Friday, June 14

Russia’s war against Ukraine

President Joe Biden attends a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Masseria San Domenico on the sidelines of the G7 Summit hosted by Italy on June 13, 2024. Presidents Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky signed a landmark US-Ukraine security deal on Thursday. (Office of the President of Ukraine)

US signs long-awaited bilateral security agreement with Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden signed a long-awaited bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the U.S. on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy on June 13, Reuters reported.

G7 confirms agreement on $50 billion loan for Ukraine backed by Russian assets revenue. The loan should be repaid using interest from some $300 billion in frozen Russian assets.

Japan, Ukraine sign bilateral security agreement. President Volodymyr Zelensky and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy on June 13.

IFU to provide Ukraine with 152 mm shells worth $376 million. The Dutch Defense Ministry announced it will contribute to the IFU’s initiative, but it has not revealed the number of shells to be delivered due to security concerns.

Guardian: Russia accused of ‘deliberate’ starvation tactics in Mariupol in submission to ICC. Russia used a “deliberate pattern” of starvation tactics during its three-month siege of the city of Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, in early 2022, which could amount to war crime, according to a lawyers’ analysis submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Guardian reported on June 13.

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Canada unveils new aid package for Ukraine, including CRV7 rocket motors, Nanuk weapon stations. Canada will soon send the first tranche of 2,300 decommissioned CRV7 rocket motors, which were previously used by the Canadian Air Force on CF-18 fighters.

Media: Russia suffered ‘astronomical’ losses on Kharkiv front, NATO source suggests. Russia suffered “astronomical” losses while attempting to advance in Kharkiv Oblast, European Pravda reported on June 13, citing a NATO official who spoke on condition of anonymity during a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.

Recent string of Crimea strikes can help ‘dismantle’ Russian air defenses before F-16s arrive, expert says. The recent string of Ukrainian strikes against occupied Crimea may help degrade Russian air defenses in the area and decrease the threat to Ukrainian tactical aviation, said Federico Borsari, a Leonardo Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), in a comment for the Kyiv Independent on June 12.

Ukraine’s wheat exports to drop to 10-year low, US Agriculture Department says. The authors linked this development to a drop in production and to Russia’s disruption of Black Sea shipping lanes, which have traditionally been Ukraine’s key export routes.

Military aid for Ukraine will allow for troop rotations, Zelensky says. Recently approved military aid funding will allow for additional troop rotations on Ukraine’s eastern front, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press conference at the Group of Seven (G7) summit on June 13.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine signs bilateral security agreements with US, Japan

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed two separate security agreements with the U.S. and Japan on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy on June 13.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

Russia’s move on Kharkiv has bogged down. But was it a failure?

The two-pronged offensive on Kharkiv Oblast unfolded on the back of some of the most difficult months for Ukrainian forces, overstretched and depleted after a brutal winter and early spring campaign fought with severe ammunition shortages.

Photo: Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast city injures 5, including 3-year-old girl. A Russian attack against the city of Novomoskovsk in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on June 13 injured a three-year-old girl, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

Opinions and insights

Far-right US politicians, influencers claim they have been added to Ukrainian ‘enemies list’ - what is it really?

Republican Congressman Jim Banks sent letters in recent days to a number of high-profile figures in the U.S. far-right, saying that they had been added to a Ukrainian NGO’s list of individuals and groups “in the U.S. impeding aid to Ukraine.” Nate Ostiller explains.

Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

US issues new ‘sweeping’ sanctions against Russia — will they make a difference this time?

The U.S. State and Treasury departments issued what they called a “sweeping” set of sanctions against Russia and its financial backers on June 12, in the latest move to try and degrade Moscow’s wartime economy.

Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images

International response

China lobbying for its alternative peace plan ahead of Ukraine’s summit, Reuters reports. Ten diplomats confirmed China’s efforts to lobby for its plan, while one of them called China’s campaign a “subtle boycott” of the summit.

Several Kyrgyz banks partially suspended operations with Russia, media report. Mbank, Kompanion Bank, RKS Bank, Kyrgyz-Swiss Bank (KSB), Kyrgyzcommerzbank, and Keremet Bank have imposed various restrictions on transfers using Russian payment systems.

Pentagon has ‘no announcements’ on delivering additional Patriot to Ukraine. The statement came shortly after the New York Times reported that the U.S. is planning to deliver another Patriot system to Ukraine. The outlet claimed that this should concern a system placed in Poland, which Warsaw denied.

Reuters: 8 EU states call for restricting Russian diplomats’ movement. “Free movement of holders of Russian diplomatic and service passports, accredited in one host state, across the whole Schengen area is easing malign activities,” the letter to EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

US, UK, Canada warn of Russian interference in Moldova’s election. The U.S., U.K., and Canada issued a joint statement on June 13, warning of Russian interference in the leadup to the Moldovan presidential election in October.

UK imposes new sanctions against Russia, targeting oil fleet, financial sector, military suppliers. The sanctions were introduced in coordination with Group of Seven (G7) partners during Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visit to the G7 Leaders Summit in Italy.

Canada introduces sanctions against Russian military-industrial complex, propaganda network. Canada introduced new sanctions on June 13 against 11 Russian individuals and 16 entities who have been purportedly engaged in activities that support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Media: Slovenia secretly provided Ukraine with military supplies during US aid delay. Slovenia had sent 26 armored fighting vehicles, three infantry fighting vehicles, and a shipment of drones to Ukraine.

Argentina joins Ramstein format in support of Ukraine. The U.S.-led UDCG comprises over 50 countries, including all 31 NATO members, and meets regularly to coordinate military aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

In other news

Study reveals massive greenhouse emissions stemming from Russia’s war in Ukraine. According to the study, the total damage associated with greenhouse gas emissions from the first two years of the full-scale invasion has exceeded $32 billion.

FT: Ukraine signs first major deal with US company for LNG supplies. Under the deal, DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, will start purchasing an unspecified amount of LNG from Venture Global later in 2024 and throughout 2026.

Ukraine to set up venture with US-based company to repair American armored vehicles. The state-owned Ukrainian Defense Industry company signed a memorandum with U.S.-based Amentum Services on plans to set up a joint enterprise to restore and maintain American-made armored vehicles, the company said on June 13.

Ukraine hits Russia’s newest communication station for first time, military says. Ukrainian operators reportedly spotted the station on the frontline and hit it with one of the Special Operations Forces’ newest weapons. Communication between the command post and Russian army units was disrupted, the military said.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dmytro Basmat, Abbey Fenbert, Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Hodunova, Katya Denisova, Elsa Court, Liliane Bivings, and Nate Ostiller.

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