EU approves accession talks, rejects funds – DW – 12/15/2023

Russia on Friday downed 26 Ukrainian drones over Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said. 

Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Ukraine hopes to recapture the territory. 

Russia said there were no victims or damage from the Ukrainian attack.  

Slovak truckers have stopped their blockade of a border crossing with Ukraine. 

Rastislav Curma, the vice chairman of the truck drivers’ union UNAS, told AFP news agency “we have ended our protest following a request from the police.” 

The Slovak blockade had started only three days ago.

The truckers urged the EU to reimpose permits on Ukrainian drivers entering the bloc. The EU waived the permits for Ukrainian truckers following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

A similar blockade has been occurring at on the Polish-Ukranian border. AFP reported that Polish truckers are set to resume their blockade at the largest freight crossing with Ukraine following a court decision.

The EU truckers are concerned about “unfair competition” from Ukraine.

The Ukranian government has criticized the blockades, as Ukrainian drivers are getting stuck. Ukraine is heavily reliant on its roads with Poland in particular as a means to export and import goods into its economy.  

A councillor in a Ukrainian village detonated several hand granades during a meeting on Friday. 

Social media footage online showed a man in black dropping the grenades on the ground with his colleagues in the room. Explosions ensued, leading to screams and chaos.

The unusual event happened in Keretsky, which is located in the mountainous Zakarpattia region in western Ukraine. 

“Twenty-six people were injured, six of them in serious condition,” a police statement on Telegram said.

The motive behind the explosive incident is still unclear. It happened during a heated discussion at the village council. 

It is not difficult for civilians to procure hand grenades amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.  

UK’s latest Defense Intelligence update on Friday said that heavy fighting has persisted between Russia and Ukraine in the southeastern war-torn town of Marinka. 

“Russia has likely further reduced the small pockets of Ukrainian-controlled territory remaining within the town boundary,” the UK Defense Ministry said. 

“One of Russia’s operational objectives in the area is likely to secure the 0015 and N15 highways to eventually advance further west towards the town of Kurakhove,” it added. “Despite its incremental advances, a major operationally significant Russian breakthrough in this sector remains highly unlikely.”  

Marinka lies in the eastern region of Donetsk, which has a large ethnic Russian population. Marinka has been largely ravaged by Russia’s ongoing invasion, with no civilians residing there since November 2022. 

Russia on Friday praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for stopping the transfer of €50 billion ($50.5 billion) in EU aid over four years to Ukraine.

Orban vetoed the EU’s plan to provide the money to Kyiv during a summit in Brussels on Thursday. 

“Hungary, in contrast to many European countries, firmly defends its interests, which impresses us,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.     

At the same time, Russia was indignant regarding an EU decision to open accession talks with both Ukraine and Moldova. Hungary did not veto that move, unlike the Ukraine aid. 

Petrov derided the “politicized decision” by the EU regarding accession talks. 

“Everything is being done to annoy Russia and antagonize these countries towards Russia,” Petrov said, while claiming that the addition of new members “can actually destabilize the EU.”  

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked €50 billion ($54 billion) in EU aid for Ukraine after leaders side-stepped his opposition to agree to open talks with Kyiv on joining the bloc.  

A crunch summit in Brussels broke up after a day of wrangling as the Hungarian authoritarian leader refused to greenlight funding to help prop up Ukraine’s government over the next four years. 

“Summary of the nightshift: veto for the extra money to Ukraine,” Orban wrote on social media.

EU chief Charles Michel confirmed that European leaders had failed to agree to a budget plan including aid for Ukraine after an objection from one member, understood to be Hungary. 

Michel said leaders would return to the issue “early next year.”

wd/lo (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)