Vladimir Putin still wants to occupy most of Ukraine and the picture of the war remains “quite bleak,” said a senior US intelligence official. “We are still in a position where we are looking at President Putin and we believe that he has essentially the same political goals that we had before, namely that he wants to occupy most of Ukraine,” said Avril Haines, the US director. The National Intelligence Service said at a conference of the Ministry of Commerce. According to Haines, the US intelligence services have planned three possible scenarios in the near future, with the most likely outcome being a “severe conflict” in which Russian forces will have only gradual gains, but no significant progress in Ukraine. . Other scenarios include a major Russian revolution and Ukraine stabilizing the front lines while making small gains near the Russian-controlled city of Kherson and possibly other parts of southern Ukraine. “In short, the picture remains quite bleak,” Haines added.
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Deputies criticize ministers for “shameful” inaction on Russian “dirty money”
The government’s complacency allows Russian “dirty money” to flow into the UK despite the war in Ukraine, lawmakers have warned. The Communities Foreign Affairs Committee said the ministers’ failure to take effective action meant that assets “laundered” through the City of London were being used to finance the conflict. In a highly critical report, he said that “insufficient preparation and foresight” by the leadership of the Office of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development (FCDO) meant that the government was late in imposing sanctions. The commission said it was “shameful” that the war required ministers to introduce the 2022 Financial Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act, which was intended to prevent the laundering of corrupt funds through the UK real estate market. He said the measures were still “not far enough or fast enough” and did little to address the “fundamental mismatch” between the resources of law enforcement agencies and the people they target. “The government’s reluctance to pass legislation to stem the flow of dirty money may have contributed to the belief in Russia that the United Kingdom is a safe haven for corrupt wealth. “It is a shame that he has waged war to mobilize the government in action,” the report said. “Although the ministers spoke eloquently in Parliament about the need to suppress kleptocracy, the rhetoric was not combined with constructive action. Meanwhile, corrupt money continued to flow into the UK. “Without the necessary means and resources, the enforcement services are useless. “The threat (that) illegal funding is to our national security requires a response that is considered serious.” Aisha Rimi30 June 2022 03:05 1656552795
Zelensky signs a decree establishing a register of oligarchs
The decree aims to implement the anti-oligarchy law signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2021, the Kyiv Independent reported. The law introduces the legal definition of oligarch and requires officials to declare contacts with oligarchs. It also prohibits oligarchs from funding political parties, political advertisements or demonstrations and excludes them from privatizing state assets. Aisha Rimi30 June 2022 02:33 1656550815
NATO is stepping up plans to address Russia’s “significant and immediate threat”
NATO has agreed on a “fundamental shift” that will make it return to the Cold War-type readiness to respond to the growing threat posed by Russia. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Vladimir Putin had proved “completely wrong” about the strength of the defense alliance, which was to be extended to include Sweden and Finland after decades of neutrality over concerns about Russia. The leaders of the 30 NATO members gathered in Madrid to agree on a new plan for the alliance in response to the invasion of Ukraine. David Hughes has the full story: Aisha Rimi30 June 2022 02:00 1656549195
Syria will recognize the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine
Syria has said it will recognize the “independence and sovereignty” of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine and will establish contacts to establish diplomatic relations. The announcement by the Syrian Foreign Ministry came just days after a meeting between President Bashar al-Assad and a joint delegation from both regions in Damascus. Earlier this month, Russia claimed to have taken control of 97 percent of Ukraine’s two Donbass provinces, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of fully occupying the eastern industrial heart of coal mines and factories. Aisha Rimi30 June 2022 01:33 1656547395
Caspian states reaffirm commitment to keep foreign troops out
Vladimir Putin and the leaders of the other four countries along the Caspian Sea on Wednesday reaffirmed their joint commitment to keep foreign troops away from the region. The presidents of Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan met in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, for a summit to discuss regional co-operation and international issues. In a statement after the meeting, they stressed their agreement to ban any foreign troops from the Caspian Sea. They also stressed their commitment not to offer the territory of their nations for an attack on another coastal country. Aisha Rimi30 June 2022 01:03 1656545535
Ukraine receives a $ 1.3 billion grant from the United States
The grant is part of a $ 7.5 billion budget package, said Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal. $ 1.3 billion represents more than double what the United States has previously approved through any previous financial assistance to Ukraine. The US Treasury Department plans to distribute the full $ 7.5 billion in financial assistance by the end of September. Aisha Rimi30 June 2022 00:32 1656543855
ICYMI: Russian missile hits Ukrainian mall
Pictures from the moment a deadly Russian rocket hit a mall in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk were shared by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The strike killed at least 18 people at the mall. Another 59 were injured and 25 were taken to hospital, while another 36 people are missing. Zelensky posted the creepy video in a speech in which he also claimed that a total of 2,811 rockets had been fired at cities across the war-torn nation in one day. Maryam Zakir-Hussain has the full story: Aisha Rimi30 June 2022 00:04 1656541753
Norway announces it will send long-range missile to Ukraine
Norway has announced it will donate three multi-role missile systems to Ukraine, following similar decisions by Britain, Germany and the United States. “We must continue to support Ukraine so that they can continue their struggle for freedom and independence,” Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gramm said in a statement. The delivery of the multi-launcher missile system, which has better range and accuracy than the Russian artillery, will be carried out together with Britain, Oslo said. “Our weapons require extensive upgrades, so we have agreed with the British to receive Norwegian weapons so that they can send some of their own to Ukraine,” he said, welcoming “good co-operation between the allies”. Norway will also send an additional 5,000 grenades to Ukraine, in addition to the 5,000 already sent. Aisha Rimi29 June 2022 23:29 1656540306
The United Kingdom will provide another 1 1 billion in military support to Ukraine
Britain will provide another billion pounds of military support to Ukraine, the British government said in a statement on Wednesday. Funding raises UK military aid to Ukraine to 2, 2.3 billion since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Aisha Rimi29 June 2022 23:05 1656539101
Former US soldier detained by separatists in eastern Ukraine says he “did not shoot”
A former US soldier captured in eastern Ukraine has said he did not fire a single shot while fighting for the Ukrainian side, in a call for mercy from separatist authorities who will determine his fate. In a video interview with Russia’s state-run RIA news agency on Wednesday, Alexander Drueke said his experience of fighting in Ukraine was limited to the day he was captured outside Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. “My combat experience here was that one mission that day,” Drouek said, looking confused. “I did not shoot. “I hope this would play a role in whatever sentence I receive or do not receive.” Mr. Drueke, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Andy Huynh, also an American from Hartselle, Alabama, disappeared this month. Russian state media later showed video interviews with the couple, saying they had been arrested by Russian-backed forces. The Kremlin has said it cannot rule out that the two detainees will be sentenced to death if tried in an area held by Russian proxies who have held large tracts of land since 2014. Relatives of the American captives say they are not mercenaries and traveled to Ukraine in April as volunteers to help repel Russian forces that invaded Ukraine in late February. Aisha Rimi29 June 2022 22:45
