Rabu, 12 Juli 2023

G7 to announce long-term Ukraine security package at Nato summit - BBC

President Zelensky with his wife Olena Zelenska at the Nato summit in Vilnius, LithuaniaEPA

G7 members are expected to ratify a wide-ranging security pact with Ukraine at the Nato summit on Wednesday.

But they stopped short of providing a timeframe for Kyiv to join the security alliance, provoking the anger of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The security arrangement will include defence equipment, training and intelligence sharing.

And UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it would send a "strong signal" to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The security arrangement with Ukraine comes after its President Volodymyr Zelensky raged against Nato's reluctance to offer Kyiv a timeframe for joining the alliance.

G7 leaders will sign the declaration in Vilnius on Wednesday on the side-lines of the second day of a Nato defence summit.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with President Zelensky on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said Kyiv's allies were ramping up their "formal arrangements to protect Ukraine for the long term".

"We can never see a repeat of what has happened in Ukraine and this declaration reaffirms our commitment to ensure it is never left vulnerable to the kind of brutality Russia has inflicted on it again," he said.

British officials said the UK had played a leading role in the agreement involving G7 partners Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US. More details are expected on Wednesday.

US President Joe Biden earlier suggested a model for Ukraine similar to his country's agreement with Israel. Under that deal, Washington has committed to providing $3.8bn (£2.9bn) in military aid per year over a decade.

But unlike Nato membership - this does not include a clause to come to the target nation's aid during a time of attack.

The G7 announcement comes after Nato said Ukraine could join the military alliance "when allies agree and conditions are met" - a delay Mr Zelensky has called "absurd".

Kyiv accepts it cannot join Nato while it is at war with Russia but wants to join as soon as possible after fighting ends.

Addressing crowds in the Lithuanian capital on Tuesday, Mr Zelensky said: "Nato will give Ukraine security - Ukraine will make the alliance stronger."

He also presented a battle flag from the destroyed city of Bakhmut - the site of the longest, and possibly bloodiest, battle in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky had earlier tweeted that "uncertainty is weakness", and said the lack of an agreed timeframe meant his country's eventual membership could become a bargaining chip.

Nato might not have said when and how Ukraine might join the alliance, but diplomats emphasised that they had set out a clear path to membership, with the onerous application process shortened significantly.

They said they had recognised that Ukraine's army was increasingly "interoperable" and more "politically integrated" with Nato forces, and promised continue supporting reforms to Ukraine's democracy and security sector.

Diplomats also highlighted the creation of a new Nato-Ukraine Council, meeting on Wednesday for the first time, which will give Kyiv the right to summon meetings of the whole alliance.

Some member states fear near-automatic membership for Ukraine could give Russia an incentive to both escalate and prolong the war.

In the past, Western security pledges failed to deter two Russian invasions. Nato allies hope a third round will be robust and explicit enough to persuade the Kremlin that further aggression would be too costly.

Participants of the Nato summit
Reuters

A series of military packages for Ukraine were also announced at the summit on Tuesday.

A coalition of 11 nations will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly US-made F-16 fighter jets at a centre to be set up in Romania in August, officials said.

In May the US gave the go-ahead for its Western allies to supply Ukraine with advanced jets, including the long sought F-16s - a significant upgrade on the Soviet-era planes it is currently using.

Ukraine had repeatedly lobbied its Western allies to provide jets to help with its recently-begun counter-offensive aiming to retake territory seized by Russia.

However experts say the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly and operate Western jets will take some time.

In addition to the G7 security pact, the UK has announced plans to deliver more than 70 combat and logistics vehicles to Ukraine, aimed at boosting its counteroffensive operation.

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2023-07-12 06:58:12Z
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North Korea fires intercontinental ballistic missile after complaints over US spy planes - Sky News

North Korea has fired a long-range missile which flew for 74 minutes - the longest flight time ever recorded.

