Six states have already joined the G7 countries with which we agreed on security guarantees for Ukraine yesterday – address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

13 July 2023 – 22:32

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

A brief report on this day.

First. A meeting with Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Malyuk. A meeting with the heads of intelligence: Main Intelligence Directorate – Budanov, foreign intelligence – Lytvynenko. We analyze the situation very carefully – everything related to the war and everything important for internal security.

Second. A meeting with the international relations experts. The Government, the Office. We are already starting to prepare for the next NATO Summit in Washington. At the Vilnius Summit, we have reached good agreements for Ukraine with almost all partners. We had a very good meeting with President Biden and his team: Secretary of Defense Austin and National Security Advisor Sullivan.

With everyone in the G7, and we managed to meet with many partners in NATO. Now it is time to turn each such agreement into a concrete result. We have the NATO-Ukraine Council, and this format should work in a meaningful way. We are preparing proposals for our partners. There are new agreements on weapons, on equipment, on aviation, and we are now specifying them. Today we also discussed the preparation of the Crimea Platform.

We continue our very successful agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine on its way to NATO by preparing treaties with countries. Bilateral treaties. Only a day after Vilnius, six countries have already joined the seven largest democracies of the world with which we agreed on security guarantees yesterday: the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden. Thank you! I am confident that the number of guarantors will increase. Ukraine and the United States will keep a list of states that will join our joint declaration with the G7 on security guarantees on the path to NATO.

During the time period before the Washington Summit, we have to elaborate with our partners everything we discussed in Vilnius and form new common positions that Ukraine and our warriors clearly deserve.

I spoke today with President of the Republic of South Africa Ramaphosa. We do not lose focus on the Peace Formula and everything that is needed to implement the Formula for a single day. I invited Mr. President to join our “Grain from Ukraine” humanitarian initiative.

We equally see the need to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative. It is very important that there are no threats to food security anywhere in the world. And Russia must clearly realize that anyone who increases the threat of famine, particularly in critical regions of Africa, is terrorizing the whole world with hunger, not just a single nation.

Recently, representatives of presidents and foreign policy and national security advisors met in the Danish capital. Different countries. The meeting was dedicated to the Peace Formula and the preparation of the Global Peace Summit. I am grateful that the meeting was attended by a representative of the Republic of South Africa. We are already preparing for the next such meeting.

And, of course, I would like to thank each and every one of our warriors, all Ukrainian defenders. These days in Vilnius, at the NATO Summit, in the margins of the NATO Summit, at all the meetings, Ukraine enjoyed – and still enjoys – the greatest respect and support from our partners in all the years of our independence. Respect is always a derivative of courage, and attention to any country is always a consequence of the capabilities of that country. Ukraine is in the center of our partners’ attention. No longer Russia, as it was decades ago. And when we put an end to this war by establishing Russia’s defeat, respect and attention to Ukraine will be forever established in history – for all future generations of our people. But this is being achieved now, in battles for Ukraine, in offense and defense.

I thank everyone who is in combat, at combat posts and on combat missions! I thank everyone who defends our skies and who moves our positions on the ground forward. I thank everyone who works to ensure that our warriors have everything they need!

Glory to Ukraine!

🚀 Ukraine will receive over €1.5 billion in military aid from its international partners.

✳️ Long-range SCALP missiles, Leopard tanks, additional Patriots, F-16 pilot training are just some of the things that can be announced publicly.

We can mention at least seven packages…

— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) July 13, 2023

🚀 Ukraine will receive over €1.5 billion in military aid from its international partners.

✳️ Long-range SCALP missiles, Leopard tanks, additional Patriots, F-16 pilot training are just some of the things that can be announced publicly.

