Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 03-14-2024

“Those who say ‘let's not support Ukraine’ do not make the choice of peace, they make the choice of defeat,” Macron said.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday that limiting support for Ukraine in its war against Russia could lead to Kyiv's defeat and destroy Europe's credibility and security.

“If Russia wins this war, Europe's credibility will be reduced to zero,” Macron said in an interview with French broadcasters TF1 and France Television.

Despite the war in Ukraine, farm imports from Russia are not under EU sanction and continue to flow into the EU; and the recent numbers show an uptick in this trend.

As the rift between Kyiv and Warsaw widened over the ongoing grain dispute, the existence of Russian grain imports into the EU entered the debate.

At present, Russian agricultural imports are not under EU sanctions, and recently both Ukrainian and Polish officials have called for a ban on Russian grain imports as a potential compromise between the two – Warsaw would call on the EU to introduce a ban on Russian farm imports, and Kyiv would accept restrictions on farm imports into the bloc in return.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has set an “ambitious deadline” to get Biden’s bill, and the $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, passed by the House of Representatives before the Easter vacation.

What House leadership says

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaking at a weekly press conference on Wednesday said “The clock is ticking, and we have to get the bipartisan national security bill over the finish line before we leave town next Friday, March 22. It’s reckless to do otherwise.” Jeffries urged GOP leaders to get the foreign aid package that the Senate has already passed ready to be signed by US President Joe Biden by the end of next week. 

Germany's largest manufacturer of military equipment had already announced an agreement with a Ukrainian company in February to build artillery shells in Ukraine.

German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall said Thursday it plans to set up at least four factories in Ukraine, as it targets a record 10 billion euros ($10.9 billion) in sales this year.

The Ukraine war has boosted Germany's weapons industry as countries seek to re-arm in the face of the growing threat from Russia, and soaring demand last year propelled Rheinmetall onto the blue-chip DAX index.

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

A new mobilization law — due to be put to a parliamentary vote on March 31 — seeks to update Ukraine’s legal framework ahead of an anticipated recruitment wave this year in which up to 500,000 people could be drafted. The effort was mostly aimed at replacing the 330,000 exhausted troops currently on the battlefield, the Ukrainian defense ministry told the Financial Times. The remaining recruits would replace casualties and meet other military needs, depending on the battlefield situation, the ministry said. But the law is proving controversial, with more than 4,000 amendments submitted by Ukrainian lawmakers on the first draft. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the changes is the introduction of a so-called economic reserve system, which would exempt men considered critical to the economy. The system was intended to be included in the new law but given the outcry it sparked it will now be introduced separately, either by a government decree or a new piece of legislation. Ukraine already has between 550,000 and 700,000 critical workers who are exempt from mobilization. Under the new system, they will have to contribute to the war effort financially, either by funneling part of their pay or through a monthly levy. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal declined to give details last week but said that “people should be divided into two categories: those who fight [and] those who work to fill the budget.” – FT

President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if there is a threat to its statehood, sovereignty or independence, voicing hope that the US would refrain from actions that could trigger a nuclear conflict. Putin’s statement was another blunt warning to the West ahead of a presidential vote this week in which he’s all but certain to win another six-year term. In an interview with Russian state television released early Wednesday, Putin described US President Joe Biden as a veteran politician who fully understands the possible dangers of escalation, and said that he doesn’t think that the world is heading to a nuclear war. At the same time, he emphasized that Russia’s nuclear forces are in full readiness and “from the military-technical viewpoint, we’re prepared.” Putin said that in line with the country’s security doctrine, Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons in case of a threat to “the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence.” – HuffPo

Minsk says it’s defensive but Belarusian tanks just unloaded from flatcars about 20 km from the Lithuanian border.

The Kremlin ally Belarus has mobilized reservists and kicked off major military maneuvers with live-fire gunnery and rare field exercises with territorial defense units, some near NATO borders, official and opposition reports said.

The Russian Central Bank has taken dramatic steps to keep the ruble buoyed, despite ongoing economic turmoil in Russia. However, after Putin’s re-election, economists project that the ruble may fall.

Economists with whom Kyiv Post spoke indicated that the ruble’s current value of less than 100 to the US dollar, is due to a Kremlin political decision to show normalcy before Russia’s so-called presidential “elections” later this month. Following the elections, however, there is a high probability that the ruble will greatly decline in value.

“I expect the ruble to slide versus the dollar in the second or third quarter of 2024 by 15 percent or more. Reasons: in late summer of 2023, the Russian government decided to defend the ruble against the 100 ruble/dollar mark and introduced very costly measures, such as interest rate hikes,” said American economist Oleksandr Lugovskyy.

Serhiy Kolyada on the fake re-election of Russia's latest tsar, Putin the [latest] Terrible.

Victory in the March 15-17 contest will allow Putin to stay in the Kremlin until at least 2030, longer than any Russian leader since Catherine the Great in the 18th century.

The EU and NATO said on Thursday an election in Russia set to see Vladimir Putin re-elected president would not be free or fair because the Kremlin has crushed all opposition. 

