Thursday, May 30

Russia’s war against Ukraine

U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo (L) arriving in Kyiv on May 29, 2024. (U.S. Embassy in Kyiv/X)

Governor fears Russia may renew attack in another direction in Kharkiv Oblast.

Russian forces may undertake attacks in the northwestern part of Kharkiv Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov told journalists on May 29.

Russian drone attack causes partial blackout in Rivne Oblast. An overnight Russian drone attack caused a power outage in some parts of Rivne Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Koval reported on the morning of May 29.

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Russia to increase taxes on companies and wealthy individuals to further fund war against Ukraine. The Russian Finance Ministry has proposed substantial tax increases on corporations and wealthy individuals to generate about 2.6 trillion rubles annually, to address the fiscal deficit following the full-scale invasion in Ukraine.

Lukashenko suspends Belarus’s involvement in Conventional Armed Forces treaty. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko signed a law suspending Belarus’s involvement in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), which was designed to establish limits on the number of arms and equipment in NATO and Warsaw Pact countries.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine urges allies to lift Western arms ban on hitting targets inside Russia. Will they?

Following a new Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine is increasingly raising pressure on its allies, urging them to lift restrictions on the use of Western-provided weapons against military targets inside Russia.

Photo: Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Timothy Garton Ash: We’re at the beginning of a new era. What we do now is particularly important

The largest conventional war in Europe since World War II demanded Western leaders move away from their peacetime thinking and step in decisively to help stop the aggression.

Despite clear warnings leading up to that moment, many were too slow to heed this call, says Timothy Garton Ash, an Oxford professor, historian, and commentator.

Photo: Daniel Vegel/Wikimedia

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv to receive Swedish surveillance aircraft in largest aid package

Sweden’s Defense Ministry announced a fresh package of military aid for Ukraine valued at 13.3 Swedish krona ($1.3 billion) on May 29. Meanwhile, representatives of Finland, Canada, and Poland issued separate statements on May 29 saying Ukraine can use their weapons to strike targets on Russian territory.

Photo: Saab AB

Human cost of war

Russian attacks on Nikopol kill 2 people, injure 2. Russian troops attacked the town of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on May 29, killing two people and injuring two, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

Russian attack on Sumy Oblast kills 2. A Russian rocket attack on the village of Krasnopillia in Sumy Oblast killed two civilians and injured three others, Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on May 29.

Death toll in Russia’s May 25 attack on Kharkiv rises to 19, Governor says. The man had suffered severe burns over 50% of his body as a result of the strike and ensuing fire, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Russia has lost 505,100 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. This number includes 1,300 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

International response

Sanctions against Russia are not working, says UAE trade official. “Sanctions slow the economy, (they) never stop it,” said Hamam Buamim, chair of the Dubai Multi Commodities Center. “Trade continues flowing, it just flows in a different way.”

Sweden announces $1.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine in largest package ever. The announcement came a day after Sweden said it was providing Ukraine with a new package of energy aid worth 615 million Swedish krona ($58.2 million).

Alibaba stops accepting rubles, shipping to Russia. Chinese multinational Alibaba, the owner of the online shopping portal AliExpress, has stopped accepting payments in rubles and no longer allows the delivery of orders to Russia, Russian business newspaper Kommersant reported on May 28.

Trump suggested he would have bombed Moscow for invading Ukraine, WP reports. Former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested at a fundraising event that he would have bombed Moscow in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Washington Post (WP) reported on May 28, citing several anonymous donors and advisers.

US Deputy Treasury Secretary Adeyemo visits Kyiv, will hold talks on strengthening sanctions against Russia. Reuters reported earlier in the day, citing an unnamed Treasury official, that U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo will meet with Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko, aides to President Volodymyr Zelensky, and other lawmakers.

Finland, Canada, Poland don’t prohibit Ukraine from striking targets in Russia with their weapons. Representatives of Finland, Canada, and Poland issued separate statements on May 29 saying Ukraine can use their weapons to strike targets on Russian territory.

Pressed on strikes inside Russia, Blinken says US stance will ‘adapt and adjust as necessary’. Washington will “adapt and adjust as necessary” its ban on allowing Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied weapons, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on May 29.

NATO summit declaration to contain ‘new language’ on Ukraine’s membership, US ambassador says. NATO’s July summit in Washington will contain new language regarding Ukraine’s membership in the alliance, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said during a briefing in Prague on May 29, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported.

US accuses China of ‘every support’ for Russia’s war in Ukraine, threatens more sanctions. The U.S. has accused China of giving Russia “every support behind the scenes” towards its war in Ukraine, describing its actions as “destabilizing in the heart of Europe.”

Turkey to assist in rebuilding Ukraine’s power grid. A meeting between Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko and Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Levent Bilgen was held to address the consequences of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy systems. The parties discussed cooperation between the countries to repair damages caused by the attacks.

Opinions and insights

Opinion: The global implications of Georgia’s political crisis

As Western leaders focus on conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Georgia risks slipping into autocracy under Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is steering the nation closer to Russia by suppressing democratic institutions and opposing EU and NATO integration.

Photo: Mirian Meladze/Anadolu via Getty Images

Opinion: Why South Africa’s election matters for Ukraine

As South Africa braces for a landmark election, discontent with the ANC party coincides with broader geopolitical considerations, including the country’s stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Photo: STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

In other news

PM Tusk says Poland will create buffer zone at Belarusian border following attack on border guard. The announcement came after a Polish soldier was left in critical condition after being stabbed through the border fence with a makeshift spear the previous day.

Usyk vs Fury rematch scheduled for December. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury previously agreed on a two-fight deal.

Belgian, French police raid European Parliament employee’s properties amid Russian propaganda investigation. Police in Belgium and France have conducted raids on properties and an office connected to an employee of the European Parliament due to indications he played a “significant role” in promoting Russian propaganda, the Belgian Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office reported on May 29.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dmytro Basmat, Olena Goncharova, Oleg Sukhov, Nate Ostiller, Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Hodunova, and Kateryna Denisova.

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