We can mention at least seven packages of military aid:

🇩🇪 Germany: new €700 million aid package includes 25 Leopard 1A5 tanks, 40 Marder 1A3 IFVs, 2 Patriot air defense systems, 5 Bergepanzer 2 SAMs, 20,000 155-mm artillery shells, 5,000 smoke shells;

🇦🇺 Australia: new defense package includes 30 Bushmaster APCs;

🇳🇴 Norway: 1,000 Black Hornet micro-drones, NASAMS support package (2 additional fire control centers, two launchers and spare parts); Norway also increased the size of the military aid budget to Ukraine from $240 to $930 million; there are agreements on strengthening air defense and artillery capabilities;

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: more than 70 combat vehicles, thousands of ammunition for tanks, a $64.7 million package of military aid for the repair of equipment;

🇫🇷 France: SCALP missiles and additional engineering equipment for demining;

🇳🇱 the Netherlands: agreement to start pilot training in August, contribution to strengthening Ukrainian air defense and artillery capabilities;

🇨🇦 Canada: $410 million in new funding and projects to support Ukraine and strengthen transatlantic security; reinforcement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with armored vehicles.

Meetings in Vilnius were very productive 💪

Stay tuned.

Apparently Presidently Zelenskyy’s predictable anger over the initial statements, as well as the communique language regarding Ukraine’s potential future ascension into NATO created a fair amount of unhappiness among President Biden’s senior national security appointees. And, as one could predict, they went running to The Washington Post to vent. Anonymously.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s confrontational tweet this week challenging NATO leaders on the glacial pace of his war-torn country’s admission into the alliance so roiled the White House that U.S. officials involved with the process considered scaling back the “invitation” for Kyiv to join, according to six people familiar with the matter.

Ultimately, the United States and its allies agreed they would preserve the declaration’s language as eventually presented Tuesday at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The declaration lacks a timeline for Ukraine’s accession into the bloc but was the product of hard-won efforts to move the Biden administration and other European leaders to grant more-specific offers to Kyiv amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.

The incident illustrates the frustration inside NATO with Zelensky’s pressure tactics, where even some of his strongest backers questioned this week whether he was serving Ukraine’s interests with his outburst. At the same time, the backroom scramble it set off shows how little the alliance can do about it: NATO nations are all-in on the war effort, and many member states remain deeply sympathetic to Zelensky’s demands for a greater level of support. And while many officials expressed annoyance with the tweet, there was an understanding that the leader of an embattled nation must demonstrate he will do anything to extract the maximum on behalf of his people.

Zelensky’s missive, launched as NATO leaders were gathering for the two-day summit, denounced as “unprecedented and absurd” what was then a draft of the membership language.

The Ukrainian leader’s public rebuke of the alliance stunned those assembled in the summit venue, an exposition hall on the outskirts of the Lithuanian capital, leaving the U.S. delegation “furious,” according to one official familiar with the situation. Like others, the person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks.

Ambassadors, ministers and other senior policymakers held informal talks about how the alliance should respond. U.S. officials raised the possibility of revisiting or striking the passage to which Zelensky had so forcefully objected: “We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met,” according to European officials involved in the negotiations.

Although Washington has given Kyiv billions of dollars worth of military aid and other support since the war began early last year, President Biden has favored a cautious approach, fearful that doing too much too quickly could risk escalating the crisis and drawing NATO into direct conflict with Russia. Biden attended the Vilnius summit with his secretary of state, Antony Blinken, who has traveled on to Jakarta, Indonesia, for a meeting of foreign ministers from Southeast Asia.

A U.S. official familiar with the conversations acknowledged that revisions to the declaration had been considered, saying the Biden administration was sensitive to Zelensky’s concerns and had hoped they might address them somehow.

Three other senior policymakers, however, two of whom were direct participants in the talks, said their strong perception was that the United States was getting ready to water down the document’s language — to make it less welcoming to a speedy Ukrainian accession to the alliance.

“Some wanted to withdraw the reference to ‘invitation,’” or find another place to put that word, said one of the senior policymakers, a NATO diplomat who took part in the talks.