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of deceased Kremlin foe Alexei Navalny, has urged the West not to recognize the results of the presidential election, which starts on Friday.   

Zelensky must thread the needle carefully lest “hubris,” poor counsel, and scandal rob his presidency of the laurels it deserves.

Having held senior US government positions in three administrations (Reagan, Bush, and Clinton), I have had the good fortune of observing the dynamics of top governmental officials in democracies and comparing them with what I observed (remotely) in Ukraine.  My first “introduction” to the Ukrainian government was in 1994 when I led a US delegation to a Symposium in Kyiv on “Ethics and Accountability in Government,” only to discover that our counterparts were sleepy KGB officials with no interest in what we had to say until the US “Whistleblower Protection Act” was mentioned.

The one similarity that all democratic governments share with Ukraine is that newly elected presidents and prime ministers rely heavily on family, long-time friends, and political or business allies when they first take office. This is understandable because the loneliest persons in government are the ones who assume responsibility for a state’s governance but have not had the opportunity to gauge the loyalty, integrity, and competency of those who will be closest to them – those who staff their office.

According to Ukrainian intelligence and Russian volunteer-fighters, the Kremlin is blocking civilians’ evacuation from Belgorod despite massive shelling.

A Kyiv Post source in the Ukrainian security services (HUR) said that Belgorod authorities are blocking Russian civilians’ evacuation to keep people present in the region for the March 15-17 presidential election.

The election, according to the Russian volunteer-fighters now fighting in Belgorod, is only a show-election intended to rubber-stamp President Vladimir Putin’s continued rule.

The precise moment of the destruction was captured by a drone camera and subsequently published on the official Telegram channel affiliated with the pro-Kyiv militias.

Russian volunteer forces fighting alongside Kyiv say they destroyed two Russian ammunition warehouses in the village of Tyotkino, located in the Kursk region, which they previously claimed to have been captured.

Stoltenberg's warning comes as military support from key Kyiv backer, the United States, remains blocked in Congress by hardline Republicans opposed to President Joe Biden.

NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday alliance members "are not providing Ukraine with enough ammunition" and the shortfall has allowed Russia to push Kyiv's forces back.

"The Ukrainians are not running out of courage. They are running out of ammunition," Stoltenberg told journalists.

Bipartisan support for the bill underscores concerns among both Republicans and Democrats about the popular video-sharing app’s ties to China and its potential threat to national security.

The House voted 352 to 65 on Wednesday in favor of legislation that could lead to the banning of TikTok in the United States.

Bipartisan support for the bill underscores concerns among both Republicans and Democrats about the popular video-sharing app’s ties to China and its potential threat to national security.

Fighting between the Russian volunteers fighting for Ukraine and Russian forces has resumed, with shellings reported where the former called for locals to evacuate.

Fighting between pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters and Russian forces has resumed in Russia’s Belgorod region.

The pro-Ukrainian groups engaged in the fighting near the Ukrainian border were the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), Freedom of Russian Legion (LSR) and the Siberia Battalion.

Members of the European Parliament have endorsed the renewal of trade liberalization measures for Moldova up to July 24, 2025, but the extension with Ukraine is subject to revisions.

The European Parliament (MEPs) agreed on Wednesday to endorse the renewal of trade liberalization measures for Moldova for another year.

The measures will suspend duties and quotas for Moldovan products moving into the bloc until July 24, 2025.

The former KGB agent is set to secure another six-year term this weekend in a vote the Kremlin says will show society is fully behind his assault on Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday urged Russians to stay the course in the face of a "difficult period", hours before polls open in a vote set to extend his hardline rule.

The former KGB agent is set to secure another six-year term this weekend in a vote the Kremlin says will show society is fully behind his assault on Ukraine.

Germany’s opposition want to provide heavy weapons to Ukraine, while the Chancellor and 61 percent of Germans consider supplying long-range missiles to Kyiv to be untenable.

Germany’s opposition parties have initiated a debate on the need to provide heavy weapons to Ukraine while 61 percent of Germans, with Chancellor Scholz’s agreement, oppose the supply of Taurus KEPD-350 long-range missiles to Kyiv.

The CDU/CSU parliamentary group has tabled a motion to be debated and voted on in Germany’s Bundestag on Thursday, March 14, 2024, labelled: “Consistent continuous support for Ukraine – a decision on the delivery of the Taurus cruise missile.”

The Moldovan Foreign Minister also reiterated his full support for the Peace Formula proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and noted support for other international initiatives.

Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi expressed gratitude to Ukrainians for peace and stability in Moldova and assured of further support for Ukraine.

“I am very grateful to the citizens of Ukraine on behalf of the entire population of Moldova for the peace and stability that we have in Moldova. We will continue to provide all possible assistance, despite our modest resources,” Popșoi said at a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv.

Kyiv Post’s overnight supplement to War in Ukraine Update for March 14.

