After the release of 144 prisoners of war, will Russia carry out more exchanges? One must also wonder why they are choosing to do so? To get some soldiers back, or that looking after injured soldiers is too costly?
Yesterday, NATO publicly stated that Russia’s actions were deemed a threat to the security of NATO states, and now we must see how Putin reacts? Indonesian President Joko Widodo, wishes to broker talks between the Russia and Ukraine, but we also know that Indonesia is a country that will suffer from rising prices and food shortages before most countries in the West. They are looking for a quick solution and are far enough from Europe, and won’t feel threatened by Russia. That is not a solution to what is a problem that is escalating as Russia continues to try and resurrect the USSR.
Day 127 (30 June)
Footage of Macron’s phone calls to Putin are released and are mocked and ridiculed, as Putin says he would rather play ice hockey than have peace talks. Details of the calls Macron has made to Putin show that Macron tries to talk Putin out of going to war, but it is clear that Macron knew that he had failed. Russia invaded Ukraine a few days later. France should have been ready to act and support Ukraine much sooner.
Biden also discloses at the Madrid summit that during a conversation with Putin, he told him that an invasion of Ukraine would ‘boost’ NATO. Well, it took some pushing because NATO didn’t exactly respond immediately, but they have no choice now and have had to state what their new position is on their partnership with Russia.
The Russians have retreated from Snake Island, but claim they have left as a gesture of goodwill. Since when do the Russians carry out gestures of goodwill? They couldn't;t even honour a civilian humanitarian corridor. Control of Snake Island was fought for from the start, as it can be used as a base to launch missiles into Ukraine.
Finland and Sweden will sign their ascension protocols on Tuesdays and the 30 NATO member states must then ratify it. Turkey (as usual) is making demands, and will not ratify the protocols until all suspected terrorists have been extradited. Erdogan trusts no one, and no one trusts him because everything he does benefits him in some shape or form.
Russia accuses NATO of ‘imperial ambitions’ and states that there is a new Iron Curtain being dropped between Russia and the West. I would say that it never actually disappeared and the dust has been brushed off it. Putin claims that NATO is using Ukraine as an excuse to elevate the alliance internationally, and that the conflict in Ukraine is partly the fault of NATO by supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Ukraine formally severs diplomatic ties with Syria after they publicly declared that they recognised the self-ruled Donetsk and Luhansk separatists regions.
Ukrainian troops have been trained by US and New Zealand military forces so that they know how to use the weapons being supplied to them. These include the M270 MLRS and L119 howitzer, and the training is being held in the UK in Wiltshire.
Putin has also visited Turkmenistan, a former Soviet state and now a client state of Russia. No doubt this is to source support and troops for Russia.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has made an emergency ruling stating that the death sentence for Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin should not be carried out. Russia does not recognise the ECHR and has dismissed the ruling.
"You know that Russia no longer complies with the requirements of the ECHR," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, has met both Zelenskyy and Putin and is trying to encourage peace talks. Widodo wishes to retain links with Russia, and Putin has stated Russia is able to supply Indonesia with fertilisers. Putin used the press conference to his own advantage, stating that the grain blockage was not the fault of Russia, but blamed the West’s economic policies and sanctions against Russia as the reasons why there is a food shortage. Widodo says he has delivered a message from Zelesnkyy to Putin, but has not revealed what the message was.
We have repeatedly stressed that the imbalance of food markets is a direct consequence of many years of irresponsible economic policies of a number of countries, uncontrolled emission and accumulation of unsecured debts, and the situation has worsened since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Western countries, not wanting to admit the fallacy of their economic course, are further destabilising global agricultural production by imposing restrictions on the supply of Russian and Belarusian fertilisers," he said, repeating his claim that sanctions are preventing agricultural exports from leaving the region, rather than Russia's invasion and its blockade of Black Sea ports. (Vladimir Putin)
The 7:30 Report, ABC. Putin's statement that the retreat from Snake Island is 'a gesture of goodwill', is outrageous in light of the fact that he is 'weaponising food' (White House). Russian navy control ports and sea routes to the south from where the Ukraine harvest used to be shipped. The blockade of ports and the securing of Ukraine's food supply for itself. So much for 'goodwill', according to experts 'the attack on Ukraine and civilians is unrelenting'. Urban centres and farmland are battle grounds. Crops and farm machinery being destroyed. Putin using world trade to finance the killing of Ukraians. The Ukraine sunk one Russian warship, however, military action won't break the blockade. How is the retreating from Snake Island 'goodwill' when when it is being "ruthless in the leverage this gives them in the Ukraine and on the international stage"? According to the World Food Programme, 350 million "thrust into acute food insecurity and 50 million looking at starvation". Russia said to be acquiring Ukraine's food supply for itself, but also seeking to compensate itself for the sanctions taken by the West against it. It's securing higher prices for its oil, its gas, its food and its fertiliser. "Russia is doing very well out of this war." So instead of acting as 'goodwill', others see Putin as 'act of pure piracy'. The writer , Julian Cribb, 'Food or War': asserted that "People have fought over this productive area for a very long time and this war is no different." In the 1930's Stalin starved the Ukraians by taking all their food and putting the farmers off and that resulted in 7 million deaths. In the 1940's Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, in order to, capture the farm land of Russia and the Ukraine because he needed it to feed Germany. The former Ukraine President, Petro Poroshenko spoke to Australians saying, "More weapons to Ukraine are never enough!"