Day 405 since the beginning of the war: The Belarusian military begins training on tactical nuclear weapons. Russia is said to be planning to set up more mercenary troops. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Embed
Biden and Macron pin their hopes on China
2.22 a.m.: US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron are hoping for China’s help to “speed up” efforts to end the war in Ukraine. A phone call between the presidents showed the “common will of France and the United States” to oblige the Chinese to “accelerate the end of the war in Ukraine with us and build a lasting peace,” according to French diplomatic circles on Wednesday.
Moscow summons French diplomats over Boucha statements
10:23 p.m.: Russia’s foreign ministry has said it has summoned a French diplomatic representative to Moscow because of “false publications” by the French embassy about atrocities allegedly committed by the Russian army. Accordingly, the embassy published statements in online services, including on the massacres in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, which Russian soldiers are accused of. “It is fundamentally unacceptable to make false accusations against our military,” Russia’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
NATO develops new support program for Ukraine
9.30 p.m.: NATO is developing a new support program for Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. The planned multi-year initiative should help to ensure deterrence and defense, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday evening after deliberations at a foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels. It is also about making the transition from Soviet-era equipment and doctrines to NATO standards and improving interoperability with the Western defense alliance.
According to information from the German Press Agency from alliance circles, there is talk of extending the support program for ten years and providing it with around 500 million euros annually. According to diplomats, the money could also be used to support additional exercises, digitization programs and institutional reforms.
Kiev calls on Ukrainians to leave occupied territories
9:13 p.m.: Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has indirectly urged Ukrainians in Russian-held areas to flee in view of the imminent Ukrainian offensive. “I advise Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories to either go to third countries or to prepare,” she wrote on Telegram on Tuesday without further details. “You know what to do, take care of yourself and your children.”
“Occupier officials still have some time to get out of there,” Vereshchuk continued. Some of them are already packing their things. “It would be nice if they took their collaborators with them.”
Pentagon announces new multi-billion dollar military aid to Ukraine
6:47 p.m.: The US Department of Defense has announced new military aid for Ukraine in the amount of 2.6 billion US dollars (almost 2.4 billion euros). The package mainly contains ammunition for artillery pieces and other weapon systems such as the Himars multiple rocket launchers. Weapons and ammunition worth $500 million come from US military stocks, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday.
In addition, Ukraine will be provided with another $2.1 billion worth of ammunition and weapons, which will be procured from the industry. These include air defense radar systems, communications equipment, rocket launchers and vehicles of various types such as tanker trucks and transport and recovery vehicles.
The United States is considered Ukraine’s most important ally in the defense against the Russian invasion. The new package is the 35th delivery of weapons from US stocks to Ukraine since August 2021, the Pentagon said.
