Erdogan objects to Finland and Sweden joining NATO due to stance on Kurdish militants

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday ratcheted up his objection to Sweden and Finland joining NATO.

Erdogan accused the countries of failing to take a clear stance against Kurdish militants and of imposing military sanctions on Turkey.

“Neither country has an open, clear stance against terrorist organisations,” Erdogan said at a joint news conference with the visiting Algerian president.

“We cannot say ‘yes’ to those who impose sanctions on Turkey, on joining NATO which is a security organization.”

The Turkish leader described Sweden as an “incubation centre for terrorist organizations,” claiming some members of its parliament supported the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK. The group has waged an insurgency against Turkey since 1984, costing tens of thousands of lives.

Erdogan said Swedish and Finnish officials — who are expected in Turkey next week — should not bother to come if they hope to convince Ankara into relaxing its objections to their membership.

Sweden and Finland should become NATO  members without delay, UK foreign secretary says

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement on Monday that Sweden and Finland should be integrated into the North Atlantic military alliance at the earliest possible time and that the two countries joining will strengthen Europe's collective security.

"The UK strongly supports applications for NATO membership from Finland and Sweden," Truss said. "They should be integrated into the Alliance as soon as possible."

She also stated that the UK "looks forward to working with them as new NATO Allies and stand ready to offer them our every assistance during the accession process."

NATO exercises in the Baltics underway

The military alliance commenced on Monday its biggest-ever exercises in Estonia, called "Hedgehog" and scheduled to last until 3 June.

The drills, which were planned before Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, involve 10 countries and about 15,000 troops.

The exercise takes place about 60 kilometres from the border with Russia, and it is intended to simulate an attack by Moscow on Estonia.

"Hedgehog" comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region, after both Finland and Sweden declared they will apply for NATO membership despite opposition and warnings of possible retaliation from the Kremlin.

No Hungarian sanctions on Russian energy exports, PM Orban says

As European Union leaders continue to push for an embargo on Russian oil, Hungary’s prime minister insisted Monday that his country would not support any sanctions that negatively affect Hungary’s energy security.

In a speech in Hungary’s parliament, nationalist leader Viktor Orban said Hungary would not block EU sanctions as long as they “don’t go beyond the red line of Hungary’s economic protection. That is, as long as they don’t jeopardize Hungary’s energy security.”

Orban said that EU leaders are “convinced that European sanctions can force Russia to its knees … but no matter how hard I try, I can’t remember any continental blockade ever being successful.”

Orban’s government has remained firm in its rejection of sanctions on Russian energy exports.

Earlier EU offers to Hungary to extend the deadline for dropping Russian oil from its energy mix have not swayed the government in Budapest.

Ten killed in eastern Ukraine city by Russian shelling

At least 10 people have been killed in Russian shelling on the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, which is virtually surrounded by Moscow forces, the region's governor said on Monday.

"At least 10 people were killed. It is currently extremely difficult to verify the situation on the ground due to the new shelling," Sergei Gaidai said on Telegram, calling on residents who have not fled to stay safe.

In an earlier message on Monday, Gaidai warned of artillery strikes on Severodonetsk and its nearby twin town of Lyssychank, which caused fires in residential areas.

"Severodonetsk was hit by very powerful strikes," he added, accompanying his message with photographs of the destruction.

The mayor of Severodonetsk, Oleksandre Striouk, had announced on 6 May that the city was "almost surrounded" by Moscow forces and pro-Russian separatists from Donbass, who are trying to take full control of the region.

He said 15,000 of the city's pre-war population of 100,000 were still there.

Severodonetsk, one of the few major cities in Donbass still under Ukrainian control, as well as Lyssychank, are located about 80 km east of Kramatorsk, which has become the administrative centre of Ukraine's Donbass since the separatists seized the eastern part of the large coal basin in 2014.

(AFP)

Nordic nations promise military support for Sweden and Finland during NATO bid

Norway, Denmark and Iceland -- all members of the NATO military alliance -- have promised defence support for their Nordic neighbours Sweden and Finland during the NATO membership process. 

The countries are promising to "assist with all means necessary" if either Sweden or Finland "are exposed to an attack before they formally become members of NATO," Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said on Monday. 

