President Volodymyr Zelenskiy started a visit to Poland, one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, to discuss defense and economic cooperation. He will sign a deal on supplies including armored personnel carriers.
(Bloomberg) — President Volodymyr Zelenskiy started a visit to Poland, one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, to discuss defense and economic cooperation. He will sign a deal on supplies including armored personnel carriers.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on a visit to China that the Asian country can play a “major role” in Ukraine while adding that he opposes moves to decouple from the world’s second-biggest economy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also due to visit China, and the two leaders are scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
NATO foreign ministers held a second day of talks in Brussels on Wednesday, focusing on threats and spending after Finland became the 31st member of the military alliance.
Key Developments
- Macron Says China Can Play Role in Ukraine, Rejects Decoupling
- Finland Unlikely to Get NATO Battle Group on Its Territory
- Germany’s Ultimate Fighting Machines Are Racking Up Orders
- Latvia Reintroduces Draft in Response to Russia’s War on Ukraine
(All times CET)
Latvia Reintroduces Draft in Response to Russia’s War (2:12 p.m.)
Latvia’s parliament reintroduced compulsory military service to bolster the size of its defense forces after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Lawmakers voted 68-11 to create a state defense service that will begin calling up 18 year olds to serve for 11 months of training on July 1. The military previously ended the draft in 2007.
Russian Troops Aren’t in Control of Bakhmut, Zelenskiy Says (2:11 p.m.)
Ukrainian forces are present in Bakhmut and Russian troops aren’t in control of the eastern city, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw.
Ukraine will make “appropriate decisions” if there’s a threat of losing troops in Bakhmut in case Russia manages to encircle the city, he said. Duda, meanwhile, said Poland may transfer more Mig-29 jets to Ukraine.
Poland May Get UK Fighter Jets for MiG-29s It Sends to Ukraine
Ukraine to Get $2.5b US Grant Via World Bank (1:27 p.m.)
The World bank will provide Ukraine with a $2.5 billion grant from the US, Ukraine’s Finance Ministry said in a statement. This is the second tranche from a $9.9 billion package planned for 2023. The money will be directed to backstop state administration, education, healthcare, pension payments and several social care programs, the ministry said.
Belarusian Air Defense to Hold Drills Near Polish Border (12:30 p.m.)
A Belarusian air defense unit will hold drills at the Brestskiy training range on April 5-7, the country’s defense ministry said on Telegram. The drills will involve resisting radio-electronic interference, sabotage and reconnaissance groups, as well as drones.
The Brestskiy training range is situated near the city of Brest in southwestern Belarus, six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the border with Poland and 34 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
Ukraine to Cover $3.3 Billion of Recovery From Budget, Minister Says (11:50 a.m.)
The country needs a total of $14 billion for critical recovery this year, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said on local TV. The state will allocate $3.3 billion for recovery from its budget, but needs to raise the rest.
The International Monetary Fund and foreign partners pledged enough support to Ukraine to allow it to finance the state budget deficit this year, as well as in the first quarter of 2024. The country’s finances are much better and under greater control than last year, Marchenko said.
Germany’s Habeck Urges Stricter Observance of Sanctions (11.20 a.m.)
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck called for stricter adherence to sanctions for companies based in non-EU countries, German newswire DPA reported. “We have clear data that the existing sanctions are being circumvented, circumvented via third countries,” DPA cited Habeck as saying, while returning from a visit to Kyiv where he met Zelenskiy.
Companies from non-EU countries that have sent unauthorized goods to Russia should also have to take sanctions into account, Habeck said. Whoever knows about sanctions violations must report them otherwise it’s a criminal offense, he added.
Russian Shelling Kills Four Ukrainian Civilians, Wounds 14 Overnight (9:20 a.m.)
Russian troops shelled eight regions of Ukraine, almost a third of all regions, overnight using mortar, artillery, tanks, tactical aviation and drones, the Ukrainian military said. At least four civilians were killed and another 14 wounded, while 75 infrastructure facilities were damaged, the military said without giving details.
Swedish, Turkish Ministers Meet at NATO Gathering (8:45 a.m.)
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels and will meet his Hungarian colleague later Wednesday, as his country presses for its bid to join the alliance to be finalized by the two allies.
Turkey told Sweden that its anti-terror legislation due to enter into force on June 1 was “very important for Turkey,” Billstrom said, adding the law would prohibit people from using Swedish territory for terrorist activity or to finance such activity.
“We are now ready with everything within the memorandum, it’s only one more piece and that’s the legislation,” Billstrom said referring to a deal hashed out in Madrid last year between Turkey, Finland and Sweden aimed at easing Turkish concerns so it would greenlight the Nordic countries’ membership. “So yes we believe we are doing what we’ve committed ourselves to do.”
Poland, Ukraine to Sign Deal on Armored Carrier Deliveries (8:40 a.m.)
Zelenskiy and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will on Wednesday sign a letter of intent for the delivery of defense equipment including the Polish-made KTO Rosomak armored personnel carrier, according to the plan of the visit released by the prime minister’s office.
German, Czech Ministers Press NATO Allies for More Defense Spending (8:30 a.m.)
The German and Czech foreign ministers urged allies to boost defense spending especially as NATO looks to beef up its posture, particularly on the bloc’s eastern flank.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a second day of meetings among NATO’s foreign ministers in Brussels, Germany’s Annalena Baerbock said all allies’ defense spending would need to rise but that investments needed to be more coordinated. Members at the Russian border are especially in need of help, she said adding “that’s why we need more financial means and need to use them efficiently.”
Asked about spending at least 2.5% of GDP, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said defense expenditure needed to rise following “Putin’s imperialism.” The ministers today will discuss the alliance’s next investment pledge due to be agreed by leaders in Vilnius in July.
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