German Coverage Of Ramstein Summit

German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung featured coverage of the summit of Western military leaders at U.S. military base in Ramstein Germany. Allied leaders supporting Ukraine, both inside and outside NATO, have pledged to meet monthly in Germany. Berlin also announced a major shift at the summit, saying it would send a supply of tanks to Ukraine.

Read Ukrainian writer Anna Akage's "To Kill The Bear," which argues that total victory over Russia is the only viable path forward for her country, and the world.

EU Accuses Russia Of “Blackmail” After Gas Cut To Poland And Bulgaria

Russian state energy giant Gazprom has cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria after the two Eastern European countries failed to pay in rubles, an unprecedented step in the energy-economic war between Moscow and the West. European Commission chief Ursula Von der Leyen reacted to Russia’s decision with a tweet: “Gazprom’s announcement is another attempt by Russia to blackmail us with gas,” saying the EU would have a coordinated response.

Ten Days Into “Decisive” Donbas Assault, Russia Struggles To Advance

Moscow’s shift of most of its troops and materials to the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas was meant to be a decisive strike that could provide Russian President Vladimir Putin with a much needed victory. Yet despite firepower superiority, the situation in the region seems to be at a standstill for Russian forces.

The Russian offensive coming down from the town of Izum was supposed to link up with the one coming up from the south towards the road and rail junction of Pokrovsk, but neither have moved much, reports French daily Le Monde.

Russian military forces have only made "minor advances" since escalating their offensive in eastern Ukraine, reported British Ministry of Defense on Twitter, saying Ukrainian forces still in Mariupol had "exhausted" Russian units and prevented them from redeploying.

Ukrainian Armed Forces say they’ve destroyed some 70 units of Russian equipment in the Donbas region, reports Ukrainian-daily Ukrayinska Pravda. Among the targets are nine tanks, 11 artillery systems, four units of special military equipment and 14 units of armored vehicles.

Despite the fierce resistance, Russia continues its assault, though its troops are again accused of targeting civilians. On Telegram, head of the regional military administration Serguey Gaidai, says Russians shot at civilians 17 times in 24 hours, including at a local school in Lysychansk, where 23 people were hiding, including children.

Russian Class-action Lawsuit Against Apple

After Apple closed its operations in Russia, consumers in that country have filed a class-action lawsuit against the tech giant for the failure of ApplePay to function. Twenty consumers are demanding compensation from the company in the amount of 10,000 rubles ($134) per person, Russian daily Kommersant reports.

The case could set a precedent, as some legal experts argue that Apple has never guaranteed the universal functionality of its payment system, while others say that it is part of the product and its cost. A similar class action lawsuit has been filed in Russia against Netflix, which has also joined a mass exodus of foreign companies doing business in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.

World Bank: Worst “Commodity Shock” Of Energy And Food Prices Since 1970s

Prices of energy and food in the world will rise by the end of 2024 and reach “historically high levels'' due to the war in Ukraine, according to the World Banks’s new report “Consumer Markets Market.” Indermit Gill, vice president of the World Bank's Sustainable Development Group, said the forecast of rising costs are “the largest commodity shock we’ve experienced since the 1970s.”

UN Veto Initiative After Russian Invasion Resolution

The UN General Assembly decided on Tuesday to automatically meet within 10 days, if one of the five permanent members of the Security Council has exercised its veto.

This resolution, which was adopted by consensus and will trigger a General Assembly meeting where all UN members can scrutinize and comment on the veto, was brought on after Russia used its veto the day after it invaded Ukraine on a resolution calling for its unconditional withdrawal from the country.

Beheaded Statue

A statue located under the People’s Friendship Arch in Kyiv, which once represented friendship between Ukraine and Russia, has been brought down.

The eight-meter-high bronze statue in the center of the Ukrainian capital was ordered to be removed by Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, who said "Russia destroyed the normal life of millions of Ukrainians and destroyed the peace in Europe.” Many people gathered to watch the dismantling of the statue, which was first erected in 1982 under the giant “People’s Friendship Arch” to mark the 60th anniversary of the Soviet Union. The arch will remain in place but will be renamed the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People.