Ukraine

A summit that Switzerland hopes will pave the way for a peace process in Ukraine has drawn delegations from more than 50 countries, Swiss President Viola Amherd said Wednesday. 

The Council today adopted a decision extending the mandate of the European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform in Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine), until 31 May 2027. … EUAM Ukraine is a non-executive civilian mission established on 22 July 2014, and currently headed by Rolf Holmboe.

Officials in Ukraine said on May 8 that a major overnight attack by more than 50 Russian missiles and 20 drones badly damaged infrastructure, including dams, across at least six regions as multiple waves of air alerts rang out for hours in areas including the capital, Kyiv.

A new OSCE expert report documents the practice of arbitrary detention of Ukrainian civilians by Russia since 2014, which according to the experts constitutes a violation of international law and may even amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. … The current report builds on three previous OSCE expert reports launched under the OSCE Moscow Mechanism in 2022 and 2023. 

The United States accused Russia on Wednesday of breaching a global chemical weapons ban by deploying the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops.

U.S. President Joe Biden signed legislation Wednesday providing $95 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, saying, “When our allies are stronger. We are stronger.”

Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, says he has urged Xi Jinping to press Russia to end its “senseless” war in Ukraine and that the Chinese president has agreed to back a peace conference in Switzerland. 

The Russian government should be held responsible for compensating the human and material losses incurred and “its destruction of Ukraine”, rapporteur for the file, Lulzim Basha (Albanian Democratic Party, EPP) said upon opening of the body’s session.

Unveiling US findings, officials said China was helping Russia on a range of areas including the joint production of drones, space-based capabilities, and machine-tool exports vital for producing ballistic missiles. China has been the key factor in revitalizing Russia’s defense industrial base “which had otherwise suffered significant setbacks” since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Switzerland said Wednesday it will host a high-level international conference in June aimed at ending Russia’s two-year war on Ukraine but acknowledged that Moscow is unlikely to join the peace process.