In a joint statement of support the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland and Norway said they welcome the decisions of Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership, and emphasised that as Nordic countries they already share the same common values and principles as NATO. 

"We will further strengthen our Nordic defense co-operation. Our military forces work well together, and have trained together for many years. We greatly appreciate the significant contributions that Finland and Sweden have already made as partner countries in NATO", said Støre.

(Euronews) 

Sweden joins Finland in announcing it wants to become a member of NATO

Sweden has announced it wants to become a member of NATO, the prime minister and the main opposition leader announced on Monday.

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said the move marked a new "era" for the Scandinavian country.

"The government has decided to inform NATO of Sweden's willingness to become a member of the alliance," she told a news conference with opposition leader Ulf Kristersson. 

Read more here:

Sweden joins Finland in announcing it wants to become a member of NATO

Truce at Azovstal, wounded Ukrainian soldiers being evacuated, Russian defence ministry claims

The Russian defence ministry said on Monday that a truce had been called at the Azovstal steel mill, the last bastion of Ukrainian resistance in the city of Mariupol, to evacuate wounded Ukrainians.

"[Weapons] silence is currently in force and a humanitarian corridor was opened through which wounded Ukrainian soldiers are transferred to medical facilities in Novoazovsk," the ministry claimed in a statement.

Novoazovsk is a Ukrainian town near the border with Russia that is controlled by Moscow and pro-Moscow forces.

The Russian ministry did not clarify whether the wounded would be considered prisoners of war.

There was also no immediate confirmation from the Ukrainian side. It was not clear how many wounded Ukrainians might leave the site and if any had so far done so.

Russia would react to any military deployments in Sweden or Finland, says Putin 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reacted to Finland and Sweden's proposed membership of NATO, saying on Monday that it did not constitute a "threat" in itself, but that Russia would react to any military deployments.

Such "enlargement of NATO does not constitute an immediate threat (...) but the deployment of military infrastructures on the territories of these countries will, of course, lead to a response", he told a summit of the leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in Moscow.

'A historic change in our security policy line,' says Swedish PM about NATO bid

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on Monday told her country's parliament that she sees “a historic change in our country’s security policy line” as the country prepares to seek membership of NATO.

"Sweden needs formal security guarantees that come with membership in NATO,” Andersson said during a parliamentary debate, adding that the country was acting together with neighbouring Finland.

The debate is expected to be a formality as there is a clear majority of lawmakers in favour of joining NATO. The Swedish government is expected to announce its intention to seek membership in the 30-member military alliance later Monday.

(AP)

Hungary keeping EU 'hostage' over Russian oil ban, Lithuanian minister claims

Despite not being on the official agenda, Brussel's proposed Russian oil embargo was on Monday looming large over a meeting of foreign affairs ministers, with accusations some member states are holding the bloc "hostage".

The proposal to phase out Russian oil across the bloc was unveiled 12 days ago by Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. But unlike the five previous sanction packages that were swiftly approved by the 27 capitals, negotiations have stalled with no resolution seemingly in sight. 

Four member states are demanding the European Commission allow them to continue importing Russian energy past December 2024, which already constitutes a significant delay from the rest of the bloc.

Hungary is seen as the primary hold-out with Prime Minister Viktor Orban describing the oil ban as an "atomic bomb" for his country's economy. 

Read more below.

EU 'held hostage' by Hungary over Russian oil ban, Lithuania claims

Lukashenko urges Russia-led CSTO alliance to stay united against West

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday urged other members of a Russian-dominated military alliance to stand united, and accused the West of hoping to prolong the conflict in Ukraine to try to weaken Russia as much as possible.

Lukashenko, speaking at a summit of the leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in Moscow, said "hellish sanctions" against his country and Russia could have been avoided if the group had spoken with one voice.

"Without a united front, the collective West will build up pressure on the post-Soviet space," Lukashenko said in televised opening remarks, addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

(Reuters)

New EU aid to Ukraine under discussion

The European Commission is set to propose on Wednesday a new package of financial aid to Ukraine, including new loans to provide immediate liquidity to Kyiv and commitments for the long-term financing of the country's reconstruction, officials said, according to Reuters.

The size of the short-term financial support is still being defined but two officials familiar with the discussions told Reuters they expected it to roughly cover Ukraine's financial needs for two months, largely through loans.

