Ukraine is giving up hope of deploying F-16 fighter jets this year
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Although US President Biden has promised training programs for the US fighter jets, Ukraine does not expect to be able to use the F-16s this year, according to an Air Force spokesperson. More in the live stream.
DrAccording to Ukraine, it will not be able to use any US F-16 fighter jets this year. „It is already clear that we cannot defend Ukraine with F-16 fighters this fall and winter,” Air Force spokesman Yury Ihnat told Ukrainian television at a fundraising gala. „We had high hopes that this aircraft would become part of our air defenses and would protect us from Russian missiles and drone terrorism,” he added.
Ukraine has repeatedly requested F-16 fighter jets from its Western allies. US President Joe Biden backed training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in May, but has yet to set a delivery timeline. The West has repeatedly stressed that it does not want to provoke a direct confrontation between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is supported by the United States and Russia.
All developments in the live stream:
0820 – Ukrainian forces announce success on the southeastern front
The Ukrainian army reported progress on the southeastern front. Military spokesman Andrei Kovalyov explained that they had advanced south of Orchini. He did not elaborate. On Wednesday, Ukraine announced the capture of Orshiny.
04:20 – Ukraine excludes gas transportation talks with Russia
The government in Kiev does not want to participate in talks with Russia over the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory. „We will certainly not participate in the talks with the Russians, and this is quite clear,” Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushenko told the US government-funded Voice of America (VOA) radio station.
„Next year will show whether Europe can do without Russian gas.” In his opinion, the prerequisites for this exist. Russia had promised to extend the Ukrainian gas transit contract beyond 2024 if the European Union continued to need Russian gas. The European Union has pledged to stop using Russian gas by 2027 as part of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
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Security guarantees for Kiev
00:45 – Mayor: 45,000 Muscovites are fighting in Ukraine
According to the mayor of Moscow, 45,000 residents of the capital are fighting in the Russian attack on Ukraine. The Russian news agency Interfax quoted Mayor Sergei Sobyanin as saying they made up „a large part of the fighters there”. At least 5,000 scattered Muscovites are professional soldiers. Russian and Ukrainian authorities rarely provide information on the number of fighters involved or the losses they sustained.
10:02 PM – Zelensky: Ukraine is increasing production of drones
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the importance of drones in defending his country against Russian aggression. “Drones are the ‘eyes’ and protection on the front line. (…) Drones are a guarantee that people will not have to pay with their lives in cases where drones can be used,” Zelensky said in his evening video address. Ukraine is going to „significantly” increase production of unmanned objects. Zelensky also stressed the importance of the delivery of drones by international partners.
“In every brigade, the first thing fighters ask about is drones, electronic warfare, and military air defense,” said the Ukrainian head of state, referring to several front-line visits he has made in recent days.
9:22 pm – Sweden is investigating suspected sanctions violations
The Swedish government suspects that increased exports to Russia’s neighbors could indicate sanctions violations. The Stockholm Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the investigations had been assigned to the National Trade Authority. Sweden, like many other countries, imposed punitive measures aimed at hitting the Russian economy after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022.
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DrSlovak MP Lubos Blaha is not exactly known for his soft tones. Even on Wednesday, shortly after learning of an attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico, left-wing populist Blaha, a Fico supporter, had not backed down. “This anger, this anger, this hatred: this is your job today,” he told Slovak TV cameras. “The opposition, the progressives and the liberal media. “We are full of emotions,” Blaha said. The fact that FICO is unpopular with all segments of the population is due, among other things, to the planned judicial and media reform.
Milan Nick, an expert on Eastern Central Europe at the German Foreign Policy Association, is not surprised by this reaction. “It does not surprise me that Blaha, known for such rhetoric, would say this. But so far it has been an exception, as many politicians from various parties, including Fico Smer’s party, have expressed their dissatisfaction and called for calm and caution.
In fact, Liberal President Zuzana Čaputová gave a well-received speech. She clearly condemned the attack and wished „that Robert Fico would have a lot of strength at this critical moment so that he could recover from the attack. Peter Pellegrini, the president-elect, made a similar statement.” Pellegrini comes from the government coalition led by Robert Fico and was elected president in April. However, he will not be sworn in until June.
Meanwhile, 59-year-old Fiko is still receiving treatment in hospital in the town of Banska Bystrica. His deputy, Thomas Taraba, told the BBC late on Wednesday evening that he appeared to have survived an emergency operation after the attack and was no longer in a life-threatening situation. Slovak media reported early Thursday morning that Fico had regained consciousness.
