‘Preventing a Bigger War’ – Ukraine at War Update for Oct. 14

North Korean soldiers have joined Russia’s ranks in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address Sunday, as again he called on Western allies to increase military aid.

“We see an increasing alliance between Russia and regimes like in North Korea,” Zelensky said. “It is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about the transfer of people from North Korea to the occupier’s military forces.”

“Obviously, in such circumstances, our relations with our partners need to be developed. The frontline needs more support,” he said.

“When we talk about more long-range capability for Ukraine and more decisive supplies for our forces, it is not just a list of military equipment,” Zelensky continued. “It is about increasing the pressure on the aggressor, which will be stronger for Russia than they can withstand. And it is about preventing a bigger war.”

Last week, Zelensky met with the respective heads of government in Berlin, London, Paris and Rome to push for more aid as part of his administration’s “Victory Plan.” Zelensky, who also met with the Pope last week, has emphasized that “peace can only be achieved through strength.”

“We will continue to present our strategy for forcing Russia into peace to our European partners. The teams from our state and the teams from the leaders of our partners who have already been presented with the Victory Plan continue to work out the details – joint steps are needed, and these must be strong steps.”

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“We need to act right now to prevent Russia and its accomplices from adapting to our capabilities… “true peace can only be achieved through strength, and the whole of next week will be dedicated to working with our partners for the sake of such strength, for the sake of true peace.”

Kremlin says Putin is ready to hear peace proposals via Germany

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is prepared to discuss proposals from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz over the phone, but so far has received none.

“No, there have been no proposals,” Peskov said. “We have repeatedly stated that Putin remains open to contacts.”

Earlier this month, the German weekly Die Zeit reported that Scholz was preparing to hold his first phone call with Putin in nearly two years, citing anonymous government sources. The news magazine wrote that Scholz hopes to hold the call before the G20 summit in Brazil this November.

The last time that Scholz and Putin spoke with each other was in December of 2022, almost a year into Russia’s full-scale invasion when the chancellor said Putin should pull his forces out of Ukraine and come to the negotiating table.

Ramstein meeting has yet to be rescheduled as Biden prepares to fly to Germany on Friday

The regular meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the US Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany, effectively has been canceled, Bloomberg News reported. US President Joe Biden had to delay his planned trip to Europe last week for the meeting because of massive hurricane damage in Florida, forcing the group to find another date, which has yet to happen.

Biden now plans to visit Germany on Friday, Oct. 18, in an abbreviated visit that will include meetings with Chancellor Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Steinmeir is expected to present Biden with Germany’s highest civilian honor, the Federal Cross of Merit.

It is still unclear if UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will join Biden’s meeting with Scholz, as had been planned.

The apparent cancellation of the Ramstein meeting is being framed as a setback for Ukraine, as Zelensky had planned to present his Victory Plan to top NATO leaders, and the Alliance’s new general secretary, Mark Rutte, was rumored to plan to press the American and German leaders to approve the use of long-range weapons against Russian military targets.

Russian drone targets man riding his scooter in a Kherson town

Continuing their drone offensive on civilian targets around Ukraine, Russian forces on Sunday dropped explosives on a 34-year-old man riding his scooter along a road in the Kherson region, the regional military reported on social media.

“Another person in the Kherson region fell victim to Russian aggression. This afternoon, the invaders released an explosive payload from a drone on a 34-year-old man who was riding a moped along the Novodmytrivka-Kizomys road. Unfortunately, his injuries turned out to be fatal. The victim died on the spot. Sincere condolences to family and friends,” the administration wrote.

Debris from Russia’s drone strike on Sunday morning damaged houses in Ukraine’s Kyiv and Cherkasy regions, local authorities reported. 

Ruslan Kravchenko, head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, said the drones were destroyed and there were no victims in the Kyiv region and no damages to the critical infrastructure. 

“In two districts of the region, three private houses were damaged due to falling debris. The damage is minor,” said Kravchenko in a Facebook announcement. He did not specify the districts.