Short on time, Biden sought new Ukraine tank plan to break stalemate
After weeks of failing to persuade Chancellor Olaf Scholz to free up Germany’s Leopard 2 tanks for shipment to Ukraine, President Biden was ready to make one more try. Kyiv’s forces were convinced that if Western tanks weren’t on the battlefield by spring, it might be too late for them to thwart a coming Russian offensive and launch a successful one of their own.
In a late morning call with Scholz from the White House on Jan. 17, Biden tried several tacks.
Britain had announced it would send 14 of its Challenger tanks, he reminded Scholz, addressing the chancellor’s concern that Germany not be the first to challenge the Russians by giving Ukraine a major new weapons system. The United States and other NATO partners had tentatively approved the transfer of hundreds of lesser, but effective, armored combat vehicles, he said, including American Bradleys and Strykers.
Read the full story here.
After weeks of failing to persuade Chancellor Olaf Scholz to free up Germany’s Leopard 2 tanks for shipment to Ukraine, President Biden was ready to make one more try. Kyiv’s forces were convinced that if Western tanks weren’t on the battlefield by spring, it might be too late for them to thwart a coming Russian offensive and launch a successful one of their own.
In a late morning call with Scholz from the White House on Jan. 17, Biden tried several tacks.
Britain had announced it would send 14 of its Challenger tanks, he reminded Scholz, addressing the chancellor’s concern that Germany not be the first to challenge the Russians by giving Ukraine a major new weapons system. The United States and other NATO partners had tentatively approved the transfer of hundreds of lesser, but effective, armored combat vehicles, he said, including American Bradleys and Strykers.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on allies to speed up weapons deliveries following pledges from Western nations to send battle tanks to Ukraine.
- An overnight Russian missile strike badly damaged a residential building in Kharkiv, governor Oleh Synyehubov said Monday on Telegram.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea to increase military support to Ukraine during a visit to Seoul on Monday.
- Zelensky described the situation on the front lines in the eastern Donetsk region as “very tough.”
- Training with German-made Leopard 2 tanks is set to begin within days as Germany and Poland rush deliveries for spring.
- Ukraine’s military said that Russian forces shelled Bakhmut, the center of some of the fiercest fighting in recent months.
More live updates here.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on allies to speed up weapons deliveries following pledges from Western nations to send battle tanks to Ukraine.
- An overnight Russian missile strike badly damaged a residential building in Kharkiv, governor Oleh Synyehubov said Monday on Telegram.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea to increase military support to Ukraine during a visit to Seoul on Monday.
- Zelensky described the situation on the front lines in the eastern Donetsk region as “very tough.”
- Training with German-made Leopard 2 tanks is set to begin within days as Germany and Poland rush deliveries for spring.
- Ukraine’s military said that Russian forces shelled Bakhmut, the center of some of the fiercest fighting in recent months.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine.
- France has not ruled out sending fighter jets to Ukraine but would only do so under certain criteria, President Emmanuel Macron said Monday, including a condition that would bar Kyiv from using the aircraft to attack Russian territory.
- The Pentagon announced Monday the first shipment of Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine. More than 60 Bradleys departed from North Charleston, S.C., last week.
- President Biden said the United States will not send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
- France and Australia will jointly supply Ukraine with thousands of 155-millimeter artillery shells, the two nations’ defense ministers said Monday.
- Russian strikes hit the cities of Kherson and Ochakiv in southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military said early Tuesday local time. Civilians were among the victims, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
More live updates here.
- France has not ruled out sending fighter jets to Ukraine but would only do so under certain criteria, President Emmanuel Macron said Monday, including a condition that would bar Kyiv from using the aircraft to attack Russian territory.
- The Pentagon announced Monday the first shipment of Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine. More than 60 Bradleys departed from North Charleston, S.C., last week.
- President Biden said the United States will not send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
- France and Australia will jointly supply Ukraine with thousands of 155-millimeter artillery shells, the two nations’ defense ministers said Monday.
- Russian strikes hit the cities of Kherson and Ochakiv in southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military said early Tuesday local time. Civilians were among the victims, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
More live updates here.
66,000 war crimes have been reported in Ukraine. It vows to prosecute them all.