Spokespeople for the White House and the Ukrainian presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Another senior NATO diplomat who took part in the frantic negotiations said that, although “several people” supported removing the phrasing that had upset Zelensky, the U.S. delegation “did not specifically want to take that promise” of an invitation out of the declaration. There was a consensus that reworking the document would delay its release and, “in the end, those most concerned about the Ukrainian reaction came to the conclusion that it would be better to stick with the text” as drafted.

“It sends a very clear and strong message,” this person said, “both to Ukraine and Russia.”

The Associated Press brings us a deep dive into how Ukrainian civilians are being forcibly removed to Russia and placed in prisons there. This is, of course, both a war crime and a clear indicator of genocide.

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian civilians woke long before dawn in the bitter cold, lined up for the single toilet and were loaded at gunpoint into the livestock trailer. They spent the next 12 hours or more digging trenches on the front lines for Russian soldiers.

Many were forced to wear overlarge Russian military uniforms that could make them a target, and a former city administrator trudged around in boots five sizes too big. By the end of the day, their hands curled into icy claws.

Nearby, in the occupied region of Zaporizhzhia, other Ukrainian civilians dug mass graves into the frozen ground for fellow prisoners who had not survived. One man who refused to dig was shot on the spot — yet another body for the grave.

Thousands of Ukrainian civilians are being detained across Russia and the Ukrainian territories it occupies, in centers ranging from brand-new wings in Russian prisons to clammy basements. Most have no status under Russian law.

And Russia is planning to hold possibly thousands more. A Russian government document obtained by The Associated Press dating to January outlined plans to create 25 new prison colonies and six other detention centers in occupied Ukraine by 2026.

In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in May allowing Russia to send people from territories with martial law, which includes all of occupied Ukraine, to those without, such as Russia. This makes it easier to deport Ukrainians who resist Russian occupation deep into Russia indefinitely, which has happened in multiple cases documented by the AP.

Many civilians are picked up for alleged transgressions as minor as speaking Ukrainian or simply being a young man in an occupied region, and are often held without charge. Others are charged as terrorists, combatants, or people who “resist the special military operation.” Hundreds are used for slave labor by Russia’s military, for digging trenches and other fortifications, as well as mass graves.

Torture is routine, including repeated electrical shocks, beatings that crack skulls and fracture ribs, and simulated suffocation. Many former prisoners told the AP they witnessed deaths. A United Nations report from late June documented 77 summary executions of civilian captives and the death of one man due to torture.

Russia does not acknowledge holding civilians at all, let alone its reasons for doing so. But the prisoners serve as future bargaining chips in exchanges for Russian soldiers, and the U.N. has said there is evidence of civilians being used as human shields near the front lines.

The AP spoke with dozens of people, including 20 former detainees, along with ex-prisoners of war, the families of more than a dozen civilians in detention, two Ukrainian intelligence officials and a government negotiator. Their accounts, as well as satellite imagery, social media, government documents and copies of letters delivered by the Red Cross, confirm a widescale Russian system of detention and abuse of civilians that stands in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Some civilians were held for days or weeks, while others have vanished for well over a year. Nearly everyone freed said they experienced or witnessed torture, and most described being shifted from one place to another without explanation.

“It’s a business of human trafficking,” said Olena Yahupova, the city administrator who was forced to dig trenches for the Russians in Zaporizhzhia. “If we don’t talk about it and keep silent, then tomorrow anyone can be there — my neighbor, acquaintance, child.”

INVISIBLE PRISONERS

The new building in the compound of Prison Colony No. 2 is at least two stories tall, separated from the main prison by a thick wall.

This facility in Russia’s eastern Rostov region has gone up since the war started in February 2022, according to satellite imagery analyzed by the AP. It could easily house the hundreds of Ukrainian civilians who are believed detained there, according to former captives, families of the missing, human rights activists and Russian lawyers. Two exiled Russian human rights advocates said it is heavily guarded by soldiers and armored vehicles.

