Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 06-01-2024

In order to pay for the continuing war against Ukraine, the Russian government is forced to raise revenue with higher tax rates. But the tax increases tend to favor the wealthy.

Moscow is short of cash. The Russian Ministry of Finance has now presented the main points of a planned tax reform. It includes an income tax hike for high earners, with the maximum rate going up from 15 to 22 percent, and an increase in corporate tax rate from 20 to 25 percent. There will also be no more exemptions for VAT. Is the reform the "adjustment for fairness" it claims to be?

Superrich getting off lightly

Trenches and fortifications are as vital in modern warfare as they have been since before WWI, the truth of which is borne witness on a daily basis by the war in Ukraine.

The common view is that the supply of weapons and other military aid to Ukraine is the fundamental key to countering Russian aggression, but the creation of strong defensive positions and all that goes with that is proving equally vital.

As former British Army General Sir Richard Barrons wrote in an article called “Dig or Die – Trench Warfare in the 21st Century” in February 2023: “A hole in the ground is as fundamentally important to success or failure, life or death, in war today, as it has been for hundreds of years.”

As he looks to shore up more support for the war effort on recent trips, the Ukrainian president will plead his case for security arrangements beyond Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived Saturday at a Singapore security forum, as he seeks to rally support for Kyiv while a Russian offensive keeps pressing.

AFP reporters saw Zelensky enter the lobby of the luxury hotel hosting the Shangri-La Dialogue, which is attended by defense ministers from around the world.

Another wave of drones and missiles aimed at Ukrainian energy facilities is underscoring the country’s need to rebuild its devastated thermal plants before winter.

At least 100 Russian missiles and drones attacked Ukraine overnight. The barrage targeted energy sites across the country, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday.

Ukraine’s power facilities have been hit hard by Russian attacks since the outset of the full-scale invasion, causing significant damage and energy shortages.

If you want to annul a nation’s memory, burns its books. If you haven’t managed to get close enough to those books, then bomb the publishing house, like Russia did in Kharkiv.

On May 23, the Faktor Druk and Vivat Printing House – a major Kharkiv-based Ukrainian publisher of books, including schoolbooks, newspapers, and magazines – was hit by a Russian missile, killing 7 people, wounding 22, destroying the printing facilities, and burning about 50,000 books.

Among many others, the destroyed books include Words and Bullets – a series of interviews with Ukrainian writers and journalists who became front-line soldiers – by the award-winning Ukrainian author Natalya Kornyenko. News accountsstate that some of the publisher’s other bestsellers include Winston Churchill’s biography authored by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and a book about the KGB’s arrest of the Ukrainian poet and Soviet-era Ukrainian dissident, Vasyl Stus.

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Donald Trump confirmed he will appeal against his historic conviction in his New York trial in remarks at Trump Tower. Trump falsely repeated claims his prosecution was politically orchestrated and that his trial was "rigged.” The ex-president was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his trial on Thursday. His campaign says it raised $35m in online donations following his conviction. This is the first time a former or serving US president has been found guilty of a crime. Trump can still run for president. He could be sent to prison when he's sentenced on 11 July - but legal experts say a fine is more likely - BBC

A high-speed railway line connecting the Baltic states to Poland and the rest of Europe has started construction. The $4 billion Rail Baltica project aims to connect the capitals of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with Warsaw, a physical and symbolic move to bring those former Soviet states closer to the European Union at a time of high tension between Western Europe and Russia. Russia's actions in Ukraine have heightened the Baltic states' sense of urgency to reduce their dependency on Russian infrastructure and energy supplies. Historically, the Baltic countries have relied on railway systems that use the Russian gauge, a remnant of their time under Soviet influence, but Rail Baltica will adopt the European standard gauge. The project is a massive undertaking, both in scope and in financial terms. With an estimated cost of €5.8 billion, Rail Baltica is one of the most significant infrastructure projects in the region. The European Union has shown strong support for the project, funding up to 85% of the costs through the Connecting Europe Facility. - Newsweek

A Ukrainian lawmaker reports on the state of cooperation between Ukraine and Moldova, both countries historically under the weight of Moscow that want to pursue a more westward-looking path.

On May 24-26, a representative Ukrainian delegation visited the Republic of Moldova at the invitation of the political party “Action and Solidarity” (PAS), which held its annual conference. The visit turned out to be rich, the atmosphere was friendly, and the range of issues to be discussed was wide.

Moldova is preparing for elections and a referendum on joining the European Union, scheduled for Oct. 20 this year. Both events are decisive for the further fate of Ukraine’s neighbor. Current President Maia Sandu seeks to be re-elected for a second term in order to successfully continue the course towards European integration. While Russia is desperately trying to return Moldova to its sphere of influence. Therefore, Chisinau is preparing for hybrid attacks from Moscow, which will be aimed, in particular, at torpedoing the referendum.

The latest threat from the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council as some nations say Kyiv can strike Russian territories with Western weaponry is not the first and is unlikely to be the last.

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former prime minister and now deputy chairman of the Security Council, has once again threatened the West with nuclear escalation after some nations greenlit decisions for Kyiv to strike targets inside Russia with Western weaponry.

Kyiv has repeatedly asked the West to lift restrictions on striking military targets in Russia with weapons it has provided to counter strikes being launched from within Russia.

Major US and UK news outlets went ballistic after a report “proved” Russia was making three times the ammo at a quarter of the price of the West. Does this really add up?

Recently, mainstream media went into a frenzy after a report “proved” Russia was producing three times as much ammunition at a quarter of the price of Western manufacturers. But how did they do the math?