The 25 Russians convicted so far of war crimes in Ukrainian courts include a soldier who forced two Ukrainians at gunpoint to hand over laptops and money, four who beat and tortured Ukrainian soldiers, and two who admitted shelling residential buildings in the first weeks of the war.
Over 66,000 additional alleged war crimes have been reported to Ukrainian authorities since the Russian invasion began in February, according to Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General. The number is growing by hundreds every day as investigators fan out into areas retaken from the Russians and Ukrainians step up to lodge complaints, ranging from the theft of property to torture, murder, rape, the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and the relentless missile strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure.
It’s a staggering number of cases, one that would overwhelm any judicial system anywhere, legal experts say.
Read the full story here.
The 25 Russians convicted so far of war crimes in Ukrainian courts include a soldier who forced two Ukrainians at gunpoint to hand over laptops and money, four who beat and tortured Ukrainian soldiers, and two who admitted shelling residential buildings in the first weeks of the war.
Over 66,000 additional alleged war crimes have been reported to Ukrainian authorities since the Russian invasion began in February, according to Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General. The number is growing by hundreds every day as investigators fan out into areas retaken from the Russians and Ukrainians step up to lodge complaints, ranging from the theft of property to torture, murder, rape, the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and the relentless missile strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure.
It’s a staggering number of cases, one that would overwhelm any judicial system anywhere, legal experts say.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine intel chief predicted Russia’s war. He says Crimea will be retaken.
KYIV, Ukraine — Hours before all of his warnings about a Russian invasion were proved spot-on, Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence boss, moved his wife into his office, fearing that the worst would not indeed happen.
It was Feb. 23 — the night before Russia launched its war on Ukraine — and Budanov had staked his career on being the rare Ukrainian official who was convinced that Russia was about to attack and attempt to capture Kyiv, the capital.
He and his wife stared at the clock that night, anxious that Budanov could soon be out of work if all did not go as he had loudly predicted to Ukraine’s skeptical political leadership.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Hours before all of his warnings about a Russian invasion were proved spot-on, Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence boss, moved his wife into his office, fearing that the worst would not indeed happen.
It was Feb. 23 — the night before Russia launched its war on Ukraine — and Budanov had staked his career on being the rare Ukrainian official who was convinced that Russia was about to attack and attempt to capture Kyiv, the capital.
He and his wife stared at the clock that night, anxious that Budanov could soon be out of work if all did not go as he had loudly predicted to Ukraine’s skeptical political leadership.
Read the full story here.
More Americans say U.S. is giving Ukraine too much aid
More Americans say the United States has provided too much aid to war-torn Ukraine, a shift in opinion due in large part to a growing partisan divide, according to the Pew Research Center’s latest polling.
As Russia’s invasion approaches its first anniversary, Americans largely back some sort of aid, but support for the Biden administration’s approach is fading, especially among Republicans, according to the survey released Tuesday. The poll found that about a quarter of Americans now say the United States is providing too much support to Ukraine, up six percentage points since September and 19 points since March, shortly after the war began. Meanwhile, 31 percent say it is giving the right amount. One-fifth of Americans would like to see the United States give Ukraine additional assistance, according to the poll conducted Jan. 18 to 24 among 5,152 U.S. adults. Over 20 percent said they were not sure.
Read the full story here.
More Americans say the United States has provided too much aid to war-torn Ukraine, a shift in opinion due in large part to a growing partisan divide, according to the Pew Research Center’s latest polling.
As Russia’s invasion approaches its first anniversary, Americans largely back some sort of aid, but support for the Biden administration’s approach is fading, especially among Republicans, according to the survey released Tuesday. The poll found that about a quarter of Americans now say the United States is providing too much support to Ukraine, up six percentage points since September and 19 points since March, shortly after the war began. Meanwhile, 31 percent say it is giving the right amount. One-fifth of Americans would like to see the United States give Ukraine additional assistance, according to the poll conducted Jan. 18 to 24 among 5,152 U.S. adults. Over 20 percent said they were not sure.
Read the full story here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine:
- The United States accused Russia on Tuesday of not complying with its obligations under New START, the only remaining treaty limiting the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.
- President Biden simply responded “no” when he was asked by a reporter if the United States would send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
- France will send 12 additional Caesar howitzers to Ukraine, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said after meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov in Paris on Tuesday.
