‘Belarus takes the lead in shooting down Russian drones’ – Zelensky
In his speech at Yalta European Strategy Forum on Friday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky vented his frustration over the Western allies’ delaying the decision to allow Ukraine hit deeper into Russia’s territory with long range missiles. He bitterly joked that at this point “Belarus is taking the lead in shooting down Russian drones’.
“It’s humiliating for the powerful democratic world that no decision has been made yet to shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine. The fact that only Belarus has managed to do so? I didn’t expect this. It’s honestly quite embarrassing,” added Zelensky bitterly.
“If our allies can unite to take down rockets and drones over the Middle East, then why is there still no similar action to shoot down Russian missiles and ‘Shaheds’ over Ukraine?” he questioned, driving home the point. “And it’s not just over Ukraine – these missiles and drones are flying toward neighboring countries too.”
Zelensky’s words echoed the growing bitterness in Kyiv – Ukrainian officials have been banging the drum for months, urging partners not to sidestep the issue. “When we raise this [issue] with our partners, everyone just tries to talk their way around it. They’re even afraid to say, ‘We’re working on it.’ Afraid of those very words,” Zelensky said, his disappointment evident.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
In recent days, Moscow’s official rhetoric has been dominated by hysteria over the decision of…