War in Ukraine - Selenskyj hopes for green light in EU accession talks: "Stronger when we are together"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has once again urged the start of accession negotiations in a telephone call with Italy's head of government Giorgia Meloni ahead of the EU summit. "I assume that the EU heads of state and government will recognize Ukraine's efforts and take this historic step," Selensky wrote on his Telegram channel on Wednesday. Ukraine had done its part of the work. He believed that the EU would demonstrate unity and strength, the Ukrainian president said, expressing optimism that he would receive an invitation to begin talks.
Accession negotiations for Ukraine are one of the major topics at the two-day EU summit starting this Thursday. In view of the ongoing Russian aggression, the prospect of EU accession is extremely important for Kiev. However, there is still resistance to EU accession negotiations within the Union. The Hungarian head of government, Viktor Orban, has made it clear several times in recent weeks that he does not believe any decisions should be made on EU accession negotiations with Ukraine at present - for example, because the country attacked by Russia has not yet fulfilled all the reform requirements.
Selensky wrote on the X platform (formerly Twitter) early on Thursday morning that he had also spoken to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the new Polish head of government, Donald Tusk, on the phone. With Michel, he discussed the "expected results for Ukraine" at the summit, which must demonstrate the EU's unwavering support and unity. "Both are necessary to strengthen Ukraine's resilience against Russian aggression and on the path to EU membership." He said he had spoken with Tusk about the upcoming decisions at the summit, which would bring the entire European community together. "I heard words of sincere support. We are stronger when we are together," Selensky wrote.
Russia reports defense against drone attacks from Ukraine
According to Russia, it once again repelled Ukrainian drone attacks on Thursday night. Nine unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted over the Moscow and Kaluga regions, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced according to the state news agency Tass. This could not initially be verified independently. It happens time and again that Russia claims to have successfully repelled attacks, but then damage is reported.
Russia has been waging a war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine for more than 21 months. In its defensive campaign against the Russian invasion, Ukraine has repeatedly shelled Russian territory - both in the border region and in the hinterland. However, the number of casualties and damage are disproportionate to the serious consequences of the war in Ukraine.
Moscow's military bloggers report the capture of Marjinka - Kiev denies it
The Ukrainian military has denied the capture of the town of Marjinka in the Donetsk region claimed by Russian military bloggers. "Information and provocations continue to be spread about the alleged complete capture of the city. The defense continues," wrote the Ukrainian commander responsible for this section of the front, Olexandr Tarnavskyi, on his Telegram channel on Wednesday. According to him, the Russian occupiers are continuing their assault attempts. The information cannot be verified independently.
Alongside Avdiivka, the heavily destroyed Mariinka is one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in the Donbass region. In the two towns upstream of the industrial metropolis of Donetsk, they are deploying heavy technology and also the air force. Donetsk has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. According to Tarnawskyj, 19 air strikes were carried out on Marjinka and Avdiivka within two days.
The first Russian military blogs such as Operazija Z had already reported on the alleged capture of Mariinka on Tuesday. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not officially report the capture and instead spoke of successful Russian attacks on Ukrainian positions in the Mariinka area.
Part of the telephone network restored
After more than 30 hours of total outage, Ukraine's largest mobile phone provider Kyivstar apparently brought the first subscribers back online. This mainly affects the capital Kiev and other major cities, as Ukrainian media reported on Wednesday. In a statement, the company confirmed that the telephone network would be gradually restored from 6 p.m. (5 p.m. CET). Short messages and mobile internet should be possible again over the next 24 hours. The day before, Kyivstar's network was completely down following an unprecedented hacker attack. The provider claims to have a good 24 million subscribers. An act of Russian sabotage is suspected.
What will be important for Ukraine on Thursday
A two-day summit of the European Union begins in Brussels, from which Kiev hopes to get the green light for the start of EU accession negotiations. Meanwhile, in Moscow, Russian President Putin will once again present his views on the war he has ordered in Ukraine at his annual press conference and public address.
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- The EU heads of state and government will discuss Ukraine's accession negotiations during the upcoming EU summit, following Volodymyr Zelensky's call for beginnings.
- Giorgia Meloni, Italy's head of government, expressed her support for Ukraine during a phone call with Zelensky, advocating for a stronger EU stance.
- Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, and Donald Tusk, the new Polish head of government, also spoke with Zelensky, reassuring him of the EU's unity and solidarity towards Ukraine.
- Viktor Orban, the Hungarian head of government, has expressed opposition to starting EU accession negotiations with Ukraine due to the country's unfulfilled reform requirements.
- Despite Orban's resistance, Zelensky remains optimistic that EU leaders will recognize Ukraine's efforts and progress during the summit.
- Russia has reported intercepting nine Ukrainian drone attacks in the Moscow and Kaluga regions, as part of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
- Vladimir Putin will present his views on the war in Ukraine during a press conference, while the EU leaders convene in Brussels.
- Ukraine has denied Russian military bloggers' claims of capturing the town of Marjinka in the Donetsk region, despite repeated Russian assault attempts.
- Marjinka and Avdiivka are key targets for Russian forces in the Donbass region, as they deploy heavy artillery and air forces in their offensive.
- Kyivstar, Ukraine's largest mobile phone provider, has managed to restore some of its network after a significant hacker attack resulted in a total outage.
- Russia has been waging an aggressive war against Ukraine for over 21 months, causing widespread damage and casualties in the neighboring country.
- Following Zelensky's urging, the European Council needs to demonstrate unity and support for Ukraine in order to bolster its resilience against Russian aggression and to advance in EU accession negotiations.
Source: www.stern.de
