Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 07-18-2024

Starmer, premier for two weeks, told more than 45 European leaders the UK would be a “friend and partner.”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday vowed to rebuild trust with European allies damaged by Brexit as he hosted dozens of leaders at a summit where they reaffirmed backing for Ukraine and pledged to tackle irregular migration.

Starmer, premier for two weeks, told more than 45 European leaders the UK would be a “friend and partner” as he started work to improve ties hit by the country’s tortuous departure from the European Union under his Conservative predecessors.

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

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is welcoming around 50 leaders from across Europe at the fourth European Political Community summit. The prime minister says he wants to rebuild the UK's relationship with European allies during the meeting at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. Leaders will discuss shared challenges such as the war in Ukraine and illegal migration. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also attending. PM Starmer tell the Ukrainian leader “we will stand with you for as long as it takes” and reminds fellow leaders that the threat from Russia extends right across the European continent and into the UK. “So let’s use this moment to do more for Ukraine,” Starmer said. He says "many have seen attacks on our own democracy" including "military planes entering our airspace and ships patrolling our coast". He says it is time for all of Europe to do more and "stand together" to "guard Europe's frontiers" - BBC

Members of the European Parliament are voting by secret ballot now to decide whether to give a second term to Ursula von der Leyen as the head of the European Commission. Fall short, and it’s over for her Commission ambitions and EU leaders will have to come up with an alternative. She made her pitch in a speech directly to MEPs on Thursday morning as she aims to secure the 361 votes she needs for a majority in the 720-seat Parliament. Setting out her priorities for the next five years, she promised to focus on making the EU economy more competitive and vowed to stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. Von der Leyen also won cheers and a long round of applause for slamming Hungary’s Viktor Orbán for what she called his “appeasement mission” to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this month. - Politico

European leaders gathered in the United Kingdom at Bleinheim Palace as part of the European Political Community meeting hosted by new UK PM Keir Starmer.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for unity Thursday as he met with some 45 European leaders gathered for the European Political Community (EPC) meeting hosted by new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Bleinheim Palace, near Oxford.

The combined drone attack hit the command center and ammo/equipment depot of a military base while the Russians were training, a Kyiv Post source said.

In the middle of Russian naval exercises, Ukrainian drones struck a Russian coast guard base in occupied Crimea – hitting a command center and an ammo/equipment depot – in an overnight drone attack July 17-18, a Kyiv Post source said.

Von der Leyen’s first term was full of crises including the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday won a second five-year term that she vowed would tackle the EU’s challenges head-on, including bolstering its defense capability and strengthening Europe’s industry.

The German ex-defense minister, who became the first woman leader of the European Commission in 2019, had presented herself as the best and most experienced captain to steer the commission.

Hungary’s Prime Minister has recently positioned himself as an unlikely peacemaker between Russia and Ukraine but in doing so is he truly neutral?

In a geopolitical landscape full of tension and controversy, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has recently put himself forward as the broker of peace between Russia and Ukraine. However, due to his extensive ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the international community is not convinced of Orban’s true intentions. Far from being a neutral arbiter, Orban appears to be acting as Putin’s emissary, causing serious concerns about his credibility and influence on European unity.

Orban’s open speeches for peace must be seen through the prism of his long-term relationship with Putin.

Officials updated the availability from the four hours required previously, likely after President Volodymyr Zelensky requested an audit into operators’ readiness during blackouts.

Ukraine is now requiring cellular operators to ensure service availability nationwide for at least 10 hours during blackouts from the current four-hour requirement.

According to an order published by Ukraine’s National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks (NCU) on Tuesday, July 16, operators are required to ensure backup power for communications equipment in multiple stages in addition to the 10-hour requirement.

What European publications are saying about Trump's choice of a running mate for the US presidential election.

Donald Trump has picked J. D. Vance as his running mate and candidate for vice-president for the November election at the Republican National Convention this week. The 39-year-old senator from Ohio was once a fierce critic of Trump. Commentators examine what the Yale graduate and financial manager from a humble background stands for.

Short-lived hope of reconciliation

The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center said air temperatures historical records were set in Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi and Mykolaiv -- cities in the center and south of Ukraine.

Several cities across Ukraine were recording historic scorching temperatures, officials said Wednesday, at a time when major urban hubs are suffering long periods without electricity after Russian attacks on power plants.

In the capital Kyiv, Ukrainians have been seeking respite from oppressive heat by swimming in the Dnipro river that cuts through the city, where some districts have been without power for hours at a time due to electricity rationing.

Latest from the British Defence Intelligence.

