#War #Ukraine #Developments
Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:
– “Fight to the end”: Zelenskyj –
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed in an Independence Day address that his country would fight the Russian invasion “to the end” and make “no concessions or compromises”.
“We don’t care what army you have, we only care about our country. We will fight for it to the end,” Zelenskyy said in a video speech on the day, which also marks six months since the invasion began.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched troops on February 24, 2022, Zelenskyy has led the resistance from Kyiv.
Tensions ran high in the capital as both Zelenskyy and the US State Department warned that Russia could step up attacks around the holiday.
Celebrations are muted this year and large gatherings have been banned in Kyiv.
– Biden Announces $3 Billion in Military Aid –
US President Joe Biden announces new $3 billion in military aid to Ukraine to mark Independence Day.
“I am proud to announce our largest tranche of security assistance to date: approximately $2.98 billion in arms and equipment to be provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative,” Biden said in a statement.
Ukraine is locked in a grueling war of attrition with Russian troops in the east and south, in which neither side has made significant headway for weeks.
– Pope calls for peace for “beloved” Ukraine –
Pope Francis renews calls for peace “for the beloved Ukrainian people”.
After his weekly general audience at the Vatican, Pope Francis addressed his address to “the beloved people of Ukraine who have been suffering the horrors of war for six months today”.
He also warns of the danger of a nuclear catastrophe in the region.
“I hope that concrete steps will be taken to end the war and avert the danger of a nuclear catastrophe in Zaporizhia,” he says, referring to the Russian-controlled nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine – Europe’s largest – which was the target of military strikes were blamed on each side of the other.
– Germany promises further support –
Chancellor Olaf Scholz assures Kyiv of Germany’s support for as long as necessary.
“Germany … stands firmly on the side of threatened Ukraine today and for as long as Ukraine needs our support,” he said in a video posted to Twitter.
“We will continue to supply weapons” and “train Ukrainian soldiers on the most modern European military equipment,” said Scholz after announcing new deliveries worth more than 500 million euros on Tuesday.
Most of the new weapons tranche – including three IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems, as well as armed recovery vehicles and rocket launchers – is scheduled for delivery in 2023.
“We will continue our sanctions. We will support Ukraine financially and help rebuild the destroyed towns and villages,” says Scholz.
– Belarusian leader congratulates Ukraine –
Former Soviet Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko congratulates Ukraine on its Independence Day.
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine six months ago from multiple directions, including Belarusian territory.
“I am convinced that today’s contradictions will not be able to destroy the centuries-old basis of sincere good-neighborly relations between the peoples of our two countries,” Lukashenko said in a statement released by his press service.
Belarus is financially and politically dependent on its close ally, Russia.
Western countries have slapped new sanctions on Belarus this year for its role in Russia’s offensive.
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