‘Fierce fighting’ as Kiev seeks progress – DW – 07/03/2023

The European Union is said to be reviewing a proposal that would allow a Russian bank, currently under sanctions, to set up a subsidiary to reconnect to global financial networks, UK newspaper reports. Financial Times He said on Monday.

The EU intends to use the proposal, which was brokered by the United Nations, as an incentive for Russia to extend the Black Sea grain deal that allows Ukraine to export food to global markets, beyond July 17.

The bank, also known as Rosselkhozbank, will be able to use the global financial messaging system SWIFT through the subsidiary, under the deal.

The report added that the global financial messaging system SWIFT was closed to Russia’s largest banks after the invasion of Ukraine last year.

Russia said earlier it saw no reason to extend the grain deal, which allows Ukraine to export its agricultural products across the Black Sea.

Russia accuses the West of not keeping its side of the bargain. Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s largest grain exporters.

The country’s deputy defense minister said “fierce fighting is taking place” in parts of Ukraine as Kiev’s forces continue their counter-offensive.

“Everywhere things are hot,” Hanna Malyar wrote on Telegram, in the east, with Russian forces advancing near the besieged cities of Avdiivka, Maryinka and Lyman in the Donetsk region.

They were also continuing their advance near Svatov, in the neighboring Luhansk region.

“A fierce fight is raging there… the situation is very complicated,” she said.

Maliar said Ukrainian forces were also moving ahead with “partial success” south of the eastern city of Bakhmut, as well as near Berdyansk and Melitopol in southern Ukraine.

The freedom of expression group said that the Ukrainian writer, Victoria Amelina, died of her injuries after a Russian missile attack on a restaurant in Kramatorsk last week.

She is the 13th person to die after a Russian missile destroyed the Ria Pizza restaurant on Tuesday.

“With great pain, we inform you of the death of Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina on July 1 at the Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro,” Ben Ukraine wrote on his Facebook page.

Her writings were set aside after the Russian invasion and she was documenting Russian war crimes.

Her writing had previously earned her the Joseph Conrad Literary Prize, and made her a finalist for the European Union Prize for Literature.

US President Joe Biden will head to Europe next weekend on a visit to strengthen the international coalition against Russian aggression, just as the White House declared war in Ukraine.

During his five-day visit, he will attend the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

He also plans to commemorate Finland’s entry into NATO during his visit to Helsinki. Finland became a full member of the bloc earlier this year.

Biden will start his trip next Sunday in London, and he will meet King Charles III at Windsor Castle the next day, according to Buckingham Palace.

Before heading to Europe, Biden will host Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the White House on Wednesday to discuss Stockholm’s ambitions for NATO.

lo/js (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)