The United States announced its first-ever sanctions against a Chinese company that “directly developed and produced complete weapons systems in partnership with Russian companies” for use in Ukraine. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the sanctions are in response to Russia’s alleged manufacturing of drones deployed in the war against Ukraine. “This is the first time we’ve actually seen a Chinese company produce its own weapons and have them used on the battlefield by Russia,” said U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
The action is related to the long-range attack drones of the Garpiya series. The Treasury Department said the drone was “designed and developed” by China-based experts, produced in a Chinese factory in cooperation with a Russian defense company, and then transferred to Russia for use against Ukraine. said that it was done. The two companies targeted by the sanctions are China-based Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Co. and Red Reps Vector Industry Shenzhen Co., Ltd. Also targeted are Russian-based limited liability companies Trading House Vector and Artem Mikhailovich Yamshchikov. Previous U.S. sanctions have hit Chinese companies that supply Russian companies with parts for weapons production.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on European leaders to extend an “immediate invitation” to Ukraine’s membership in NATO, as he lays out a “victory plan” to end the war by 2025 at the latest. At the EU summit in Brussels, Ukraine’s president outlined a five-point plan calling for allies to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons against military targets in occupied Ukraine and Russia, and to strengthen air defenses. asked for support. Jennifer Rankin reports from Brussels that an invitation to join NATO immediately, even if it joins later, is widely considered unrealistic in the transatlantic alliance.
President Zelenskyy claimed on Thursday that he had received information that Russia was preparing to commit 10,000 North Korean soldiers to the war against Kiev, calling it “the first step towards a world war.” is. Western officials said they were aware of the report but were treating it with caution, according to AFP news agency. One official cited reports that put the number of North Koreans at between 2,000 and 12,000, but said if verified, “that number would probably be lower.”
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Thursday that Norway will supply Ukraine with six F-16 fighter jets “in the near future” after a meeting with Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gramm.
Artillery ammunition shipments to Ukraine led by the Czech Republic must continue until 2025, the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Denmark and the Netherlands have declared. The plan is to deliver 500,000 shells to Ukraine this year. Eighteen countries have signed on to support, including Canada, Germany and Portugal. The move partly compensates for the EU’s failure to fulfill its promise to supply Ukraine with one million shells by the end of March this year. Ukraine’s Western allies compete with Russia for ammunition purchases in markets outside Europe.
Dozens of countries pledged Thursday to help Ukraine clear a trove of mines and explosives that have contaminated nearly a quarter of its territory. More than 40 countries supported the Lausanne Call to Action during the two-day conference in Switzerland, organizers said. The World Bank estimates that demining Ukraine will cost about $37 billion.
