Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday to meet with the injured Ukrainian fighter. mikolaif.
It was an unusual visit by a foreign leader close to the front. Russian forces are located about 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the city.
In a statement issued after the visit, Frederiksen said he had promised Zelensky that “Ukraine can always trust Denmark as a close friend and partner.”
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Defense Minister Jakob Elleman-Jensen accompanied the Prime Minister of Ukraine.
Zelensky and Frederiksen also visited the city’s harbor, which had been severely damaged by Russian artillery fire.
Denmark has pledged to support leading efforts to rebuild the city and its surrounding areas.
The Scandinavian country is currently considering shipping advanced German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Zelensky warned of a possible looming attack by Moscow. Invasion of Ukraine We are celebrating our 1 year anniversary.
“I think Russia wants a really big revenge. I think they have[already]started it. .
“I think we will stop them bit by bit, destroy them and prepare for a massive counterattack,” he added.
Here are other updates on the war in Ukraine on Monday, January 30:
Zelensky Inspires Faster Weapon Delivery
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to “speed up” the supply of weapons, adding that the situation in Ukraine remained “difficult”.
“The situation is very difficult. Bakhmut, Vleder and other sectors of the Donetsk region There are constant Russian attacksThere are constant attempts to penetrate our defenses,” Zelensky said in his regular address late Sunday.
“Russia wants war to prolong and exhaust our power,” he said. “That’s why we have to use time as a weapon.”
“We must speed up events, speed up supplies, and open up new weapons options for Ukraine,” Zelensky stressed.
Kyiv later requested fighters Germany agreed to supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Zelensky’s statement Missile hits house in Kharkov, the second largest city in Ukraine. Officials said at least one person was killed in the attack.
Kremlin says Boris Johnson lied about missile threat
The Kremlin has accused former Prime Minister Boris Johnson of lying about claims that President Vladimir Putin threatened him with missile strikes.
“Mr Johnson’s statements are not true. More precisely, they are lies,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
The comments came after Johnson said in a BBC documentary that the missile strike, which Putin had warned him about, would “take only a minute.”
UK Defense Minister: Tanks will arrive ‘this side of summer’
British Defense Minister Ben Wallace told British MPs that the 14 Challenger tanks to be delivered to the Ukrainian army “will be this side of the summer or in May, probably around Easter.” .
Wallace added that officials were unwilling to provide full timetables due to safety concerns.
NATO secretary general asks South Korea to export munitions to Ukraine
During a visit to Seoul, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea to reconsider its ban on munitions exports to countries in conflict to allow it to sell arms to Ukraine.
Stoltenberg cited Germany, Norway and NATO-applying Sweden as examples, saying that “several NATO allies that had policies of not exporting arms to countries in conflict are now changing their policies.” said.
“If we believe in freedom, we believe in democracy, and we don’t want dictatorships and tyranny to win, they need weapons,” he added.
Western Weapons Causing ‘Major Escalation’ — Kremlin
The Kremlin said the continued supply of Western arms to Ukraine was only helping to escalate the situation.
“This is a dead-end situation, leading to serious escalation and more direct involvement of NATO members in the conflict,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a telephone call with reporters. .
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, meanwhile, said peace talks with Ukraine would be “pointless” given the western pledge of tanks.
Russian state media outlet Lia Novosti reported that Ryabkov said the delivery of weapons by Western countries was a “very destructive step” that would only escalate the situation.
Artillery shelling kills five in eastern Ukraine — local authorities
At least five people have been killed in eastern Ukraine, according to local Ukrainian officials.
Provincial governor Oleh Syniyehubov said the woman had been killed and three others injured.
Ukraine’s military leadership has warned that the threat of Russian air and missile strikes across Ukraine remains high.
Ukrainian forces are fighting a Russian invasion in the eastern part of the country.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said Russian forces were conducting “offensive operations” in Raiman, Bakhmut, Avdiuka and Novopavlivsk.
Poland increases defense budget to 4% of GDP
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiek has said he will increase defense spending to 4% of gross domestic product (GDP).
The decision would make the country spend even more than the United States against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“The war in Ukraine will further accelerate our armament,” Morawiecki told reporters.
Under current spending targets, NATO allied members are required to reach a benchmark of spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024. US military spending in 2021 was his 3.5% of GDP.
According to diplomats at a recent NATO meeting, Poland, Lithuania and Britain recently suggested that their targets should be higher in light of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
NATO chief urges Seoul to ‘strengthen’ aid to Ukraine
During a visit to South Korea, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged officials to “increase the specific issue of military support” to Kyiv.
“If we believe in freedom and democracy, if we don’t want tyranny and tyranny to win, they need weapons,” he said, adding that the Ukrainian army urgently needs more ammunition. added.
In recent years, South Korea has become an increasingly important arms exporter. Seoul has signed contracts to sell tanks to several European countries, including Poland.
Stoltenberg has also included him in Japan as he moves to strengthen ties with regional allies, not only to support Ukraine, but to counter a possible threat from China. I’m on a tour of Asia that I’m taking.
Zelensky pushes for Russia’s exclusion from Paris Olympics
Ukrainian president called Russian athletes excluded from Paris 2024.
“The International Olympic Committee’s attempt to bring Russian athletes back to the Olympics is an attempt to convey to the whole world that terrorism is somehow acceptable,” Zelensky said.
“As if we could turn a blind eye to what Russia is doing in Kherson, Kharkov, Bakhmut and Avdiuka,” he said.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims Putin threatened him with missiles
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Russian President Vladimir Putin claims he threatened him with a missile strike just before he launched his invasion of Ukraine.
“He threatened me at one point and said, ‘Boris, I don’t want to hurt you, but with the missiles it will only take a minute,’ or something like that. Aired Monday.
“From the very relaxed tone he was taking, the sort of detached air he seemed to have, I think he was just playing around with my attempts to get him to negotiate.
Mr Johnson said he stressed to Mr Putin: NATO did not plan to expand To Ukraine in the near future.
“He said, ‘Boris, you say that Ukraine is not going to join NATO anytime soon. What are you going to do in the near future?’ And I said, ‘Well, in the near future NATO I’m not going to join you. You know it perfectly well.
German diplomat Huisgen: Scholz ‘no friends’ in Washington
Christoph Huisgen, President of the Munich Security CouncilGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he made ‘no one’s friends’ in Washington Berlin hesitates to hand over Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.
“The prime minister didn’t make friends in Washington like this,” said Huisgen.
He said Germany and Europe must do more to become self-reliant in the security field. Strong preference for the Indo-Pacific region.”
Referring to Berlin’s decision to hand over tanks to Ukraine after pressure from its allies, he said, “Leadership does not always mean being the last … Doing what needs to be done.” claimed.
Germany’s Scholz prompts ‘serious’ debate on jet deliveries
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized the debate over Kyiv’s request for the supply of fighter jets.
“It’s unusual for this debate to take place,” Scholz said.
The prime minister called for “serious” discussions rather than “a bidding war in which domestic political motives are probably the primary concern rather than supporting Ukraine.”
Croatian President Attacks West Over Ukraine Posture
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has criticized US and Western military support for Ukraine, most recently in the form of tank deliveries, arguing that “Crimea will never again be part of Ukraine.”
The left-leaning politician is the commander-in-chief of the Croatian army. Croatia is a NATO member and part of the EU.
Milanovic also denounced the West’s position on Ukraine as “extremely immoral because there is no solution” to the war in Ukraine, saying he did not want Croatia to face negative consequences from it. Stated.
sdi, ar/fb (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)