The bloody fighting between Russia and Ukraine continues on the Eastern Front. Meanwhile, Zelensky is trying to join the EU. And winter sowing is becoming scarce in the country. The overview.
Ukraine, attacked by Russia, continues to prepare for the hoped-for start of negotiations on joining the European Union. Before a decision by the heads of state and government of the EU member states, which is expected in December, his country wants to meet all the requirements of the European Commission, said President Volodymyr Zelensky. “We are working to reach an unconditional decision to begin negotiations.”
After the foreign ministers of the EU states discussed Ukraine in Brussels on Monday, the defense ministers will meet on Tuesday. They are also concerned with further support for Ukraine, which has been fending off a large-scale Russian invasion for almost 21 months. Zelensky and Commander-in-Chief Valery Zalushny spoke on Monday of a difficult situation on several sectors of the front in the south and east of the country.
Zelenskyj: Ukraine wants to meet all requirements for EU accession
The Ukrainian head of state discussed the next steps towards EU accession with his leadership on Monday. It is crucial to meet all of the EU Commission’s requirements as a prerequisite for accession negotiations, said Zelensky.
After Ukraine was declared a candidate for membership in 2022, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recommended last week that negotiations should begin. She believes the country is well on its way to meeting a total of seven requirements. Among other things, it is about fighting corruption.
Zelensky presented the accession as a European project. “The success of our country and our people – economically, socially and in the development of Ukraine’s relations with the world – can only be achieved as a common success of all of Europe,” he said.
Avdiivka, Maryinka, Bakhmut – the hot spots on the front
In his video address on Monday evening, Zelenskyy named the sections of the approximately 1,200 kilometer long front where the fighting is currently most intense: “Avdiivka, Maryinka, Bakhmut section, Lyman section, Kupyansk, Zaporizhzhia, the Kherson region – in each of these sections it is difficult .”
Commander-in-Chief Zalushnyj gave a similar list in a telephone conversation with US Commander-in-Chief Charles Brown. “Avdiivka, Kupyansk and Mariinka sections are the hottest. The situation is difficult but is being controlled,” he said.
Killed in artillery shelling of Kherson in southern Ukraine
Air alerts were raised over several areas of southern Ukraine on Monday evening. The Russian army has launched two groups of combat drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said. During the day, Russian artillery shelled several towns in the southern Kherson region, regional chief Olexander Proskudin said. Three people were killed and 17 injured.
The northern part of the Kherson region was liberated by the Ukrainian army a year ago. The southern part is still occupied by Russian troops. The Dnipro River forms the front line. However, Ukrainian troops have recently crossed the river in several places and formed bridgeheads.
The Russian state news agencies Tass and Ria Novosti reported on Monday that Russian forces were withdrawing from the region. A few minutes later they canceled their reports again. The Moscow Defense Ministry described the reports as a provocation.
Ukrainian winter sowing is shrinking
Because of the Russian war of aggression, the area for winter sowing in Ukraine has shrunk significantly, according to industry sources. For winter wheat, the area of 3.8 million hectares is only half as large as before the war, said Denys Martschuk, vice-chairman of the agricultural association UAC. The decline is due to the fact that a lot of arable land is unusable because of the fighting. The farmers also did not have enough revenue from their summer harvest to buy seeds, he said.
A smaller harvest is to be expected next spring and summer. The food supply in Ukraine is still not at risk, said Martschuk. However, there will be less grain for export. Because of Russian ships and aircraft, the main export route for Ukrainian agricultural products by ship via the Black Sea is only available to a limited extent.
Report: Lindner releases more aid to Ukraine than planned
According to a media report, the Federal Ministry of Finance approved more money than planned for the 2024 financial year for military equipment for Ukraine and for the restocking of Bundeswehr material delivered to Ukraine. Four additional billion euros in cash are planned, and another two billion are to be spent as so-called commitment appropriations, according to a list from the office of Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), which was available to “Spiegel”.
According to this, four billion euros were earmarked as cash for 2024 and another four billion euros as commitment authorizations, which will only be taken into account later. According to information from “Spiegel”, the defense department had internally claimed a gap of around 5.2 billion euros in weapons aid for Ukraine. It should now be closed – provided that the Bundestag’s budget committee accepts the Finance Ministry’s proposal at its adjustment meeting on Thursday and the Bundestag approves the budget in December.
According to the information, the money is intended “for further support of Ukraine and, in particular, to ensure the recovery of Bundeswehr material that was given to Ukraine,” the letter said.
The finance department’s paper does not reveal where the additional cash of four billion euros comes from. Aid to Ukraine is not paid for from the Defense Ministry’s regular budget, but rather from a special fund without clear departmental allocation, the so-called Individual Plan 60.
That will be important on Tuesday
One day after the foreign ministers, the defense ministers of the EU states discussed further support for Ukraine in Brussels. However, it is becoming apparent that a proposal by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell for longer-term financing commitments for military aid does not have the necessary support of all 27 EU states. That’s why it’s about exploring compromises. Borrell had originally proposed mobilizing five billion euros annually for military aid from 2024 to 2027. He wants to present a new draft in December.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
