Fact: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a new munitions factory and warned that Europe must move to mass producing weapons because we do not live in times of peace.
The American Deputy Secretary of State made an official visit to Kiev. During her visit, she stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his army can expect "nice surprises" in the battlefields in Ukraine. She also expressed confidence that Ukraine's strengthened defenses will lead to great successes against Putin's forces. According to her, Ukrainian armed forces have caused significant damage to Putin's ground forces and the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. The anticipated summer counterattack by Kiev has been deemed a failure, with Russia now launching attacks in the eastern and southern parts of the country. Putin has claimed that Russian forces have positioned themselves "on the borders" of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, which is one of the hottest points on the 1,000-kilometer front. The head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service has stated that the Russian attack will be crushed in a few months, followed by a Ukrainian counterattack in the spring.
Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Europe for “Russophobia” and accused the Baltic States of human rights violations during the unveiling of a World War Two memorial. Putin compared the fight against the Nazis to his actions in Ukraine and accused Ukraine of exalting Hitler’s accomplices. He also criticized the Baltic States for declaring people subhuman and depriving them of basic rights.
Expatriate Russians living in “unfriendly” countries will be allowed to vote in the upcoming presidential election in Russia, according to a spokesperson from the foreign ministry. Polling stations will be set up in all countries where Russia has diplomatic missions. President Vladimir Putin is expected to win the election and extend his rule by six more years. Foreign election observers will be invited from the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, but not from the Council of Europe.
A Russian court has sentenced Ksenia Fadeyeva, an ally of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, to nine and a half years in prison for running an “extremist organization.” Fadeyeva, who served as a local lawmaker and former head of Navalny’s anti-corruption organization, will appeal the sentence. Navalny’s organization was designated “extremist” in 2021, leading to a ban and harsh penalties for its members. Navalny himself is serving multiple prison sentences and has been transferred to a penal colony. The Russian authorities view Navalny and his supporters as extremists seeking to destabilize Russia.