The building in Rostov is among at least 40 detention facilities in Russia and Belarus, and there are 63 makeshift and formal ones in occupied Ukrainian territory where Ukrainian civilians are held, according to an AP map built on data from former captives, the Ukrainian Media Initiative for Human Rights, and the Russian human rights group Gulagu.net. The recent U.N. report counted a total of 37 facilities in Russia and Belarus and 125 in occupied Ukraine.

There is much, much, much more at the link including photojournalism.

I have something of a sub-specialty in Russian prison culture. The conditions are brutal and the prisons are controlled not just by Russian officials, but also by the criminal hierarchy of the vory, the thiefs in law. Many, if not most of the Ukrainian civilians that go in will not come out. Those that do will never be what they were before the Russians illegally incarcerated them.

Zaporizhzhia:

https://twitter.com/OlenaHalushka/status/1679368816030040065

ORIKHIV AXIS / 1645 UTC 13 APL/ ON 12 JUL, RU forces launched a series of offensive operations against the UKR salient: these attacks failed. Ukrainian forces are consolidating their positions and conducting counter-battery fire on RU artillery and striking command posts and air… pic.twitter.com/JuWdeVnr5D

— Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) July 13, 2023

Orikhiv:

ORIKHIV AXIS / 1645 UTC 13 APL/ ON 12 JUL, RU forces launched a series of offensive operations against the UKR salient: these attacks failed. Ukrainian forces are consolidating their positions and conducting counter-battery fire on RU artillery and striking command posts and air defense systems.

Bakhmut:

BAKHMUT AXIS /1900 UTC 13 JUL/ Gen’l Staff reports that under heavy artillery fire, UKR forces repelled numerous combined arms RU attacks in the vicinity of Bakhmut. Points of contact were not disclosed, though the usual threat axes are Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Hyrhorivka, Bohdanivka,… pic.twitter.com/yirrz1vJBj

— Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) July 13, 2023

BAKHMUT AXIS /1900 UTC 13 JUL/ Gen’l Staff reports that under heavy artillery fire, UKR forces repelled numerous combined arms RU attacks in the vicinity of Bakhmut. Points of contact were not disclosed, though the usual threat axes are Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Hyrhorivka, Bohdanivka, Khromove, and Ivanivske.

Velyka Novosila:

VELYKA NOVOSILA /1830 UTC 13 JUL/ Frontline sources indicate that UKR counter battery fire has targeted 23 RU artillery systems on all axes of contact. UKR forces consolidated positions north of Starornnaiorske and are pressing contact across the Mokri Yaly River at Urozhaine.… pic.twitter.com/OE8E6cAlWj

— Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) July 13, 2023

The Dnipro River:

Soldiers of the 73rd Marine Center of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine describe one of their operations in the Dnipro River Delta.
(46.5243582, 32.3619350)https://t.co/YvfETO7ZQt pic.twitter.com/z8Cv54H2vs

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) July 13, 2023

Time to buy more Frito-Lays stock!

President Zelensky himself has pushed for medical marijuana to be legalized. And recently there has been significant and growing support among Ukraine’s civil society for legislation to be passed so it can be used to treat the country’s wounded soldiers. https://t.co/5j9KEv8YMi

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 13, 2023

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

@patron__dsns

У мене для вас сюрприз! Вирішив подарувати нові іграшки з мультику за три найкращі історії про мої пригоди (пишіть їх у коментарях на YouTube). Тому мерщій вигадувати, а я вже через тиждень особисто оберу трьох переможців💛

♬ оригінальний звук – Patron_official

Here’s the machine translation of the caption:

I have a surprise for you! I’ve decided to give away new cartoon toys for the three best stories about my adventures (write them in the comments on YouTube). So get to writing, and in a week I will personally select three winners 💛

Open thread!

For the first time since independence, we have formed the foundation of security for Ukraine on its way to NATO – address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

13 July 2023 – 00:32

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

We are returning home with a good result for our country, and very importantly, for our warriors. A good reinforcement with weapons. This includes air defense, missiles, armored vehicles and artillery.

