Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,188

On Tuesday, May 27, 2018, this is the situation as it stands:

Fighting:

  • Ukraine claims that Russia reportedly launched a record number of drone strikes on Monday, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy describing the incidents as evidence that Moscow is “acting with impunity.”
  • According to authorities, the majority of the 355 drones were downed by Ukrainian air defenses, but several of them actually broke through defenses and killed people. The regional governor of Ukraine reported that two elderly women had died in the region of Kharkiv in the northeast.
  • Meanwhile, Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking its “social infrastructure” with aerial strikes. After shooting down 96 overnight, the Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that it had shot down at least 48 Ukrainian drones.
  • According to the Defense Ministry, Russian forces have taken control of the villages of Volodymyrivka and Belovody in Sumy’s northeastern region, according to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.
  • In an effort to establish a “buffer zone” on Ukrainian territory, the governor of Sumy claimed that Russian forces had taken control of four additional villages. He named them Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka, and Zhuravka, and said that the area’s residents had been evacuated for a while.
  • Since the start of the war, 630 Ukrainian children have been killed and 1,960 have been wounded in Russian attacks, according to the prosecutor general’s office in Ukraine.
  • Rodion Miroshnik, a special envoy to the Russian government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claims that the Ukrainian military used “inhumane methods of warfare” to cause more than 400 civilian casualties in April.

military assistance

  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that key Western allies in Ukraine are no longer limiting the supply of weapons, a move the Kremlin described as “dangerous.”
  • Ukraine claims to have received confirmation from China’s supply of a variety of significant goods to Russian military installations, including tooling machines, special chemical products, gunpowder, and components made specifically for the defense manufacturing industries.

diplomacy and politics

    Donald Trump, the president of the United States, made the comment that Putin has gone “absolutely crazy” over the scope of Russian airstrikes, suggesting that the US leader may be experiencing “emotional overload.”

  • Additionally, it stated that a draft draft of Russia’s proposal for a potential peace deal with the Ukraine had not yet been submitted, and that serious work was being done. According to spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “This is a serious draft, a draft of a serious document that requires careful checks and preparation.”
  • Zelenskyy demanded more intense pressure on Moscow after it reported that Russia had launched more than 900 drones and missiles at Ukraine over the course of three nights. The Ukrainian leader said in his weekly video address, “There is no military sense in this, but it is an obvious political choice: Putin, Russia, or to continue the war and end lives.”
  • Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, said he thinks Trump is beginning to realize that Putin “lied” about the Ukrainian conflict. He also demanded that Moscow submit a ceasefire order, which would be supported by the threat of “massive sanctions.” /li&gt,
  • Mette Fredericton, the prime minister of Denmark, added that Moscow’s support for peace was demonstrated by the weekend’s Russian attacks on Ukraine.
  • Finland contacted Russia’s ambassador in Helsinki to request an explanation for a alleged airspace violation that occurred last week. The NATO member reported on Friday that it believed two Russian military aircraft had entered its southernmost Porvoo airspace.

Trump wants Netanyahu to be on same page on Iran: Top US official

According to US Secretary of Homeland Security, President Donald Trump reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the two nations should work together on a possible relationship with Iran.

Noem, who ended a trip to Israel on Monday, described her interactions with Netanyahu as “candid and direct.” Her remarks come a day after Rome’s fifth round of nuclear negotiations between US and Iranian officials ended.

She said, “President Trump specifically invited me here to talk with the prime minister about how the negotiations are proceeding and how crucial it is that we stay united and allow this process to unfold.”

Trump claimed on Sunday that the talks were moving smoothly.

The US president told reporters, “We’ve had some very, very good conversations with Iran.” And I have a feeling that I might be telling you something good over the next two days.

Despite US-led discussions, CNN reported last week that Israel was preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, citing unnamed US officials.

Netanyahu is accused of working to undermine US diplomacy, and Iran has pledged to do everything to stop any Israeli attack.

Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian minister of foreign affairs, stated last week that the Israeli prime minister is “desperate to dictate what the US can and cannot do.”

Netanyahu has consistently claimed for years that Iran is about to acquire a nuclear bomb, and Israel has been skeptical about the nuclear negotiations. Iran, which supports regional organizations engaged in armed conflict against Israel, is seen by Israeli officials as a significant threat.

Noem stated on Monday that Netanyahu doesn’t trust Iran, and that the US is aware of this.

The American people are being told that while we have a president who wants peace, he also won’t allow Iran to have nuclear weapons in the future. This president won’t permit them to possess nuclear weapons, and they will be unable to do so”, she said.

He also wants Benjamin Netanyahu to be on the same page with him, though.

Iran’s refusal to allow its own uranium enrichment was a major sticking point in the discussions.

Iranian officials have stated that they want Iran to end its nuclear program and to completely stop enriching it, a position Tehran has called a nonstarter.

The uranium atom is altered to produce nuclear fuel during enrichment.

According to Iranian officials, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) does not forbid the use of nuclear weapons for civilian purposes.

Tehran claims to be seeking nuclear weapons, but Israel is frequently portrayed as having an unproven nuclear arsenal.

Trump resisted the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which demanded that Iran reduce its nuclear program in exchange for lifting international sanctions against its economy, during his first term, in 2018.

The US has since imposed sanctions on Iran. Tehran has increased its nuclear program in response.

Iran ruled out uranium enrichment for a day on Monday in order to reach an interim agreement with the US.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei emphasized that Iran does not want to delay the talks.

Why is Israel now facing pressure from some of its Western allies?

Spain hosts important Arab and European countries to compel Israel to halt the Gaza assault.

Major European and Arab countries came together for the fifth time to discuss the Madrid Group’s fifth meeting in Spain’s capital.

This year, Spain has been putting more pressure on Israel, with sanctions being imposed on those who impede the establishment of two-state settlements in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In the occupied West Bank, the United Kingdom has halted trade negotiations and sanctioned a number of Israeli settlers. Additionally, punitive measures have been threatened by France and Canada.

And the biggest trading partner of Israel, the European Union, is revising the landmark Association Agreement, which covers political dialogue and trade.

Why is this happening now, though, after 20 months of Israel’s destruction of Gaza?

Are these actions more than diplomatic symbolic gestures to Palestinians, and not anything else?

Presenter: Tom McRae

Guests:

Member of the European Parliament and head of the delegation tasked with maintaining relations with Palestine

Mouin Rabbani is a Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies non-resident fellow.