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Morning Headlines
BBC News: The Wagner mercenary group is no longer "participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine", a Pentagon spokesperson has said.
FT: Finnish foreign minister Elina Valtonen said in an interview that “we in the west need to understand that obviously, this is not charity because Ukraine is fighting for us. They are fighting for our liberty and the European security architecture.”
ISW: Russian Major General Ivan Popov’s dismissal over the issue of Russian casualties and reported complaints about lack of force rotations further supports ISW’s assessment that Russian defenses in Ukraine are likely brittle.
WSJ: ‘20 Days in Mariupol’, a documentary by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mstyslav Chernov, captures the atrocities and other harrowing incidents visited upon the port city in the early days of Russia’s invasion.
More News
Reuters: The European Union's lending arm on Thursday unveiled a new fund worth 400 million euros to spend on rebuilding Ukraine before the bloc's longer-term reconstruction plan kicks in.
Novaya-Europe: Russian businessmen have acquired Western companies’ assets worth €35 billion for next to nothing. Novaya-Europe lists entrepreneurs who have benefited most from the Ukraine war.
AFP: US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he expected Ukraine's counter-offensive against the Russian invasion would lead to negotiations to end the war.
Reuters: Putin said on Thursday that Western supplies of weapons to Ukraine would change nothing on the battlefield but only further escalate the conflict, adding that foreign-made tanks were a "priority target" for Moscow's forces.
European Parliament: On Thursday, Parliament adopted plans to increase EU production of ammunition and missiles to address the current shortage.
Reuters: Ukraine's foreign partners pledged over 1.5 billion euros in military aid for Kyiv while attending a NATO summit this week, Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Thursday.
The Moscow Times: Plans are underway to turn the South Caucasus country of Georgia into a transit hub for Russian travelers flying to Europe, the RBC business daily reported Thursday, citing the part-owner of a Russian airline and major airport.
Reuters: The International Olympic Committee on Thursday said it was confronted with the "irreconcilable positions" of Russia and Ukraine regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at next year's Paris Olympics.
France 24: France’s parliament on Thursday approved a multi-billion-euro boost to military spending through the rest of this decade, spurred by Russia’s war in Ukraine and fast-growing global threats.
Reuters Exclusive: J.P. Morgan has become the latest major bank struggling to find Russian stocks linked to some client investments, adding to fears for investors still hoping to recoup some value from stranded assets in the country.
CNN: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told CNN on Thursday he has “no doubt” that Ukraine will become part of NATO after Russia’s war against the country ends.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine has already received cluster munitions pledged by the U.S. as part of its latest aid package, Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander for Tavriia military sector, told CNN on July 13.
CNN: Sweden said it will “simplify and speed up” deliveries of defense material to Ukraine. Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson signed a protective security agreement with Ukraine at the NATO summit in Lithuania on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Swedish government Thursday.
The Insider: Russia's war in Ukraine has led to multiple Russian athletes being barred from international competitions. Independent outlet Holod has reported that 200+ Russian athletes have changed their sports citizenship and will now represent other countries.
The Moscow Times: Companies with known links to Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin have been awarded over 1 billion rubles in government contracts since his attempted overthrow of Russia’s military leadership last month, the RTVI television network reported Thursday, citing public data.
WSJ Exclusive: Gen. Sergei Surovikin is being held and interrogated in Moscow; others were detained, suspended or fired.
POLITICO: A resurgent NATO is set to tighten its grip on the Baltic Sea, complicating a vital transit route for Putin’s navy in Russia’s backyard.
worth mentioning
Hungary signals it's likely to back Sweden's NATO bid in autumn
Biden says he’s serious about pursuing prisoner exchange for WSJ reporter held in Russia
China's top diplomat says Beijing, Moscow to deepen ties
Wildfires, floods kill at least five people across Russia
Doctors from Poland arrive in Georgia to examine former president Mikheil Saakashvili
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