A third official said the money would come from the EU budget and from EU governments, dismissing earlier talk that the funds could be raised in the market with the issuance of joint bonds backed by the EU budget.

The IMF estimated in April that Ukraine needed around $5 billion dollars a month for at least three months to plug the immediate financial shortfall caused by Russia's invasion. The Fund's chief, Kristalina Georgieva, has called for this support to come in the form of grants rather than loans.

The scale of EU support will depend also on how much G7 countries are willing to contribute. A meeting of finance ministers of the Group of Seven major economies is scheduled in the second half of this week, just after the Commission is expected to unveil its proposals.

EU states will have to sign off on the Commission's plan, and could try to tweak it.

Governments are divided over how to support Ukraine, with many favouring loans despite the IMF's views and Ukraine's likely inability to repay them. Germany is among a number of EU governments that support grants, EU diplomats said.

Protestors block Greek tanker carrying Russian fuel from entering UK port

Greenpeace protesters have blocked the entry of a Greek tanker into a southern English port due to its Russian fuel cargo with police making arrests, the green group said on Monday. Britain and the EU have separately banned Russian-flagged vessels from their ports, with exemptions, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in what the Kremlin describes as a "special military operation".

The UK has said it will phase out imports of Russian oil by the end of the year, which has meant that foreign flagged vessels carrying Russian cargoes are still able to call at ports for the time being.

Greenpeace said 12 activists occupied a jetty on Sunday evening in Navigator Terminals' Thames site in Essex, where the Greek-flagged Andromeda oil products tanker was expected to discharge its cargo. Essex Police said on Monday that officers had been called to the Navigators Terminal late on Sunday evening.

"So far eight people have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and we’re working with our partners to bring a number of others to safety," it said in a statement.

In recent weeks, a number of ships carrying Russian cargoes have changed course after protests in both UK and EU ports.

(Reuters)

Ukraine says border guards repelled Russian incursion to Sumy region

Ukrainian border guards say they repelled a Russian attempt Monday morning to send troops into the northern Sumy region, which is outside the current focus of fighting.

The border guard service said Russian forces deployed mortars, grenade launchers and machine guns in an attempt to cover a “sabotage and reconnaissance group” crossing the border from Russia.

The border guard service said its officers returned fire and forced the Russian group to retreat back across the border into Russia.

The area is largely rural and hasn’t seen intense fighting in more than a month. Russian troops moved through the Sumy region early in the war in an attempt to join up with forces around the capital, Kyiv, but they retreated in early April to focus on fighting in eastern Ukraine.

There was no immediate word from Russia about the incident described by Ukraine.

(AP)

Ukrainian troops regain control of border near Kharkiv

Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops and regained control of part of the border with Russia in the northeastern region of Kharkiv, Ukrainian authorities said Monday.

"The 227th Battalion of the 127th Territorial Defence Brigade of the Kharkiv Armed Forces expelled the Russians and moved to the border," the ministry said on its Facebook page, posting a video of armed soldiers standing in front of a border post painted yellow and blue, the colours of the Ukrainian flag, and with a trident, Ukraine's coat of arms. 

"We are proud of our soldiers who restored the border sign. We thank all those who, at the risk of their lives, are liberating Ukraine from Russian invaders," the governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleg Sinegoubov, wrote on Telegram. 

Kremlin says security in Europe won't be strengthened if Finland and Sweden join NATO

The Kremlin said on Monday that Sweden and Finland joining NATO in response to the Russian offensive in Ukraine would not strengthen security on the European continent.

"We are convinced that the entry into NATO of Finland and Sweden will neither strengthen nor improve the security architecture of our continent," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, expressing Moscow's "concern" and promising to closely monitor "the implications this will have for our security".

Finland is going through its own parliamentary process this week to make a bid to join NATO, while Sweden's ruling party the Social Democrats have dropped their long-term opposition to NATO membership as that country is also expected to apply for NATO membership. 

(Euronews / AFP)

McDonald's begins process of selling Russian business

McDonald's said Monday that it has started the process of selling its Russian business, which includes 850 restaurants that employ 62,000 people, making it the latest major Western corporation to exit Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February.

The fast food giant pointed to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war, saying holding on to its business in Russia “is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values.”