According to Japanese defence officials, it travelled at an altitude of 3,728 miles (6,000km) with a range of 621 miles (1,000km) before landing in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

It follows heated recent complaints from Pyongyang that US spy planes have violated airspace.

Japanese defence minister Yasukazu Hamada said that the missile was likely launched on a lofted trajectory - almost vertically - which North Korea typically does to avoid neighbouring countries when it tests long-range missiles.

It was detected by South Korea's military at around 10am, the country's joint chiefs of staff said in a statement. It called the launch "a grave provocation".

Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile in April 2023
Image: Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile launch in April 2023

According to some experts, the weapon launched was the road-mobile Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It is harder to detect and intercept than other liquid-fuel ICBMs.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un previously called the missile his most powerful nuclear weapon, that would enhance the North's counterattack capabilities in the face of US military threats.

More on North Korea

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, is in Lithuania to attend a major NATO summit, ordered his staff to gather information and stay alert to prepare for unpredicted events, according to the prime minister's office.

He said the peace and stability both of the region and the international community had been threatened as a result of the launch, and that Japan had lodged a protest through diplomatic channels in Beijing.

Mr Kishida is expected to meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday, and Japan's chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said a summit was also planned with South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

"We will respond in close cooperation with the international community," Mr Matsuno said.

North Korea's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. Pic: AP
Image: Pic: AP

The launch came after North Korea released a series of statements accusing the US of flying a military plane to spy on the North.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of Mr Kim, warned the US of "a shocking incident" in a statement on Monday, in which she claimed the spy plane flew over the North's exclusive economic zone eight times earlier in the day.

She said warplanes were deployed to chase the US plane away.

In another statement on Tuesday, Ms Kim said the US military would experience "a very critical flight" if it continues its aerial spying activities. North Korea's military separately threatened to shoot down the spy plane.

Both the US and South Korea dismissed the accusations and urged North Korea to refrain from any behaviour that raised animosities.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said the statements against the US were part of a North Korean pattern of "inflating external threats to rally domestic support and justify weapons tests".

Before Wednesday, North Korea's most recent long-range missile test happened in April, when it launched the Hwasong-18 ICBM for the first time.

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2023-07-12 05:48:45Z
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Selasa, 11 Juli 2023

Nato summit: Allies refuse to give Ukraine timeframe on joining - BBC

Mr Zelensky holding a Ukrainian flag from the destroyed city of BakhmutReuters

Nato states have said Ukraine can join the military alliance "when allies agree and conditions are met" after President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the "absurd" delay to accession.

In a communique, Nato said it recognised the need to move faster but would not be drawn on a timeframe.

Earlier Mr Zelensky said there seemed to be "no readiness" to invite Ukraine to Nato or make it a member.

He is now in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where the summit is happening.

Kyiv accepts it cannot join Nato while it is at war with Russia but wants to join as soon as possible after fighting ends.

At a briefing on Tuesday afternoon Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said allies had reaffirmed that Ukraine would become a Nato member and had agreed to drop the procedural need for a formal membership action plan.

"This will change Ukraine's membership path from a two-step process to a one-step process," he said.

But Mr Zelensky, tweeting before Mr Stoltenberg's comments, said that the lack of an agreed timeframe meant his country's eventual membership could become a bargaining chip.

"A window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine's membership in Nato in negotiations with Russia. Uncertainty is weakness," he said.

Addressing crowds in Vilnius later, Mr Zelensky said: "Nato will give Ukraine security. Ukraine will make the alliance stronger."

Mr Zelensky also presented a battle flag from the destroyed city of Bakhmut - the site of the longest, and possibly bloodiest, battle in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

His comments follow disagreement between Nato members over Ukrainian membership.

Some fear near-automatic membership for Ukraine would give Russia an incentive to both escalate and prolong the war resulting from its full-scale invasion of its southern neighbour.

In its communique, Nato said Ukraine had become "increasingly interoperable and politically integrated with the alliance" and had also made progress on reform. Member states would support further reform, it said.

