The UN Human Rights Council is meeting to decide whether to launch a formal investigation into alleged abuses by Russian troops around kyiv that it says may amount to “war crimes.” Meanwhile, Finland announced on May 12 that it will apply to join NATO “without delay” and Sweden is expected to do the same in the coming days. The move increases tensions with the Kremlin, which responds that “definitely” it is a threat.
As the Russian war against Ukraine drags on, Finland and Sweden, two nations territorially close to Russia, seek to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). An effect contrary to the warnings that the Kremlin highlighted when it launched the conflict against its neighboring country 78 days ago.
The decision of the two Nordic countries to abandon the neutrality they maintained during the Cold War would be one of the biggest changes in European security in decades, which has raised the fury of Moscow.
On the ground, the Ukrainian Army pushes back Russian forces around Kharkiv, while Moscow claims it hit military targets in that city and in Odessa.
These are the main news this May 12:
- 06:46 (BOG) Ukraine regains territory around Kharkiv; Russia reports counterattacks
Russian and Ukrainian forces appear to be reaching an exhausting and deadly stalemate in eastern Ukraine.
kyiv said it has recaptured Pytomnyk, a town north of Kharkiv in the northeast and the country’s second largest city, halfway to the Russian border. “The occupation forces went on the defense to slow down the pace of the offensive of our troops (…) The settlement of Pytomnyk was liberated,” said a latest report from the Ukrainian armed forces.
A day earlier, the local Army said it had also recaptured other villages and towns around the city. However, Ukrainian counteroffensives and successes appear to be limited for now to the extreme northeastern and southwestern flanks of the 300-mile front line.
Russian news agencies reported that during the night, the Russian military attacked two ammunition depots in the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry also pointed out that its Army destroyed a Ukrainian S-300 air defense missile system in the Kharkiv region; as well as a radar station near the city of Odessa.
- 06:30 (BOG) Kyiv announces first war crimes trial
The Ukrainian government, which has repeatedly accused Kremlin troops of committing atrocities, has announced that it will hold its first war crimes trial in the midst of the Russian conflict.
The process falls against a detained Russian soldier, identified as Vadim Shishimarin, 21 years old. The young man is accused of murdering an unarmed 62-year-old civilian.
“The man died on the spot just a few dozen meters from his house,” said a statement from prosecutor Iryna Venediktova’s office.
The captured man faces a possible life sentence if convicted.
Venediktova’s office also stated that it has received reports of more than 10,000 suspected war crimes, with 622 suspects identified.
Russia denies targeting civilians and calls its actions in Ukraine a “special military operation” to “de-Nazify” and disarm the country, ostensibly to rid it of what the Kremlin calls Western-sponsored “anti-Russian nationalism.”
- 6:17 (BOG) UN considers investigating possible “war crimes” in Ukraine
The UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to meet in the next few hours to decide whether to launch an investigation into alleged abuses by Russian troops around kyiv.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, condemned the “shocking” scale of unlawful killings and noted that the first investigations by her investigators have yielded findings that may amount to “war crimes” by Russian troops.
“The scale of unlawful killings, including indications of summary executions in areas north of kyiv, is shocking,” Bachelet said.
The resolution to be discussed this Thursday, May 12, was presented by Ukraine and supported by more than 50 countries.
If approved, it would order a newly formed Commission of Inquiry to investigate the events in the regions occupied by the Russian military before moving to eastern Ukraine, where residents reported executions of civilians and sexual abuse of women and girls, among other crimes.
- 06:08 (BOG) Moscow: Possible NATO accession of Finland and Sweden is ‘definitely’ a threat
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the possible entry of the Nordic nations into NATO “definitely” constitutes a threat to Russia.
Peskov pointed out that the Finnish government’s statements show that it has joined the “hostile steps” against Moscow taken by the EU.
The spokesman for the Russian Presidency went further by indicating that this decision would be the reason for a symmetrical response.
- 5:45 (BOG) Sweden will apply to join NATO next week
While its neighbor Finland awaits internal legal approvals to join the political-military organization, Sweden confirms that it will make the formal request next week, according to local press reports on Thursday.
The Swedish Parliament will debate the security situation next Monday, May 16, and then Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will convene a special cabinet meeting, where a formal decision will be made to submit the request, the Expressen newspaper said, citing government sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Swedish NATO membership would raise the threshold for military conflicts and thus have a conflict-preventing effect in Northern Europe,” the report said.
The ruling Social Democratic party is still debating whether to support the measure and the movement is due to make a decision on it next weekend.
- 5:38 (BOG) Finland seeks NATO membership ‘without delay’
The Finnish government announced it would apply to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) “without delay”, citing concerns over Russia’s large-scale attacks on Ukraine.
“Finland must apply to join NATO without delay (…) We hope that the national steps that are still needed to make this decision will be taken quickly in the coming days,” said President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin, in a statement. joint statement published this Thursday, May 12.
Sweden expressed the same intention. Five diplomats and officials from the politico-military alliance told Reuters that allies of the US-led organization hope the two nations gain membership soon. Once confirmed, the move will pave the way for a larger troop presence in the Nordic region.
The decision by Finland and Sweden to abandon the neutrality they maintained during the Cold War would be one of the biggest changes in European security in decades. And it would have the opposite effect to the warnings that Moscow emphasized before launching the war against Ukraine.
On December 17, 2021, the Kremlin issued a list of requirements to the West, calling for a ban on kyiv from joining NATO and a withdrawal of Western troops to where they were stationed in 1997, before an expansion into Europe of the East.
But the ongoing conflict, by contrast, would see Finland’s 1,300km border more than double its troop presence, putting Western militaries just a few hours’ drive north of St Petersburg.
With Reuters, AP and local media
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