Turkey expects Sweden to fulfill its anti-terror commitments in order to join NATO
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated in Ankara on Tuesday: Turkey expects Sweden to fulfill its anti-terror commitments, which it promised to Turkey last year in Madrid in order to join NATO.
Fidan spoke about Sweden’s NATO membership at a joint press conference with the Jordanian foreign minister.
Referring to last Wednesday’s burning of the Koran in Stockholm, the Turkish minister stated: the fact that the Swedish security system is unable to prevent provocations and paints an image of itself that – instead of strengthening it – is a problem for NATO, from a strategic and security point of view is also thought-provoking.
According to the head of Turkish diplomacy, it is now even more debatable whether Sweden’s NATO membership is a burden or a benefit for the alliance.
Regarding the Scandinavian country’s accession to NATO, Ankara firmly stands by its position that it does not support the country’s admission until, in its opinion, Stockholm takes more decisive action against terrorism, especially against members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization living there. Turkey is also demanding the extradition of many PKK members.
According to the Turkish point of view, Sweden tolerates members of the PKK, which is registered as a terrorist organization in the European Union in addition to Turkey, on its own territory, so before joining NATO, it must take steps to prove that it wishes to change this.
(MTI)
The right to host the 2026 women’s handball European Championship was taken away from Russia
The European Handball Federation (EHF) took away the right to host the 2026 Women’s European Championship from Russia.
The EHF website’s report on Tuesday reminds that the Russians were chosen as hosts in November 2021, but due to the war in Ukraine, they could not postpone the decision any longer, so the executive committee took away the right to host from them.
The EHF has to find a new host, but no details about the application process have been announced yet. The application process for the 2030 and 2032 European Championships will begin this year with the acceptance of declarations of intent, and decisions will be made at the end of next year.
(MTI)
Lithuanian President: Ukraine must be given the opportunity to join NATO quickly after the war
The President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, called on the leaders of the NATO member states to act more boldly on the issue of Ukraine’s membership at the summit to be held in his country next week, saying that this would increase the battlefield performance of the Ukrainians defending themselves in the war started by Russia, while any kind of caution would be judged as weakness by Moscow.
In an interview with the Reuters news agency on Tuesday, the head of state advised NATO countries to ignore their fears that the inclusion of Ukraine would provoke Russia led by President Vladimir Putin.
Do not hesitate to take bolder decisions, or the Putin regime will see Western allies as too weak to be sidelined and surrender
Nauseda said on Monday.
Stronger language regarding Ukraine’s NATO membership would certainly increase the fighting spirit of Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield
added the Lithuanian president.
However, he made it clear that no decision will be made on the inclusion of Kyiv at the summit to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
We all understand that now, during the war, Ukraine cannot join NATO. (…) Ukraine also understands this. But we need to define the procedure that will lead to the connection
he said.
He explained that, according to his expectations, Kiev can receive promises from the allies regarding the facilitation of the path to membership and the increase of military support at the summit.
According to Nauseda, he expects that Volodymyr Zelensky Ukrainian president will attend the summit.
I hope that Zelenskyi will be here and will play an important role in decision-making in Vilnius
said the Lithuanian president.
(MTI)
Zelensky praised his country’s air defense forces and thanked Germany for its help
He praised the performance of his country’s air defense forces in a video speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Monday evening, and again thanked Germany for helping to develop Ukraine’s air defense.
On the professional holiday of the anti-aircraft missile teams, Zelensky said that since the start of the war in February last year, more than 180 Russian aircraft, 130 helicopters, more than a thousand robotic aircraft, and more than 1,600 different types of drones have been shot down. He added that the air defense saved thousands of lives and hundreds of critical infrastructure facilities.
He also confirmed the communication from Berlin that on Monday Olaf Scholz in his telephone conversation with the German chancellor, he thanked him for very strongly helping Ukraine’s air defense.
The excellent German IRIS-T type (air defense) systems have proven to be very effective in protecting our skies
said the president.
We also have very effective American Patriot air defense systems that we received from Germany. Ukraine is grateful for them, as well as for other vital assistance!
Zelensky reiterated that the country needs much more help from the West to defend itself.
Unfortunately, our country does not have an air defense system of sufficient quality to protect its entire territory and destroy all enemy targets
he said.
He also spoke of Moscow taking advantage of this weakness: on Monday, for example, Russia struck residential buildings and a secret service building in the northeastern city of Sumi with a drone.
The head of state reiterated his goal to make Ukraine the base of the European missile defense shield against Russian attacks. He believed that Russia will only try to attack Europe if it sees any security insecurity.
(MTI)
That’s how many people arrived in Hungary from Ukraine on Monday
On July 3, 2023, 6,990 people entered the territory of Hungary at the Ukrainian-Hungarian border between midnight and midnight. Among those who entered the Romanian-Hungarian border section, 5,187 people declared that they came from Ukraine.
(MTI)
The Ukrainian counterattack is underway, the situation is hot again at Bahmut – Our war news on Tuesday
Ukrainian troops are advancing in several areas, according to Ukrainian reports, fighting has intensified in the vicinity of Bahmut, which was captured by the Russians in May. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner, spoke and said that in the near future the victories of the mercenary group will again be visible on the front.
Cover photo: Ukrainian armored personnel carriers near Vuhledár on July 1, 2023. Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
