Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a press conference at the chancellory in Berlin, February 16, 2024 (Markus Schreiber/AP)

Wednesday’s Coverage: Medvedev — “Kyiv’s NATO Membership Would Mean War”

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1717 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has visited the UK to address the European Political Community summit.

Addressing leaders and officials from 43 European countries at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, Zelenskiy assured that permission for Ukraine to hit targets within Russia along the Ukrainian border stopped Moscow’s expansion of its invasion.

He urged allies to allow Ukraine to hit Russian military airfields and missile launch sites deeper inside Russia.

The fewer restrictions we have on the use of effective weapons, the more Russia will seek peace.

This will not only eliminate some targets, but will also reduce Russia’s capability to continue this war.

Referring to Russia’s cross-border offensive into the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine in May, the President assessed, “Did [strikes inside Russia] lead to escalation? No. On the contrary, it blocked Putin’s attempt to expand the war. Did Putin have any response? No.”

Zelenskiy also warned about the mission of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a long-time ally of Vladimir Putin, promoting “peace talks” which would allow Russia to annex occupied areas of Ukraine.

We have maintained unity in Europe by acting together, which means that Putin has missed his primary targets … This is our advantage, but it remains an advantage only as long as we are united….

[Putin] may try to approach you, or go to some of your partners individually, trying to tempt or pressure you to blackmail you so that one of you betrays the rest. We keep our unity.

If someone in Europe tries to resolve issues behind our backs, or even at the expense of someone else, if someone wants to make some trips to the capital of war to talk – and perhaps promise something against our common interests or at the expense of Ukraine or other countries – then why should we consider such a person?

UPDATE 0834 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenses downed all Iran-made attack drones and two of three guided air missiles fired overnight by Russia.

In the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine, a woman was killed and two men injured by a guided aerial bomb on the Kupyansk area.

In the Donetsk region in the east, 19 people were injured by shelling.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: A draft budget indicates Germany will halve military aid to Ukraine in 2025.

According to the document, the funds will be slashed to €4 billion in 2025 from around €8 billion euros this year.

The German Government hopes Kyiv will be able to meet most of its military needs with $50 billion in loans drawn from the profits of frozen Russian assets, a measure approved by the G7 nations, and with assistance from the European Union and its members.

“Ukraine’s financing is secured for the foreseeable future thanks to European instruments and the G7 loans,” said German Finance Minister Christian Lindner on Wednesday.

Ukraine to US: Lift Ban on Strikes Inside Russia

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has reiterated Ukraine’s call on the Biden Administration to lift restrictions on use of US-made weapons inside Russia.

In a virtual conversation with the Aspen Security Forum, Umerov noted that Ukraine cannot stop Russian strikes on cities and infrastructure unless it can targets Moscow’s airbases and other military sites: “We want to say it loudly: we are focusing on military targets, so that they are not able to hit the civilians.”

The Biden Administration relaxed the ban at the end to May to allow strikes on Russian military positions directly supporting a cross-border offensive into northeast Ukraine. However, it has maintained the restrictions on use of long-range ATACMS missiles, whose delivery to Kyiv was authorized in April.

Asked about the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House, given his threat to cut American aid to Ukraine, Umerov said:

We believe in US leadership, and we believe America wants its partners and allies to be strong as well. At this stage, we will focus on the battlefield.Whatever the outcome [of the US elections], we will find solutions.