Since the previous update, several developments have taken place in the Russia-Ukraine War, as enlistments ramp up in Ukraine and next week’s peace summit struggles to gain traction. Below are the latest events:
D-Day, Zelensky and Putin’s Statements
On 6th of June, United States President Joe Biden and several international leaders took part in the 80th anniversary celebrations of D-Day in Normandy, France. As part of the celebrations that involved no less than French President Emmanuel Macron, Charles III of United Kingdom, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and many veterans who took part back in 1444, President Biden made his speech declaring Ukrainian forces’ surrender to Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian War to be unthinkable, before urging greater cooperation and support among the NATO allies and the West to take greater initiative in protecting Ukraine.
Also present at the celebrations was Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who has a busy schedule ahead in the coming weeks. The Ukrainian head of state met with President Macron in Paris this Friday, where on-ground situations and Ukraine’s wartime needs were discussed, on top of delivering a speech at the French Assemblée Nationale. This follows Macron’s announcement that the French will be providing Ukraine with Mirage fighter jets in self-defence. This follows precedents taken by Poland and Denmark last year, and most recently Belgium in late May with their F-16 fighter jets.
This news was also accompanied by Zelensky’s long-awaited meetings with President Biden, who had not met since Zelensky’s visit to Washington D.C. last December. The heads of the state met privately in Normandy and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has previously announced that they would also meet at the G7 meeting from 13th to 15th of June in Bari, Italy.
Russia was not invited to the celebrations, in the meanwhile. On 5th June, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a rare press conference involving foreign press, where Russia suggested the possibility of arming nations opposed to Western nations elsewhere in the world. “If someone thinks it is possible to supply such weapons to a warzone to attack our territory and create problems for us, why don’t we have the right to supply weapons of the same class to regions of the world where there will be strikes on sensitive facilities of those [Western] countries,” Putin said. Putin’s emphasis on reciprocity is one to note there, considering the recent ramp-up of European nations and the United States in supplying weaponry to Ukrainian forces. The continuing hostilities do not bode well for the status of detained Russian-American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been held in custody for over a year now.
Enlistments Ramp up in Ukraine
War costs lives, and in ways that are felt deeper the longer war continues. The Russo-Ukrainian War is no exception, with some of the finest people laying down their lives on the battlefields. Now the prominent poet and activist Serhiy Zhadan, a 49-year-old, who has previously supported Ukraine’s Orange and Maidan revolutions, expressed his intention to enlist during a live broadcast. He will be joining the 13th Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard set to fight in the Donetsk frontline.
The news of Zhadan’s enlistment comes at a time of particular uncertainty in Ukraine, as the war mobilisation efforts ramp up. As of 1st of June, Ukraine has eliminated the ‘residence abroad’ requirement that allowed Ukrainian men ages 18 to 65 with dual citizenship or a noted history of residence abroad to leave the country. While the said legislation, which also lowered the age men were required to attend a medical examination for recruitment from 27 to 25, was not passed in the Ukrainian Parliament until the 11th April, the legislation is seen to have codified the pre-existing stance held since the beginning of the war. Even then, with the passing of the legislation, it is expected that dual-nationals will be most affected, especially as Ukrainian law does not recognise dual citizenship.
Ukraine Peace Summit still up in the air
In recent weeks, there has been growing anticipation of calls to peace dialogue, as both Russia and Ukraine reach the point of war fatigue that has involved pushing their mobilisation to their very limits. While there is a growing consensus over the possibility of a peace process being discussed, both Russia and Ukraine have not exactly been able to bridge their differences to sit at the same table.
The most noticeable example of this problem has come in the form of participation in the upcoming Ukraine peace summit set to take place at Burgenstock Resort in Lucerne, Switzerland from 15th to 16th of June. The high-level peace conference, announced by the Federal Council of Switzerland in April, has been praised for its promise. Since then, however, the peace summit has seen difficult challenges in a saga that has most recently seen the United States President Biden’s decision not to attend the summit, with Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to attend in his place.
The bigger challenge, however, lies in the one-sided nature of the participation, with neither Russia nor China expected to be present. Back in January after the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Russian government had already stated their disagreement over the choice of Switzerland as a brokering state due to its role in supporting international sanctions against Russia. The Russian stance has remained firm since, with no change to the status quo; and in any case Russia is not among dozens of nations invited to the summit.
Greater pressure, however, lies on Zelensky’s shoulders. Ukraine has been making fruitless efforts to bring Russia’s biggest ally, China, on board for the summit. On 5th of June, Ukrainian first deputy foreign minister Andriy Sybiha met with the Chinese equivalent Sun Weidong in Beijing on a visit to China, with the hopes that China would be able to accept its invitation to the summit. This follows the earlier statements from President Zelensky, who has accused China of disrupting countries wishing to attend the summit. Mao Ning, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, denied Zelensky’s allegations in an immediate response, stating that China ‘never fanned fire or fuelled the flames’.
Unfortunately, it is expected that no change take place in the Chinese stance on the summit. While Ukraine has made great efforts to push for Chinese participation, Beijing has remained firm in their non-commitment to the upcoming summit with the foreign ministry statement only listing it as an exchange of views as to the conflict and international issues. It remains to be seen as to whether Zelensky, whose continued frustration with Beijing has been noticeable, is re-evaluating his position with Beijing.