The Chicago-based company announced in early March that it was temporarily closing its stores in Russia but would continue to pay employees. On Monday, it said it would seek to have a Russian buyer hire those workers and pay them until the sale closes. It did not identify a prospective buyer.

CEO Chris Kempczinski said the “dedication and loyalty to McDonald's” of employees and hundreds of Russian suppliers made it a difficult decision to leave.

“However, we have a commitment to our global community and must remain steadfast in our values,” Kempczinski said in a statement, "and our commitment to our values means that we can no longer keep the arches shining there.”

As it tries to sell its restaurants, McDonald’s said it plans to start removing golden arches and other symbols and signs with the company’s name. It said it will keep its trademarks in Russia.

McDonald's was the first American fast food restaurant to open in the Soviet Union, which would collapse in 1991. McDonald's decision to leave comes as other American food and beverage giants including Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Starbucks have paused or closed operations in Russia in the face of Western sanctions.

(AP)

Two killed in Russian hospital strike, says Ukrainian military commander

A Ukrainian military commander in the eastern Luhansk region says strikes overnight hit a hospital in Severodonetsk, killing two and injuring nine, including a child. Overnight strikes also hit other towns.

Russian forces have been trying for weeks to seize Severodonetsk, a key site in the Donbas that’s outside the territory that separatists have held for the past several years.

Regional military governor Serhiy Haidai said on Monday that Ukrainian special forces blew up Russian-held railway bridges between Rubizhne and Severodonetsk as part of efforts to slow the Russian offensive, and posted a video on Telegram purportedly showing such a blast.

The information could not immediately be independently verified.

(AP)

Russia hits beach resort close to Odesa, as city prepares for potential attack

Here is a dispatch from Euronews' international correspondent Anelise Borges in Odesa:

"Good morning from Odesa, it’s a beautiful day here in southern Ukraine. It almost looks like a normal day, if not for the sirens in the background.

Russia struck again nearby in the region of Odesa, in a city called Zatoka, which is to the south of here, a city that used to be a beach resort, a summer spot for Ukrainians. It became a big hit after Crimea was annexed by Russia. Since 2014 this region of Zatoka really got a spike in tourism there, and there is a crucial bridge connecting Odesa to Zatoka, and that is reportedly what Russia has been targeting.

But they have been hitting infrastructure – quite a few hotels were hit already. We were at the site of one such hit yesterday, and it was complete devastation. We understand that at least four people were injured. We were not able to confirm whether they have all recovered. One of the workers trying to rebuild the hotel facilities told us that he hasn't heard whether or not those people were fully recovered, but that he saw some of them and that they were very, very injured by the strike earlier this month. 

The strike hit that place on 10th May, and once again today another strike. We understand that it also hit a hotel complex and there are injured. Authorities were on site responding to a fire. So far journalists were not allowed in.

We have a few colleagues that rushed there this morning and they're stuck at a checkpoint. We are still in Odessa trying to report on a few other things and also dealing with one of the many unwanted consequences of a conflict: a fuel shortage. We are unable to leave the city, we can't find gas [and] we can't go very far because of that.

There are more sirens going on in Odesa as I speak.

We spoke to the mayor of Odessa a week ago and he told us that they are preparing, they do believe that this place could be next on Vladimir Putin’s target list.

Odesa is a very, very important place historically for Russia, it has hundreds of years of Russian history, and also it sits in a very strategic place. It would be on the way of Russian troops trying to conquer a corridor along the Black Sea coast that would allow them to connect the Crimean peninsula in the east all the way through the city of Kherson, which they now hold, and then Odesa all the way to Transnistria, which is that Moldovan enclave currently administered by Russian-backed separatists."

Russia claims to have shot down three Ukrainian fighter jets

Russia on Monday said its forces had shot down three Ukrainian fighter jets, one near Snake Island in the Black Sea and the others in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions, while its missiles continued to pound targets in the east of the country.

Russia's defence ministry said its forces shot down Su-25 aircraft near the settlements of Yevhenivka in the Mykolaiv region and Velyka Komyshuvakha in Kharkiv, and a Su-24 near Snake Island, which achieved worldwide fame in the conflict's first hours when Ukrainian border guards stationed there rejected a Russian warship's demand for their surrender.

High-precision Russian missiles hit two command posts in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, the ministry said, and also struck other targets including weapons depots and places where Ukrainian troops and equipment were concentrated.

