US President Joe Biden delivers a statement urging Congress to pass his national security supplemental – which includes funding to support Israel and Ukraine – from the Roosevelt Room at the White House on 6 December 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images) Ukrainian agents gunned down a former pro-Kremlin legislator who fled the country before it was invaded by Russian forces, according to an official familiar with the killing.
US prosecutors on Wednesday accused four Russia-affiliated military personnel of detaining and torturing an American citizen in Ukraine, the first charges ever filed under a US war crimes statute passed nearly 30 years ago.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to press on with the counteroffensive against Russia as he asked Group of Seven leaders to push back against mounting uncertainty over financial support from the US.
Latest developments
- White House warns nearly ‘out of time’ to get Ukraine funds
- Yellen says US responsible for Ukraine defeat if funding stops
- Zelensky cancels address to US Senate as aid talks stall
Biden urges additional aid for Ukraine
President Joe Biden urged US legislators to approve additional aid for Ukraine in an address from the White House on Wednesday, as Republican objections have stalled fresh support for a third consecutive month.
Earlier on Wednesday, Biden participated in a virtual meeting with the leaders of the Group of Seven industrialised nations and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Conservative Republicans are holding up the aid, demanding major concessions from the White House and Democrats on immigration policy to curb a surge in migrant crossings at the US border with Mexico. Efforts to reach a compromise so far have failed, fuelling fears the support won’t be approved this year.
It was the second such call Biden has held with G7 leaders in the past two months in an effort to persuade them the US would stand by Kyiv against Russia’s invasion. But Congress has yet to approve a new aid package even though administration officials have warned funding is running dry.
Biden has called on Congress to approve an emergency spending package that includes $61-billion in Ukraine aid. The White House budget director on Monday warned legislators the US would completely run out of money for Ukraine by year’s end if new funding is not approved.
“The failure to support Ukraine is just absolutely crazy. It’s against US interests. It’s against the interests of the world. It’s just wrong,” Biden told reporters on Tuesday night, while still predicting, “We’re going to get that aid.”
The Senate plans to leave for the Christmas holiday on 15 December, meaning it has only nine days to reach an agreement. The Senate could extend its session a week, lawmakers have said.
The Ukraine aid is part of a nearly $106-billion request for emergency funds that also includes support for Israel in its war against Hamas, reinforcements for the southern border and support for US allies in the Pacific.
US Defense Secretary Austin calls for swift passage of funding package
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said President Joe Biden’s supplemental funding request to Congress, which includes military aid to Ukraine and Israel, would also benefit the US industrial base.
The funding request “would include another $50-billion to flow through the US industrial base” beyond the roughly $27-billion spent across more than 35 US states, Austin said Wednesday at a conference in Washington.
“Much of the money in the supplemental will come right back to us through investments in American jobs,” he said. “And all of this money will come right back to us through investments in American security.”
Ukrainian ex-legislator who pushed Kremlin agenda killed in Russia
Ukrainian agents gunned down a former pro-Kremlin legislator who fled the country before it was invaded by Russian forces, according to an official familiar with the killing.
Illya Kyva (46) was found dead near Moscow on Wednesday after an operation carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The killing coincided with Ukraine’s Armed Forces Day.
Kyva left the Ukrainian capital before the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, fleeing first to Spain before making his way to Moscow.
On the day of Russia’s attack, Kyva emerged as a backer of the military campaign on Russian media, reinforcing the Kremlin’s message that Ukraine needed to be liberated and “de-nazified” after being captured by the West.
The ex-legislator was sentenced to 14 years in prison in absentia, convicted of high treason and making calls for the seizure of state power.
US charges Russians for torture of American in war crimes case
US prosecutors on Wednesday accused four Russia-affiliated military personnel of detaining and torturing a US citizen in Ukraine, the first charges filed under a US war crimes statute passed nearly 30 years ago.
The Justice Department alleged that the four abducted the US citizen in April 2022 from the village of Mylove in southern Ukraine, roughly two months after President Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded the country.
The charges, filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, include three war crimes — unlawful confinement, torture and inhuman treatment — and one count of conspiracy to commit war crimes.
The defendants were identified as Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan (45) and Dmitry Budnik, both commanding officers in the Russian army, and two lower-ranking military personnel, identified by only their first names, Valerii and Nazar.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a briefing on Wednesday that the victim, who wasn’t involved in the war, was abducted from his home, detained, interrogated, beaten and tortured. He referred to the charges as “an important step toward accountability for the Russian regime’s illegal war in Ukraine.”
The victim wasn’t identified, and the Justice Department released no information about the status or location of the defendants.
Zelensky assures G7 counteroffensive will go on even amid aid doubts
Zelensky vowed to press on with the counteroffensive against Russia as he asked Group of Seven leaders to push back against mounting uncertainty over financial support from the US.
“We have a realistic action strategy, and it is our efforts — with your support — that can ensure Ukraine’s success on the ground,” Zelensky said in a speech to G7 leaders, including Biden, during a virtual meeting on Wednesday.
Ukraine is planning its “next steps” in the war, Zelensky said without elaborating as he called on allies to provide long-range capabilities, which “will help a lot”. The country’s military maintained “important bridgeheads” in several directions along the frontline, withstanding Russian attacks, the Ukrainian leader said.
Putin arrives in Saudi Arabia on rare trip to shore up ties
Putin arrived in Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, part of a rare foreign trip to strengthen partnerships in the Gulf that also defies US and European efforts to isolate him on the global stage.
“We have stable and very good relations in terms of political interaction, economics, and in the humanitarian sector,” Putin said in broadcast remarks of the two leaders’ meeting. “It is very important for us to exchange information and assessments about what is happening in the region,” he said.
Putin arrived in Riyadh from Abu Dhabi, where his two-nation tour began earlier on Wednesday. He held talks there with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which both leaders touted the relationship between their countries and expanding economic ties.
Putin’s visit to the energy-rich region — his first since invading Ukraine almost two years ago — shows he’s still welcome in parts of the globe, even as the US and Europe seek to punish the Kremlin with sanctions and arms to Kyiv. His talks in Saudi Arabia will focus on bolstering the partnership between the oil giants.
Putin has limited his trips mainly to close allies since he ordered troops into Ukraine, triggering a raft of international sanctions, including on its crude exports. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him in March for alleged war crimes, further complicating travel outside his country. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE have signed on to the ICC. DM