Mr Stoltenberg will meet Mr Zelensky at the inaugural meeting of the Nato-Ukraine Council on Wednesday.

The Vilnius summit comes a day after Turkey dropped its opposition to Sweden joining the military alliance.

Turkey had previously spent months blocking Sweden's application, accusing it of hosting Kurdish militants. The country will now become the alliance's 32nd member after Finland - which borders Russia, joined in April.

Both countries announced their intention to join Nato after Russia invaded Ukraine.

A series of military packages for Ukraine were also announced at the summit on Tuesday.

A coalition of 11 nations will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly US-made F-16 fighter jets at a centre to be set up in Romania in August, officials said.

In May the US gave the go-ahead for its Western allies to supply Ukraine with advanced jets, including the long sought F-16s - a significant upgrade on the Soviet-era planes it is currently using.

Ukraine had repeatedly lobbied its Western allies to provide jets to help with its recently-begun counter-offensive aiming to retake territory seized by Russia.

However experts say the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly and operate Western jets will take some time.

Meanwhile Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that Moscow would be forced to use "similar" weapons if the US supplied controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine.

The weapons release bomblets over a wide area and are banned by more than 100 countries over their impact on civilians.

Mr Shoigu said Russia had similar cluster weapons but had so far refrained from using them.

Rights groups say Russia and Ukraine have already used cluster munitions during the 17 months of war since Russia invaded last February.

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2023-07-11 19:10:40Z
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Biden and NATO leaders meet in Lithuania as Zelensky calls lack of timeline for Ukraine membership ‘absurd’ - The Independent

Rishi Sunak welcomes Joe Biden to Downing Street

President Joe Biden was cracking jokes as he met Nato leaders at a key summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday.

Speaking to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, he joked that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin “alone” can protect Nato.

“We have the Secretary of Defence with us today.  We can send him alone – he’s enough,” he said, before adding on a more serious note that “we’re all in a war together”.

The president also said that he is “looking forward” to welcoming Sweden into the membership after Turkey announced its support for the move.

But, while the meetings were off to a positive start for Mr Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was less impressed.

In a tweet on Tuesday morning, he slammed Nato leaders for not extending membership to Ukraine, calling the inaction “absurd” ahead of a meeting between him and Mr Biden Wednesday.

Last week, Mr Biden approved sending controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine – but also said he thinks Ukraine is “not ready” for membership.

On route to Vilnius on Monday, Mr Biden stopped off in the UK where he appeared to breach royal protocol by touching King Charles III on the back.

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Biden reaffirms commitment to ally Lithuania

Oliver O'Connell11 July 2023 17:00
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Biden thanks Erdogan for his ‘diplomacy and courage'

President Joe thanks President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his “diplomacy and courage” in allowing for Sweden’s accession while the Turkish leader wishes Mr Biden “the best of luck” in his re-election.

Mr Biden laughed: “Well thank you very much. Look forward to meeting you in the next five years.”

Oliver O'Connell11 July 2023 16:39
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Nato says concerned over Iran’s ‘malicious activities' on its territory

Nato allies said on Tuesday they were seriously concerned by Iran’s “malicious activities” within allied territory and called Tehran to stop its military support to Russia, including the supply of drones.

“We call upon Iran to cease its military support to Russia, in particular its transfer of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which have been used to attack critical infrastructure, causing widespread civilian casualties,” the 31-member alliance said in a final declaration at a summit in Lithuania.

“We express our serious concern over Iran’s malicious activities within Allied territory.”

Martha Mchardy11 July 2023 16:31
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Watch: Biden fist pumps air as Sweden welcomes to Nato

Oliver O'Connell11 July 2023 16:20
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Stoltenberg: Nato invite to Ukraine when 'allies agree and conditions are met'

Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said Ukraine will be issued with an invitation to join the alliance “when allies agree and conditions are met”.

He said the process to the country’s membership would move from a two-step to a one-step pathway.

