WAR IN UKRAINE: July 11, 2023
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 504
With doubts surfacing about Ukraine becoming a NATO member anytime soon, President Volodymyr Zelensky adopts a more combative tone - saying the delay opens the door for Russia to commit more aggression in Ukraine: “Ukraine also deserves respect. Now, on the way to Vilnius, we received signals that certain wording is being discussed without Ukraine. And I would like to emphasize that this wording is about the invitation to become NATO member, not about Ukraine's membership. It’s unprecedented and absurd when time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine's membership. While at the same time vague wording about "conditions" is added even for inviting Ukraine. It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the Alliance. This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine's membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia. And for Russia, this means motivation to continue its terror. Uncertainty is weakness. And I will openly discuss this at the summit.”
Germany is to provide weapons and military equipment for Ukraine worth almost €700 million ($770.9 million), sources told dpa before the NATO summit in Vilnius kicked off today. Until the end of May, Germany pledged military aid worth €7.5 billion in total, making Berlin the second biggest contributor in absolute terms, according to data by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. More NATO Summit-related coverage below…
Russia targeted grain facilities in Ukraine's southern port city of Odesa overnight with Shahed attack drones, according to Ukrainian military officials. The officials claimed almost all the drones were shot down, but two succeeded in evading air defenses and struck administrative buildings at the port. Debris from successful interceptions caused fires in two terminals, including one holding grain, officials said, but damage from the fires was minimal before they were extinguished. Odesa is Ukraine’s largest port and the starting point for grain shipments through the Black Sea and on to world markets. The passage of ships carrying Ukrainian grain has been governed by a deal involving Russia, Ukraine and Turkey since July last year. The arrangement is currently due to expire next week and Russian officials have expressed reluctance to extend it - CNN
As NATO leaders meet at a key summit in Lithuania Tuesday, the White House said the alliance will "send a united, positive signal" on Ukraine's path to membership — but declined to give a specific timetable. Asked whether NATO will issue an invitation to Ukraine, the alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg replied: "You will see the language in a few hours."
Ukraine should join NATO “as quickly as possible,” but only after the Russian invasion “finishes,” UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told CNN
As NATO summit set to start in Vilnius, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “Some are still looking at Moscow, some are afraid of Russia, but I believe it is a moment to demonstrate bravery and unity of the alliance.We are talking about clear signals and concrete steps toward invitation,” VOA reported. Finland's foreign minister told NBC that it’s ‘very difficult’ to set a timetable for Ukraine entering NATO because it can't happen until war ends and in a conflict like this, " the difference between war and peace is not that obvious"
Meanwhile, Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said yesterday that after intensive talks, NATO allies have “reached consensus on removing MAP (the cumbersome membership action plan timeline) from Ukraine's path to membership. I welcome this long-awaited decision that shortens our path to NATO.”
In a sudden reversal, Turkey has agreed to accept Sweden’s application for membership of NATO. The shift came just hours after Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the E.U. should first advance his country’s bid to join the bloc before he would clear the path for Sweden. NATO’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said that Erdogan would take the country’s bid to his Parliament for ratification as soon as possible. In return, Sweden and Turkey would work bilaterally against terrorism, Sweden would help reinvigorate Turkey’s application to enter the E.U., and NATO would establish a new “special coordinator for counterterrorism,” he said. The decision followed intense pressure, particularly from President Biden, who called Erdogan on Sunday. A statement by Biden afterward was widely interpreted as an indication that the U.S. would sell Turkey the fighter jets it had demanded. Analysts said the Turkish leader had likely decided that his political brinkmanship would not reap further gains - NYT
Ukrainian forces said they have captured high ground to the south of Bakhmut, giving them a vital advantage in the renewed battle for the destroyed city. The claim comes as Ukrainian officials try to speed up their counteroffensive to show progress ahead of Nato’s annual summit . Ukrainian commanders now say that since they launched their counterattack in mid-May they have liberated 65sq miles of territory, roughly half the size of Rutland. Hanna Malyar, Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, said Ukrainian soldiers have established fire control of the “entrances and exits” of Bakhmut. “During the process of advancing, our troops took control of key commanding heights around Bakhmut,” she said - Daily Telegraph
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Yevgeny Prigozhin five days after the Wagner mercenary boss led a failed mutiny, the Kremlin has revealed. The BBC's Russia Editor gets to grips with the latest twist in the Wagner saga. It's now emerged that five days later he was in the Kremlin, together with his commanders, sitting round the table and chatting with President Putin. The meeting reportedly lasted about three hours and involved more than 30 people. As one BBC commentator put it, it’s unlikely to have been a kiss and makeup session.
Required reading…
Telegram has become a window into war
The messaging app has become a key channel for news about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But the government’s relationship with it is complicated.
Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Telegram has gained an outsize influence on one of the world’s most watched conflicts. “Telegram is fantastic for many, many reasons and for the fact that we’ve managed to see what is happening at such a crucial point in history,” says Jordan Wildon, digital investigator and founder of open-source intelligence (OSINT) agency Prose Intelligence.
But despite its unique historical role, the platform, founded by Pavel Durov, presents a challenge. Its founder’s emphasis on privacy and hands-off moderation has protected its users from surveillance but has also allowed Telegram to become a tool of misinformation and manipulation — with users struggling to decipher the reality in the flood of information coming from their phones.
“The good news is everybody gets to have an outlet but the bad news is – everybody gets an outlet,” says Wildon.
Read the full The Verge piece here