• The Russian government has initiated further restrictions on the use of digital telecommunications in Russia. On 12 July 2024, Russian State Duma Deputy Anton Nemkin stated in an interview that Russian authorities had begun to slow down traffic on the encrypted messaging app WhatsApp. The public explanation is to limit the ability of extremist groups to communicate. Under Russian government definitions this likely also includes constraining the ability of opposition activists and those opposed to the war in Ukraine to organise and communicate
• Separately on 12 July 2024, Russian independent media reported that disruption to the YouTube online video platform was due to deliberate slowdowns in traffic by the Russian government. The Presidential Administration is reportedly likely to block YouTube altogether in September 2024. YouTube is relatively popular in Russia, and has been used by opposition activists, most notably the late Alexei Navalny, to disseminate criticism of the Russian government.
• As with recent proscription of independent media organisations, and the restriction of other secure communication means these measures represent an acceleration in the long-standing trend increasing government control over access to media and information in Russia. These restrictions in access to social media platforms are likely designed to ensure that the Russian population are only able to access media that conforms to government-controlled narratives.By restricting more secure means of private communication, government surveillance of potential dissenters will be easier, and will create a climate of fear and self-censorship among those who might be critical of the regime.

In her manifesto, the European Commission president spoke about dangers being posed by China, militarily and economically.

Ursula von der Leyen, current president of the European Commission, said she’d deter China from invading Taiwan in her bid to secure a second term as the bloc’s president.

In her manifesto titled “Europe’s Choice,” von der Leyen said she’d seek to deter Beijing from “changing the status quo by military means” and ensure global supply chain security by working with Europe’s Indo-Pacific partners.

Ukraine's military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy said on state TV that Ukrainian forces are active on the left bank of the Dnipro, with main positions in Krynky heavily damaged by enemy fire.

Ukraine said Thursday its defensive positions around the village of Krynky on the left bank of the Dnipro river in the southern Kherson region had been destroyed but that it was continuing operations there.

The comments from a military spokesman came after Ukrainian media reported that the army had quit a precarious bridgehead mission in the village that had drawn ire from Moscow.

As its leaders gather in Britain, Europe faces challenges from inside and out – and JD Vance as Donald Trump’s running mate only dials up the pressure

An extraordinary new version of what used to be called the Concert of Europe will convene today at Blenheim Palace, in the heart of England. More than 40 European national leaders, together with top figures from our continent’s key international institutions, will meet for a day of talk. This is only the fourth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC), a brainchild of the French president, Emmanuel Macron. The exclusive away day will reach no collective conclusions, but it’s a good occasion to reflect on the fragile condition of our current European order.

First, this is a great opportunity for Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, to show that Britain is back as a leading player in the Concert of Europe, as it has been for centuries. The meeting place is called Blenheim because the land, and the money to build a palace on it, were granted to John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, in recognition of his leadership in the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. While the English have traditionally remembered this as one of their great victories over the French, in reality this was a battle fought near the Bavarian village of Blindheim by British, Dutch, German, Austrian and Danish forces to defend what was still known as the Holy Roman empire against the French and Bavarians. In short, this was Britain acting as a European power, joining with one set of European allies against another.

Zelensky in the UK to participate in a meeting of the European Political Community.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for Europe to stay united in support of Kyiv as he arrived in Britain for a summit with leaders from around the continent.

"For us, it's very important to maintain unity in Europe because this unity always leads to strong decisions," Zelensky said ahead of the meeting.

Scheduled power outages and demands for extra payments compound the inability of experts to repair an electrical fault in Ukraine’s tallest building.

For those who live in the 47-floor Carnegie Tower in the center of Kyiv, said to be Ukraine’s tallest building, the power outages that have followed Russian attacks on civil infrastructure are something they have learned to live with.

Carnegie Towers consists of two separate buildings: a dedicated Business Center facing the street and the 47-floor condominium block behind it. Almost half of the 230 apartments in the Tower, which are intended as domestic accommodation, are being used as businesses, many of them IT based, employing 10 or more, some considerably more, workers.

Russia is gathering troops together from different regions, which has all the appearance of preparations for a new counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia.

Russian forces seem to be preparing to launch a new offensive wave in the Zaporizhzhia region. They are gathering troops from different regions, Petro Andriushchenko, an advisor to the mayor of the temporarily occupied Mariupol, told the Espresso TV channel.

According to him, Russian troops are being assembled from different regions, primarily from the areas of Novoazovsk and Donetsk.

The 39-year-old veteran turned Ohio senator has maintained a firm opposition to aid to Ukraine, and his nomination might cement white working-class votes for the Republicans.

Ohio senator JD Vance, a 39-year-old former US Marine, has accepted the Republican Party’s nomination as US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s running mate.

