Monday, June 17

Russia’s war against Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at a press conference on June 16, 2024 alongside the leaders of Ghana, the European Commission, Switzerland, Chile, and Canada, at Ukraine’s global peace summit in Lucerne, Switzerland. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)

78 countries, 4 European institutions sign peace summit’s joint communique. The countries notably absent from the list of signatories include India, Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Indonesia, Bahrain, Colombia, South Africa, Thailand, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.

Zelensky’s office outlines next steps for diplomatic effort after peace summit. Ministers and advisors of various countries will hold further meetings on the three points of Ukraine’s peace plan discussed at the peace summit in Burgenstock, Switzerland on June 15-16, the Ukrainian Presidential Office said.

Russian proposals not discussed at Swiss peace summit, Scholz says. Group of Seven (G7) leaders did not entertain Russian President Vladimir Putin’s peace proposals for its war in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said during the Ukraine peace summit, the Guardian reported on June 16.

Canada announces $38 million in further aid to Ukraine. Canada will provide Ukraine with 52.4 million Canadian dollars ($38.1 million) in various aid, the Canadian government announced on June 16 amid the global peace summit in Switzerland.

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Austria allocates additional $10.7 million in humanitarian aid for Ukrainians. Austria allocated an additional 10 million euros ($10.7 million) to humanitarian organizations helping Ukrainians in Ukraine and Moldova, the country’s government announced on June 15.

Chilean president vows to support Ukraine peace efforts at Switzerland summit. Chilean President Gabriel Boric pledged to continue supporting “the process of achieving peace (in Ukraine) and preventing other conflicts” and called for Kyiv-Moscow negotiations in his remarks on June 16 following the global peace summit in Switzerland.

Trump threatens to cut off aid to Ukraine ‘prior to taking the White House as president-elect.’ Former U.S. President and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump voiced strong criticism of American aid to Ukraine at a campaign rally in Detroit on June 15.

Ukraine grid operator: Lengthy power outages expected until end of July. Ukrainians will face lengthy, daily interruptions in electricity until the end of July as scheduled repairs at nuclear power plants put further strain on the country’s already heavily damaged energy system, the head of grid operator Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudritsky said.

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Ukraine war latest: Over 80 states, organizations sign Ukraine peace summit’s joint communique

Seventy-eight countries, including Ukraine, and four European institutions signed the final joint communique of the Switzerland peace summit on June 16, according to a Kyiv Independent reporter on the ground.

Photo: Michael Buholzer/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Prosecutor’s Office: Russian attack in Donetsk Oblast injures 7, including 2 children. Russian forces struck the village of Nova Poltavka near Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast, wounding seven people, including two children, the regional prosecutor’s office reported on June 16.

Russian airstrike on Kharkiv village injures pregnant woman, teen boy, 59-year-old. Russian airstrikes on the village of Piski Radkivski in Kharkiv Oblast on June 16 injured a 33-year-old pregnant woman, a 13-year-old boy, and a 59-year-old man, local authorities reported.

Ukraine This Week: Su-57s, foreign mercenaries, and an internet rumor

International response

China likely skipped Ukraine’s peace summit at Putin’s request, Sullivan says. Beijing likely opted out of Ukraine’s peace summit at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on June 15, according to the Associated Press.

Finnish president urges China to convince Russia to end war in Ukraine. Finnish President Alexander Stubb called on Beijing to use its influence over Russian President Vladimir Putin to help end the war in Ukraine, reported Finnish media outlet Yle on June 15.

Ghana president says Africa ‘greatest victim’ of Russian invasion’s consequences outside Europe. Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo spoke about how Russia’s invasion has decreased food security in poor countries in his closing statement at Ukraine’s peace summit in Switzerland. “The consequences of the invasion go far beyond the confines of Europe. Indeed in many ways, Africa has been the greatest victim,” he said.

In other news

Over 2,750 Ukrainian convicts released to join army, WP reports. Since Ukraine’s new conscription law took effect, over 2,750 prisoners have been released from detention to join the Ukrainian military, the Washington Post reported on June 16.

Russia overtook US in May as leading gas supplier to Europe, FT reports. The report attributes decreased U.S. exports to a one-time outage at a major LNG export facility, combined with Russia delivering more gas through Turkey ahead of planned maintenance in June.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dmytro Basmat, Igor Kossov, Dinara Khalilova, Teah Pelechaty, Kateryna Hodunova, and Liliane Bivings.

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