WAR IN UKRAINE: July 12, 2023
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 504
Russia launched a fresh drone attack on Kyiv on July 12 for the second night in a row, but all drones were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, the military administration of the Ukrainian capital reported.
NATO states say Ukraine can join “when allies agree & conditions are met.” In a communique, it recognised need to move faster but didn’t commit to a timeframe. The alliance has agreed to drop the need for a membership action plan. In Ukraine, where several air raid alerts sounded today, won’t go down well - my prediction. The argument can be made that no one knows twisted mind of Kremlin leaders better than the Ukrainians. And that NATO leaders tiptoeing will allow Moscow to go about its dirty deeds.
The U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan acknowledged Zelensky’s disappointment at the decision on Ukraine's eventual membership but says it could not be otherwise. Letting Ukraine in now "would have meant NATO's at war with Russia," he told the NATO Public Forum.
NATO also urged Iran to stop supplying drones to Russia and called on China to abstain from supporting Moscow, saying Beijing's "deepening" partnership ran counter to the alliance's values, CNN reported.
Ukraine's President Zelensky is holding meetings with world leaders on day two of the Nato summit in Lithuania. He is due to meet U.S. President Joe Biden today. CNN reported US Biden and G7 leaders are set to make a “major announcement” with Zelensky about boosting Ukraine’s military capabilities, offering additional assistance to the war-torn country as its leader expresses frustration with path to NATO membership. “The United States, along with G7 leaders will announce our intent to help Ukraine build a military that can defend itself and deter a future attack,” National Security Council senior director for Europe Amanda Sloat told reporters during a briefing Wednesday.
Germany has agreed to send Ukraine more US-made Patriot missiles and launchers. Zelensky confirmed the news a little earlier, after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. This highly sophisticated air-defence system has a range of up to 60 miles (100km), depending on the type of missile used - which can cost up to $3m (£2.3m) each. Ukraine has been using Patriot missiles to great effect since receiving them earlier this year, including to shoot down Russia's Kinzhal hypersonic missiles - BBC
UK Foreign Secretary Ben Wallace asked about conditions for Ukraine on NATO: “What people missed about yesterday as communique is that there is now complete consensus that Ukraine will join NATO … culturally that is accepted. When that happens is conditions based.” It’s about “when and not if.” He was asked whether NATO conditions give Russia incentive to keep war going: “Ukraine is advancing every day…there is precious little Russian reserve available…Everyone underestimated Ukraine from day one and that continues.” Adds Ukraine hasn’t committed reserves.
Russia's Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu warned of retaliation if the United States continues with plans to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine. "In the event that the United States supplies cluster munitions to Ukraine, Russia will be forced to respond in a reciprocal manner," Shoigu said, according to Russian television network Channel 5, which carried his comments. Former President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now on the Russian Security Council, said on Telegram it had been reported that the Ukrainians were already using the munitions on the southern front. Russian military bloggers have claimed that the munitions are already being used by Ukrainian forces. Neither Ukraine nor the United States has said they are already deployed. The White House said Tuesday that President Joe Biden’s decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine was a “temporary” one. In comments published late Sunday, the Russian embassy in Washington said the United States “de facto” admitted to committing war crimes by supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine. The embassy added that the decision shows that “the US is ready to annihilate all life far from its own borders and are using the Ukrainians to do it” - CNN
Required reading…
Opinion: Sending cluster bombs to Ukraine is a very bad idea
For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than 500 days ago, hairline fractures are beginning to appear in the western alliance’s approach to arming Ukraine.
On Friday, after months of debate, US President Joe Biden announced that, as part of a new $800 million military aid package, the administration will be sending controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine. The announcement prompted expressions of unease from key US allies, including Canada, Spain and New Zealand, as well as some rumblings from Germany.
“No to cluster bombs and yes to the legitimate defense of Ukraine, which we understand should not be carried out with cluster bombs,” said Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles. New Zealand said the munitions could cause “huge damage to innocent people.”
The controversy, which is occurring as Biden takes center stage at a crucial high-stakes NATO summit in Lithuania, could not have come at a worse time, as divisions among allies have also been emerging over fast-tracking Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Read my full CNN Opinion OpEd here