Ukraine war: Zelenskyj accepts invitations to G7 and NATO summits 

Created: 06/16/2022, 04:51

By: Tobias Utz, Lukas Zigo

The Russian Foreign Ministry draws a crude analogy.

NATO wants to oblige its members to rearmament.

A summit is planned for the end of June.

+++ 9.44 p.m .:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has accepted the invitations to the G7 and NATO summits.

Selenskyj wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

The group of seven leading industrial nations (G7) will meet in Bavaria at the end of June, followed immediately by NATO in Madrid.

Volodymyr Zelenskyj calls for even more support from the West.

© Natacha Pisarenko/AP/dpa

Ukraine war: West 'shoots itself in the head' - Moscow with crude rhetoric

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According to Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, the West “shot itself in the head” with its decision to limit Russian oil and gas imports.” According to the British Guardian, she also underlined in front of media representatives the stark contrast with China, which increased its commodity imports from Russia.

“China knows what it wants and won't shoot itself in the foot.

West of Moscow, on the other hand, they shoot themselves in the head.” Moscow's strategic partnership with Beijing has weathered attempts by the West to sow discord.

The EU, on the other hand, is pursuing a "suicidal" course by trying to decouple itself from Russia's energy supply.

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Russia's diplomatic focus has already shifted to Asia, Africa and the states of the former Soviet Union, Zakharova said.

Slovakia urges Germany to support Ukraine as EU candidate

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Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger has urged Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to support Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova as EU accession candidates.

At the same time, during his visit to Berlin on Monday (June 13, 2022), he called on the Chancellor to see the horrors of war "with his own eyes".

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Heger had traveled to Germany to speak up for the three countries before the European Council will discuss the candidate countries next week.

According to several officials, the EU Commission will recommend granting Ukraine the official status of EU candidate country, but the final decision rests with the European Council.

Both Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron had previously warned that the EU should not speed up the process for the trio.

Not even in the face of Russia's ongoing attack on Ukraine, which prompted it to apply to join the Union.

War in Ukraine: Turkey threatens to delay NATO accession negotiations by years 

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Turkey has indicated that it would delay Swedish and Finnish NATO membership by more than a year if the Nordic countries did not stop supporting Kurdish groups classified as terrorist organizations.

The accession negotiations between the two countries could stall if no breakthrough is achieved before the important NATO summit on June 29 in Madrid, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Tuesday (June 14): "If we don't deal with these issues before ( the Madrid summit, there is a risk that the situation will freeze.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan (r), President of Turkey, shakes hands with Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, at a joint meeting in Istanbul.

© Nato/dpa

Turkey has accused Sweden and Finland of harboring suspected members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The arms embargo against Turkey because of the military operation in Syria is also a thorn in Ankara's side.

Akif Çağatay Kılıç, MP for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), denied that the crisis was being used to obtain weapons from the United States.

Meanwhile, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, had praised Sweden's efforts to address Turkey's concerns (see update from 11 a.m.).

Ukraine war: Stoltenberg announces NATO aid package – summit invitation for Selenskyj 

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NATO has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj to its summit in Madrid in two weeks.

If he cannot come to Spain in person because of the Russian war of aggression, he will speak to the heads of state and government via video conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Wednesday before the Alliance's defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.

The Council prepares the summit on June 29th and 30th.

According to Stoltenberg, a “comprehensive aid package” for Ukraine is to be put together in Madrid.

The NATO countries want to "help the country in the long term in the transition from Soviet-era equipment to modern NATO equipment," he added.

In view of the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine, Stoltenberg gave priority to additional arms deliveries to Kyiv: "Ukraine is in a critical situation and there is an urgent need to do more," said the Secretary General.

In particular, the delivery of complex air defense systems will "take some time" because of the necessary training of the Ukrainian forces, he emphasized.

According to an adviser, President Selenskyj had previously requested 500 tanks, 2,000 armored vehicles, 1,000 howitzers and 300 multiple rocket launchers from the USA for the fighting in the Donbass.

Up to 50 countries of the so-called Ukraine Contact Group initially wanted to discuss this on Wednesday afternoon in Brussels under the leadership of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

In the evening, the 30 NATO countries will meet Ukraine, Georgia and the candidate countries Sweden and Finland.

The Netherlands and other NATO countries had previously promised Ukraine more weapons at a meeting in The Hague.

News about the Ukraine war: NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg announces rearmament

+++ 11.00 a.m .:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg again emphasized in a press conference on Wednesday morning that the military alliance should be upgraded.

"We will now make decisions on the extent - in the long term," he said.

According to Stoltenberg, the goal is to achieve "more presence, more skills and greater willingness".

In Eastern Europe in particular, the aim is to strengthen the armed forces in a targeted manner.

Stoltenberg also welcomed Germany's intention to work on this together with Lithuania.

He called the efforts of Finland and Sweden to join NATO "historic".

They want to provide any support, according to Stoltenberg.

According to Stoltenberg, the defense ministers should hold consultations in the afternoon.

News about the Ukraine war: NATO plans rearmament

First report from Wednesday, June 15, 09:00 a.m.:

The Hague – At a summit meeting in Madrid at the end of June, NATO plans to decide on significant reinforcements of the Allied defense and deterrence measures.

This was announced by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday evening (June 14) in The Hague, Netherlands.

Part of this is more arms deliveries to Ukraine.

"Yes, Ukraine should have more heavy weapons," Stoltenberg said when asked.

"Because they are absolutely dependent on it to defend themselves against the brutal Russian invasion." The Ukrainian government around President Volodymyr Zelenskyj had increasingly demanded the delivery of heavy weapons in the past few days.

He repeatedly referred to Russia's military superiority, despite heavy losses.

For example, Ukraine needs long-range artillery,

NATO summit planned on arms deliveries in Ukraine war

In particular, the government in Kyiv criticized Germany's position as too hesitant in this context.

Selenskyj sharply criticized this again at the beginning of the week, before Olaf Scholz's visit to Ukraine.

After much hesitation, the federal government had agreed to supply a number of heavy weapons, including the Gepard anti-aircraft tank and the Panzerhaubitze 2000. Olaf Scholz rejected the criticism.

Military support was guaranteed "from the start," he said.

It would have been "a mistake" to simply deliver modern weapon systems such as the Panzerhaubitze 2000 "without any instruction, without training," emphasized the Federal Chancellor.

Regardless of Zelenskyy's criticism of Germany's arms deliveries, NATO officials want to prepare for the aforementioned military alliance summit on Wednesday (June 15).

In particular, the coordination of arms deliveries in the Ukraine war would be the focus of the meeting, it said on Tuesday.

Those responsible will meet at 3:00 p.m.

(do with AFP/dpa)