- The British Johnson makes a second visit to Kyiv
- The Frenchman Macron offers to visit Moscow
- The European Commission has proposed that Ukraine become a candidate for EU membership
- Ukraine calls for ceasefire to evacuate civilians from Severodonetsk chemical plant
- A third American, a former Marine, captured by Russian forces
This was last updated at 21:13 UTC / GMT
UNHCR: The war in Ukraine strengthens support for refugees
The UN refugee agency says it is “very encouraged” by the change in attitudes towards refugees following the escalation of the war in Ukraine.
Gillian Trigs, UNHCR’s assistant high commissioner, told Reuters that the body “sees this compassion worldwide for the situation in Ukraine because it is so appalling.”
More than 6.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded nearly four months ago with volunteers and governments in dozens of countries moving forward to offer temporary shelter.
Trigs warned that some levels of fatigue could ensue and warned governments to prepare to relocate Ukrainians once private homes run dry.
Meanwhile, a study by Ipsos published on Friday among 20,505 people in 28 countries found that about 78% believe that those fleeing conflict or persecution should be able to seek refuge in another country, up from 70% in a survey of 2021
Only 36% believe that the borders should be completely closed to refugees, compared to 50% a year earlier, partly reflecting declining concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
A separate UNHCR report showed this week that some 89.3 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, abuse and violence by the end of 2021.
Scholz: German weapons will arrive in time to help Donbass
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisted that German weapons would arrive in time to help Ukraine repel Russian forces in the eastern Donbass region.
His comments in an exclusive interview with the DPA came amid criticism from Kyiv about the pace of arms supplies and the type of weapons sent.
Asked if the heavy weapons would arrive in time to change the situation in Donbass, Scholz replied: “He will arrive on time.” He said the priority of who gets German weapons first needs to be changed, as German arms manufacturers have a “long list of customers” waiting to be delivered.
“The concrete things we can deliver now will be delivered after the training … without the training you can’t use these weapons,” Scholz added.
The chancellor promised to supply an anti-ballistic missile system capable of defending Odessa or Kyiv, and said Berlin had decided, together with the United Kingdom and the United States, to supply volley fire systems.
The comments were made as Russian missiles almost completely destroyed the nitrogen plant in the city of Severodonetsk, where heavy fighting is taking place, according to the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine has demanded a U-turn after a disregard for Eurovision’s hosting
Ukraine has condemned the decision to deprive it of the right to host Eurovision next year.
Ukraine’s bid for the Kalush Orchestra won the world’s largest live music competition last month, and the country is traditionally scheduled to hold the competition next year.
However, the European Broadcasting Union said on Friday that the country could not host, organize or produce the event for security reasons due to the ongoing conflict.
Instead, Britain, whose singer Sam Ryder finished second in this year’s competition, is seen as a possible alternative.
“Ukraine does not agree with the nature of the decision taken by the European Union for Radio and Television,” Ukrainian Culture Minister Alexander Tkachenko said in a statement.
He assured that the country has “met all the conditions” and “provided answers and guarantees on safety standards” for the competition.
“We will insist on changing this decision, because we believe that we will be able to fulfill all the commitments … We insist on further negotiations to host Eurovision 2023 in Ukraine.”
Residents: Four killed in Russian attack on Lisichansk
A Russian airstrike has killed four people in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Lisichansk, locals said.
The attack on a cultural center killed a mother and daughter, as well as a young man and a lying woman who had moved there to take shelter from their home in Severodonetsk.
Thursday’s bombing sparked a fire that raged in the Stalin-era Diamond Palace of Culture and still burned on Friday.
Police said about 10 people were injured, some seriously after being trapped by debris.
Meanwhile, a key highway from Lisichansk is now impassable due to Russian shelling, Luhansk regional governor Sergei Gaidai said in an online post on Friday.
Gaidai said the city is still entirely under Ukrainian control.
