Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy also responded to the Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, saying Moscow has used “more than a hundred different weapons,” from “jet-powered drones, loitering munitions and ballistic missiles.”
And, interestingly, he pointedly says Ukraine had “no early warning” on one of the strikes in Kyiv.
“An ordinary residential building was destroyed in Kharkiv; the rescue operation continued virtually all night as first responders searched for people under the rubble. Four people were killed in this strike on the building in Kharkiv. My condolences to all their families and loved ones. In Kharkiv alone, 41 people were injured in just one evening.
There was also a particularly vile ballistic missile strike on Kyiv – five missiles that hit civilian infrastructure. Unfortunately, we received no early warning from our partners about this strike. Intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues. This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed – when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles.”
Zelenskyy also says Ukraine has halted strikes on Russian oil refineries for two days after Trump’s ceasefire announcement, but “Russia did not heed the American president.”
“During this time, the Russians have attacked both our energy facilities and our critical infrastructure, sending absolutely clear signals that they have no intention of refraining from strikes on Ukraine. Nineteen regions of our country have come under attack in these two days alone.
Our position remains unchanged: Ukraine is ready for reciprocal steps toward de-escalation, and effective pressure on Russia is needed to make de-escalation happen. Wars end when the aggressor realizes that it cannot prolong the war.
Global pressure on Russia contributes to exactly that – bringing peace closer. But direct or indirect support for Russia, slowing down assistance to Ukraine, and making it harder to protect lives against ballistic missiles will certainly not help bring peace. Everyone needs peace. A strong America, a strong Europe, and strong partners are needed.”
Finland’s prime minister Petteri Orpo said that US president Donald Trump’s recently announced agreement for Russia to release large amounts of diesel onto world markets was a “huge disappointment”.
Orpo told reporters that a “direct deal with Putin” was “against everything we have done together and together with the United States through the coalition of the willing and in supporting Ukraine.”
He added that such a deal “funds Putin’s war” against Ukraine.
The Finnish prime minister urged Europe and Ukraine’s supporters to “say this forcefully to Trump”.
“Continuing support for Ukraine is now more essential than ever,” he added.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called for tougher measures to curb illegal migration in a letter sent to the 27 leaders of the EU member countries ahead of a discussion on the topic scheduled for Friday.
She said this summer’s huge border crossing of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta – in which about 140 people are estimated to have died – showed just how quickly “sudden massive arrivals can put pressure on the EU’s external borders”.
Her proposals include broadening the powers of the EU’s border agency, Frontex, including a new “Quick Reaction Force for crisis deployment”, and increasing the bloc’s return rate.
The European Parliament in June approved an overhaul of migration policy aimed at speeding up deportations and allowing member states to establish centres abroad, in what critics warned could weaken safeguards for asylum seekers.
Donald Trump’s plans to import diesel from Russia drew swift condemnation from Ukraine and other (traditional) allies, with European officials fearing it undermined transatlantic unity at a time when Moscow is escalating its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of another gruelling winter.
But speaking to the AFP news agency on Tuesday, the EU economy commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, said that Russian diesel sales recently authorised by the US were unlikely to significantly move the price of the commodity, which has spiked since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in late February. Dombrovskis said:
As regards specifically this question on Russian diesel exports, if we look at the volumes, they are not of any macroeconomic significance, and frankly, there are strong doubts whether Russia is even able to supply those volumes, and according also to US quality standards, those are big question marks.
Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte said that Nato will “adjust” as needed to the evolving nature of threats it faces after two merchant ships were once again struck off the Bulgarian coast (9:58).
Eleven people are still missing after one of the ships sank.
Responding to the incident, Nato’s Rutte said:
“I spoke with Bulgarian PM @RumenRadevPM about the latest attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea. Nato will continue to work closely with our Allies in the Black Sea.
We have already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank and will continue to monitor the security environment, adjusting our deterrence and defence posture as needed.”
