Ukraine war briefing: EU and UK increase sanctions on Russia as drone strike on Odesa kills one
The Russian defence ministry said its air defence systems destroyed 87 Ukrainian drones in a five-hour period on Friday evening, including over the Bryansk region bordering northern Ukraine and the Moscow region. Russian aviation authorities were once again forced to suspend flights at Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports serving Moscow. The Moscow mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said 13 drones were downed or destroyed after midnight, but made no mention of casualties or damage. The acting governor of Rostov region, on Ukraine's eastern border, said Ukrainian drones triggered fires and knocked down power lines.
The EU on Friday agreed an 18th package of sanctions against Russia, including measures aimed at restricting the Russian oil and energy industry. The EU will set a moving price cap on Russian crude at 15% below its average market price, aiming to improve on a largely ineffective $60 cap that the G7 economies have tried to impose since December 2022. The measures were approved after Slovakia dropped its opposition in exchange for further guarantees on gas imports.
Kaja Kallas said the measures by the EU would be 'one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date'. 'We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow,' said the EU foreign policy chief.
The UK announced it would join the price cap, dealing a blow to Moscow's oil revenues. 'The UK and its EU allies are turning the screw on the Kremlin's war chest by stemming the most valuable funding stream of its illegal war in Ukraine even further,' said the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, at a G20 meeting in South Africa.
The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, complained to reporters that Russia considered 'such unilateral restrictions illegal'. 'We oppose them,' he said. 'But at the same time, of course, we have already acquired a certain immunity from sanctions. We have adapted to life under sanctions.'
The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU by 2034 was unlikely. 'For us, the absolute top priority is, first and foremost, to do everything possible to end this war,' Merz said on Friday. 'Then we'll talk about the reconstruction of Ukraine … but that's going to take a number of years.' He said it would 'probably not even affect the EU's current medium-term financial outlook', which runs to 2034. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said in Kyiv in February that Ukraine could join the EU before 2030 if the country continued reforms at the current speed and quality.
Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Friday that his forces were 'containing intense pressure' from Russia on Pokrovsk, a logistics hub in eastern Donetsk region that has weathered months of Russian attempts to capture it. Syrskyi said he had presented a report to the president describing the challenges facing Ukrainian troops along the 1,000km (620-mile) front. 'The enemy is continuing to deploy its tactic of small infantry groups, but has proved powerless on its attempts to seize Pokrovsk. Today, they tried to break through with sabotage groups but were exposed and destroyed,' Syrskyi wrote on Telegram.
The first tranche of Australian tanks has been handed over to the Ukrainian army. Australia had previously pledged to give Ukraine 49 Abrams tanks last October. A majority of the tanks have been delivered and a final tranche will arrive in the coming months, but actual numbers have not been released.
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Reuters
10 minutes ago
- Reuters
Zelenskiy signs law restricting autonomy of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies
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Telegraph
2 hours ago
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'I'm not a supporter of President Zelensky at all, but at the same time, internationally, I've always supported his efforts. But today he made a very bad choice ... and it will definitely make Ukraine weaker.' 'Small democracies can win over bigger autocracies,' he said, referring to Russia. 'But small autocracies will sooner or later be swallowed by bigger ones.' A second measure to immediately send the legislation to the president's desk for his signature into law passed with 246 votes. Mr Goncharenko said he heard it had already been signed. Meaghan Mobbs, the daughter of US special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellog, said: 'This decision is truly, unbelievably, mind-bogglingly stupid. It happens at the worst possible time given the recent positive shifts in US policy.' Ukrainian celebrities implored Mr Zelensky not to sign the law, including the popular chef Yehven Klopotenko and actor-turned-military fundraiser Serhiy Prytula. 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'Anti-democratic backslide' 'Last week, we ran an editorial warning of an anti-democratic backslide in Ukraine,' said Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief of the respected Kyiv Independent. 'Today, it's happening in plain sight. 'This isn't what our people have been fighting and dying for, and it's devastatingly unfair to them.' The German foreign office said in a statement: 'The independence and strength of Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions have been key to reform efforts of recent years. Ukraine will continue to be measured against their progress.' 'Europe helped pull Zelensky's relationship back from the brink of collapse after the Oval Office debacle. But now this unforced error by Kyiv. Where does it leave Ukraine's EU accession?' said Nigel Gould-Davies, a former UK ambassador to Belarus and senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), a Washington-based think tank. 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The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
War in Gaza tests ties between Israel and traditional European allies