Martha Mchardy11 July 2023 16:19
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“Ukraine’s future is in Nato”, says declaration, but membership timetable not agreed

Nato leaders have agreed at a summit in Vilnius that Ukraine’s future lies within the alliance but stopped short of handing Kyiv the invitation or timetable for accession that the country has been seeking.

At the same time, Nato dropped the requirement for Ukraine to fulfil a so-called Membership Action Plan (MAP), effectively removing a hurdle on Kyiv’s way into the alliance.

“Ukraine’s future is in Nato,” a declaration agreed by the leaders on Tuesday said, adding Kyiv’s Euro-Atlantic integration had moved beyond the need for a Membership Action Plan.

“We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met,” the declaration said.

While leaders did not specify the conditions Ukraine needs to meet, they said the alliance would help Kyiv to make progress on military interoperability as well as on additional democratic and security sector reforms.

Martha Mchardy11 July 2023 16:14
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Press gathering for Biden-ErdoÄŸan bilateral meeting

President Joe Biden and President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan will soon meet for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Nato meeting in Vilnius.

The White House sent out the following background information ahead of the meeting:

On Monday, after arriving in Vilnius Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan met with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, clearing the way for Sweden to join NATO. ErdoÄŸan also spoke with President Charles Michele of the European Council. The meeting was closed press but Michel said on Twitter that they explored opportunities to reenergize EU-Turkey cooperation and bring it back to the forefront.

President Joe Biden, who welcomed Erdogan’s commitment to Sweden’s Nato membership, is scheduled to meet with the President of Turkey at 6:00 PM at the Lithuanian Exhibition and Conference Center. This will be the fourth meeting between President Biden and President ErdoÄŸan. They met on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Brussels in June 2021, during the summit in Madrid in June 2022, and had a pull-aside during G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Before today’s meeting with Biden, ErdoÄŸan held separate meetings with the Prime Minister of the UK Rishi Sunak, President Emmanuel Macron of France, and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau.

Oliver O'Connell11 July 2023 16:13
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Nato members agree declaration language for Ukraine membership

Nato leaders have reached agreement over how to define their future relationship with Ukraine, including its membership bid, four diplomats said on Tuesday.

One of the diplomats said the final wording on the declaration regarding Ukraine’s future membership read that Nato “will be in a position to extend an invitation to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met.

Martha Mchardy11 July 2023 16:10
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Sullivan: No caveats on F-16s to Türkiye

President Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told a press conference in Vilnius today that there are no caveats on the transfer of F-16s to Türkiye.

“President Biden has been clear & unequivocal for months that he’s supported the transfer of F-16s to Türkiye, that this is in our national interests. It’s in the interests of NATO that Türkiye get that capability. He has placed no caveats or conditions on that in his public and private comments over the past few months. And he intends to move forward with that transfer in consultation with Congress.”

Oliver O'Connell11 July 2023 15:57
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Dutch PM praises UK’s response to war in Ukraine

The Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has praised Rishi Sunak and the UK’s leadership in responding to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

In a warm meeting between the two leaders, Mr Sunak said he would “miss” working with the outgoing leader after Mr Rutte announced his plans to leave politics following the collapse of his coalition government.

Addressing his counterpart during a bilateral at the Nato Vilnius summit, the British Prime Minister said: “Mark, we were very sad to hear your news and thank you for your incredible service.”

Mr Rutte responded saying: “I’m not done yet. You are stuck with me at least until the election. Hopefully there will be a new government soon, in the Netherlands it takes a little while.”

Mr Sunak said: “You’ve been a great friend to the UK, so we will miss you. I look forward to continuing our work together particularly as we have stood together, you and I, as have other, to defend and support Ukraine.”

Mr Rutte replied: “And your leadership there, you personally and the UK as a whole, working with you has been incredible.” He said the joint work on the fighter jet coalition to provide Kyiv with war plane capabilities was “fantastic”.

