WORLD BRIEFING: June 17, 2024
Dozens of countries at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine have declared that Kyiv’s “territorial integrity” should be respected, as they urged “dialogue between all parties” to find a lasting settlement in the ongoing conflict with Russia. In a final communique issued at the end of a major two-day diplomatic summit in Switzerland on Sunday, the vast majority of countries represented also backed a call for the full exchange of captured soldiers and the return of deported Ukrainian children. “We believe that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties,” the document stated. The document reaffirmed the signatories commitment to “refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine, within their internationally recognized borders.”
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said a second Peace Summit in Saudi Arabia is being discussed. The Head of State said this during a press conference following the Peace Summit in Burgenstock. "We have a very strong relationship with Saudi Arabia, with His Royal Highness and you know that two or three days before this summit I had a meeting with His Royal Highness and we talked about it. We had a great meeting in Jeddah at the level of national security advisers to the leaders before the summit. That is, we have a strong relationship. That is why, of course, we raised the issue of the next meetings, perhaps the next summit," Zelensky said. As reported, the first Peace Summit took place in the Swiss resort of Burgenstock on June 15-16. It discussed nuclear security, food security, and the humanitarian dimension - the exchange of prisoners and the return of abducted Ukrainian children. The results of the summit will be handed over to Russia. - UkrInform
In Switzerland, 80 countries and four European institutions signed the final peace summit joint communique. However - India, Armenia, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, Thailand and the UAE have refused to sign. Four are members of the BRICS bloc of nations that includes Russia. India, which is a huge buyer of cheap Russian oil, said that Russia needed to be at the table for it to agree to a final statement. And Thailand is a huge destination market for Russian tourists - targeting as many as 2-million this year - as well as a reported major transshipment point for Russian-bound aviation parts.
Romanian authorities have decided not to allow the Russian delegation to participate in the annual session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. This measure will be applied to all members of the delegation, parliamentarians, and technical staff. The decision is also directed against Belarus, which supports the war started by Russia," said Romanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Radu Filip.
The Western world is idiots for repeating the same mistakes about the Russian Federation, expecting different results. This was stated by the vice-speaker of the Senate of Poland, Michal Kaminski. "It's not going to happen. If you give them a hand, they're going to eat you. That's their nature," Kaminski said at the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa.
Swedish fighter jets intercepted a Russian military aircraft after it briefly violated Sweden's airspace on Friday east of the Baltic island of Gotland, the Nordic country's armed forces said on Saturday. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom called the airspace violation "unacceptable" and said officials from the Russian Embassy in Stockholm would be summoned to his ministry over the incident. "We are in close contact with allies and partners about the events in our immediate area," Billstrom told Reuters in emailed comments. The Russian Embassy in Sweden did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sweden's armed forces said in a statement that Gripen jets were sent up to intercept the Russian plane, an SU-24, after it failed to respond to a radio warning by military air traffic controllers. Swedish air force chief Jonas Wikman said the incident showed a lack of respect for Sweden's territorial integrity. "We followed the entire chain of events and were in place to intervene," he said. Friday's incident took place as Sweden - NATO's newest member - and several of its new allies take part in naval exercises in the Baltic Sea. The Swedish military said similar violations by Russian aircraft last occurred in 2022 when two SU-27 and two SU-24 planes also violated its airspace near Gotland.
British holidaymakers could soon face “lie detector” tests when entering European Union countries – with artificial intelligence software set to flag any suspicious tourists to immigration officers. Checks are reportedly set to come into force at airports and ferry terminals as the EU tightens borders post-Brexit. Artificial intelligence software which analyses facial movements and body gestures as passengers fill in application forms have already been trialled, according to The Mail on Sunday. If the technology picks up signs of deceit or suspicious activity, then an immigration officer would be alerted to the holidaymaker’s file. According to the newspaper, the scheme could be phased in after an initial entry-exit system (EES) scheme is implemented, along with a visa-waiver scheme called the European travel information and authorisation system (ETIAS) for short stays of up to 90 days. ETIAS documents will cost €7 (approximately £6) and the EES is set to be implicated for British travellers from Oct 6.
