyiv. The UK government is providing a range of economic, humanitarian and defensive military assistance to Ukraine, and is imposing additional sanctions on Russia and Belarus. But we now see more clearly that, in a crisis, for the foreseeable future UK interests are aligned with the US and Europe, especially if China aligns itself more with Russia. The revival of NATO’s purpose and a unified western response have been a necessary if painful reminder of where UK interests truly lie. Another risk is that Sunak’s can-kicking over budgets postpones the serious investment needed in military supplies.