German Chancellor And Ukrainian Prime Minister Meet, Relations Improving Between Two Countries

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Sunday, the first visit by a senior Ukrainian official to Germany in months. The meeting was a sign that relations between the two countries are improving, after Ukraine had accused Germany of not doing enough to support the war against Russia in the early months of the war.

Scholz praised Ukrainians’ “bravery” while Shmyhal thanked Germany for their solidarity and acknowledged their increased military help. Shmyhal also met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom Ukrainian officials had harshly criticized for his past advocacy of strong Russian-German ties. The two discussed the need for Germany and other Western countries to provide Ukraine with weapons and to strength sanctions against Russia.

Scholz vowed to support Ukraine militarily, politically and financially, while also addressing Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union and announcing that an expert conference on the reconstruction of the country would take place in Berlin on Oct. 25. Europe’s energy security is also on the agenda of the discussions, Shmyhal added on Twitter.

Four Russian Generals Fired For Ukraine War Failures

Four Russian generals have been dismissed due to the “unsatisfactory results of the special military operation" in Ukraine, reports the Ukrainian Independent Information Agency.

This comes after Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the south to reconquer Russian-occupied territories. It is not the first time the Russian forces experienced a reshuffle as General Aleksandr Vladimirovich Dvornikov, who had been charged with overall command of the operation in Ukraine, was removed from his post a month ago.

Back To Destroyed School On Dutch Front Page

Dutch daily nrc laments the “ruined start of a new school year” on its front page, as Ukrainian children head back to classrooms, many have which have sustained consideral damages amid continued clashes and bombings across the country.

Russian Journalist Faces Record 24 years In Prison Over “Treason”

Ivan Safronov, a former journalist for Russian dailies Kommersant and Vedomosti who covered military industry affairs, was sentenced to 24 years in a strict regime colony on charges of treason.

During the trial, Russian independent journalists leaked elements suggesting the Russian government did not have much of a case against Safronov.

As The Guardian reports, a Russian prosecutor offered Safronov to sign a confession and be sentenced to a 12-year sentence instead. “He told her to get lost,” according to his lawyer Evgeny Smirnov.

U.S Ambassador To Russia John Sullivan Retires

John Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, is retiring. The State Department announced the news Sunday about Sullivan, who’d worked as a public servant under five presidents and spent three years in Moscow, overseeing "one of the most critical bilateral relationships in the world during unprecedented times".

Sullivan started as the ambassador to Russia in 2019, when the U.S. and Russia were engaged in a series of retaliatory actions over diplomatic staff, and handled the first six months of sanctions against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. His successor will be announced soon, with diplomat Elizabeth Rood taking over in the meantime.

Backlash After Melbourne Street Art Of Russian And Ukrainian Soldiers Hugging

Australian artist Peter Seaton removed his mural depicting a hug between a Russian and Ukrainian. The painting, done in South Melbourne, provoked outcry in the city's Ukrainian community and Ukraine's ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko called it "utterly offensive."

The artist apologized for the painting but still defended his work: "My artwork was only about bringing the human element to both of these warring factions." Peter Seaton said he will still sell NFTs of the mural and donate the proceeds to the World Beyond War organization.