WAR IN UKRAINE: June 17, 2023
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 478
At a press conference after talks with the delegation of seven African leaders led by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, President Zelensky of Ukraine said that peace negotiations with Russia are possible only after the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied lands. Zelensky also questioned why the visiting delegation of African leaders planned to travel to Moscow for talks with President Putin after a Russian missile strike overshadowed their visit to Kyiv. “….This is their decision, how logical it is, I don't really understand”
It seems that the risky mission hasn’t yet moved the needle on an end to the war. It’s doubtful they’ll be able to budge Mr. Putin in Russia tomorrow.
Mr. Ramaphosa also said at the Kyiv press conference: “We are also going to listen to President Putin with regards to how he sees the road to peace.” He added that the delegation is also taking into account proposals from other parties from around the world - so presumably the so-called peace plan drawn up by Beijing.
The trial of 22 Ukrainian members of the Azov Battalion, who are accused of terrorist activities against Russia, began on June 15 in a military court in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.
NATO allies may be ready to remove some hurdles from Ukraine's path to the military alliance, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on June 1 - RFE/RL
European members of parliament call on NATO allies to honour their commitment to Ukraine and pave the way for Kyiv to be invited to join the defence alliance. In the resolution, adopted on Thursday with 425 votes in favour, 38 against with 42 abstentions, MEPs stress that they expect that the “accession process will start after the war is over and be finalised as soon as possible”. Until full membership is achieved, the EU and its member states, together with NATO allies and like-minded partners, must work closely with Ukraine to develop a temporary framework for security guarantees, MEPs say, which is to be implemented immediately after the war. Parliament emphasises that Ukraine’s integration in both NATO and the EU would enhance regional and global security and strengthen the bonds between Ukraine and the Euro-Atlantic community - EU
Required reading…
Oxford Analytica: Eventual Ukrainian offensive will involve more forces
Probing attacks in early June are not the expected counter-offensive, for which the time is not ripe
Ukraine attacked Russian occupying forces in the first week of June. These are the first offensive operations using Western equipment and benefitting from NATO countries’ training in their use, and confirm Kyiv’s commitment to counter-offensive action. They are not the often-discussed major offensive, which Western journalists wrongly proclaimed had ‘finally’ come.
What next
The latest actions are shaping and probing missions that may pave the way for a larger-scale offensive. It will take some time before the success of these moves and their full nature can be fully judged. While combat continues, there will inevitably be some to-and-fro as Ukrainian forces push forward and Russian troops fight back.