- Ukraine will receive between 120 and 140 Western tanks in the first batch of contributions from allies, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Tuesday, Reuters reported. Those will include the German Leopard 2, the British Challenger 2 and the U.S. M1 Abrams, he said.
- Ukrainian forces may have fired banned antipersonnel mines into Russian-controlled territory, according to a report Tuesday by Human Rights Watch.
More live updates here.
- The United States accused Russia on Tuesday of not complying with its obligations under New START, the only remaining treaty limiting the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.
- President Biden simply responded “no” when he was asked by a reporter if the United States would send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
- France will send 12 additional Caesar howitzers to Ukraine, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said after meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov in Paris on Tuesday.
- Ukraine will receive between 120 and 140 Western tanks in the first batch of contributions from allies, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Tuesday, Reuters reported. Those will include the German Leopard 2, the British Challenger 2 and the U.S. M1 Abrams, he said.
- Ukrainian forces may have fired banned antipersonnel mines into Russian-controlled territory, according to a report Tuesday by Human Rights Watch.
More live updates here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine:
- President Biden’s blunt “no” when asked Monday whether he would send F-16s to Ukraine was met with skepticism at the Pentagon.
- Ukraine’s Defense Ministry responded to a report accusing it of firing rockets carrying banned antipersonnel mines into Russian-controlled territory. In a statement on Telegram, the ministry said Ukraine is exercising its right to self-defense, according to Article 51 of the U.N. Charter. It also urged Human Rights Watch, which released the report, to pressure Russia to end its “criminal war.”
- The Dnieper River in southern Ukraine has been subjected to “some of the most intense shelling in the conflict” so far, the British Defense Ministry said in an update Wednesday. It called Kherson “the most consistently shelled large Ukrainian city” outside the eastern Donbas region. The reason for this military focus was unclear.
- Poland and France appear open to supplying Ukraine with fighter jets.
More live updates here.
- President Biden’s blunt “no” when asked Monday whether he would send F-16s to Ukraine was met with skepticism at the Pentagon.
- Ukraine’s Defense Ministry responded to a report accusing it of firing rockets carrying banned antipersonnel mines into Russian-controlled territory. In a statement on Telegram, the ministry said Ukraine is exercising its right to self-defense, according to Article 51 of the U.N. Charter. It also urged Human Rights Watch, which released the report, to pressure Russia to end its “criminal war.”
- The Dnieper River in southern Ukraine has been subjected to “some of the most intense shelling in the conflict” so far, the British Defense Ministry said in an update Wednesday. It called Kherson “the most consistently shelled large Ukrainian city” outside the eastern Donbas region. The reason for this military focus was unclear.
- Poland and France appear open to supplying Ukraine with fighter jets.
More live updates here.
Ukraine announces new round of anti-corruption measures ahead of E.U. summit
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials announced high-profile searches, firings and investigations on Wednesday just ahead of an E.U. summit, in what appears to be the second round in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ongoing campaign to crack down on the corruption that could undermine support for his country.
The anti-corruption measures take place two days before Ukraine prepares to host a summit with the European Union in Kyiv, which Ukrainian officials hope will bolster their bid to become a full member of the political and economic bloc.
In his regular evening address on Tuesday, Zelensky said officials were “preparing new reforms” that would “change the social, legal and political reality in many ways, making it more human, transparent and effective,” adding that “details will be announced later.”
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials announced high-profile searches, firings and investigations on Wednesday just ahead of an E.U. summit, in what appears to be the second round in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ongoing campaign to crack down on the corruption that could undermine support for his country.
The anti-corruption measures take place two days before Ukraine prepares to host a summit with the European Union in Kyiv, which Ukrainian officials hope will bolster their bid to become a full member of the political and economic bloc.
In his regular evening address on Tuesday, Zelensky said officials were “preparing new reforms” that would “change the social, legal and political reality in many ways, making it more human, transparent and effective,” adding that “details will be announced later.”
Read the full story here.
Along front-line river, this deadly road shows toll of Russia’s war
ALONG THE SOUTHERN DNIEPER RIVER, Ukraine — Only the water keeps them apart.
Russian soldiers — pushed into retreat by a counteroffensive late last year — control the east bank of the mighty Dnieper River. Ukrainians control the west.
