Situation at a glance: Zelenskyj: Germans are more reluctant to support than others

When it comes to the question of using long-range weapons against targets deep in Russian territory, talks with Germany are, according to information from Kiev, more difficult than with other Ukrainian partners. According to President Volodmyr Zelensky, the five most important partners – the USA, Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany – do not have a unanimous opinion on this demand. There are supporters, “and they also help me in the dialogue with the other partners to reach a positive solution,” said Zelenskyj in an interview with Ukrainian journalists. But there is still reluctance because this is a “question fraught with risks,” after all, it involves a package of “very powerful missiles.”

The point of discussion has still not been resolved, especially with Germany. “For them (the Germans) this remains the most painful question,” Zelensky said. The fact that the Western partners are having so much trouble with the permission he has been requesting for months to use the weapons that have already been delivered is apparently because they do not want to “finally slam the doors” in relations with Russia. “At least that’s my impression.”

Ukraine has so far used long-range combat drones or so-called kamikaze drones against targets in Russia, which are guided to the target with an explosive charge. However, these have little destructive power compared to cruise missiles and long-range rockets.

Scholz: NATO must not be drawn into war

Only recently did EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell question the restrictions on the use of heavy Western weapons in the Ukraine war. Ukraine has a right to self-defense in the face of Russian attacks on hospitals and power plants, he said.

Russia’s war of aggression was also one of the main topics at Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s summit meeting with the presidents of the USA and France as well as the British Prime Minister in the Berlin Chancellery on Friday. Scholz and US President Joe Biden assured Ukraine of their solidarity, but are hostile to the central demands in Zelensky’s “peace plan” – unconditional invitation to NATO, war on Russian territory and with extensive Western weapons. Scholz emphasized that NATO should not be drawn into the war so that it “does not result in an even greater catastrophe.”

Situation in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, difficult

Meanwhile, in view of ever new Russian attacks, the situation for the defenders of the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk on the edge of Donbass is becoming increasingly difficult. The administration called on the civilian population to leave the city. Tank obstacles have already been set up in residential areas. “The enemy is in the process of destroying the city little by little, just as he did with Bakhmut and Avdiivka,” an evacuation call said.

According to media reports, of the original 53,000 residents, only just under 12,000 still live in the largely destroyed Pokrovsk. Almost half of the city is without electricity.

Pokrovsk and Kurachowe, a little further south, are currently the largest hotspots on the eastern flanks of the Ukrainian defense lines. In its situation report in the evening, the General Staff in Kiev spoke of the heaviest fighting on these sectors of the front.

Fierce fighting was also reported in the area around Kupyansk, east of Kharkiv. In view of the “dynamics of hostilities” and the front having moved within four kilometers of the city limits, the civilian population was again called upon to leave the city.

Putin accuses Ukraine of being unwilling to negotiate

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, who ordered the war of aggression in February 2022 and against whom the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, accused Ukraine of being unwilling to negotiate with Moscow. Zelensky keeps making demands but does not make any suggestions, Putin said at a meeting with media representatives in the Russian capital. In addition, Zelenskyj signed a decree prohibiting negotiations with Russia. The Russian side, however, was ready for peace talks, as was the case at the beginning of the war, Putin said.

The demands made by both warring parties with regard to peace talks are diametrically opposed. While Russia only wants to talk about the status quo on the fronts, Ukraine is demanding, among other things, the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed in 2014, as a precondition for talks.

In Kiev, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine wanted to negotiate with Moscow from a position of strength. “We always tell our partners, if you want us to talk to the Russians, then strengthen us,” he said. “Then we would be at eye level, and not just on some chair in the corner.” To strengthen himself, Zelenskyj demanded an invitation to join NATO and the release of weapons.

Ukraine receives further financial aid from the IMF

Ukraine also receives financial aid from other sources. Last year, the International Monetary Fund approved a four-year loan program worth billions for the country. Ukraine can now access a further $1.1 billion (1 billion euros), as the IMF announced. The money will be used to support the state budget.

“Despite the ongoing war, the Ukrainian economy remains resilient,” the IMF said. All performance targets for the end of June were achieved and essential structural reforms were implemented. However, the impact of the war – particularly on the energy infrastructure – remained a factor of uncertainty for Ukraine’s economic recovery.