Britain threatened Tuesday to take further action against Israel if it does not agree to end the war in Gaza, a day after two dozen mostly European countries condemned Israel's restrictions on aid shipments into the territory and the killings of hundreds of Palestinians trying to reach food. Despite the increasingly strong words, many are skeptical that Israel will yield to such pressure without more significant punitive action — and especially without the backing of Germany and the U.S., Israel's strongest Western allies. Outrage over Israel's actions in Gaza has grown in Europe as images of suffering Palestinians have driven protests in London, Berlin, Brussels and other capitals. More recently, the almost daily killings of Palestinians while seeking aid have tested the EU's friendly relationship with Israel like never before. But Europe remains divided on its stance toward Israel, and its limited sanctions and condemnations so far have had little effect. Here's a look at what Europe can do or has done — and why it hasn't done more. EU reviews its ties with Israel over Gaza The EU has been reviewing its diplomatic and trade ties with Israel over its conduct in Gaza. An internal report recently found indications that Israel has violated its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a 25-year-old legal framework governing the political relationship and trade cooperation between the two sides. But so far the EU has taken no action to suspend such ties. Some have criticized the EU — Israel's biggest trading partner — for a lack of political courage and for underestimating its leverage on Israel. 'What we can see is mounting pressure, but those are words, those are not actions,' said Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow at London's Chatham House think tank. Individual countries, such as Britain, Canada and Australia, have slapped sanctions on Israeli settlers in connection with violence against Palestinians, including asset freezes and travel bans. But such measures have yielded few results. In addition, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway have sanctioned two far-right Israeli ministers for allegedly 'inciting extremist violence' against Palestinians in the West Bank. The U.K. said in May that it would suspend free trade talks with Israel, also over the West Bank. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy hinted at stronger action Tuesday, saying he felt 'sickened' by the suffering in Gaza, but he did not specify what measures were being considered. 'We will continue to pressure. We will continue to act,' Lammy told British media, stressing the need to work with allies to get the 'maximum result.' Speaking Tuesday on X, European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the EU's call for 'the free, safe and swift flow of humanitarian aid. And for the full respect of international and humanitarian law. Civilians in Gaza have suffered too much, for too long.' If Israel does not change course, options could include fully or partially suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which would require a unanimous agreement by all 27 members of the EU. Other steps could be suspending an aviation agreement, blocking imports from settlements, limiting scientific and technological cooperation, and curtailing travel for Israelis in the visa-free zone known as Schengen, according to a leaked document sent by the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, to member states. The document was seen by The Associated Press and verified by two EU diplomats. Nations could act on their own, including sanctioning specific companies or individuals in Israel or the occupied West Bank. Why hasn't Europe taken stronger action? The short answer is that Europe remains divided, and it is highly unlikely that the entire EU would reach unanimity to drastically dial up pressure on Israel. European nations such as Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain have publicly urged the EU to reassess its ties with Israel, charging that Israel has violated human rights conditions in its agreement with Brussels. But Germany and Hungary have staunchly defended Israel, along with Romania, which just bought air-defense systems from Israel. Suspending EU ties with Israel would require a unanimous decision, which is likely impossible to obtain. Germany is the main holdout Monday's joint statement by 25 countries was rejected by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who called it 'disgusting.' Western allies should instead pressure the 'savages of Hamas," he said. Israel condemned the countries' stance and said Hamas was the sole party responsible for prolonging the war. Hamas triggered the ongoing 21-month war with its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, and continues to hold some 50 Israeli hostages. One significant outlier in Europe is Germany, traditionally a staunch ally of Israel in Europe, with relations rooted in the memory of the Holocaust. The country has vehemently rejected the idea of suspending the EU's association agreement with Israel. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other officials have gradually sharpened their criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza in recent months. But they still appear to favor trying to influence Israel by conveying their concerns directly. Germany did not join allies in signing Monday's letter condemning Israeli restrictions on aid. There were signs of pushback within the German government Tuesday, when the parliamentary leader of Merz's junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, said Germany should join Britain's initiative and that 'double standards undermine our international credibility.' Merz said Monday that he had spoken at length with Netanyahu last week and 'told him very clearly that we do not share the Israeli government's Gaza policy.' 'The way the Israeli army is acting there is unacceptable,' he said. Nomi Bar-Yaacov, an expert on diplomacy in the Middle East, said any EU action must go beyond words. 'Israel doesn't listen to language," Bar-Yaacov said. "I mean, language doesn't go anywhere with the current Israeli government. Unless a mechanism is agreed and enforced promptly, then the words have no meaning whatsoever.' ___ McNeil reported from Brussels. Associated Press Writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