It is very important: for the first time since independence, we have formed a security foundation for Ukraine on its way to NATO. These are concrete security guarantees that are confirmed by the top 7 democracies in the world. Never before have we had such a security foundation, and this is the level of the G7. On this foundation, we will build a new, legally binding architecture of bilateral security treaties with the most powerful countries.

Very importantly, during these two days of the Summit, we have put to rest any doubts and ambiguities about whether Ukraine will be in NATO. It will! For the first time, not only do all Allies agree on this, but a significant majority in the Alliance is vigorously pushing for it. Never before have the words “you are equal among equals” for Ukraine from other NATO members sounded truly meaningful. Now everyone understands that this is a fact. Equal among equals. And we will definitely reaffirm this fact with our victory. And with our accession to NATO. Previously, Russia’s rulers wanted to have their own fence in front of NATO’s door. We have left this Russian ambition on the margins of European history – behind the fence of our unity in Europe and, more broadly, in the free world. I am grateful to all those who have worked for unity in Vilnius now!

I thank Mr. President Biden and the whole of America for showing that global freedom really does rely on American leadership. We are equally committed to a robust defense of freedom and work together with America to achieve this.

I thank Lithuania for organizing this Summit, it is truly historic for all of us… The countdown to a new security. Thank you for every Ukrainian flag on Lithuanian streets – and there were really many flags. And thank you, Vilnius, for the emotions!

It is important that Lithuania, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Albania, Iceland, and representatives of other countries emphasized that Russia and Russian war criminals must be punished fairly for what they have done against Ukraine. Aggression must be punished.

I am grateful to the countries and leaders who are preparing to start training our pilots on F16 jets in a few weeks… I thank the Netherlands! Thank you for your extremely important leadership in Europe. Denmark, thank you! Thank you for your very specific support!

The United Kingdom… Rishi, Mr. Prime Minister, I thank you for your help and for stating that we have to take the next step at the next NATO Summit. Ukraine is already among the equals in the Alliance and should be a real part of the Alliance.

France and Mr. President Macron… I thank you for your readiness to do everything necessary to liberate our entire territory from the occupiers. Thank you for supporting, together with America and Germany, the long-term programs of our common strength.

Olaf, Mr. Chancellor, it is very important to see Germany among our allies. All Ukrainians are grateful to you for the additional Patriots and missiles for them. This is the defense of life, and Germany has already saved thousands of lives. I thank you for your willingness to support us until we defeat the Russian terror.

Italy… I am grateful to the Italians, personally to Prime Minister Meloni, for the principled position. Every Ukrainian family has something to thank Italian security assistance for. There will be a new security package. And it is very important that Italy fully supports the Peace Formula.

Canada… Mr. Prime Minister Trudeau said that Canada will do everything to ensure that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is achieved as soon as possible. Thank you!

Poland’s principled position… That our membership in the Alliance is not only our security, it is the security of our entire region, at least. And it is very important that Poland supports Ukraine on its way to the Alliance – strongly, vigorously. Thank you!

Mr. President Erdoğan and Türkiye… He said today that he really sees Ukraine moving closer to membership in the Alliance. This means a lot. I thank you! Thank you also for the principled defense of security in the Black Sea… Türkiye is doing historic things for all of us.

President Erdoğan and the Prime Minister of Norway spoke today about reconstruction… The clarity of the partners’ commitments is extremely important. Thank you for that!

I thank Norway for its tangible leadership, for all the support that has already been provided… Now there is Norway’s readiness to join the G7 in guaranteeing security for Ukraine on its way to NATO as well. I am very grateful!

Portugal, Sweden, and the Netherlands also expressed their readiness to join the security guarantees for Ukraine… Thank you! We will make this system truly extensive and effective.

Mr. President of Romania… Thank you for your work on the pilot training hub. Thank you for supporting our cooperation on the Danube and in the Black Sea. Thank you for your extremely kind and honorable words about our warriors and the entire Ukrainian people.

Greece is also joining the long-term support of Ukraine. I am grateful for this!

