Location at a glance: Putin gives speech about the world situation – Selenskyj calls him illegitimate

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will explain his view of the political and economic world situation at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg in front of a large audience. The speech of the Kremlin chief in his hometown and a panel discussion with international guests is staged every year as the highlight of the forum.

This time the war between Israel and Iran and the war that Putin leads against Ukraine are likely to be the focus. The Moscow leadership uses the conference with 20,000 guests from 140 countries to present itself to the world in good light and to defy the international isolation aimed at by the West.

Even on the night before this event, the Russian army attacked the neighboring country out of the air again. Explosions and fires were reported from the eastern Ukrainian city of Charkiw. In the Sumy area, sliding bombs were thrown off. In addition, the Ukrainian Air Force once more raved to the skills of Russian combat drones in the sky.

Selenskyj: Putin has long crossed his mandate

Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj, meanwhile, countered statements Putin, who had again denied his legitimacy as head of state in St. Petersburg. In a video message, Selenskyj said: “I am ready to meet in every format with those who (…) have corresponding authority, including Putin, even if he exceeded his constitutional mandate by at least three terms of office.”

The Kremlin chief has officially agreed to talk to Selenskyj in order to end the war ongoing for more than three years. However, he questioned its legitimacy because the term of office of the Ukrainian in 2024 had expired. In Ukraine, however, it must not be elected under war law – as the Basic Law in Germany would prohibit it in the event of a defense. Putin has secured his power by gradually disappearing from the political stage and elections in Russia have become less and less free. In fact, it has been steering Russia since the turn of the millennium.

In defense against the big neighbor, Ukraine is particularly dependent on the help of the government of US President Donald Trump. “It is desirable to end the war in the (until early 2029) term of President Trump,” said Selenskyj in Kiev. “I firmly expect his help. I count on the influence of the United States.” Sanctions as well as diplomacy are necessary.

The relationship between Trump and Selenskyj is excited. The efforts of the US president announced with great self-confidence to end the war have so far been in vain.

New Army Commander of Ukraine served in Wiesbaden

Selenskyj appointed Brigadiereral Hennadij Schapowalow as the new commander of the Ukrainian floor troops. This was recently served as a liaison officer in the NATO staff in Wiesbaden, coordinating military aid for Ukraine. The reilcase in the army was necessary after the previous commander Mychajlo Drapatyj asked for discharge in early June. He took responsibility for the death of twelve soldiers who died in a Russian rocket attack on a military training area in the Dnipropetrovsk area.

Kyiv: We got corpses of Russian soldiers

According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine also received dead Russians when the background of thousands of soldiers’ corpses from Russia. In a post on Telegram, however, the minister did not provide any information on how many such cases there are.

“The enemy deliberately complicates us to identify the dead, create chaos and mix the corpses of the Russian soldiers with those of the Ukrainian,” wrote Klymenko. Photos showed the alleged military pass and the identification brand of a dead Russian soldier who is said to have been handed over to Ukraine. There were no independent confirmations.

Russia has transferred more than 6,000 corpses of soldiers in the past few days. Moscow got more than 50 deaths back. This was – like an exchange of prisoners – to humanitarian gestures that had agreed both warring parties in Istanbul in early June.