After a cabinet meeting on Wednesday in the town of Handelova, when Fico went out into the street, a 71-year-old man fired four to five shots at him. The suspected perpetrator was arrested at the scene and the Prime Minister was airlifted to hospital by helicopter.
Government officials assume a „political motive.” There are many photos and video recordings of the attack itself. Slovak news platform aktuality.sk She also stated that the suspected killer was legally in possession of a gun. The 71-year-old was not undergoing psychiatric treatment. These rumors have been reported previously.
There is also speculation on social media in Slovakia about the possible politicization of the alleged killer. This intensifies the already heated mood in the country, which reached two peaks during the parliamentary elections in September last year and the presidential elections in April this year.
Both elections were accompanied by an aggressive mood and disinformation campaigns on social media, as well as questionable rhetoric by the actors involved. Fico’s Smer Party considers itself a social democratic party, but in the eyes of many observers it is characterized as a left-wing nationalist. It became the strongest force in the recent parliamentary elections, with 22.9 percent of the votes. In October 2023, Fico was able to assume the reins of government in a coalition with the Social Democratic Party of Halas and the far right.
He is considered a veteran of Slovak politics, having ruled from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018. His companion Peter Pellegrini won the presidential election in April. Fico polarized the country for several months and thousands of Slovaks took to the streets against his policies.
There are major concerns among many Slovaks about an authoritarian state restructuring similar to what happened in Hungary or Poland. The Slovak Parliament approved a first legislative package in April as part of a controversial judicial restructuring process. The law provides, among other things, for the dissolution of the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office or the reduction of penalties for serious crimes such as murder.
The EU Commission has already expressed concern that the so-called judicial reform could violate EU law. In addition, there are verbal attacks on journalists from politicians – and concrete plans to control the media. Public television station RTVS is set to be transformed into a state broadcaster over which the government will have enormous influence. A similar law could be passed in June.
The NGO Transparency Law also made international headlines. If an organization receives €5,000 or more from abroad in one year, it should in the future be classified as an “organisation receiving support from abroad”. Critics fear the government will ban organizations it doesn’t like as a result.
Fico also reoriented Slovakia’s foreign policy. He himself and other members of the government have loudly criticized the course of the European allies towards Russia and Ukraine. Fico criticizes Russian sanctions as well as arms shipments to Ukraine. His government stopped supplying weapons from Slovak stockpiles to Ukraine. The partly pro-Russian policy of Slovakia, a member of the European Union and NATO, is also worrying diplomats and politicians in Brussels and other European capitals.
It is striking that Slovak society now seems to be uniting and that politicians from different political camps are strongly condemning the attack. Religious organizations, bishops and Islamic associations also commented on this. Expert Nick said, „The assassination attempt on Fico represents a turning point for Slovak politics, regardless of whether he will be able to take office again or not.”
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Another turning point for Slovakia was the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova in 2018. Through his research, Kuciak uncovered organized crime connections in Slovak politics. He worked for aktuality.sk, a news portal of Ringier Axel Springer Slovakia, a joint venture between Axel Springer SE (including WELT and “Bild”) and Swiss Ringier AG.
The murder of Kuciak and his fiancée attracted much attention in Slovakia and internationally. Fico, who was prime minister at the time, was forced to resign after mass protests following the killings. Even then, Fico’s policies were radically rejected by many Slovaks, but he always enjoyed a stable fan base, as demonstrated by his recent electoral victory in 2023.
However, expert Nick does not see a direct link between the assassination attempt on Fico and the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his wife. “This aggression against politicians and the cruelty of the conflict is not just a Slovak phenomenon. We see something like this everywhere in Europe, and unfortunately also attacks on politicians. Look at Germany: from the assassination attempt on Wolfgang Schäuble many years ago to the recent attacks on politicians,” says Nick.
Speculation about the paramilitary organization
Despite voices calling for calm in Slovakia, observers are also concerned that the government camp, after a brief period of calm, will use the attack to further divide society and consolidate its power. Blaha statements are the first sign. Fake news is also likely to spread quickly on social media, and disinformation campaigns can be launched.
The evening after the attack on Fiko, a report was published in Slovak online media that was likely to increase speculation about the background of the crime: the famous Hungarian investigative journalist Száblocs Bánje shared old photos of the alleged killer, which had a connection to a loyalist Slovak paramilitary women’s organization. For Russia, it is called the „Slovak Brotherhood”. Photos from 2016 are considered original.
“However, in the next few days we are likely to see an increase in disinformation campaigns and the like on social networks. What happened is a reason for this,” says Milan Nick. But a lot will depend on whether Fico will survive the attack.
The day after the controversial NGO law was passed, tens of thousands protested again in Georgia. The foreign ministers of European Union countries also participated. Meanwhile, Türkiye announced a similar proposed law.
