Moscow’s combat position in the war in Ukraine will not be impacted by the loss of troops belonging to Russian paramilitary group Wagner, according to a senior Russian defense official.
Wagner forces were integral to Moscow’s advance in Kyiv before the group staged an attempted insurrection at the end of last month, damaging relations with the Kremlin’s top military brass irreconcilably.
The failed rebellion propelled Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin into exile in Belarus and the militia group said it has now suspended recruitment as it relocates to the country.
Members of Wagner group looks from a military vehicle in Rostov-on-Don late on June 24, 2023.
Roman Romokhov | AFP | Getty Images
Elsewhere, a new center for the prosecution of aggression in Ukraine opens on Monday, bolstering the capabilities of the Dutch-based International Criminal Court, which is limited in its mandate to pursue crimes of aggression.
The ICC already has open warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and a top aide for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. Over 700,000 Ukrainian minors have been taken across the Russian border in recent years, a senior Russian official said over the weekend, reiterating the Kremlin’s stance that it offers these children refuge.
In further evidence of solidarity with Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez carried out a visit to Kyiv on July 1 — the first day of his country’s assumption of the EU Council’s rotational presidency.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the phone Monday to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to a readout provided by the German government.
Zelenskyy thanked Scholz for continued military aid and Germany’s support for the renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is set to expire on July 17.
The two leaders also agreed to continue to stay in close contact as Russia’s war marches into its 500th day.
Kremlin casts doubt on renewal of Black Sea grain deal as expiry looms
A team inspects the produce in the ship carrying wheat from Ukraine to Afghanistan after inspection in the open sea around Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 24, 2023.
TUR Ministry of National Defence | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The Kremlin casted doubt on the renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a U.N.-backed deal that established a humanitarian sea corridor for agricultural products amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Under the agricultural deal, more than 32 million metric tons of foodstuffs have left from three Ukrainian ports for 45 global destinations.
The Black Sea grain deal is slated to expire later this month.
“Part of the agreements [with regards to Russia] is still not fulfilled. There is still some time before the deadline, but there are not so many hopes,” Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov told reporters at the Kremlin when asked about a possible extension.
Peskov added that he had nothing further to report on negotiations to renew the deal.
In recent months, Moscow has argued that the Black Sea Grain Initiative only benefits Kyiv and has called on all signatories of the deal to also include the export of Russian fertilizer.
Source: CNBC
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