Montenegro, thank you for choosing security and freedom for all in Europe, thank you for your defense support!

Spain will continue and increase the treatment and rehabilitation programs for our warriors and veterans. I thank you for your help in this very sensitive issue!

Bulgaria is preparing a new security assistance package and I am sure it will work very vigorously with everyone in the NATO-Ukraine Council. Thank you!

Slovakia and Mrs. President personally… Thank you for your sincere help and for making your country one of the European leaders in protecting our fundamental values.

Latvia, thank you for your faith in Ukraine and for your tangible defense support! Estonia, thank you for your initiative on munitions, which really strengthens and changes the history of Europe for the better and brings peace closer. Thank you also for your political support at the Summit.

Luxembourg, invariably principled. Thank you very much! The Czech Republic, thank you for all the weapons, and for the equipment, thank you for the helicopters… There will be a new defense package.

Albania, as clearly as possible: Ukraine will be in NATO, and Russia will be held accountable for its aggression. As Prime Minister Rama aptly said today, the Kremlin’s policy resembles Russia’s anthem: The words are different, but the music is the same. The threat is the same. NATO is the response.

Belgium – thank you for your principled position on the issue of reparations from Russia and for your clear support for the fact that Ukraine is at the table with everyone else in NATO.

North Macedonia, thank you for your clear support for Ukraine’s contribution to common security!

Finland, I thank you for your help and thank you for your very important words today that Ukrainian soldiers will soon be sharing their experience with the armies of other NATO members. It is true. The experience of winners is always powerful.

And Hungary… It was such a Summit where everyone was quite constructive. Thank you!

I would like to thank Mr. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. As always, they are pro-European, and therefore pro-Ukrainian.

Of course, Australia and Japan as security guarantors – thank you! I am grateful that peace and justice have become closer today, and Ukraine has become stronger.

Glory to Ukraine!

It's important to say that the NATO-Ukraine Council is not just a tool for participation, it is a tool for integration. And it gives us the feeling that we will be part of the Alliance.
I am confident that after the war Ukraine will be in @NATO. We will do everything for this.

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 12, 2023

A very good, powerful meeting with Mr. President Biden @POTUS.

The meeting was at least twice as long as planned, and it was as meaningful as it needed to be. If the protocol had not stopped the meeting, we would have talked even longer. All the topics. Long-term support.…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 12, 2023

 

A very good, powerful meeting with Mr. President Biden @POTUS.

The meeting was at least twice as long as planned, and it was as meaningful as it needed to be. If the protocol had not stopped the meeting, we would have talked even longer. All the topics. Long-term support. Weapons. Politics. @NATO. We clearly see how to end this war with our common victory.

Thank you, Mr. President!

#UkraineNATO33

🇺🇦🇺🇸

We continued the conversation on security guarantees for Ukraine on its way to NATO with Chancellor Scholz @Bundeskanzler . Thank you for your support!

There is an agreement on additional Patriot systems and missiles for them from Germany. This is very important for protecting… pic.twitter.com/oqZ2U3mA9Y

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 12, 2023

We continued the conversation on security guarantees for Ukraine on its way to NATO with Chancellor Scholz @Bundeskanzler. Thank you for your support!

There is an agreement on additional Patriot systems and missiles for them from Germany. This is very important for protecting life in Ukraine from Russian terror!

We substantially discussed further long-term defense cooperation between Ukraine and Germany, including the functioning of hubs for the repair of Western equipment. I am grateful for Germany’s readiness for long-term, multi-year support of Ukraine and our defense of freedom. Long-term support programs are the best signal to the world that our Europe will remain a space of security and peace.

🇺🇦🇩🇪

https://twitter.com/RikeFranke/status/1679013582715879425

Here’s the details on the G7 agreement(s):

VILNIUS, July 12 (Reuters) – G7 countries announced on Wednesday an international framework that paves the way for long-term security assurances for Ukraine to boost its defences against Russia and deter Moscow from future aggression.

