Press
Ministers from London and The Hague are coming to Ukraine for their first visit. They are bringing valuable gifts with them.
Kiev (dpa) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received several ministers from the new British and Dutch governments in the port city of Odessa. “I informed them about the situation on the battlefield,” Zelensky said in his evening video address. He announced a “further strengthening” of the Ukrainian navy with the support of the two states.
The Ukrainian Navy currently has only a few smaller units. Next year, Kiev is to receive two used minehunters from the Netherlands. It is not known whether the ships will be granted permission to pass through the Bosporus by the Turkish authorities because of the war.
New Patriot system for Ukraine
Ukraine, which is suffering from constant Russian air attacks, is receiving a Patriot air defense system from the Netherlands to expand its protective shield. This was confirmed by Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp and Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmanns at a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, as reported by the Unian agency. The fact that a system would be made available was announced by the previous government in The Hague in June. An exact date for delivery was not given.
Kiev is said to currently have five Patriot systems. Another has been promised by Romania, among others. Kiev is hoping for further commitments at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington. Up to six Patriot systems from Israel are among those being discussed.
President Zelensky originally called for at least seven such systems to provide reliable protection for major cities regularly attacked with missiles, such as Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhia and Odessa. He regularly urges Ukraine’s allies to provide further support in air defense.
Russia has been carrying out repeated air strikes on its neighboring country in its war of aggression, which has been going on for more than two years. The missile and drone attacks have caused severe destruction to energy infrastructure, for example, and have repeatedly resulted in deaths and injuries.
Fighter aircraft expected to arrive soon
Ukraine is also expecting the imminent arrival of F-16 fighter jets from Dutch stocks. For security reasons, an exact date is not known, nor are the possible airports where these planes will be deployed. Russia has already threatened to attack airfields outside Ukraine if these jets are stationed there.
“We have also discussed all the technical conditions required for these F-16s to fly here, and important steps are being taken in this direction,” Defense Minister Brekelmans was quoted as saying by Dutch media. However, he did not want to give a specific date for the delivery of the fighter jets. “Ukraine does not want that either. We do not want to make (Kremlin chief Vladimir) Putin even smarter than he already is,” said Brekelmans. “But they will be delivered in the short term.”
New weapons package from London
The new British Defense Minister John Healey promised Ukraine new arms deliveries during his inaugural visit. In addition to artillery guns, mine detectors and anti-tank guided missiles, the package presented in the port city of Odessa includes large quantities of ammunition. Zelensky thanked Healey for the strong support from Great Britain.
Indian Prime Minister Modi meets Putin in Moscow
For the first time since the war began, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Russia this Monday and Tuesday. According to the Kremlin, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will also be discussed during the official visit. It will be interesting for Western observers, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in advance, referring to the fact that Modi, to Kiev’s annoyance, stayed away from the Ukraine-initiated peace summit in Switzerland in June.
In addition, India is trading more and more intensively with the raw materials superpower. Moscow media had already reported in recent days that Modi’s trip after his re-election was a special sign of appreciation for India’s relations with Russia. Russia is an important energy supplier for India. dpa
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