The ministry said it made similar strikes in the pro-Russian self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, also taking out drones.

Russia said that since the start of the military operation, its forces had destroyed 168 aircraft, 125 helicopters, 889 unmanned aerial vehicles, 307 anti-aircraft missile systems, and 3,108 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles.

The reports from the Russian defence ministry could not be independently confirmed.

(Reuters)

Rouble climbs towards a near five-year high

The Russian rouble climbed towards a near five-year high against the euro on Monday, supported by continuing restrictions on currency trading, according to Reuters.

The rouble is the world's best-performing currency this year, although this is due to artificial support from capital controls that Russia imposed to shield its financial sector in late February after sending tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, it said.

At 0744 GMT, the rouble was 0.9% stronger against the dollar at 63.96, hovering near its strongest mark since early February 2020.

Against the euro, the rouble rose 1% to 66.39, staying near its strongest level since June 2017.

US could ratify Finland's NATO membership by August

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell says he hopes the United States will be able to ratify Finland's NATO membership as soon as possible, or at least before August. 

Speaking after a meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö in Helsinki on Monday morning, Senate Minority Leader McConnell cautioned that not all Republicans would support Finland's NATO membership, but that there was anyway widespread support among his political colleagues. Senators Susan Collins, John Barrasso and John Cornyn are also part of the delegation currently in Finland. 

"We had a very interesting discussion, not only about Finnish membership in NATO, but also about Ukraine and how we see the world developing and how we get rid of these problems we have with the crisis in Ukraine," said Niinistö in a short statement to journalists. 

McConnell said he expects the US Senate to approve the bipartisan support package worth $40 billion for Ukraine this week. 

"I think I'm safe in saying there is strong bipartisan support in the United States for the admission of Finland to the world's most successful military alliance," said McConnell. "Finland brings a lot to the alliance, frankly their participation strengthens the alliance significantly."

"The goal in the United States will be to approve that [membership of NATO] as rapidly as possible." In response to a reporter's question McConnell said "certainly we hope to do it before the August recess, when Congress typically goes out of session, obviously that would be well before the fall election. With regards to the size of the vote, I think it will be very significant, not unanimous."

(Euronews)

No guarantee when it comes to new Russian sanctions

The European Union’s top diplomat has said there is no guarantee that the 27-nation bloc will be able to quickly agree on a new set of sanctions against Russia, with a small group of countries led by Hungary opposing an oil embargo, reports the Associated Press.

The European Commission proposed on 4th May a sixth package of Ukraine war sanctions that included a ban on oil imports from Russia. Hungary is one of a number of landlocked countries that are highly dependent on Russian oil, along with the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Bulgaria has also expressed it reservations.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that “we will do our best in order to de-block the situation. I cannot ensure that it is going to happen because positions are quite strong.”

His remarks Monday came as he prepared to chair a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, meanwhile, said that “the whole union is being held hostage by one member state.”

Landsbergis added that countries like Hungary were being offered a phase out of Russian oil until 31st December 2024, and that “everybody expected that this would be enough.”

Sweden and Finland making a 'serious error' in NATO move, says Russian deputy FM

Moves by Sweden and Finland to join NATO constitute a "serious error", according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

"This is a serious mistake, the consequences of which will have far-reaching consequences," Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

Ryabkov added that Russia's response to the move "will depend on the practical consequences of the accession" of the two Scandinavian countries to the North Atlantic Alliance.

"For us, it is clear that the security of Sweden and Finland will not be strengthened by this decision", he said, noting that "the level of military tension (was going to) increase".

Renault selling Russian operations 

French carmaker Renault says it is selling its Russian branch to Moscow City and its stake in Russian company Avtovaz to a local state-owned institute.

Renault said Monday its board of directors approved the deal to sell its 67.69% stake in Avtovaz, the company making Lada, to NAMI, the scientific research automobile and automotive engine institute of the Russian Federation.

The agreement provides for a six-year option for Renault to buy back its stake in Avtovaz.

The CEO of Renault Group, Luca de Meo, called it “a difficult but necessary decision.”

He says “we are making a responsible choice towards our 45,000 employees in Russia while preserving the Group’s performance and our ability to return to the country in the future, in a different context.”

