Selenskyj is happy about support from Strasbourg – Putin flirts with Scholz’s phone call

2023-06-16 05:16:00

war in Ukraine

Updated on 06/16/2023 05:16

The photo released by the Russian news agency Sputnik shows Putin during a meeting in the Kremlin. (Recording date: June 15, 2023)
© Mikhail Metzel/Pool Sputnik Kremlin/AP/dpa

The Ukrainian President Zelenskyj sees his efforts to join the EU and NATO as confirmed by the European Parliament. Meanwhile, the IAEA assesses the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant as stable – and Vladimir Putin flirts with a phone call to Olaf Scholz.

More news about the war in Ukraine

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was pleased to have the support of European Parliament for his country to join NATO and the EU. “The European Parliament has adopted a powerful resolution in support of our people’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” he said in his daily video address on Thursday. There is now a clear appeal to EU leaders to chart a path for accession. In addition, the European Parliament supports Kiev’s call for a NATO perspective and has recognized the Ukrainian contribution to Euro-Atlantic security.

The EU-Parliament previously had the Nato called upon to pave the way for Ukraine into the western defense alliance after the end of the Russian war of aggression. A resolution passed in Strasbourg on Thursday states that the accession process should begin after the end of the war and be completed as soon as possible. 425 MEPs voted in favor, 38 against. 42 abstained. Until full NATO membership, the EU and NATO should develop a temporary framework for security guarantees, which is to be implemented immediately after the war.

In addition, Zelenskyj praised US plans to confiscate Russian property and the Ukraine to hand over. A corresponding law had been introduced in Congress. “In dictatorships like Russia, money is of the highest value.” The rulers would happily sacrifice hundreds of thousands of human lives, but not their fortunes. If they were now deprived of their money, they felt that the war was actually bringing them losses. “They must lose this property completely, for the benefit of those who suffered from their aggression, from this terrorist war for the benefit of our state, our people,” said the Ukrainian leader.

Atomic Energy Agency: The situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is serious – but stable

According to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the situation around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia is serious but stable after the rupture of the Kakhovka dam. “On the one hand, the situation is serious, there are consequences and they are real. On the other hand, a number of measures have been taken to stabilize the situation,” Rafael Grossi told the Russian news agency Interfax during his visit to the nuclear facility on Thursday.

The nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, occupied by Russian troops, draws its cooling water from the Kakhovka reservoir, which has dried up due to the dam breach. At the moment there is still enough water in the cooling ponds, said Grossi. The IAEA boss actually wanted to travel to the power plant city of Enerhodar on Wednesday, but had to postpone the visit for one day for security reasons. With him, a new group of international observers has also arrived at the facility, replacing the previous mission.

Meanwhile, the head of the Russian nuclear authority, Alexei Lichatschow, warned of increasing risks for the nuclear power plant. “We understand that the plant can be subject to a targeted attack at any time,” the senior Russian official said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. He accused the Ukrainian military of not explicitly supporting the principles of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the safety of the power plant. In view of the ongoing Ukrainian offensive in the region, the danger for the plant is growing, said Likhachev.

Putin wants to travel to Turkey – and call Scholz

of Russia President Vladimir Putin wants to travel to Turkey at the invitation of his Turkish colleague Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “The Turkish president has confirmed his invitation to our president to visit Turkey,” Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Thursday, according to the Interfax news agency. There are plans for this trip, but no fixed date yet, he added.

In addition, the Kremlin has the Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised phone call with Putin unlikely but welcome. “Perhaps that would allow Berlin to throw off the blinders that prevent it from assessing the situation soberly, at least for a second,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Russian state television on Thursday. However, there is currently no movement in this regard. Scholz’s statement about a possible phone call was “probably about hypothetical intentions”.

NATO countries agree on new format for talks with Ukraine

The NATO countries have agreed on a new format for cooperation with Ukraine. The concept was accepted in a written procedure, confirmed several diplomats from the German Press Agency on Thursday. Now Ukraine would have to agree and details would have to be determined. For example, it has not been decided how often the new council should meet. The aim is to have a first meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit of heads of state and government next month in Lithuania.

According to the information, the concept specifically provides for the existing NATO-Ukraine Commission to be upgraded to a NATO-Ukraine Council. This should make it possible to discuss key security issues on an equal footing with the country attacked by Russia and also to make joint decisions.

What will be important on Friday:

The meeting of NATO defense ministers continues in Brussels. Another issue is the coordination of further military aid to Ukraine.

Against the background of the fighting in southern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is giving his speech at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg. He is expected to comment on the war there, but also on the consequences of the sanctions for Russia. In the past he had always downplayed the effects of the restrictions on the Russian economy. (dpa/fte)