Vance’s remarks concluded the three-day Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, following those on the same day made by former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Governor Doug Burgum, Donald Trump Jr. and Vance’s wife Usha Chilukuri Vance, a daughter of Indian immigrants.

“Russia is banking on Europe and the West going soft, and some in Europe are playing along,” von der Leyen told the European Parliament.

EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s diplomatic trip to Moscow aimed at discussing ways to end the war in Ukraine, calling it an “appeasement mission.”

Orban’s country currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

German aid to Ukraine will be cut to 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion) in 2025 from around 8 billion euros in 2024, according to a draft of the 2025 budget seen by Reuters.

Germany plans to halve its military aid to Ukraine next year, despite concerns that US support for Kyiv could potentially diminish if Republican candidate Donald Trump returns to the White House.

German aid to Ukraine will be cut to 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion) in 2025 from around 8 billion euros in 2024, according to a draft of the 2025 budget seen by Reuters.

One Ukrainian lawmaker is actively working to bring donated US assault rifles into every Ukrainian home as protection against future Russian invasions.

Maryan Zablotsky, a Ukrainian lawmaker in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) from President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, is a well-known figure in Ukraine’s free market-oriented community. Kyiv Post spoke to Zablotsky, a strong supporter of closer US-Ukrainian relations about his adventurous new project.

Kyiv Post: You have an uncommon, but very worthwhile, vision: Arming Ukrainian civilians with firearms seized by the police in the United States. What is the idea in short?

Gershkovich, first Western journalist charged with spying in Russia since Soviet era, detained for 16 months, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

US reporter Evan Gershkovich's espionage trial restarted on Thursday in Russia, a case that his employer and the White House have labelled a sham.

The 32-year-old became the first Western journalist in Russia to be charged with spying since the Soviet era when he was detained in March 2023 on a reporting trip to the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

Seven warships took part in the six-day drills, as tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine continue and NATO raises doubts about China’s purported neutrality.

China and the Russian Federation have concluded naval exercises with live firing in the South China Sea.

The Chinese Navy said in an online statement Thursday that both sides had “completed all designated projects and exercises” by Wednesday afternoon.

Orban provoked the ire of fellow European leaders when, just days into Hungary taking the helm of the rotating EU presidency he went to Russia on July 5 to see President Vladimir Putin.

EU lawmakers on Wednesday condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's recent visit to Russia, stressing that he did not represent the European Union on the trip.

Orban provoked the ire of fellow European leaders when, just days into Hungary taking the helm of the rotating EU presidency he went to Russia on July 5 to see President Vladimir Putin.

Reports suggested debris had fallen in the Darnytsky district of Kyiv. However, no evidence of shelling was found after an inspection by operational service units.

Explosions rang out over the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, late Wednesday, accompanied by the sound of air raid sirens as officials urged residents to take shelter due to the threat of a Russian aerial attack.

Reports indicated that loud blasts were heard in central Kyiv. Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that air defense systems had been activated and that emergency services were on the scene, addressing debris from a downed Russian drone.

Ukraine’s largest agricultural, maritime logistics company and shipbuilder is transforming a year after its founder was killed by a Russian missile – investigators say it was a murder.

Nibulon’s new CEO Andriy Vadaturskyy said the company is ready to produce naval warships, in addition to civilian cargo ships, as soon as the government gives it the go-ahead.

He thinks Ukraine should have its own modern fleet to safeguard its ports and protect its economic stake in the Black Sea.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian state news outlets editorialized comments by Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev and claimed that he said that the Ukrainian state will no longer exist by 2034, likely to support the Kremlin's efforts to prepare the Russian public for a long war in Ukraine while promising that Russia will complete its objective to destroy Ukrainian statehood within a decade.
• Russian officials continue to seize on diplomatic meetings with European states to create the impression that Russia is normalizing its relations with the West and claim that there is limited Western support for Russia.
• Russia and India continue to strengthen their bilateral relationship amid reports of ongoing Russian weapons exports to India.
• Russia and Ukraine exchanged 95 prisoners of war (POWs) each in a one-to-one POW exchange on July 17.
• Kremlin officials continue attempts to curry favor with Russian ultranationalists by appealing to anti-migrant animus despite such appeals generating tensions with the Russian government’s efforts to execute the Kremlin's wider migration policy.
• Ukrainian forces regained positions south of Toretsk, and Russian forces recently advanced north of Kharkiv City and near Kupyansk, Svatove, Avdiivka, and Vuhledar.
• Russia's crypto-mobilization campaign continues to generate increasing financial costs for the Russian government.