However, reports indicate that Ukrainian forces are preparing for possible street battles with the Russians as the battle for the city of Severodonetsk on the opposite bank of the river continues.
Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia: If you do not want a war, help Ukraine now
Latvian Deputy Prime Minister Artis Pabriks welcomed the European Commission’s recommendation for Ukraine to receive official candidate status, saying it had “symbolic value”.
But he told DW that Western allies must provide “maximum military support” to Kyiv to help end the war, which could deepen.
“At this point, what is most needed and what can change this war is, first and foremost, the need for every leader in Europe to accept that our goal is for Ukraine to win and Russia to lose,” Pabriks said. and the Minister of Defense.
“Ukraine must regain its territory,” he added. “We just need to understand that this war is going to be longer than anyone wants, and Western societies need to prepare for resilience.”
“Yes, it is painful. Yes, gas prices are rising, inflation is rising. But if you don’t want to fight alone, help Ukraine now, “Pabriks said.
Russian media show photos of Americans allegedly captured in Ukraine
Russian media published photos of two American citizens captured during the battles for Ukraine.
The Izvestia newspaper showed a video of what he said was a short interview with 27-year-old Andy Huyn of Hartsel, Alabama.
The RT channel published an image of a man he identified as Alexander Drucke, 39, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Family members said on Wednesday that the two men had been missing in Ukraine for a week, and said they feared they had been taken prisoner.
The U.S. State Department says three Americans are thought to be missing, part of an unknown number of mostly military veterans who have joined other foreign volunteers along with Ukrainian troops.
The third man, identified as a former U.S. Marine captain with 20 years of experience, was last heard of in late April, his wife told CNN.
US President Joe Biden said he had been informed of three Americans who had disappeared in Ukraine after voluntarily fighting Russia.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Biden urged American citizens not to go to Ukraine.
Merkel regrets her declining influence on Putin
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she tried in vain last year to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign a European security pact that could prevent a war in Ukraine.
But she admitted to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that she had failed because Putin would neither consider a new deal nor hold a summit on the so-called Normandy format – initial talks mediated by Germany and France to resolve the war in 2014-15 Eastern Ukraine.
“I just have to say that various attempts last year have failed,” Merkel acknowledged.
As for whether Putin waited until she left to invade Ukraine, Merkel said: “My departure could be a contribution, such as the French election, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the delay in implementing the Minsk agreement.”
The Minsk agreements of 2015 were the peace agreements for eastern Ukraine, which ultimately failed.
Merkel has avoided the question she has faced before about whether she would be willing to try to mediate with Putin and Russia, simply saying that “this question is not being asked at the moment.”
Her comments come as Russia continues to try to take parts of its neighbor’s south and east.
Copenhagen: Ambassador summoned after Russian warship enters Danish waters
Denmark claims that a Russian warship has twice violated its territorial waters.
The command of the defense of the Danish Armed Forces announced that a Russian corvette entered Danish waters in the early hours of Friday near the island of Kristiansoe in the Baltic Sea.
The ship left only after being contacted on the Navy’s maritime radio.
Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said Copenhagen had summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the incident.
“It has been made very clear to the Russian ambassador that this type of action is completely unacceptable,” Kofod said in a statement. “We will not accept this kind of Russian provocation.
Both Sweden and Denmark have accused Russian planes of violating their airspace following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Turkey prepares for talks in Brussels on Finland, Sweden’s NATO bids
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara would discuss concerns over Finland and Sweden’s NATO bid during talks in Brussels on Sunday.
Three Turkish officials are due to meet with NATO counterparts after responses to Ankara’s written requests did not meet expectations.
“They (NATO) have sent a document that can be signed in a tripartite way. We found these documents insufficient and sent our own document in response. We said that ‘negotiations can continue through this,'” Cavusoglu said.
Last month, Sweden and Finland applied to join the military alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but Turkey has promised to block their requests.
Each NATO membership requires the unanimous approval of all 30 members …
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