London wants to build an “international coalition” to help Ukraine obtain F-16 fighter jets, Downing Street said on Tuesday after a meeting between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte.
A year after having excluded Russia from their ranks, the leaders of the 46 countries of the Council of Europe launched this May 16 a “register of damage” caused by the invasion of Ukraine. “It is truly a legal mobilization that allows us to move forward in terms of rights and the fight against impunity”, commented Emmanuel Macron.
At a summit in Reykjavik, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and dozens of other European leaders showed their unity in support of Ukraine as Kiev prepares a counter-offensive long awaited. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke by videoconference, called on the Council of Europe to keep its “unity” to preserve “freedom”.
London wants ‘international coalition’ to help Ukraine get fighter jets
Meeting at a Council of Europe summit in Iceland, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte agreed “that they will work together to build an international coalition to provide Ukraine air combat capabilities […], ranging from training to the delivery of F16 aircraft,” Downing Street said in a statement. An initiative hailed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “A good start for the coalition! Thank you all,” he said.
The summit, only the fourth for the pan-European organization in nearly 75 years of existence, aims to increase the means to hold Russia criminally responsible for the destruction and crimes caused by its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine claims to have taken back 20km² from the Russians around Bakhmout
Ukraine claimed on May 16 to have taken back 20 km² from Russian forces around the city of Bakhmout, the epicenter of the fighting for several months. “In recent days, our troops have liberated about 20 square kilometers north and south” of Bakhmout, said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar.
But Russian troops continue to advance in this city in eastern Ukraine, “completely destroying the city with artillery”, added Ganna Maliar. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that it was not yet the long-awaited counter-offensive, prepared for months by kyiv. For this, the army “needs more time”.
kyiv says it shot down six Kinjal hypersonic missiles, Moscow denies
Moscow has denied claims by kyiv, which says it shot down six Russian Kinjal hypersonic missiles. “Russia has not launched as many Kinjals as the Ukrainians claim to have shot down,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said. “The number of these so-called Ukrainian interceptions is three times what we are shooting.”
On May 16, Ukraine claimed to have shot down six Kinjal, hypersonic missiles that were very difficult to intercept. This is a major feat at a time when long-range Russian strikes have intensified again. The Kinjal (“Dagger” in Russian) missile is one of the weapons touted as “invincible” by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as their speed allows them to challenge most air defense systems.
The war in Ukraine can serve as a “lesson” for Taiwan, according to the Pentagon
The war in Ukraine has its share of lessons for Taiwan, showing how a smaller army can withstand a larger force, said Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense. “We learned a number of important lessons from the war in Ukraine,” he told a parliamentary hearing on Taiwan’s defense strategies in the event of a Chinese invasion. “One of those lessons is that with asymmetric resources and asymmetric tactics and techniques, a smaller force can truly hold its own against a more powerful force.”
Beijing sees Taiwan, an island of 23 million people, as a province it has yet to annex since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. La Chien says it favors peaceful reunification with Taiwan. But it does not exclude the use of force to achieve this.