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Photo : AP-The Hindu
16 June 2022, Wednesday | NIAS Europe Daily Brief #229
War in Ukraine: Day 112
By Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan and Rishma Banerjee
War on the Ground
On 15 June, Ukraine’s commander in chief, Valeriy Zaluzhny, discussed on how the battles are being fought in the Luhansk region. He further mentioned that Russia had concentrated its main strike forces north of the Luhansk region and was launching a multi-prolonged attack from nine directions. Ukraine’s army has been defending the city of Sievierodonetsk while trying to stop the Russian forces from taking Lysychansk.
On the same day, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked US president Joe Biden for announcing the USD one billion arms package for Ukraine. Zelenskyy said he was grateful and that it would help Ukraine defend its Donbas region. Ukraine’s presidential aide, Mykhaylo Podolyak, had also appealed to the West for more military assistance ahead of the NATO meeting in Belgium.
Zelenskyy, addressing the Czech parliament, called on the EU to initiate Ukraine’s membership in the bloc. He asked the EU to grant its candidate country status to start the accession process. He added: “…the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the first step that the Russian leadership needs to open the way to other countries, to the conquest of other peoples.”
On 15 June, Ukraine’s prosecutor general confirmed that 21 more children were killed in Mariupol. This brings the total number of child casualties to 313 just in Mariupol and a total of 892 in all of Ukraine.
On 15 June, Sievierodonetsk’s mayor claimed that Ukraine was still controlling the industrial area and its perimeter. The area is in a strategic position as it creates the possibility of connecting with the city of Lysychansk. On the other hand, the 500 civilians trapped in the Azot plant attempted to flee as the shelling by Russian forces intensified. Luhansk region’s governor Serhiy Haidai said: “people can no longer stand it in the shelters, their psychological state is on edge.”
The Russia-backed separatists of the Luhansk People’s Republic claimed that Ukraine had disrupted the plans for a humanitarian corridor. Ukraine has been seeking to create a humanitarian corridor to evacuate the 500 civilians sheltering in the plant. Russia’s defence ministry has also accused Ukrainian forces of disrupting the efforts. However, Ukraine stated that there was no official communication on this.
The West View
Responses from the US and Europe
On 15 June, it was reported that France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz and Italy’s prime minister, Mario Draghi will be visiting Kyiv on 16 June. The visit will be to provide support to Ukraine as they struggle against Russia’s forces in Sievierodonetsk. It has taken weeks to coordinate and organise this visit and is significant as the European Commission will make a recommendation about Ukraine’s application to the EU shortly.
After a 41-minute phone call with Zelenskyy, US President Joe Biden released a statement pledging an additional USD one billion of weapons to Ukraine. Pentagon clarified that this new package will include 18 howitzers, 36,000 rounds of ammunition, two Harpoon coastal defence systems, artillery rockets, secure radios, thousands of night vision devices along with separate funding for training. Additionally, Biden has also sanctioned USD 225 million to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
At the sidelines of a meeting between the defence ministers of the NATO allied states, US’s defence secretary, Lloyd Austin said that the war in Ukraine was a “pivotal” moment. He also mentioned how the US and their allies cannot afford to be distracted from the war in Ukraine.
Two veterans from the US, who were fighting on Ukraine’s side in the war have reportedly been captured by Russia’s forces. The National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby referred to this incident and said that everything will be done to get them back. He also urged US nationals to not travel to Ukraine under the current situation.
Canada’s defence minister, Anita Anand announced that they will send 10 replacement barrels for M777 howitzer artillery guns and provide USD 6.9 million to Ukraine as aid.
Poland’s agriculture minister, Henryk Kowalczyk addressed the plan to build grain silos along the border of Ukraine and Poland. He agreed that this will make the export of Ukraine’s grains easier, but said that it can take three to four months to build the silos.
The Global Fallouts
Implications of the Ukraine war
On 15 June, China’s president Xi Jinping met with Putin and discussed the war in Ukraine. The two leaders agreed to work towards a possible resolution, and China mentioned that it could play a role in resolving the situation. Xi and Putin also agreed to expand cooperation “due to the west’s illegitimate sanctions policy.”
Concerning the situation of Sievierodonetsk, the UN mentioned that thousands of civilians were still trapped in the city with a diminishing supply of food, clean water, sanitation, and electricity. Furthermore, the UN chief, Antonio Guterres, highlighted the gender disparity in the peace talks. He added: “right to equal participation at all levels, is essential for building and maintaining peace.” This comes as the war in Ukraine forced millions of women and children to flee the country.
On the same day, a report by the UN stated how the food security crisis would push more people in poorer countries to flee their homes. In addition, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the war in Ukraine has adversely impacted the levels of global displacement.
