Displaying items by tag: Volodymyr Zelenskiy

Ukrainian forces have reportedly achieved success in villages near Bakhmut, a key town previously seized by Russian forces. According to Ilia Yevlash, spokesperson for Ukraine's forces in the east, Russian troops fired on Ukrainian soldiers 580 times and used aircraft four times. Ukrainian troops have made significant progress, with defenders continuing to repel the enemy under heavy fire. The spokesperson claimed that 141 Russian troops were killed and several pieces of artillery equipment destroyed. Ukrainian forces in the south are reportedly preparing to advance towards the Sea of Azov, prompting Russian forces to bring in reserves. Volodymyr Zelenskiy commended the successes in his recent address, noting damage to Russian logistics and headquarters. Additionally, Ukraine has conducted attacks inside Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea. The counteroffensive operations launched in early June have resulted in gains in eastern and southern regions, despite the challenging conditions of heavily mined and destroyed areas.

Prime minister Justin Trudeau has apologised for giving a standing ovation to a war veteran who served in the Nazi Waffen-SS during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Canada. Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian veteran, was applauded by the House of Commons, who were unaware of his Nazi past. House speaker Anthony Rota later apologised for introducing him for applause, calling it a mistake. Trudeau condemned Rota's actions and described the incident as deeply embarrassing for the parliament of Canada and all Canadians. Jewish and Holocaust education organisations raised concerns about the celebration of a Nazi veteran. Rota, who accepted full responsibility for his actions, extended his apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. The incident occurred after Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivered a speech seeking support from Western allies. Hunka's Nazi unit has been accused of committing crimes against Polish and Jewish civilians during the Holocaust.

One of Ukraine's staunchest allies, Poland, has said it will no longer supply weapons to its neighbour, as a diplomatic dispute over grain escalates. The dispute began after the Russian invasion forced Ukraine to find alternative overland routes, which led to large quantities of grain ending up in central Europe. Consequently, the EU temporarily banned imports of grain into five countries to protect local farmers, who feared Ukrainian grain was driving down prices. The ban ended on 15 September, but Hungary, Slovakia and Poland decided to keep on implementing it. Remarks by President Zelenskiy at the UN, that it was alarming how some of Ukraine's friends were ‘making a thriller from grain’, have been denounced by Warsaw as unjustified. Prime minister Mateus Morawiecki was adamant Poland was helping Ukraine defeat the ‘Russian barbarian’ by maintaining a military hub, but he said he would not agree to Poland's markets being destabilised by grain imports. Ukraine has filed lawsuits with the World Trade Organisation against the three countries over the bans, which it says are a violation of international obligations.

Volodymyr Zelensky's surprise visit to the UK included meeting Rishi Sunak, making a speech in Parliament and having an audience with King Charles. He arrived as Downing Street announced that the UK will train Ukrainian pilots to fly NATO-standard fighter jets in the future, as requested by Ukraine. It is also expected the UK will announce fresh sanctions on Russia. Downing Street added that British training would be scaled up by training a further 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers. Mr Zelensky next visited Brussels, having urged France, Germany and the UK to provide fighter jets for the war against Russia. ‘Europe will always remain free as long as we are together,’ he told the European Parliament. He will meet all MEPs at a summit of EU leaders, on his second trip abroad since the war began. See Ukraine has received signals from Poland and the Netherlands to say that they are ready to supply RAF Typhoons and F-16 fighters.

In a stunning announcement, President Zelenskiy said he intends to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from Ukraine. His decision came on the heels of an investigation into the church's ties with ‘the Patriarchate in Russia.’ Ukraine will also ban the activities of any religious organisation affiliated with ‘centres of influence’ within Russia. `We will ensure for our state the fullness of independence - in particular, spiritual independence. We will never allow anyone to build an empire inside the Ukrainian soul’, Zelensky said. Orthodox Christians are the largest demographic in Ukraine. There have been some internal disagreements about who they support in the war between Ukraine and Russia, and Zelensky fears Russia may be using the church to plant agents in the church to undermine Ukraine’s war effort. The majority of Orthodox leaders have announced their support for Ukraine, and Ukraine’s Orthodox Church announced its full independence from Moscow’s Patriarchate. It does not support Russia’s invasion.

World leaders met for the annual G20 on 15-16 November, intending to discuss global economic plans. On the second day Volodymyr Zelenskiy presented proposals for a ‘Ukrainian formula for peace’ which was followed up on his telegram channel. He said, ‘Ukraine has always been a leader in peacekeeping efforts, and the world has seen it. If Russia says it supposedly wants to end this war, let it prove it with actions. We will not allow Russia to wait, build up its forces, and then start a new series of terror and global destabilisation. There will be no Minsk-3, which Russia will violate immediately after the agreement. There is a Ukrainian formula for peace for Ukraine, Europe and the world, and a set of solutions, when implemented, really guarantee peace. Ukraine offers the leading states of the world to be co-creators of peace together with us.’

Russia's prime minister says there is a chance for improved relations with Ukraine after Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a comedian with no political experience, was elected president in a landslide victory. Russian state media presented the elections as a total mess. However, Russia's lower house of parliament said that ‘there are hopes in Russia that something constructive could come out of the election’. There is a chance for Ukraine to improve relations with Russia with honesty and pragmatism. One of the main problems is the conflict with Russian-backed rebels, in the east of the country, that has so far taken 13,000 lives.