Day 393 (23 March)
The Austrian Raiffeisen Bank has been named as a sponsor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine by continuing to trade with them and to facilitate their transactions, enabling Russia to finance the war. The Ukrainian prevention of corruption agency (NAPC), listed the bank as it recognises the annexed regions The People’s Republic of Donetsk and Luhansk. Only Russia, North Korea and Syria recognise them as legitimate states. The ECB has been urging the bank to cut its ties with the Russian branch of the bank.
Prince William visited British troops in Rzeszow Poland, near the Ukrainian border yesterday, to show support for the NATO effort to keep the borders secure. The British are currently assisting in patrolling the airspace in Poland. Today, there was a visit to Warsaw to meet the Polish President, Duda, and to visit a Ukrainian refugee centre, and to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider in Warsaw's Pilsudski Square.
Ukrainian soldiers have been training to use the Patriot (a surface-to-air guided air and missile defence system), which indicates that they will be delivered to Ukraine soon (we hope).
More corruption unearthed in Ukraine. The former head of State Property Fund Dmytro Sennychenko has been charged with embezzling money—$13 million of state funds. He allegedly setup a criminal organisation to transfer funds from state owned companies from 2019-2021.
Hungary is isolating itself from the EU and NATO, stating that they would not arrest Putin if he was in Hungary as per their ICC obligations. The excuse is that the Rome Statute has not been officially incorporated in Hungarian law, and there would be no legal grounds to arrest Putin. Basically, they don’t want to do it, and there is nothing the ICC can do about it, but the optics are not good for Hungary. In fact, they have been poor from the start when it is clear that Orban supports Putin without saying it with words. The country has sent no military aid, refuses to do so, has not imposed sanctions, and has vetoed moves that isolate Russia from the EU. It goes to show how useless the EU can be when they have a potential traitor country and they do nothing about it, nor have the mechanisms to remove them to protect other countries.
South Africa says it will consult Russia on the ICC arrest warrant. Putin is scheduled to attend the (Brazil, Russia, India and China) the 15th BRICS Summit from 22 to 24 August 2023 and is obliged to arrest Putin if he attends. However, it has been noted that South Africa did not arrest Omar-al-Bashir of Sudan in 2015. This, however is a more high profile case and South Africa will be judged by their actions and they cannot afford to be have sanctions imposed on them from other countries.
Slovakia has delivered 4 Mig-29 fighter jets to Ukraine with plans to deliver 13 more at a later date. This will make it harder for other allied countries not to deliver any jets, in particular, the US, UK, France and Germany. Each country have their own domestic issues, and Macron has the country rioting over the rising of the pension age, the US has a former president about to be arrested (and election campaigns will begin soon), and the UK has seen interest rates hiked which affects the entire country.
Finland has confirmed that Ukraine has made a formal request for Hornet fighter jets.
The cost of the reconstruction of Ukraine is estimated to be $41 billion to date according the the World Bank.
The ICC is to set up an office in Ukraine. An agreement was signed in The Hague by Andriy Kostin, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General and Peter Lewis, the ICC Registrar. This will create a firm foundation to establish a special tribunal to prosecute alleged war crimes carried out by the Russians.
The ICC responded to the Russian threats made to the court after the arrest warrants were issued. They said it was regrettable that Russia was attempting to obstruct international efforts to ensure accountability for violations of international law.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (spiritual head of the world's Orthodox Christians) met with the Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on 21 March 2023, where Bartholomew stated he believed that the Russian Orthodox Church was also responsible for the atrocities in Ukraine.
Day 394 (24 March)
A new mural to honour Oleksandr Matsievskyi (killed by Russians soldiers for saying ‘Glory to Ukraine’) in Rivne City has been revealed.
In Avidiivka, residents are evacuating because the children have begged to leave. It is becoming like Bakhmut, where residents don’t want to leave and those who stay hope for the best or stay because they are too infirm or old to move.
The European Council supports Zelenskyy’s peace plan and the formation of a new international centre in The Hague for the prosecution of the crime of aggression against Ukraine and to hold Russia accountable for the alleged war crimes committed. The new ICC office will assist in gathering evidence to document the crimes in order to prosecute. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/european-council/2023/03/23/
Ukraine is seeking to sanction a far right Romanian politician, Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă who submitted a draft law proposing Romania should annex parts of Ukraine that historically belonged to Romania—Northern Bukovyna, Hertsa, Budjak (Kagul, Bolgrad, Izmail), historical Maramureș and Zmiinyi (Snake) Island. She also has ties to Russia, and appears to be playing with the Russian propaganda of acquiring territory because it once part of Romania. Russia and Romania fighting over land which isn’t theirs any longer? It’s all getting out of hand, and people are being brainwashed into believing this thought process is acceptable or legitimate.
Estonia is to expel a Russian diplomat for security reasons, and like Moldova, it seems that there are plans to cause discontent, riots and protests to destabilise the country.
For undermining Estonia’s security and constitutional order, spreading propaganda, that justifies Russia's military action, and causing divisions in Estonian society.
Ukraine has handed over all severely wounded and ill prisoners of war back to Russia according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. A gesture that Russia will not reciprocate, but it would be decent thing to do.
An attack in Kryvyi Rih occurred in the early hours, where 5 Shaed drones attacked infrastructure including it is reported a weapons depot. Only one drone was intercepted as Ukraine lacks the equipment to defend itself from such missiles.
Germany delivers Dach vehicles to Ukraine, along with drone detections systems and machine guns. At last, Germany is doing its part, but these measure should have been agreed months ago and we must also remember that the numbers are small and while it is better than nothing, we are at a stage where a full scale war is imminent. Battalions are usually around 31 tanks, so you can see the odd 4 supplied here and there need to be amassed to create a battalion.
Armenia has stated that it will abide by the ICC obligations to arrest Putin if he steps into the country. It stated that the ICC regulations are in line with the constitution. Perhaps Hungary needs to revise their legal constitution, but rather than seek democracy, Hungary seems keen to benefit form trading with the EU and free movement, but doesn’t wish to implement the EU rule of law or any law when they have to act. They want the protection of these alliances and treaties but aren’t willing to adhere to their obligations when they are face with them.
In Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, members of the Russian controlled Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate are reported to have started to leave. This comes after them declaring they would not vacate last week. The church was being used a safe house for FSB agents and for recruitment.
I agree the Russian Orthodox Church co-operated with Putin in the crime of aggression and shares responsibility for the suffering, deaths and other terrible atrocities.