(Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked Poland for its “historic” help in rallying Western support for Ukraine during a visit to Warsaw and said Ukrainian troops were still fighting for Bakhmut in the east but could withdraw if they risked being cut off.
BATTLEFIELD
* Zelenskiy said the situation in the Ukrainian eastern city of Bakhmut was really difficult and that the “corresponding decisions” would be taken if Kyiv’s troops there risk being encircled by Russian forces.
* Three people were killed and another six wounded in artillery attacks on the towns of Oleksievo-Druzhkivka and Velyka Novosilka in the Ukraine-controlled part of the Donetsk region, the regional authorities said on Telegram messaging app.
* A Ukrainian drone has crashed near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Russia’s RIA news agency cited a Russian officer as saying, as the chief of the global nuclear watchdog was expected in Russia for talks on the plant’s security.
Reuters could not immediately verify those battlefield reports.
DIPLOMACY
* Any Chinese supply of lethal aid to Russia for the war in Ukraine would be a “historic mistake with profound implications”, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
* President Emmanuel Macron said earlier in Beijing it was not in China’s interest to send weapons to Russia. China says it has no such plans and condemns Western arms supplies to Ukraine.
* Zelenskiy said during a visit to neighbouring Poland that Ukraine wanted Poland to become a key partner in the vast reconstruction effort in his country after the war. Poland offered to help Ukraine acquire strengthened security guarantees.
* Polish Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk said he would resign amid rising anger among farmers over the impact of Ukrainian grain imports on prices.
* German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said at a NATO summit in Vilnius in July should welcome Sweden to the alliance.
* Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he discussed Sweden’s NATO bid and developments regarding Ankara’s purchase of F-16 fighter jets with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Sweden needs to take further steps for Turkey to ratify its NATO membership bid, Cavusoglu said.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin told the new U.S. and EU ambassadors in blunt language that their countries were responsible for a dramatic deterioration in relations since Russia sent its armed forces into Ukraine last year.
GLOBAL IMPACT
* Rising geopolitical tensions and the resulting fragmentation of the global economy could increase financial stability risks, reducing cross-border investments, asset prices, payment systems and banks’ ability to lend, the International Monetary Fund said.
RUSSIA
* Putin said there was reason to believe Western intelligence agencies were involved in what he said were sabotage and terrorist acts carried out by Ukraine.
* Russia’s Foreign Ministry complained that Western countries had not expressed concern over the killing of a military blogger with a bomb in St Petersburg on Sunday, which Russia has called an act of terrorism.
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(Compiled by Reuters editors)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.
Source: The Print
