It is day 502 of the war in Ukraine. Follow developments in Ukraine and Russia here in this live blog.
This is the most important news
- The NATO summit in Vilnius is underway
- US President Joe Biden in Europe
- Joe Biden says Ukraine is “not ready” to join NATO
As the NATO summit gets underway, Ukraine’s accession seems impossible
The long-awaited NATO summit in Vilnius kicks off this week. And there will be important topics on the table, expects Europe reporter Geert Jan Hahn. In particular, the (perhaps) upcoming accession of Ukraine to NATO will be discussed. In addition, there is talk of the Turkish-Swedish feud, the 2% NATO standard and the creation of an intervention force of around 300,000 soldiers. “They could be in rotating formations on the border of the NATO area, if an attack were to take place anywhere,” Hahn points out. “And that has to be handled by a number of Western countries.”
Russia: four missiles shot down by Ukraine
Russian air defenses have shot down long-range Ukrainian S-200 missiles, according to the defense ministry. The Defense Ministry released a video informing Army Chief General Valeri Gerasimov of four failed rocket attacks on three regions, one southwest of Moscow, the Kaluga region, one in the Crimea and one in the Moscow region. Rostov, in southern Russia.
According to Russian reports, it is mainly a missile originally designed in the Soviet Union for anti-aircraft purposes and which Ukraine has allegedly converted into an offensive weapon. No such missile attacks have yet been reported in Ukraine.
In Ukraine, a Russian missile attack was carried out on Monday on the town of Orichiv, 50 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital Zaporizhia, according to regional authorities. Four people were killed and eleven injured.
The Russian Defense Ministry publishes a photo of Valery Gerasimov
Russia’s Defense Ministry has released a photo of Valery Gerasimov for the first time since the failed Wagner uprising on June 24. Gerasimov was one of the military leaders Yevgeny Prigozhin railed against for weeks before ordering his mercenaries to march on Moscow.
A video clip posted on the ministry’s official social media channels shows Gerasimov receiving reports of alleged attempts by Ukrainian forces to attack targets in Crimea, Rostov and other regions.
Biden: Ukraine “isn’t ready” for NATO membership
Joe Biden said Ukraine was “not yet ready” for NATO membership ahead of a two-day summit of military alliance leaders in Vilnius. Speaking on CNN, the US president said NATO needs to chart “a rational path” for Kiev to join the bloc, but that it will take time for the country to meet “all the requirements, from democratization to a whole host of other problems’.
Zelensky wants to better defend the borders with Belarus
Ukraine will better protect its border with neighboring Belarus. This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky in his evening video speech. Minsk is on Moscow’s side in the war in Ukraine.
Russian troops have used Belarus as a stepping stone into Ukraine since Moscow attacked the country in February last year. Thousands of Russian soldiers are also stationed in Belarus, where they train for strike missions. However, experts do not believe a Russian attack from Belarus is very likely. He did not clarify how Zelensky intends to strengthen the nearly 1,084-kilometer border.
Biden and Erdogan discuss Sweden’s application for NATO membership
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden in which the two discussed Sweden’s application for NATO membership, reports the Turkish presidential office. Turkey blocks that country’s accession.
Erdogan told Biden that Stockholm has taken steps in the right direction for Ankara to approve the Swedish application. By this he referred, among other things, to the recently adopted Swedish anti-terrorism law. However, he also said these steps are apparently not enough now that supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) can continue to hold rallies in Sweden. A Koran was recently burned during a demonstration in the Scandinavian country, sparking outrage in the Muslim world.
Lavrov: The West does not meet the conditions for the extension of the agreement on grain
A week before the expiry of the agreement that allows Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea, Russia threatens not to extend it. Moscow believes the West has not met Russia’s conditions for an extension. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this to his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Sunday.
The main Russian condition for extending the grain deal is that the West lifts sanctions preventing Russian exports of grain and fertilizers, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The wheat deal concluded in 2022 between Russia and Ukraine, negotiated by Turkey and the UN, expires on July 17. The UN has called on all parties to extend the deal to ensure global food security.
This live blog is based on reports from our correspondents and editors BNR, The Guardian, ANP, Al Jazeera, Reuters, Associated Press, CNN, BBC, CNBC, Sky News and Agence France-Presse. BNR also uses online reports from news agencies Tass, RIA Novosti and Interfax (Russia) and Belta (Belarus). Since the reporting of these agencies is not verifiable and cannot be qualified as independent, in these cases the origin of the report is explicitly stated.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