References
“Russia attacking Luhansk in nine directions, Ukraine military says,” The Guardian Live, 15 June 2022
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed his gratitude to US president Joe Biden after the US announced a $1 billion arms package deal earlier on Wednesday,” The Guardian Live, 15 June 2022
“Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s office has confirmed that 21 more children have been killed in Mariupol, taking the total to 313, Euromaidan Press reports,” The Guardian Live, 15 June 2022
“Ukraine ‘still holds industrial area of Sievierodonetsk’, says mayor,” The Guardian Live, 15 June 2022
“Ukraine’s presidential aide, Mykhaylo Podolyak, appealed to western allies for greater military assistance ahead of a gathering of Nato officials in Belgium to discuss more supplies,” The Guardian Live, 15 June 2022
“Zelenskiy: Ukraine opens way for Russia to invade other countries,” The Guardian Live, 15 June 2022
“Around 500 civilians trapped in Azot plant attempt to flee,” The Guardian Live, 15 June 2022
"France's Macron, Germany's Scholz and Italy's Draghi on their way to Ukraine," Reuters, 16 June 2022
“Kremlin: Putin and Xi agree to expand cooperation ‘due to the west’s illegitimate sanctions policy,” The Guardian Live, 15 June 2022
“Thousands of civilians trapped in Sievierodonetsk as water supplies dwindle, UN says,” The Guardian Live, 15 June 2022
“UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that men need to stop excluding women from peace talks, citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a situation that is going backwards,” The Guardian Live, 15 June 2022
Emma Farge, “Food crisis will drive record displacement levels higher: UN refugee chief,” Reuters, 15 June 2022
IN BRIEF
By Emmanuel Royan
TURKEY
Fiscal policies fail to reduce the high inflation rate
On 15 June, an independent Turkish Inflation Research Group (ENAG) expected the inflation rate to be higher by 160.8 per cent than the previously stated 73.4 per cent in Turkey. TUIK, Turkey’s official statistics institution, has filed a case with federal prosecutors, accusing ENAG of spreading figures with the intent of damaging TUIK’s reputation. Turkey’s economy was already in trouble before Russia invaded Ukraine, but it has been spiralling out of control since February. Efforts by the government to prevent this have been ineffective. The minimum wage was significantly increased, but it did not keep pace with inflation, implying that workers effectively earn less, receiving roughly EUR 278 per month. (Elams Topcu, “Turkey: Erdogan’s fiscal policies fuel skyrocketing inflation,” Deutsche Welle, 15 June 2022)
THE NETHERLANDS
Minister’s suggestion for labor shortage faces criticism
On 15 June, the Netherlands social affairs minister Karien van Gennip was criticized for suggesting that unemployed youth in France can take up jobs in her country. Political actors responded that a million are already out of work in the Netherlands. Van Gennip said she was only reacting to a European Commission proposal to bring in migrant workers from outside the EU because there were enough young Europeans ready to fill the positions. In April, unemployment in the Netherlands was 3.2 per cent, whereas it was 7.2 per cent in France. According to research from 2021, 13.5 per cent of 15 to 29-year-olds in metropolitan France were unemployed, illiterate, or unskilled. (Paul Kirby, “Dutch idea to give jobs to French youths backfires,” BBC, 15 June 2022)
REGIONAL
The EU plans to impose legal actions on the UK over the post-Brexit trade deal
On 15 June, the EU announced legal action against the UK government over its unilateral amendment of the post-Brexit Northern Ireland protocol. The European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic reiterated that the UK’s action was breaching international law. The EU will now reopen the infringement procedure it started against the UK in 2021 when the Boris administration extended a grace period for trade on the island of Ireland unilaterally.That action was put on hold in September 2021 as both sides attempted to reach an agreement. Furthermore, the EU will take additional action against Johnson’s government for allegedly failing to carry out appropriate controls under EU laws and produce trade statistics data as required by the convention. (“Brexit: EU launches legal action against UK over Northern Ireland breach,” Deutsche Welle, 15 June 2022)
ENVIRONMENT
Extraordinary warming in the Barents Sea region
On 15 June, the Guardian examined a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, which revealed exceptional warming in the Barents Sea region, Arctic. The warming is taking place in the North Barents Sea, where rapidly rising temperatures are thought to be causing more extreme weather in North America, Europe, and Asia. The warming in this area, according to scientists, is an “early warning” of what might transpire over the whole of the Arctic. According to the new data, annual average temperatures in the region are rising by up to 2.7 degrees Celsius every decade, with particularly large surges of up to 4 degrees Celsius per decade in the fall months. As a result, the North Barents Sea and its islands are the world’s fastest-warming region. (Damian Carrington, “New data reveals extraordinary global heating in the Arctic,” The Guardian, 15 June 2022)
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Tech firms call for ease of cybersecurity criteria for the US big techs
On 14 June, Tech lobby firms in Brussels are urging the EU to reconsider plans to compel big cloud providers such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Google to comply with a new cybersecurity label to prevent the US from spying in Europe. Officials at the European Union’s Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA) are nearing completion of a certification programme for cloud providers to demonstrate that they adhere to rigorous cybersecurity requirements. However, the draft rules for obtaining the label might force cloud companies in the US to denounce Washington’s data-access regulations, restructure their operations, and even exclude foreign investors from decision-making. The primary lobby groups have stated that Europe’s attempt to boost sovereignty over the cloud sector is “politically motivated, will create complex legal compliance procedures and will not add to increased levels of cybersecurity.” (Laurens Cerulus, “Big Tech cries foul over EU cloud-security label,” POLITICO, 14 June 2022