Ukrainian Pilots In F-16 Training Exercise
Occupied Luhansk attempt to enlist 16 year old males to fight
Day 374 (4 March)
The EU has come up with another proposal, because most of the time they sit around and make plans. The latest idea is for non-member states to contribute to a joint military scheme to support Ukraine.
That means that they want these non-EU countries to give money into a central European peace facility in order to pay for ammunition production and to pay the defence contractors directly. Basically, they need more money for their idea and want to lead the way in deciding where these contracts go.
The German company, Rhinemetall, is in discussions with Ukraine to build a €200, million tank factory in Ukraine. It is estimated that the factory could produce up to 400 panther tanks per year
There is yet to be an independent body set up to investigate and try war crimes that have been committed by the Russians in Ukraine. A United For Peace was held in Lviv, Ukraine to set up the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression (ICPA) in the Hague. Eurojust, (EU agency for criminal justice) will work alongside the Ukrainian agency to prosecute war crimes carried out by Russians
Eurojust will support the ICPA and the base will be in The Hague on a semi-permanent basis. The Ukraine Accountability Dialogue Group was also launched to provide a platform for dialogue on issues and initiatives with all other countries.
The Ukrainian authorities organised the United for Justice Conference from 3-5 March in the city of Lviv, bringing together a great number of stakeholders involved in the efforts to ensure accountability for core international crimes allegedly committed in Ukraine. As a key outcome of the conference, the seven partner countries1 of the Eurojust supported joint investigation team (JIT) decided to amend the agreement between them in order to reflect the future role of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression (ICPA).
The ICPA will be part of the existing support structure for the JIT, with a specific focus on supporting and enhancing investigations into the crime of aggression. The current amendments to the JIT agreement formalise Eurojust’s role in support of the ICPA and specify that JIT partner countries may benefit from the additional logistical, financial and operational support it offers.
As a JIT participant, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court may take part in the cooperation via the ICPA when certain conditions are met. Now that the ICPA is officially part of the JIT agreement, Eurojust will proceed with the practical implementation. The main building blocks are expected to be in place by the summer.
The JIT members, the OTP and Eurojust will continue their smooth cooperation regarding ongoing investigations on alleged core international crimes in Ukraine.
Commenting on the revised JIT agreement, Eurojust President Mr Ladislav Hamran said: ‘These amendments are a crucial milestone in the process of setting up the ICPA. They reflect the ambition of all JIT partners to address the impunity gap and give Eurojust a solid legal basis to proceed with the practical implementation as swiftly as possible. The fact that the amendments were agreed upon during such an important conference in Lviv is a symbol of our continued commitment to ensuring justice for the Ukrainian people.’
The United for Justice Conference also marked the official launch of the Ukraine Accountability Dialogue Group, aimed at promoting dialogue and coherence across the diverse range of accountability initiatives currently in motion. The decision to set up the Dialogue Group was taken by 45 countries at the Ukraine Accountability Conference, held in The Hague on 14 July last year. Together with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, Eurojust will co-chair a workstream on national investigations with the aim to identify key challenges faced in core international crime cases and jointly propose solutions at policy level.
The conference was officially opened by Ukrainian President Mr Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as by a video message of the European Commission President Ms Ursula von der Leyen, and amongst the participants were Prosecutor General of Ukraine Mr Andriy Kostin, European Commissioner for Justice Mr Didier Reynders and Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Mr Karim A. A. Khan QC. Over the course of three days, there were many panel discussions on a wide range of topics related to the ongoing accountability efforts.
The agencies will also work together to analyse and preserve evidence of the alleged war crimes.
The attacks on Ukraine continue, with Kalibr missiles being launched from the Black Sea.
The US Attorney General, Merrick Garland made a visit to Lviv on 3 March, and attends the United For Justice conference.(https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-delivers-remarks-lviv-ukraine, This visit reaffirms the American support for Ukraine, and that they will assist in the special tribunal that is being set up to try the acts of aggression.
The Serhiy Prytula charity has raised money to buy 101 armoured vehicles for the Ukrainian army. What we can see from this, is that Ukraine lacks the necessary weapons to defend itself and the survival of the country depends on the goodwill of allies, and the people to fundraise and crowdfund in order for Ukraine to be equipped to defend itself
In Crimea, satellite images indicate that the Russian occupiers have dug a 200 km defensive trench around the coastline to prevent Ukrainian troops from landing.
Day 375 (5 March)
The evacuation of Bakhmut is slow with only 5-10 people leaving per day, because many do not wish to leave. The city is being destroyed and chances of survival are slim by remaining, and also endanger the lives of Ukrainian troops who risk their lives to protect those who won’t leave.
In Switzerland, rally was held to support Ukraine,: for the Swiss government to implement sanctions against Russia, and also to alter the law to permit countries to supply Swiss made weapons to Ukraine. This is an unusual step for a country that is renowned for its neutrality, but it is clear that the people of Switzerland want to see change, and do not wish to appear to support Russia.
Turkey has said that they are working hard to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative, but in truth, it stalled several months ago when Russia was holding up ships with inspections. Russia was only interested in participating, hoping that sanctions would be lifted if they agreed, but instead more sanctions have been implemented and not lifted.
The Latvian Prime Minister, Krisjanis Karina has said, "I don't see why the West should not deliver fighter jets. If the Ukrainians need fighter jets, they should get them. "
The new Czech President (Pavel) will visit Ukraine in April after he is officially inaugurated on 9 March 2023.
Two Ukrainian pilots are taking part in a simulator test in the US to evaluate how much time they would need to learn how to fly various aircraft including the F-16.
In occupied Luhansk, reports claim that the Russians are registering 16 year old males to be conscripted into the army, and will be forced to fight against Ukraine.
Reports claimed that Russia has a new 1,500 kg UPAB – 1 500 B. Gliding bomb. With new weapons, Russia does not appear to seek peace and so talks of peace seem futile. To date, Ukraine has taken part in 88 rounds of diplomatic negotiations with Russia since 2019, with France and Germany as mediators, yet all this time, Russia was planning a full invasion and had no interest in peace.
A ceasefire is pointless too, as it merely gives the Russians time to regroup. They must withdraw and leave Ukraine for any chance of peace.
Reports have said that the African Olympic body has supported the Olympic position to permit Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate as neutrals. Many countries in the EU have opposed the decision, which could change if the war spreads outside of Ukraine.
With the African Olympic body supporting Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate indicates the Russian influence in Africa, where the Russians have been busy lobbying for years.