Selensky receives new ministers from London and The Hague
Published: Monday, Jul 8th 2024, 05:30
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has received several ministers from the new British and Dutch governments in the port city of Odessa. "I informed them about the situation on the battlefield," said Zelensky in his evening video address. He announced a "further strengthening" of the Ukrainian navy with the support of the two countries.
The Ukrainian navy currently only has a few smaller units. In the coming year, Kiev is to receive two used minehunting boats from the Netherlands. It is not known whether the ships will receive permission from the Turkish authorities to pass through the Bosporus due to the war.
New Patriot system for Ukraine
Ukraine, which is suffering from constant Russian air attacks, is to receive a Patriot air defense system from the Netherlands to expand its protective shield. This was confirmed by the Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp and Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmanns at a meeting with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, as reported by the Unian agency. The previous government in The Hague had announced in June that a system would be made available. An exact date for the delivery was not given.
Kiev is currently said to have five Patriot systems. Another one has been promised by Romania, among others. Kiev is hoping for further commitments at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington. Among other things, up to six Patriot systems from Israel are being discussed.
President Zelensky had originally named at least seven such systems for reliable protection of major cities that are regularly attacked with missiles, such as Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhia and Odessa. He regularly urges Ukraine's allies to provide further air defense support.
In its war of aggression, which has been going on for more than two years, Russia has repeatedly attacked the neighboring country with air strikes. The missile and drone strikes have caused severe damage to the energy infrastructure, for example, as well as repeated deaths and injuries.
Fighter planes expected to arrive soon
Ukraine is also expecting the arrival of F-16 fighter jets from Dutch stocks in the near future. An exact date is not known for security reasons, nor are the possible deployment airports for these aircraft. Russia has already threatened to attack airfields outside Ukraine if these jets are stationed there.
"We have also discussed all the technical conditions required for these F-16s to be able to fly here and important steps are being taken in this direction," Defense Minister Brekelmans was quoted as saying by Dutch media. However, he did not want to give a specific date for the delivery of the fighter jets. "Ukraine doesn't want that either. We don't want to make (Kremlin boss Vladimir) Putin any smarter than he already is," said Brekelmans. "But they will be delivered in the short term."
New weapons package from London
The new British Defense Minister John Healey promised Ukraine new arms deliveries during his inaugural visit. In addition to artillery guns, minesweepers and anti-tank guided missiles, the package presented in the port city of Odessa includes large quantities of ammunition. Selensky thanked Healey for Britain's strong support.
India's Prime Minister Modi meets Putin in Moscow
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Russia this Monday and Tuesday for the first time since the start of the war. According to the Kremlin, Russia's invasion of Ukraine will also be discussed during the official visit. It will be interesting for Western observers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in advance, referring to the fact that Modi stayed away from the peace summit initiated by Ukraine in Switzerland in June, much to Kiev's annoyance.
India is also trading ever more intensively with the commodities superpower. Moscow's media had already reported in recent days that Modi's trip following his re-election was a special sign of appreciation for India's relations with Russia. Russia is an important energy supplier for India.
©Keystone/SDA
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