War against Ukraine: this is the situation
Despite the ongoing Russian war of aggression, the Ukrainian leadership wants to release soldiers from the armed forces at the end of their compulsory military service. President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said in his daily video message that this concerns conscripts who were drafted before the war began. According to the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Olexiy Danilov, Zelensky asked the military leadership to demobilize these soldiers. There was no concrete information on the timing of the dismissals.
The promises are seen as a concession to the soldiers who have been fighting on the front line since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression 21 months ago. In recent weeks, there have been several demonstrations by members of these conscripts, who have called for more rotation in order to give the fighters the opportunity to recover for a longer period of time. However, according to the current martial law, the soldiers cannot be demobilized so easily. A new law would have to be passed for this to happen.
While Danilov stated that the dismissals should begin in the near future, Zelensky himself was much more secretive. A concrete plan for mobilization is to be presented next week. Zelensky announced this at a press conference with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs. Around 820,000 Ukrainians are currently serving in the armed forces. In order to be able to send at least some of the conscripts home for a certain period of time, other soldiers have to be recruited so that the front does not collapse.
Zelensky replaces several generals in the National Guard
Meanwhile, Zelensky made short work of the leadership of the National Guard. By decree, he dismissed several high-ranking generals. Lieutenant General Volodymyr Kondratyuk, the first deputy head of the National Guard, was the highest-ranking officer to leave, according to the presidential decree. Three other deputies were also affected. All but one of the generals had been in office before the war. The reasons behind the dismissals are still unclear.
Zelensky continues to put pressure on the EU
According to Selenskyj, Ukraine is hoping for the start of EU accession negotiations in December. At a meeting, he informed Latvian President Rinkēvičs about how Ukraine had implemented the European Commission's recommendations and that the country was ready for accession talks in December, he said in his daily video message on Friday. "We are waiting for this decision and for the European Union to fulfill its promises," Zelensky added.
Zelensky also reported on a conversation with outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. He thanked him for the recent decision to make an additional two billion euros available in the coming year. "The defense of our European way of life must continue, and the unity of Europe is a key element of this," he said.
After Wilders' election victory: concerns about aid to Ukraine
Selensky's statements are interesting because, following the election victory of Dutch right-wing populist Geert Wilders, Western allies are concerned about the continuation of military aid to Ukraine. Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren announced in The Hague that she had been approached by several foreign colleagues about this. They feared that the Netherlands would stop the supply of military equipment, such as F-16 fighter jets, as soon as Wilders became a member of the government. "I hope and expect that the support will remain," said the minister.
But the Wilders Party for Freedom (PVV) is now the largest, said Ollongren. "The PVV has never been enthusiastic about supporting Ukraine in the past, and has even made pro-Russian statements." In its election manifesto, the PVV speaks out against further military aid. "We will not send our money and military equipment such as F-16s to Ukraine, but will keep them for our own army."
Air raids cost Ukraine 150 million euros per month
The frequent air alert due to the risk of a Russian missile attack in Ukraine is not only annoying, but also expensive. Every day of forced standstill due to air alerts costs the Ukrainian budget three billion hryvnia (around 76 million euros) in tax revenue, calculated the head of the tax committee in parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, Danylo Hetmantsev, on his Telegram channel on Friday. At least two days per month would be lost due to the frequent alarm sirens. The loss to the budget and pension fund would therefore amount to six billion hryvnia (152 million euros) per month.
What will be important on Saturday
The fighting is currently particularly heavy in the Donetsk and Kherson regions.
In light of the financial strain caused by frequent air alerts, Zelensky's proposed demobilization of soldiers could potentially save the Ukrainian budget significant amounts of money. However, the current martial law makes it challenging to implement this without a new law. Additionally, the ongoing conflicts and war have led to concerns among Western allies about the continuation of military aid to Ukraine, particularly following the election victory of Geert Wilders in the Netherlands.
Source: www.dpa.com