JOINT DECLARATION OF SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE

We, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the strategic objective of a free, independent, democratic, and sovereign Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, capable of defending itself and deterring future aggression.

We affirm that the security of Ukraine is integral to the security of the Euro-Atlantic region.

We consider Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine to be a threat to international peace and security, a flagrant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and incompatible with our security interests. We will stand with Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression, for as long as it takes.

We stand united in our enduring support for Ukraine, rooted in our shared democratic values and interests, above all, respect for the UN Charter and the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Today we are launching negotiations with Ukraine to formalize — through bilateral security commitments and arrangements aligned with this multilateral framework, in accordance with our respective legal and constitutional requirements — our enduring support to Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity, rebuilds its economy, protects its citizens, and pursues integration into the Euro-Atlantic community. We will direct our teams to begin these discussions immediately.

We will each work with Ukraine on specific, bilateral, long-term security commitments and arrangements towards:

a) Ensuring a sustainable force capable of defending Ukraine now and deterring Russian aggression in the future, through the continued provision of:

● security assistance and modern military equipment, across land, air, and sea domains – prioritizing air defense, artillery and long-range fires, armored vehicles, and other key capabilities, such as combat air, and by promoting increased interoperability with Euro-Atlantic partners;

● support to further develop Ukraine’s defense industrial base;

● training and training exercises for Ukrainian forces;

● intelligence sharing and cooperation;

● support for cyber defense, security, and resilience initiatives, including to address hybrid threats.

b) Strengthening Ukraine’s economic stability and resilience, including through reconstruction and recovery efforts, to create the conditions conducive to promoting Ukraine’s economic prosperity, including its energy security.

c) Providing technical and financial support for Ukraine’s immediate needs stemming from Russia’s war as well as to enable Ukraine to continue implementing the effective reform agenda that will support the good governance necessary to advance towards its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

In the event of future Russian armed attack, we intend to immediately consult with Ukraine to determine appropriate next steps. We intend, in accordance with our respective legal and constitutional requirements, to provide Ukraine with swift and sustained security assistance, modern military equipment across land, sea and air domains, and economic assistance, to impose economic and other costs on Russia, and to consult with Ukraine on its needs as it exercises its right of self-defense enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. To this end, we will work with Ukraine on an enhanced package of security commitments and arrangements in case of future aggression to enable Ukraine to defend its territory and sovereignty.

In addition to the elements articulated above, we remain committed to supporting Ukraine by holding Russia accountable. This includes working to ensure that…

There must be no impunity for war crimes and other atrocities. In this context, we reiterate our commitment to holding those responsible to account, consistent with international law, including by supporting the efforts of international mechanisms, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC).

We reaffirm that, consistent with our respective legal systems, Russia’s sovereign assets in our jurisdictions will remain immobilized until Russia pays for the damage it has caused to Ukraine. We recognize the need for the establishment of an international mechanism for reparation of damages, loss or injury caused by Russian aggression and express our readiness to explore options for the development of appropriate mechanisms.

For its part, Ukraine is committed to:

Contributing positively to partner security and to strengthen transparency and accountability measures with regard to partner assistance;

a) Continuing implementation of the law enforcement, judiciary, anti-corruption, corporate governance, economic, security sector, and state management reforms that underscore its commitments to democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and media freedoms, and put its economy on a sustainable path;

b) Advancing defense reforms and modernization including by strengthening democratic civilian control of the military and improving efficiency and transparency across Ukraine’s defense institutions and industry.

The EU and its Member States stand ready to contribute to this effort and will swiftly consider the modalities of such contribution.

This effort will be taken forward while Ukraine pursues a pathway toward future membership in the Euro-Atlantic community.

Other countries that wish to contribute to this effort to ensure a free, strong, independent, and sovereign Ukraine may join this Joint Declaration at any time.