As Ukraine awaits new tanks from the United States and Europe, and fighting rages over strategic towns in the east, a war of attrition is underway in this southern battleground. The river limits territorial advances, permitting — for now at least — only destruction from a distance.
Read the full story here.
ALONG THE SOUTHERN DNIEPER RIVER, Ukraine — Only the water keeps them apart.
Russian soldiers — pushed into retreat by a counteroffensive late last year — control the east bank of the mighty Dnieper River. Ukrainians control the west.
As Ukraine awaits new tanks from the United States and Europe, and fighting rages over strategic towns in the east, a war of attrition is underway in this southern battleground. The river limits territorial advances, permitting — for now at least — only destruction from a distance.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, undertook "a series of large-scale and investigative measures aimed at fighting the internal enemy,” which included dozens of searches across the country, it said in a news release Wednesday.
- President Biden’s blunt “no” when asked whether he would send F-16s to Ukraine was met with skepticism at the Pentagon.
- Russia is preparing to hold elections in the Ukrainian territories it occupies, Russian Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko told reporters Wednesday.
- The Dnieper River in southern Ukraine has been subjected to “some of the most intense shelling in the conflict” so far, the British Defense Ministry said.
- Russian shelling in Kherson resulted in civilian casualties, and civilian infrastructure has been damaged in Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson, the Ukrainian military’s General Staff reported early Wednesday.
More live updates here.
- Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, undertook "a series of large-scale and investigative measures aimed at fighting the internal enemy,” which included dozens of searches across the country, it said in a news release Wednesday.
- President Biden’s blunt “no” when asked whether he would send F-16s to Ukraine was met with skepticism at the Pentagon.
- Russia is preparing to hold elections in the Ukrainian territories it occupies, Russian Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko told reporters Wednesday.
- The Dnieper River in southern Ukraine has been subjected to “some of the most intense shelling in the conflict” so far, the British Defense Ministry said.
- Russian shelling in Kherson resulted in civilian casualties, and civilian infrastructure has been damaged in Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson, the Ukrainian military’s General Staff reported early Wednesday.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine.
- President Zelensky praised an ongoing anti-corruption drive after Ukrainian authorities raided multiple locations tied to incumbent and past members of government. The push comes days ahead of a summit in Kyiv between Ukraine and the E.U.
- The former head of procurement at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry was charged with embezzlement for allegedly buying nearly 3,000 bulletproof vests of inadequate quality for more than $2.7 million.
- Russia may launch an offensive on or around Feb. 24, the anniversary of the start of Russia’s invasion last year, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said.
- At least three were killed in Kramatorsk in a missile strike on a residential building, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. The building was “completely destroyed” by a Russian missile, the governor of the Donetsk region said.
- France is supplying Ukraine with air defense radar systems to track incoming missiles and drones in the area around Kyiv.
More live updates here.
- President Zelensky praised an ongoing anti-corruption drive after Ukrainian authorities raided multiple locations tied to incumbent and past members of government. The push comes days ahead of a summit in Kyiv between Ukraine and the E.U.
- The former head of procurement at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry was charged with embezzlement for allegedly buying nearly 3,000 bulletproof vests of inadequate quality for more than $2.7 million.
- Russia may launch an offensive on or around Feb. 24, the anniversary of the start of Russia’s invasion last year, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said.
- At least three were killed in Kramatorsk in a missile strike on a residential building, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. The building was “completely destroyed” by a Russian missile, the governor of the Donetsk region said.
- France is supplying Ukraine with air defense radar systems to track incoming missiles and drones in the area around Kyiv.
More live updates here.
In visit to wartime Kyiv, E.U. sells ‘European dream’ that remains distant
Ukrainian officials have a long list of requests for their European allies this week: fighter jets and other heavy weaponry to fend off a looming Russian offensive, E.U. membership within a few years, legal mechanisms to hold Russians to account, and a plan to use seized Russian assets for reconstruction.
But a group of senior E.U. officials trekking to Kyiv, Ukraine, this week are unlikely to offer concrete promises on any of these. Instead, an unusual, wartime summit in Kyiv is expected to just yield a statement lauding Ukraine’s efforts and urging the country to continue reforms, as well progress on issues like roaming-free mobile access. That, and photo ops.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian officials have a long list of requests for their European allies this week: fighter jets and other heavy weaponry to fend off a looming Russian offensive, E.U. membership within a few years, legal mechanisms to hold Russians to account, and a plan to use seized Russian assets for reconstruction.
