Major developments on June 2nd:
- Zelensky accuses China of “working hard” to block countries from attending World Peace Summit
- Zelensky asks US for permission to allow Ukraine to attack Russia with ATACMS missiles
- Russia claims occupation of Umanske village in Donetsk region
- Ukrainian Navy denies Russian claims of destroying ship
Zelenskyy accused China of “working hard to block” countries from attending a World Peace Summit in Ukraine later this month.
He spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue Security Forum held in Singapore on June 2nd. Zelensky He also expressed disappointment that “some world leaders” will not be attending the event in Switzerland on June 15 and 16.
Ukraine Summit It covers several key areas, including energy security, prisoner exchanges, repatriation of deported children, and global food security.
“Unfortunately, China is now working hard to prevent countries from attending the Peace Summit,” Zelensky said on June 2.
He said more than 100 countries and international organizations are expected to participate. Bloomberg On May 23, it was reported that Biden would likely miss the peace talks due to a conflict with campaign fundraising efforts.
China also declined the invitation, saying it did not meet the requirements to participate, Reuters reported. report on May 31, citing multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
According to one source, China has insisted that the summit be approved by and involve both Russia and Ukraine.
Officially, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs He said it would be “difficult” to attend.
“The meeting arrangements still fall short of China’s requirements and the international community’s expectations, making it difficult for China to attend,” ministry spokesman Mao Ning said.
“It is very disappointing that the Chinese side did not take the opportunity to express its position at the summit in Switzerland,” a spokesman for the Ukrainian embassy in Beijing said. Reuters.
Russia was not invited to the talks, but the Swiss organizers said Moscow’s representatives should be involved in the talks process.Sooner or Later“
Kiev is Russia Disrupting the summit.
On May 16, Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit To ChinaChinese President Xi Jinping insisted the two leaders agreed that a “political solution” to the Ukraine war was the “right direction.”
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Zelensky urges US to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with ATACMS missiles
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 2 that the United States should allow Ukraine to attack Russian soil with Long-Range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles to protect lives.
Zelensky’s statement was released by the White House Confirmed The ban on Ukraine using some U.S. weapons on Russian territory near Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts has been lifted.
The United States still bars Ukraine from using ATACMS or other U.S.-supplied long-range weapons for attacks deep inside Russian territory, U.S. officials said.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue and Security Conference in Singapore, President Zelenskyy thanked US President Joe Biden for giving the go-ahead, but insisted that restrictions, including the ban on the use of ATACMS, should be lifted.
“Is that enough? No. Why? I gave the example of an airfield where Russia is calmly and continuously shelling, but knows that Ukraine will not retaliate because it does not have the corresponding systems or authorization,” Zelensky said. Quote The Telegraph reported in reaction to Washington’s decision.
Zelensky said Kiev was waiting for approval to attack a Russian military airfield that is a base for attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. He added that Russia has around 300 weapons systems with tens of thousands of missiles stationed on the Ukrainian side of the border to attack Ukraine, The Telegraph reported.
“They have these weapons there and they’re not removing them because they know that even if Ukraine opens fire on the West, they can’t target them with Western weapons,” Zelenskiy said.
The topic of Western countries banning Ukrainian weapons from attacking Russia has attracted widespread attention following Moscow’s announcement. Opened a new front The operation began in Kharkiv Oblast in the northeast in May and was able to prepare for the operation without facing any major threats from the Ukrainian border.
Reports of a U.S. policy shift have emerged in recent days amid growing calls from Western leaders to allow Ukraine to use foreign-supplied weapons to attack Russian targets.
On May 31, The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States had authorized Ukraine to use HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, GMLRS rockets and artillery on Russian territory.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Alluded to “Washington may in the future allow Ukraine to attack beyond the current limits, but it will continue to do what it has always done – adapt and adjust as needed.” Said At a press conference in Prague on May 31.
Zelensky says meeting with US defence secretary in Singapore was ‘very good’
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a “very good” meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue Security Forum in Singapore on June 2.
Russia claims capture of Umanske village in Donetsk Oblast
On June 2, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had occupied the village of Umanske in the Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine.
In the June 2 daily situation report, General staff A Ukrainian military spokesman did not mention Umanske but said Russian forces were “preparing to advance” in the direction of the village of Sokil, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Umanske.
“Two attacks have been repelled and three more are ongoing,” the Facebook post said, adding: “The situation remains tense. Defence forces are taking measures to stabilise the front line.”
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the report.
Umanske is located in the Pokrovsky district of Donetsk Oblast, about 30 km northwest of occupied Donetsk.
However, according to crowdsourcing Deep State The Umanske observation post fell into Russian hands on May 26. This information could not be verified.
Independent Russian news media MedusaWhen reporting the ministry’s comments on June 2, the Russian Defense Ministry cited its own data, stating that “Russian forces had occupied Umanske by May 9.”
“It is unclear why police authorities have only announced the occupation of the village now,” Meduza added.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said on May 31 that Moscow’s military 880 square kilometers By 2024, they will occupy 340 square miles of Ukrainian territory.
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Ukrainian navy denies Russian claims of destroyed vessels
The Ukrainian Navy has denied Russian claims that it destroyed Ukrainian ships and boats in recent attacks in the country’s southern region.
The June 2 statement came days after the Russian Defense Ministry claimed it had sunk four Ukrainian drones in the northwestern Black Sea on May 30.
“Under the pretense of attempting to attack Ukrainian Navy ships, the Russian Federation has once again attacked civilians and damaged port infrastructure,” the navy said in a Facebook post.
“Russia continues to use all available means to block sea routes to Ukrainian ports.”
Throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion, Russian officials have maintained that they were targeting military installations whenever they launched attacks against Ukrainian civilians.
The Black Sea has become a major front in an all-out war, and Russian threats and attacks on civilian port infrastructure have forced Ukraine to drastically curtail exports via its main pre-war trade route.
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