A March 11 exclusive report by CNN claimed that Russia was on course to produce three times as much artillery ammunition to support its forces in Ukraine. Artillery ammunition being one of the many munition shortfalls faced by Ukraine

Unexpected delays, combined with shortfalls in production and components, have stymied the Czech initiative to procure much-needed ammunition for Ukraine.

With only a small part of the pledged shells to be delivered to Ukraine next month under the Czech ammunition initiative, Prague stepped up calls on its European allies on Thursday (30 May) to fulfill their commitments and help shop ammunition abroad for Kyiv.

“Only 5 countries [out of the 20 that pledged cash] have sent the financial allocations at the end of May,” Tomáš Kopečný, the Czech government’s envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine, told reporters in Prague on the eve of a NATO foreign ministerial meeting on Friday (May 31).

Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, made a surprise appearance at Kyiv’s Book Arsenal International Festival, where she visited the “Books Destroyed by Russia” exhibit.

The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska visited the 12th International Book Arsenal Festival in Kyiv. “Life on the Edge” is the focus theme and main metaphor of this Book Arsenal.

Together with Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta, Director General of the Mystetskyi Arsenal, and Yuliia Kozlovets, Coordinator of the International Book Arsenal Festival, First Lady Olena Zelenska visited the stands of Ukrainian publishing houses, including the exhibition of burned books entitled “Books Destroyed by Russia.”

Sweden, Norway and Iceland all signed unprecedented bilateral security agreements with Ukraine in Stockholm, where Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky was visiting.

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky signed bilateral security agreements in Stockholm yesterday with Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

Zelensky met Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden, Jonas Gahr, Prime Minister of Norway and Bjarni Benediktsson, Prime Minister of Iceland in an unprecedented show of support from the Nordic countries.

A prisoner exchange with Russia took place yesterday that saw 75 Ukrainians returned home. Some of the POWs spent as long as two years in harsh captivity.

Ukraine’s SBU on Saturday released a video of 75 prisoners of war returning to Ukraine on its website.

Part of a much-needed $122 billion international support package designed to help Ukraine’s war-torn economy has passed another hurdle in the approval process.

Ukraine is set to receive a $2.2 billion payout from the IMF after successfully meeting the terms of an existing loan program, the Washington-based financial institution said Friday at the end of a five-day staff mission to the country.

The much-needed funds, which are still subject to approval by the International Monetary Fund’s executive board, follow Ukraine’s completion of the fourth review of its existing four-year IMF loan program, worth roughly $15.4 billion.

Whenever a world leader dies, either by sinister or natural causes, you can be sure Moscow will warp the narrative to sow, if not panic, then at least cynicism and doubt.

For decades the Kremlin has maintained its position as one of the world’s most prolific generators of conspiracy theories regarding the deaths of foreign leaders: from blaming JFK’s assassination on the CIA (rather than the inconvenient one-time Soviet resident Lee Harvey Oswald) to even recent leaders’ demises. Russia is keen to foster doubts, inducing larger disbeliefs about all “official” explanations for how world-altering events transpire.

The Kremlin is a firm believer that the West – confused, disunited, and overwhelmed with conflicting reports – is an adversary that will find it more difficult to challenge Russia’s doublespeak and lies.

The man single-handedly responsible for delaying aid to Ukraine earlier this year during the crucial defense of Avdiivka has just become a convicted felon.

Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to his hush-money payments in order to conceal facts and steal the 2016 election. Donald Trump is the first American president to be convicted of a felony and will be sentenced on July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• US and German officials confirmed that the United States and Germany have changed their policies to allow Ukraine to use US- and German-provided weapons to strike Russian territory with some restrictions but did not offer precise details about these restrictions.
• Ukrainian forces conducted a series of drone and missile strikes against a Russian long-range radar system in occupied Crimea and an oil depot in Krasnodar Krai on May 31 following the May 30 Ukrainian strike against the Kerch Strait ferry crossing.
• Ukraine signed long-term bilateral security agreements with Sweden, Iceland, and Norway on May 31.
• Russia's continued efforts to rally Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member countries around an imagined confrontation with the West likely stems from Russian concerns about the CSTO's longevity as a vector for Russian influence.
• Although Russian forces made significant tactical gains in northern Kharkiv Oblast in early May 2024, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov heavily overestimated Russian advances in Ukraine since the start of 2024.
• Ukraine and Russia conducted a one-for-one prisoner of war (POW) exchange on May 31, the first POW exchange since February 8.
• The People's Republic of China (PRC) announced on May 31 that it will not join the June 2024 Ukraine peace summit.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Vovchansk, Avdiivka, and Donetsk City.
• Russian State Duma Information Policy Committee Chairperson Alexander Khinshtein announced on May 30 that he and Duma Security Committee Chairperson Vasily Piskarev submitted a bill for the Duma's consideration that would eliminate toll fees for Russian military, Rosgvardia, and Federal Security Service (FSB) vehicles.

Born in jail and raised in turbulent times, Oleksandr Bohomolets was endowed with a divine gift and entrusted with a virtuous mission of curing people.

He founded the national school of pathophysiology and headed the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. He was a member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences and vice-president of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He founded and headed the Institute of Experimental Biology and Pathology and the Institute of Clinical Physiology at the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.

Oleksandr Bohomolets made an invaluable contribution to world medical science: he developed effective methods of influencing connective tissues by anti-reticular cytotoxic serum, which he invented and which is known in the whole world as a function stimulator of connective tissues. Since 1940 it has been used worldwide to fight malignant tumors, heal wounds and fractures and enhance immunity to infections, as well as for other therapeutic purposes.