Martha Mchardy11 July 2023 15:39

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2023-07-11 16:15:04Z
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Minggu, 09 Juli 2023

War in Ukraine: Biden flies to UK amid concern over cluster bombs - BBC

US President Joe Biden walks as he is escorted to Air Force One, before departing for Britain from Dover, Delaware, U.S., July 9, 2023.Reuters

US President Joe Biden is heading to Europe ahead of a Nato summit after several allies questioned his decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.

The UK and Canada are among those who voiced concern about supplying the bombs, which are widely banned because of the danger they pose to civilians.

The US says they are needed because Ukraine's weapon stocks are dwindling.

Mr Biden will arrive first in the UK, on Sunday evening, before heading to Lithuania for this week's Nato summit.

On Monday, he will meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss various issues, including the war in Ukraine. He will also meet King Charles for the first time since the King was crowned.

Members of Nato - a military alliance of 31 Western nations - will then meet in Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Finland will attend its first summit since joining in April. Plans from Sweden to follow suit have been blocked by Turkey, which accuses it of harbouring terrorists.

Mr Biden is expected to seek further support from Mr Sunak to help broker a deal with Turkey.

The matter is also expected to be on Nato's agenda in Lithuania - along with boosting ammunition stockpiles and reviewing defence plans.

Ukraine harbours its own ambitions of joining Nato. But speaking to CNN before his trip, Mr Biden said this could not happen until the war was over - in line with the alliance's long-standing policy.

Citing Nato's mutual defence pact, Mr Biden pointed out that members undertake to protect "every inch" of each other's territory - meaning that "if the war is going on, then we're all in war".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously accepted this position, while requesting a "signal" that his country will be able to join the alliance when the war is over. He is expected to attend this week's summit.

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A potentially awkward visit

Analysis box by Frank Gardner, security correspondent

This is, potentially, an awkward visit coming at a critical time for the US-led Nato alliance.

President Biden may not have intended to cause offence by skipping King Charles' coronation in May, but his absence was noted.

Then there is the business over who should be the next secretary general of Nato. The UK and the Baltic states favoured the British Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, who has been instrumental in galvanising Western support for Ukraine.

But without US backing, that's a non-starter - and Mr Biden instead appears to favour the former German defence minister and European Commission head, Ursula von der Leyen.

And there is also the row over cluster bombs. The UK is among 123 nations to ban these weapons which can cause indiscriminate harm to civilians.

But the US is going ahead, in the heat of international criticism, in supplying them to Ukraine as its forces struggle to break through Russia's defences in the south of Ukraine.

But Mr Biden's stopover in Britain is so brief that any cracks in the transatlantic alliance are likely to be smoothed over by warm handshakes and ample protocol.

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On Friday, the US confirmed it was complying with a Ukrainian request to send cluster bombs - and was doing so as part of a military aid package worth $800m (£626m).

Mr Biden told CNN it had been a "very difficult decision" but that he had eventually acted because "the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition".

But a number of Nato allies quickly distanced themselves from the decision.

Mr Sunak did not directly criticise his US counterpart. But he made clear that the UK was one of 123 countries that had signed up to the Convention on Cluster Munitions - an international treaty which bans the production or use of the weapons.

Canada and Spain - Nato members, like the US and UK - also stated their opposition to the weapons, as did New Zealand, a Nato partner.

"No to cluster bombs and yes to the legitimate defence of Ukraine, which we understand should not be carried out with cluster bombs," Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles said.

But Germany, another signatory of the treaty and Nato member, said that while it would not provide such weapons to Ukraine, it understood the American position.

Cluster bombs typically release lots of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area.

One of the concerns surrounding their supply is their failure - or dud - rate. Unexploded bomblets can linger on the ground for years and then indiscriminately detonate.

Ukraine has promised the weapons will not be used in civilian areas and will monitor and report on their use, but Russia dismissed these assurances as "not worth anything".

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2023-07-09 16:49:00Z
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Erdogan angers Putin with 'betrayal' of Azov prisoner release - The Telegraph

Turkey has angered Vladimir Putin by freeing commanders of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment that were being held under a prisoner swap deal.

