Turkey is vetoing Finland and Sweden’s bid to join NATO after the three countries agreed to protect each other’s security. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells the United Nations Security Council that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “terrorist” and calls for Russia’s expulsion from the UN. Zelenskyy urges the UN to do everything possible to end the “killing spree” before Russia’s “terrorist activity” spreads to other European countries and Asia. Russia’s deputy UN ambassador tells the Security Council there has been no Russian attack on the shopping center in Ukraine’s central city of Kremenchuk. He claims Moscow’s precision weapons hit hangars at the road machinery factory in Kremenchuk, sparking a fire that spread to the mall.
(Al-Jazeera)
These are the latest updates:
4 minutes ago (00:07 GMT)
Turkey lifts veto over Finland, Sweden’s NATO bid
Turkey has vetoed Finland and Sweden’s attempt to join the Western alliance after the three nations agreed to protect each other’s security.
The alliance’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said the agreement addresses “Turkey’s concerns, including arms exports and the fight against terrorism.”
“Finland and Sweden commit to fully support Turkiye (Turkey) against threats to its national security. This includes further amending their national legislation, cracking down on PKK activities, and reaching an agreement with Turkiye on extradition,” he said after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, and Niinisto.
The breakthrough came after four hours of talks just before a NATO summit in Madrid began, averting an embarrassing standoff at the meeting of 30 leaders seeking to show determination against Russia. It means Helsinki and Stockholm can go ahead with their application to join the nuclear-armed alliance.
13 minutes ago (23:58 GMT)
UK defense spending is expected to reach 2.3% of GDP this year
The United Kingdom’s defense spending is expected to reach 2.3 percent of GDP this year due to increased military support to Ukraine during Russia’s invasion of that country, the government said in a statement.
NATO has estimated that the UK will spend 2.12 percent of GDP in 2022, down from an estimated 2.26 percent in 2021 but still above the 2 percent threshold that the Atlantic alliance demands from its members.
35 minutes ago (23:36 GMT)
Zelenskyy shares camera footage of the hit. Kremenchuk
Zelenskyy shared CCTV footage of the Kremenchuk shopping center being hit by a Russian missile attack on Monday and said the attack was deliberate.
“The Russian missile deliberately hit this object. That, of course, was the assignment. It is clear that Russian assassins have received such coordinates for this missile,” Zelenskyy said in a video address on Tuesday evening.
Moscow says it hit a nearby weapons depot and falsely claimed the mall was empty. Zelensky’s late-night speech disproved what he said were Russia’s lies.
“And I want to say separately about the responsibility of those Russian propagandists who lie about this terror, who try to justify the actions of the Russian military. We have all the evidence of what the Russian troops are doing against our people,” he said. Each of you will also be punished.
A still image from CCTV footage shows the explosion as a Russian missile strike hits a shopping center at a location designated as Kremenchuk, in the Poltava region, Ukraine, June 28, 2022 [CCTV via Instagram @zelenskiy_official/Handout via Reuters]
42 minutes ago (23:29 GMT)
Western countries make Ukraine’ anti-Russia’: Moscow’s UN envoy
Ukraine is being turned into ‘anti-Russia’ at the behest of some Western countries, Russia’s envoy to the UN has told the Security Council.
Dmitry Polyansky said that by supplying arms to Ukraine, Western countries are extending the time when Ukraine’s leaders will “sit at the negotiating table with a realistic position rather than slogans”.
“We have launched a special military operation to stop Ukraine’s shelling of Donbas so that the territory of this country, which has been turned anti-Russia at the behest of some western countries, as well as its nationalist leadership, ceases to pose a threat. for Russia or the inhabitants of southern and southeastern Ukraine,” he said.
“And until those goals are met, our operation will continue.”
49 minutes ago (23:23 GMT)
No Russian attack on shopping center: UN envoy in Moscow
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador has told the Security Council there has been no Russian attack on the shopping center in Ukraine’s central city of Kremenchuk, which officials say killed at least 18 people and injured 59 others.
Dmitry Polyansky said Russian precision weapons hit hangars at the road machinery factory in Kremenchuk containing guns and ammunition from the United States and Europe destined for Ukrainian troops in eastern Donbas. The mall was some distance away, but the ammunition explosion “started a fire that then spread to the mall,” he said.
Ukraine called the council meeting after the recent increase in attacks in Russia, including Monday’s airstrike on the busy mall.
Zelenskyy told the municipality that “dozens are missing” and that body fragments, including hands and feet, have been found, adding that, unfortunately, there could be more victims.
56 minutes ago (23:16 GMT)
Zelenskyy calls for Russia’s expulsion from the UN
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the United Nations to set up an international tribunal to investigate “the actions of the Russian occupying forces on Ukrainian soil” and hold the country accountable.
“We must take urgent action to do everything we can to make Russia stop the massacre,” Zelenskyy said in a virtual speech to the Security Council. He warned that otherwise, Russia’s “terrorist activity” will spread to other European countries and Asia, focusing on the Baltic states, Poland, Moldova, and Kazakhstan.
“Putin has become a terrorist,” he said. “Daily terrorist actions, without weekends. Every day they work as terrorists.”
Zelenskyy also urged Russia’s expulsion from the 193 members of the United Nations, citing Article 6 of the UN Charter, which states that any member General Assembly may expel any member “who has consistently violated the principles of this Chartere organization.” be put on the recommendation of the Security Council.”
You can read all updates from June 28 here.