But a group of senior E.U. officials trekking to Kyiv, Ukraine, this week are unlikely to offer concrete promises on any of these. Instead, an unusual, wartime summit in Kyiv is expected to just yield a statement lauding Ukraine’s efforts and urging the country to continue reforms, as well progress on issues like roaming-free mobile access. That, and photo ops.
Read the full story here.
Russia defies pariah image with diplomatic blitz ahead of war anniversary
Russia has launched a broad diplomatic blitz to counter its image as a pariah state in the run-up to the anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine, which severed Moscow’s ties with the West and even alarmed some of the Kremlin’s traditional allies.
In the past week, President Vladimir Putin phoned Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to coordinate goals for Wednesday’s OPEC Plus meeting of oil producers, showing it’s still a player in oil markets. The government also said it was expecting a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping this year, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with counterparts from Egypt and Pakistan, after returning from diplomatic trip crisscrossing Africa.
Read the full story here.
Russia has launched a broad diplomatic blitz to counter its image as a pariah state in the run-up to the anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine, which severed Moscow’s ties with the West and even alarmed some of the Kremlin’s traditional allies.
In the past week, President Vladimir Putin phoned Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to coordinate goals for Wednesday’s OPEC Plus meeting of oil producers, showing it’s still a player in oil markets. The government also said it was expecting a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping this year, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with counterparts from Egypt and Pakistan, after returning from diplomatic trip crisscrossing Africa.
Read the full story here.
Kramatorsk strike kills three
Senior European officials arrived in Kyiv on Thursday, in what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted was a demonstration “that the EU stands by Ukraine as firmly as ever.” The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, announced that the bloc would double the number of Ukrainian soldiers it trains, and it pledged around $27 million to fund demining efforts.
E.U. leaders will take part in a wartime summit with Ukraine on Friday, which Kyiv hopes will help its bid to become a member of the bloc. However, E.U. officials are unlikely to offer Ukraine any concrete promises during the meeting, and full membership is likely to be years, if not decades, away.
Two more Russian missiles hit a residential area of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, according to a local official. At least three people were killed Wednesday night in a missile strike that destroyed a residential building, the governor of the Donetsk region said.
Read the full story here.
Senior European officials arrived in Kyiv on Thursday, in what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted was a demonstration “that the EU stands by Ukraine as firmly as ever.” The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, announced that the bloc would double the number of Ukrainian soldiers it trains, and it pledged around $27 million to fund demining efforts.
E.U. leaders will take part in a wartime summit with Ukraine on Friday, which Kyiv hopes will help its bid to become a member of the bloc. However, E.U. officials are unlikely to offer Ukraine any concrete promises during the meeting, and full membership is likely to be years, if not decades, away.
Two more Russian missiles hit a residential area of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, according to a local official. At least three people were killed Wednesday night in a missile strike that destroyed a residential building, the governor of the Donetsk region said.
Read the full story here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine:
- The E.U. will “deepen further our support and cooperation” with Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, while noting that it was the fourth time she has visited Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.
- Von der Leyen said an international center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine will be established in The Hague.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised an ongoing anti-corruption drive as “movement toward justice,” after the home of oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky and construction companies were raided in Kyiv and top officials were investigated and dismissed Wednesday.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sidestepped questions about Ukraine’s request for F-16 fighter jets during his visit to the Philippines.
- Russia’s foreign minister appeared to suggest that Moscow would need to launch an offensive in response to the Western supply of weapons in Ukraine.
More live updates here.
- The E.U. will “deepen further our support and cooperation” with Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, while noting that it was the fourth time she has visited Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.
- Von der Leyen said an international center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine will be established in The Hague.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised an ongoing anti-corruption drive as “movement toward justice,” after the home of oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky and construction companies were raided in Kyiv and top officials were investigated and dismissed Wednesday.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sidestepped questions about Ukraine’s request for F-16 fighter jets during his visit to the Philippines.
- Russia’s foreign minister appeared to suggest that Moscow would need to launch an offensive in response to the Western supply of weapons in Ukraine.
More live updates here.