Russian commentators demanded a tough response to Turkey’s “betrayal” and Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, called it “a violation” of trust.

“No one informed Russia about the transfer,” Mr Peskov said. “They were supposed to stay in Turkey until the end of the conflict.”

Mr Peskov was reacting to a video of the Azov Regiment commanders hugging Volodymyr Zelenksy and other members of the Ukrainian government after being handed over at an airport in Turkey and then flying to Ukraine on Saturday.

An Azov commander embraces President Zelensky in Istanbul Credit: EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Mr Zelensky had been in Turkey for talks with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country’s president, who has also pledged to support Ukraine’s Nato membership aspirations.

“Without a doubt, Ukraine deserves to be in Nato,” Mr Erdogan said after talks with the Ukrainian president on Friday in Istanbul. Ukraine’s membership of Nato is due to be discussed at the annual Nato summit in Vilnius this week.

Turkey is a Nato member but it has maintained business and air links with Russia when Europe cut contact after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

When Putin faced a rebellion two weeks ago by his Wagner mercenary unit, Mr Erdogan was one of the few international leaders to support him. He has also hosted failed peace talks and negotiated a deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain via its Black Sea ports.

Mr Erdogan said that Putin will travel to Turkey in August for rare overseas talks, but analysts said that his prisoner release deal with Mr Zelensky may show that he is beginning to support Ukraine more strongly.

“President Erdogan understands Putin better than many,” said Konstantin Sonin, a professor in public policy at the University of Chicago. “Putin does not listen to words, but can get a message if the message is a tangible action.”

The Azov Regiment defended Mariupol in south-eastern Ukraine against the Russian military during the first few months of the invasion. The Kremlin has accused the regiment of being a sanctuary of fascism and has held it up as proof that Ukraine harbours Nazis.

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Under the terms of a prison swap deal agreed last September, 215 Ukrainian soldiers were swapped for Viktor Medvedchuk, a personal friend of Putin, and 55 other Russian soldiers. Ordinary soldiers from the Azov Regiment were sent back to Ukraine but their commanders were sent to Turkey where Mr Erdogan promised to keep them until the end of the war.

Now, in Moscow, Russian pundits feel that Mr Edrogan has betrayed Russia and the spirit of the prisoner swap deal. Sergei Markov, a pro-war commentator and a former adviser to the Kremlin, said that Putin needed a strong response.

“The consequences of this gross violation of these agreements and the release of Azov fascists needs to be very, very significant,” he said.

On Sunday, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea grain deal in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Russia’s foreign ministry said.

In Lviv, western Ukraine, the Azov Regiment commanders were given heroes’ welcomes and they immediately promised to return to battle.

Denis Prokopenko, one of the freed Azov Regiment commanders, said it was his “main goal” to return to the front line.

“We will continue the fight,” he said. “We will definitely have our say again in battle.”

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2023-07-09 15:12:00Z
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Cluster bombs: Unease grows over US sending cluster bombs to Ukraine - BBC

The remains of a rocket that carried cluster munitions found in a field in the countryside of Kherson regionGetty Images

Several allies of the US have expressed unease at Washington's decision to supply Ukraine with cluster bombs.

On Friday, the US confirmed it was sending the controversial weapons to Ukraine, with President Joe Biden calling it a "very difficult decision".

In response, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Spain all said they were opposed to the use of the weapons.

Cluster bombs have been banned by more than 100 countries because of the danger they pose to civilians.

They typically release lots of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area.

The munitions have also caused controversy over their failure - or dud - rate. Unexploded bomblets can linger on the ground for years and then indiscriminately detonate.

Mr Biden told CNN in an interview on Friday that he had spoken to allies about the decision, which was part of a military aid package worth $800m (£626m).

The president said it had taken him "a while to be convinced to do it", but he had acted because "the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition".

The decision was quickly criticised by human rights groups, with Amnesty International saying cluster munitions pose "a grave threat to civilian lives, even long after the conflict has ended".