I think someone was asking about ATACMS:

Asked if he is thinking yet about sending ATACMS to Ukraine, Biden told me: Yes, but they already have the equivalent of atacms and what they need most of all is artillery shells. “We're working on that,” he said on tarmac as we left Vilnius. pic.twitter.com/r9kywIWKrF

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) July 12, 2023

I don’t know what Minister of Defense Wallace thinks the Ukrainians have been doing, but they seem to be very publicly grateful on a regular basis.

Ben Wallace, the British defence secretary said “people want to see a bit of gratitude” and Ukraine needed to put more emphasis on saying thank you for western help when he was asked about President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s complaints on Tuesday that the country had not been issued a firm timetable or set of conditions for joining Nato. Wallace said Ukrainians’ haste to get all the help they could meant they did not always say they were grateful for the help received. “Whether we like it or not, people want to see a bit of gratitude,” the minister said at a briefing in the margins of the Nato summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.

Andiivka:

ANDIIVKA AXIS /1755 UTC 12 JUL/ During 11 JUL, Ukrainian forces repulsed RU offensives at Avdiivka and Nevelske. A company sized RU attack at Vodiane was broken up; RU forces are reported to have lost 10 armored and infantry fighting vehicles during this engagement. pic.twitter.com/maxq34pnHd

— Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) July 12, 2023

Kreminna Axis:

KREMINNA AXIS /1600 UTC 12 JUL/ On 10 JUL, RU launched an offensive operation that advanced toward Torske. UKR forces launched a night counter-attack along the O-0528 Road axis and drove RU forces east to Dibrova. RU air and artillery strikes indicate that UKR forces are… pic.twitter.com/qU0ym0RtjF

— Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) July 12, 2023

KREMINNA AXIS /1600 UTC 12 JUL/ On 10 JUL, RU launched an offensive operation that advanced toward Torske. UKR forces launched a night counter-attack along the O-0528 Road axis and drove RU forces east to Dibrova. RU air and artillery strikes indicate that UKR forces are positioned on the east banks of the Zherebets Reservoir.

They’re running out of generals:

Ivan Popov, commander of the 58th Army of the Russian armed formations, currently in Zaporizhzhia, who was removed from his position earlier today says that Ukrainian artillery and missile strikes are causing significant casualties to the occupiers holding defence.

Explaining in… pic.twitter.com/iKFP0KtlnQ

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) July 12, 2023

Ivan Popov, commander of the 58th Army of the Russian armed formations, currently in Zaporizhzhia, who was removed from his position earlier today says that Ukrainian artillery and missile strikes are causing significant casualties to the occupiers holding defence.

Explaining in an audio message, Popov says he delivered a damning report about the state of Russian counter-battery fire directly to Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov which resulted in his immediate dismissal.

In a four-minute audio message, Popov talks about betrayal from the most senior military leadership, echoing the sentiment expressed by Wagner mercenaries:

“A difficult situation with the leadership emerged. It was a choice between remaining silent and afraid and saying what they wanted to hear, or calling things for what they are. In your name, in the name of all perished comrades-in-arms, I didn’t have the right to lie. Hence I named all the problems that exist today in the army regarding operations, supply. I pointed the attention to the most important tragedy of the modern war – the lack of counter-battery fire, lack of artillery reconnaissance stations, and mass casualties and injuries of our brothers from enemy artillery.

I also raised a number of other issues, expressed them to the highest levels, did it openly and very brutally. Due to this, the seniors likely felt some danger in me and instantly, in one day, put together an order to the Minister of Defence and got rid of me.

As many commanders of regiments and divisions said today, our army was not broken through the front, but our most senior commander hit us in the back, thus treacherously beheading the army in the most difficult period.”

/2. Some internal intrigues that may have become one of the main reasons for what happened to Popov https://t.co/3O4hUy6Aua

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) July 12, 2023

Here’s the screengrab:

Two Russian generals confirmed as killed since the beginning of Ukraine’s offensive in June.
Now let’s see Russian trolls spinning around this fact. pic.twitter.com/WL7Bfq5weV

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) July 12, 2023

That’s enough for tonight.

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A new episode of Patron’s official cartoon!

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Open thread!