German foreign minister Johann Wadephul also condemned the incident, saying:
“I condemn the appalling attacks on merchant vessels in the #BlackSea. They are an attack on international shipping & on global food security, depriving the most vulnerable of much-needed supplies. Our thoughts are with the victims – and our solidarity with our ally #Bulgaria 🇧🇬”
Pope Leo has left the Vatican in a convoy of vehicles ahead of his expected admission to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for surgery to remove a small growth found on one of his lungs, the first major health issue of his 17-month tenure, Reuters reported.
The surgery is expected to take place later today, and all of Pope Leo’s public events have been cancelled until next Tuesday.
Oh, actually, one more bit of news from elsewhere: the Spanish royals are now visiting Ceuta.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are on a diplomatically sensitive visit to the North African enclave, their first trip there since 2007, just months after a migration border crisis there in late July.
I will keep one eye on this, and you can watch the scenes live here:
Let’s go back to Ukraine and related security news.
German police detained a woman in Berlin and a man over a fire that struck a Polish Starlink internet station in September, Polish broadcaster RMF FM reported Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.
According to RMF FM, a Polish broadcaster, the woman may have been acting as a driver for the two men, and “assisted with the logistics of the sabotage operation,” AFP reported.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said on Monday that Germany detained two Turkish men suspected of setting fire to the station in central Poland, calling it “another act of hybrid warfare”.
The fire at the Starlink station in central Poland broke out overnight in late September, prompting concerns about sabotage.
Swedish parliament speaker Andreas Norlén says he will put Andersson’s candidacy to lead a single-party government to test her support in parliament.
The vote will take place on Thursday.
Andersson is likely to fail as her potential coalition partners are not expected to support a single-party government – in fact, Norlén acknowledged that Andersson’s talks to date had not even focused on this option.
If she fails, Norlén will consult with party leaders on next steps and who should be given a chance to form the next government, but he wants to see some urgency in this process.
He doesn’t rule out giving the task to another party leader after that.
If a PM candidate(s) put forward by the speaker get(s) rejected four times, it triggers a snap election, and so Norlén says that moving forward on this timeline – making the first step – should focus some minds and help drive the process further.
As promised, there is also an update from Sweden, where the Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson has said that despite some progress, there are still no “condition” in place to confirm a new left-leaning government.
She reported back to the parliament’s speaker on the talks, and it’s up to him to decide what’s next and whether she should continue the exploratory talks, she said, as reported by SVT.
She says further progress requires parties to be “constructive” and focus on “solving issues” and what the new government can do.
“It’s a complicated parliamentary situation … after the election … and I expect it will be some time before we have a new government,” she said in English.
Parliamentary speaker Andreas Norlén will say what he wants to do next at his press conference in about 15 minutes.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy also responded to the Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight, saying Moscow has used “more than a hundred different weapons,” from “jet-powered drones, loitering munitions and ballistic missiles.”
And, interestingly, he pointedly says Ukraine had “no early warning” on one of the strikes in Kyiv.
“An ordinary residential building was destroyed in Kharkiv; the rescue operation continued virtually all night as first responders searched for people under the rubble. Four people were killed in this strike on the building in Kharkiv. My condolences to all their families and loved ones. In Kharkiv alone, 41 people were injured in just one evening.
There was also a particularly vile ballistic missile strike on Kyiv – five missiles that hit civilian infrastructure. Unfortunately, we received no early warning from our partners about this strike. Intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues. This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed – when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles.”
Zelenskyy also says Ukraine has halted strikes on Russian oil refineries for two days after Trump’s ceasefire announcement, but “Russia did not heed the American president.”
“During this time, the Russians have attacked both our energy facilities and our critical infrastructure, sending absolutely clear signals that they have no intention of refraining from strikes on Ukraine. Nineteen regions of our country have come under attack in these two days alone.
Our position remains unchanged: Ukraine is ready for reciprocal steps toward de-escalation, and effective pressure on Russia is needed to make de-escalation happen. Wars end when the aggressor realizes that it cannot prolong the war.
Global pressure on Russia contributes to exactly that – bringing peace closer. But direct or indirect support for Russia, slowing down assistance to Ukraine, and making it harder to protect lives against ballistic missiles will certainly not help bring peace. Everyone needs peace. A strong America, a strong Europe, and strong partners are needed.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theguardian.com