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters the American cluster bombs being sent to Ukraine failed far less frequently than ones already being used by Russia in the conflict.

But on Saturday, some Western allies of the US refused to endorse its decision.

When asked about his position on the US decision, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak highlighted that the UK was one of 123 countries that had signed up to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the production or use of the weapons and discourages their use.

His comments came ahead of a meeting with President Biden, who is due to arrive in the UK on Sunday before a Nato summit in Lithuania.

'Damage to innocent people'

The prime minister of New Zealand - one of the countries that pushed for the convention's creation - went further than Mr Sunak, according to comments published by local media.

Chris Hipkins said the weapons were "indiscriminate, they cause huge damage to innocent people, potentially, and they can have a long-lasting effect as well". The White House had been made aware of New Zealand's opposition to the use of cluster bombs in Ukraine, he said.

Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles told reporters her country had a "firm commitment" that certain weapons and bombs could not be sent to Ukraine.

"No to cluster bombs and yes to the legitimate defence of Ukraine, which we understand should not be carried out with cluster bombs," she said.

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The Canadian government said it was particularly concerned about the potential impact of the bombs - which sometimes lie undetonated for many years - on children.

Canada also said it was against the use of the cluster bombs and remained fully compliant with the Convention on Cluster Munitions. "We take seriously our obligation under the convention to encourage its universal adoption," it said in a statement.

The US, Ukraine and Russia have not signed up to the convention, while both Moscow and Kyiv have used cluster bombs during the war.

Meanwhile, Germany, a signatory of the treaty, said that while it would not provide such weapons to Ukraine, it understood the American position.

"We're certain that our US friends didn't take the decision about supplying such ammunition lightly," German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters in Berlin.

Ukraine's defence minister has given assurances the cluster bombs would only be used to break through enemy defence lines, and not in urban areas.

Graphic of cluster munition

Mr Biden's move will bypass US law prohibiting the production, use or transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1%.

Mr Sullivan, the US national security advisers, told reporters the US cluster bombs have a dud rate of less than 2.5%, while Russia's have a dud rate of between 30-40%, he said.

The US Cluster Munition Coalition, which is part of an international civil society campaign working to eradicate the weapons, said they would cause "greater suffering, today and for decades to come".

The UN human rights office has also been critical, with a representative saying "the use of such munitions should stop immediately and not be used in any place".

A spokesperson for Russia's defence ministry described the move as an "act of desperation" and "evidence of impotence in the face of the failure of the much-publicised Ukrainian 'counter-offensive'".

Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also said Ukraine's assurances it would use the cluster munitions responsibly were "not worth anything".

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously accused the US and its allies of fighting an expanding proxy war in Ukraine.

Ukraine's counter-offensive, which began last month, is grinding on in the eastern Donetsk and south-eastern Zaporizhzhia regions.

Last week, Ukraine's military commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny said the campaign had been hampered by a lack of adequate firepower. He expressed frustration with the slow deliveries of weapons promised by the West.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the US president for "a timely, broad and much-needed" military aid package.

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Analysis box by Frank Gardner, security correspondent

One by one, America's Nato allies have been lining up to distance themselves from its decision to supply Ukraine with controversial cluster bombs.

Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made clear, is a signatory to the 2008 convention that prohibits their production and use - and discourages their use by others.

Canada went further, with a government statement saying it was committed to putting an end to the effects of cluster munitions have on civilians, particularly children.

Spain said these weapons should not be sent to Ukraine, while Germany said it was also against the decision, although it understood the reasoning behind it.

Even Russia condemned it, despite having made extensive use of cluster munitions itself against Ukraine, saying it would litter the land for generations.

But Gen Sir Richard Shirreff, a former deputy commander of Nato in Europe, defended the decision, saying their deployment should make it easier for Ukraine to break through Russian lines.

If the West had provided more arms sooner, he said, then there would not have been a need to provide this weapon now.

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2023-07-09 06:01:41Z
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