In Georgia, tens of thousands of people took to the streets again to protest a recently passed law on “foreign influence.”
An Agence France-Presse journalist reported that about 30,000 people gathered in front of Parliament in the capital, Tbilisi, on Wednesday alone. Demonstrations also took place in the cities of Kutaisi and Zalinghikha in the west of the country.
European ministers demonstrate
The foreign ministers of Estonia, Iceland and Lithuania, who were visiting Georgia, also participated in the protests in Tbilisi. Senior diplomats addressed the demonstrators.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told AFP that he and his colleagues participated in the protest „to support the desire of the Georgian people to become part of the European Union and NATO.” The Georgian national anthem and the European anthem „Ode to Joy” were played at the demonstration.
The demonstrators waved the flags of Georgia and the European Union.
Parliament in Tbilisi approved the controversial law on Tuesday. According to this, organizations and media that receive at least 20% of funding from abroad must in the future be registered in the former Soviet republic as bodies “pursuing the interests of foreign powers.”
Similarities with Russian law
Critics see similarities with the law against „foreign agents” in Russia, which enables authorities there to take wide-ranging measures against critical media and organizations. There have been massive protests against the law in Georgia for weeks.
The adoption of the law sparked international criticism. The European Union, the United Nations and NATO called on the government in Tbilisi to change course. It also called on the federal government to withdraw the law. Georgia has been an official candidate for European Union membership since December. With the new law, it has become difficult to imagine the European future of this Caucasian country.
Türkiye plans to issue a similar law
On the other hand, a draft law has been introduced in neighboring Turkey requiring the imprisonment of journalists and scholars who work for foreign “interests”. The proposed amendment to the Turkish Penal Code stipulates prison sentences ranging from three to seven years, according to the text obtained by Agence France-Presse.
The draft law applies to “any person who conducts or orders the conduct of research on (Turkish) citizens or institutions on behalf of or for the strategic interest of a foreign organization or state in order to act against the security, political, internal or external interests of the state.” „.
Björn Blaschke, ARD Moscow, now Tbilisi, Tagesschau, May 15, 2024 at 7:13 am
The life of Slovak Prime Minister Fico is in danger after he was shot
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Shooting in Slovakia: Prime Minister Robert Fico shot after a cabinet meeting. The government said his life was in danger. According to media reports, the attacker was arrested. Chancellor Schultz speaks of a „cowardly assassination attempt.”
DrSlovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in mortal danger after being attacked. This was announced by the government office in Bratislava, TASR news agency reported.
Fico was shot after a cabinet meeting at the House of Culture in the town of Handlova. He was taken to hospital. Handlova is located about 150 kilometers northeast of the capital, Bratislava. The exact background was clear at first.
TASR reported that Deputy Speaker of Parliament Lobos Blaha confirmed the attack during a parliamentary session and postponed it until further notice. A Reuters employee said he heard several gunshots and saw police arresting a man. Security forces took the arrested man to a car and took him away.
Emergency services told TASR that a helicopter carrying an emergency doctor was sent to Vico after the accident. The police evacuated the House of Culture, where the government meeting was being held.
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova condemned the “brutal and brutal attack.” She added: “I hope Robert Fico has a lot of strength at this critical moment to recover from the attack.”
A few days ago, Fico himself accused the liberal opposition of creating a climate of hostility against the government. It cannot be ruled out that violence will occur at some point in such a climate.
Schulz and von der Leyen comment on the attack
Chancellor Olaf Scholz strongly condemned the attack. He wrote on the online platform “X”: “I am shocked by the news of the cowardly assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Fico. Violence should have no place in European politics. During these hours, my thoughts are with Robert Fico, his relatives and the citizens of Slovakia.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the attack as “abhorrent.” “Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our greatest common good,” she wrote on X. Her thoughts were with Vico and his family.
European Council President Charles Michel was also shocked. “Violence and such attacks cannot be justified by anything,” he wrote on X.
Fiko has been the Prime Minister of Slovakia again since 2023. He was Prime Minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018.
Fico is one of the founders of his party Samir. Their policies fall into „socialist internationalism”, and their policies are also criticized as populist. Recently, Fico angered people by saying that Ukraine is a country controlled by the United States. Slovakia will prevent Kiev from joining NATO. During a visit to Uzhhorod, right on the Slovak-Ukrainian border However, Fico said afterwardsHe said that his country would continue to provide humanitarian aid despite differences of opinion and would not prevent private arms deals. Regarding domestic politics, Fico is accused of restructuring the state to serve his own interests, similar to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.