Highlights:

• Zelensky addresses constant Russian aerial attacks on civilian attacks in nightly address
• Estonia moves on yearly plan to fund Kyiv with €120 billion euros in security funding
• New Ukrainian Consul General Appointed to Toronto in Canada
• Security Service nabs “informant” of Ukrainian artillery position in Donetsk region
• Two years since photo-journalist Maks Levin killed in early days of Russian all-out invasion
• Washington war analysis center says Ukraine open to “vulnerabilities” amid weapons shortage

President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the speedy “elimination of the consequences of Russian [airborne] strikes and on providing assistance to the victims,” he said in his nightly address to the nation on March 13.

Vladimir Putin will undoubtedly be re-elected at the weekend. But for him, if the turnout and his share of the vote doesn’t improve on the 2018 result, it won’t be a “success.”

Russians will vote for their next president on March 15-17, 2024. In every corner of Russia there is no way to overlook the forthcoming election. Posters calling on Russians to vote have been plastered on billboards, walls and doors around the country. Marked with a “V,” one of the symbols used by Russian troops in Ukraine, the posters proclaim: “Together, we are strong. Let’s vote for Russia!”

While it is 99.9 percent certain that Vladimir Putin will be handed his fifth term in office and thereby remain in power until at least 2030, he has set the organizers a daunting task to satisfy him and, especially, international onlookers so that in terms of turnout and his share of the vote the “numbers are impressive” and will send “a clear signal” to the West (and the Russian people) of Putin’s “indestructibility.”

Prof. Paweł Kowal, Chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee in the Polish Parliament, and nominee for Special Government Representative for Ukraine’s Recovery speaks to Kyiv Post.

You recently had the opportunity to visit Ukraine. What’s the current situation on the front line, based on your observations?

At the front line – which I’ve been visiting more or less semiannually for the past two years – I saw highly trained and well-equipped soldiers. The changes that have taken place in the Ukrainian army are plainly visible and frankly astounding. But the lack of ammunition remains a serious issue, one that Ukraine’s servicemen are acutely aware of. That’s something that needs to be articulated with greater force in the West. The Ukrainians are mobilized, they’ve reformed their army, and their logistics are robust – all of which has made a big impression on observers from around the world.

Russia's rhetoric on the subject of nuclear arms has been "reckless" ever since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

The White House said Wednesday it had seen no indications Moscow was ready to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, after President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to deploy them if Russia's sovereignty was threatened.

Russia's rhetoric on the subject of nuclear arms has been "reckless" ever since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary were admitted to NATO a quarter of a century ago. Europe's press also highlights the significance of the decision.

The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary were admitted to Nato a quarter of a century ago. This eastward expansion was a risk, but also a good investment, said Bill Clinton, who was US president at the time, on the occasion of the anniversary. Europe's press also highlights the significance of the decision.

The alliance has survived brain death

Swedish JAS-39 Gripen multi-role fighter aircraft were scrambled alongside Belgian and German aircraft to investigate an unidentified track over the Baltic Sea emanating from Kaliningrad.

As Sweden’s flag was being raised outside NATO Headquarters on Monday to mark its accession as the Alliance’s 32nd member, its aircraft were being scrambled as part of the quick reaction alert system over the Baltic Sea.

On the morning of March 11, Allied radar operators detected an unidentified, undeclared aircraft track over the Baltic Sea traveling from Kaliningrad towards mainland Russia. The controllers at NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany coordinated the launch of Swedish JAS-39 Gripen multi-role fighter aircraft assigned to NATO, as well as Belgian F-16AM fighter aircraft from Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania. The aircraft made a visual identification of a Russian Tupolev Tu-134 “Crusty” military airliner.

Utilizing FPV drones, Ukrainian Special Forces eliminated 13 Russian soldiers, several tanks, and a "Solntsepyok" heavy flamethrower.

The Special Operations Forces (SSO) reported via Telegram that during the day, one of its units eliminated 13 Russian soldiers and six pieces of equipment, including tanks and a heavy flamethrower system called "Solntsepyok," using FPV drones.

"25 occupiers and 6 pieces of equipment - the result of the work of one unit of the SSO per day," the caption to the released video read.

The move comes as the European Commission prepares to renew from June the duty-free status for Ukrainian products, while also proposing various safeguard measures.

EU Parliament lawmakers voted Wednesday to seek limits on duty-free imports of Ukrainian grain, which were allowed in the wake of Russia's invasion but which have drawn fierce criticism from farmers in the bloc.

The move comes as the European Commission prepares to renew from June the duty-free status for Ukrainian products, while also proposing various safeguard measures which could be triggered in the case of "extreme necessity", such as limiting poultry, egg and sugar imports to average import levels from 2022-2023.

International concern grows as Russia’s Red Cross appears to be abandoning neutrality and independence as it increasingly becomes part of the Kremlin’s propaganda machine.

The Guardian reported on Tuesday that the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), which has oversight of 191 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, is under pressure by Western governments and other donors to take action against the Russian Red Cross (RRC), which is increasingly participating in events that support propaganda activities linked with Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

A leak of Kremlin documents, shared by the Estonian investigative publication Delfi with nine other European media outlets, cast light on the links between Pavel Savchuk, the head of the RRC, and the central headquarters of the All-Russian Popular Front (ONF).