Ukraine war day 971: These are the key developments as the war reaches its 971st day.
Military
- As Kyiv claimed to have knowledge of two North Korean units—up to 12,000 troops—set to participate in the conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged friends to “not hide” in the face of evidence of North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
- Kyiv anticipated the arrival of North Korean forces on Wednesday in the southern Kursk area of Russia, where Ukrainian forces conducted an incursion in August, according to the head of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence.
- In the midst of a controversy involving dozens of officials who are accused of abusing their position to obtain disability status and evade military duty, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin announced his resignation.
Finances
- As a conference of almost two dozen international leaders began Tuesday in the Russian city of Kazan, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia aims for greater financial cooperation with BRICS members, which make up 45% of the world’s population and 35% of its economy.
- As the present 2 percent no longer reflects the “reality of today’s security situation,” Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has called for NATO to increase the alliance’s defense budget target to at least 2.5 percent of GDP by 2025.
- Ukraine war day 971: The final legislative step before the money is sent to Ukraine has been completed when the European Parliament approved to use frozen Russian assets to lend more than 35 billion euros ($38 billion).518 parliamentarians voted in favor of the plan, 56 opposed it, and 61 abstained.
- Moscow claims that the European Union is committing a worldwide economic crime by holding around 210 billion euros ($227 billion) in frozen Russian funds as a result of sanctions put in place since the start of its war on Ukraine.
- Washington is to contribute $20 billion to a $50 billion G7 credit package for Ukraine, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who may shortly announce more penalties aimed at Russian arms procurement. Policymakers are scheduled to meet later this week, and G7 leaders are nearing completion of the plan.
Diplomacy
- Ukraine war day 971: Ahead of the BRICS conference, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed Russian President Vladimir Putin that his nation was prepared to assist in bringing about a truce and that he desired peace in Ukraine.
- As fresh British information indicates that Russian attacks on food-carrying ships are delaying the delivery of essential supplies to Palestinians and the Global South in general, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused Putin of “harming millions of vulnerable people.”
- After Polish authorities found that Russia’s secret service was hiring individuals to carry out arson attacks in the US and the EU, Poland announced that it was closing the Russian consulate in Poznan and expelling its employees.
Source: Aljazeera