In March, Renault said it would pause production at its Moscow plant amid mounting criticism of its foothold in the Russian Federation.

(AP)

Canada in favour of 'quick accession' to NATO for Finland and Sweden

Canada says it supports plans from Finland and Sweden to join NATO amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Melanie Joly, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, spoke Monday in Brussels ahead of meeting with the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell.

Joly said Canada is in favour of a “quick accession” for both countries. “Our goal is to be among the first countries to be able to ratify the accession of Sweden and Finland,” she said.

That process in the past has taken eight months to a year.

Given the security crisis sparked by the war and the potential threat to Finland and Sweden, NATO countries are keen to move fast if the pair of nations officially apply, which they have not done yet.

Asked whether Canada would be in favour of Ukraine’s joining the military alliance, Joly said her country is in favour of an “open-door policy” but stopped short of endorsing such a move, which is unrealistic at this stage since it would require allies to intervene military in the war-torn country.

(AP)

Russia focuses on Donetsk region

Russian forces are focusing their latest attacks in Ukraine on the Donetsk region in the east, targeting civilian and military sites in multiple towns, the Ukrainian military said Monday, according to the Associated Press.

The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said Russia’s military also continued air and artillery strikes around the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, the last holdout of Ukrainian forces in the strategic city.

In the Donetsk region, Russian forces have used a range of weaponry on Ukrainian military fortifications and units and fired artillery at civilian infrastructure in the towns of Dovhenke, Ruski Tyshki, Ternova and Petrivka, it said.

Meanwhile, around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Russian forces are now concentrating on “maintaining positions and preventing the advance of our troops toward the border."

Ukrainian forces reach Russian border

Ukrainian troops defending the city of Kharkiv have reached the state border with Russia, the regional governor said on Monday.

Reuters could not independently verify the comments made by Kharkiv region governor Oleh Sinegubov on the Telegram messaging service. It was not immediately clear how many troops had reached the Russian border and where.

Ukraine has been retaking territory in its northeast, driving Russian forces away from Kharkiv, the second-largest Ukrainian city.

(Reuters)

Estonian FM says Sweden and Finland joining NATO would increase Baltic security

Sweden and Finland joining NATO would increase the security of the Baltic region, Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets tells Reuters.

"When we see that in our neighbourhood also other democratic countries belong to NATO, it would mean that we could have broader joint exercises and also ... more defence cooperation," Liimets told Reuters in Berlin, where she joined a meeting with other NATO counterparts over the weekend.

Liimets added that she hoped Sweden, Finland and Turkey would overcome differences on the Nordic states joining the alliance, adding that the Berlin meeting atmosphere was very supportive. "We have seen some differences, but we have also seen a willingness of those countries to overcome the differences," she said.

Liimets said that Estonia appreciates NATO enforcing its presence in the Baltic region, but would like the allies to move from enhancing their presence to enhancing their defence. "It would mean that we would have more robust presence of land forces, but also air and maritime defence," she added.

Belarusian forces deploy along Ukrainian border

Belarus has announced the deployment of special operations forces along its border with Ukraine, as well as air defence, artillery and missile units to training ranges in the west of the country, writes the British Ministry of Defence in its latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine.

The presence of Belarusian forces near the border will likely fix Ukrainian troops, so that they cannot deploy in support of operations in the Donbas, it said. 

Even so, Belarusian forces have not been directly involved in the conflict to date, despite the country having been used as a staging post for Russia’s initial advance on Kyiv and Chernihiv. with Russia also launching air sorties and missile strikes from Belarus.

Belarusian President Lukashenko is likely balancing support for Russia’s invasion with a desire to avoid direct military participation with the risk of Western sanctions, Ukrainian retaliation and possible dissatisfaction in the Belarusian military, the British ministry said.

Russian forces may have run out of combat-ready reservists, says US think tank

Russian forces have likely abandoned the objective of completing a large-scale encirclement of Ukrainian units from Donetsk City to Izyum in favour of completing the seizure of Luhansk Oblast, write the Institute for the Study of War in its latest update on the fighting in Ukraine. 

At the same time, Russian forces have likely run out of combat-ready reservists, forcing the Russian military command to amalgamate soldiers from many different elements, including private military companies and proxy militias, into ostensibly regular army units and naval infantry, the US think tank said.

