Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has praised the “determination” of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in providing aid to the war torn country.
Zelenskyy, in his nightly video message, said he spoke to Scholz by phone and thanked him for providing air defense systems that were crucial in saving the lives of many Ukrainians from
“And I thank Olaf, Mr. Chancellor, for his personal determination, which in many ways becomes the determination for all of Europe,” he continued in the video message.
“The Russian terror must be defeated every day and every night, in the skies of every Ukrainian city and village,” he said.
Germany’s initial hesitance to provide military aid to Ukraine drew flak. But Berlin has since changed its stance and has and air defense systems.
Zelenskyy said the air defense systems were key to his defense policy. He said that so far Germany has provided the Ukraine military with aid worth €3 billion ($3.21 billion).
Here are some of the other developments concerning on Wednesday, May 31:
Russia, Ukraine evade watchdog’s rules for protecting Zaporizhzhia plant
Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has proposed five principles to prevent damage to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant that has been occupied by Russian-backed forces.
“There should be no attack of any kind from or against the plant, in particular targeting the reactors, spent fuel storage, other critical infrastructure, or personnel,” Grossi said at the UN Security Council in New York.
However, both Ukraine and Russia have not committed to the proposed guidelines.
Russia said it will do all it can to protect the power plant, but it did not commit to the proposal.
Ukraine, on the other hand, said the principles “must be complemented with the demand of full demilitarization and deoccupation of the station.”
, which is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, have stoked fears of a nuclear disaster.
The UN nuclear chief this week described the situation at Zaporizhzhia as “extremely fragile and dangerous.”
The six units of the power plant have been shut down but the nuclear material must continue to be cooled. Grossi also asked for external power supply for the plant.
Ukraine is working with BAE to produce weapons: Zelenskyy
Ukraine is collaborating with major British defense company BAE Systems to set up a Ukrainian weapons production unit, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
“It is indeed a massive manufacturer of weaponry, the kind of weaponry that we need now and will continue to need,” Zelenskyy said in a video after holding talks with senior BAE officials, including Chief Executive Charles Woodburn.
“We are working on establishing a suitable base in Ukraine for production and repair. This encompasses a wide range of weaponry, from tanks to artillery,” he added.
Earlier in the day, he said that both the parties had agreed to open a BAE office in Ukraine.
US set to announce new aid package worth $300 million
The United States is expected to announce a new aid package this week that will total up to $300 million and include weapons for drones, US officials said.
The new aid package comes at a crucial point in the war. On Tuesday, , with the Kremlin blaming Kyiv.
Ukraine, however, did not make any direct comment about the attack.
The White House said it did not support attacks inside of Russia and that it was still gathering information on the incident.
The attack came after Russia captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after a 9-month battle.
US officials have said the incident would not affect the aid package. They also did not provide more details about the drone ammunition reportedly included in the aid package.
EU announces sanctions for destabilizing Moldova
The European Council has announced sanctions against seven politicians and businessmen with Moldovan or Russian citizenship.
The EU alleged the individuals attempted to destabilize the Republic of Moldova on behalf of Russia through indirect actions like planning violent demonstrations or unauthorized capital exports.
The sanctions imposed travel bans to and through the European Union.
“Moldova is one of the countries most affected by the consequences of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. There are serious, intensified and persistent attempts to destabilize the country,” said EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell.
The legal framework for such sanctions was created by the EU in April at Moldova’s request.
mf/nm (dpa, AP, Reuters)
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