Ukraine prepares for new Russian push in Donbas

Ukraine was preparing Monday for a new Russian push in the eastern Donbas region, as Kyiv said its army’s counterattack around Kharkiv had gained momentum.

Since failing to take the capital at the beginning of the invasion in late February, control of Donbas has become one of Moscow’s primary objectives - but Western intelligence has predicted its campaign will stall amid heavy losses and fierce resistance.

“We are preparing for new attempts by Russia to attack in Donbas, to somehow intensify its movement in the south of Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

“The occupiers still do not want to admit that they are in a dead-end and their so-called ‘special operation’ has already gone bankrupt,” he added.

Presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich told local television that Russian troops were being transferred in the direction of Donbas after withdrawing from Kharkiv following the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Kyiv’s troops have made so much progress in the northern region that they have almost reached the border with Russia, according to interior ministry adviser Vadim Denisenko, although air raid sirens still sounded in Kharkiv city early Monday.

Arestovich said the retreating Russian forces were being sent towards Lugansk.

“Their task is to take Severodonetsk,” he said. “Well, something is not working for them.”

Severodonetsk is the easternmost city still held by Ukraine, and its fall would grant the Kremlin de facto control of Lugansk, one of two regions - along with Donetsk - that comprise Donbas.

But Russia’s attempt to cross a river to encircle it had been repelled with heavy losses of equipment, according to Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday.

To further deter the attack, Russian-occupied railway bridges leading to Severodonetsk were blown up, the Ukrainian army said on its Facebook page late Sunday, posting a video of a huge explosion taken from above.

For its part, Russia’s defence ministry claimed it had struck four artillery munitions depots in neighbouring Donetsk.

Air strikes had also destroyed two missile-launching systems and radar, while 15 Ukrainian drones were downed around Donetsk and Lugansk, it added.

(AFP)

Fighting continues in the east

Ukraine’s Joint Forces Task Force said its troops had repelled 17 attacks on Sunday and destroyed 11 pieces of Russian equipment. The command of Ukraine's air force said Ukrainian forces downed two helicopters, two cruise missiles, and seven drones.

Russia continued to target civilian areas along the entire front line in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, firing at 23 villages and towns, the task force added.

If Ukraine can sustain pressure on Izium and Russian supply lines, it will be harder for Moscow to encircle Ukrainian troops in the Donbas.

Ukraine's military also acknowledged setbacks, saying Russian forces "continue to advance" in several areas in the Donbas region.

In western Ukraine near Poland, missiles destroyed military infrastructure overnight on Saturday and were fired at the Lviv region from the Black Sea, Ukrainian officials said.

Another 10 civilians were wounded in the southern region of Mykolaiv, the regional council said, without providing details.

There was also no letup on Sunday in Russia's bombardment of the steelworks in the southern port of Mariupol, where a few hundred Ukrainian fighters are holding out weeks after the city fell into Russian hands, the Ukrainian military said.

Brightly burning munitions were shown cascading down on the steel works in a video posted by a pro-Russian separatist commander.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "very difficult and delicate negotiations" were going on to save Ukrainians in Mariupol and Azovstal.

(Reuters)

Russia losing diplomatic ground, with Sweden and Finland set to join NATO

With its military bogged down in a grinding conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russia also lost diplomatic ground over the weekend as two more European nations moved closer to joining NATO.

Finland announced Sunday that it was seeking to join the alliance, saying Russia's invasion of Ukraine nearly three months ago had changed Europe’s security landscape. Several hours later, Sweden’s governing party endorsed that country’s bid for membership, which could lead to an application in days.

Those moves would be a serious blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has called NATO’s post-Cold War expansion in Eastern Europe a threat — one that, before these latest moves, he cited as a reason for attacking Ukraine. NATO says it is a purely defensive alliance.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, meeting with top diplomats from the alliance in Berlin, said the war “is not going as Moscow had planned."

“Ukraine can win this war,” he said, adding that NATO must continue to offer military support to Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Russia inflicted damage but failed to make significant territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, the focus of its war effort since Russian forces failed to seize the capital, Kyiv.

Russian and Ukrainian fighters are engaged in a village-by-village battle for Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, the Donbas. Ukrainian soldiers have fought Moscow-backed separatists there for eight years.

(AP)