JULY 2024
June 2
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán Makes First Visit to Ukraine Since Russian Invasion
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Kyiv for his first visit to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. During the trip, Orbán and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are set to discuss European peace initiatives and bilateral relations, with a focus on resolving tensions over minority rights.
Netherlands Finalises Export Permit for 24 F-16 Fighter Jets to Ukraine
Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren has confirmed the finalization of an export permit for 24 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The first of these aircraft is expected to be delivered soon. This decision follows previous announcements and preparations, including the provision of 18 F-16s to Romania for Ukrainian pilot training.
July 3
NATO Pledges 40 Billion Euros in Annual Military Aid for Ukraine
NATO members pledged 40 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine for the next year. This pledge supports NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s call for continued aid but falls short of a full multi-year commitment. The agreement includes future evaluations and aims for transparency in contributions.
July 5
Orbán’s Moscow Meeting Sparks EU Criticism Amid Ukraine Diplomacy
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow just days after visiting Ukraine. The meeting, which occurred during Hungary’s EU Council presidency, has been criticized by European leaders for lacking EU authorization and potentially undermining the bloc’s unified stance on Ukraine. European Council President Charles Michel and other officials condemned Orbán’s actions, emphasizing that discussions on Ukraine should include Ukrainian representatives. Orbán defended his visit as an effort to understand the conflict rather than negotiate on behalf of the EU.
Germany’s Third Patriot Air Defense System Arrives in Ukraine
Germany’s third Patriot air defence system arrived in Ukraine, according to the German Ambassador to Kyiv, Martin Jaeger. This system complements the two Patriot batteries previously provided by Germany, with the U.S. also supplying one. The Netherlands and Romania have pledged additional Patriot systems, though their delivery timelines are not yet confirmed.
July 7
New UK Defence Secretary Vows Enhanced Support for Ukraine During Odesa Visit
The UK’s newly appointed Defence Secretary, John Healey, visited Odesa and pledged to intensify support for Ukraine, just 48 hours after taking office. During his visit, Healey announced a new military aid package, including additional artillery guns, 250,000 rounds of ammunition, and nearly 100 precision Brimstone missiles.
July 8
Ukraine and Poland Sign Security Agreement to Enhance Defense Cooperation
Ukraine and Poland signed a comprehensive Security Cooperation Agreement in Warsaw. The agreement, signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, strengthens defence ties by enabling the interception of Russian missiles and drones targeting either country. It includes provisions for Poland to provide additional military aid, including a possible MiG-29 squadron, and establishes the Ukrainian Legion for training in Poland.
July 10
NATO Secretary General Urges West to Continue Ukrainian Support
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenburg calls for the West to continue sending weapons and ammunition to Ukraine at whatever the cost, saying that the outcome of the war will shape global security for decades to come. Biden and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Romania issued a joint statement announcing the delivery of four additional Patriot air defence systems and an additional SAMP-T system to protect Ukrainian cities, civilians and soldiers. They said the US and its allies intend to provide Ukraine with dozens of tactical air defence systems in the coming months, including NASAMS, HAWKs, IRIS T-SLM, IRIS T-SLS and Gepard systems.
July 11
Australia Pledges Its Largest Military Aid Packet to Ukraine
On the sidelines of the NATO Washington Summit, Australia announced its largest military aid package to Ukraine, amounting to $250 million worth of ammunition, air defence and guided missiles, and anti-tank weapons. Support towards Ukraine from Asian-Pacific nations has been increasing as NATO has called out Chinese support of Russia in the war.
July 12
France Permits Use of Its Weapons on Russian Soil
Following the NATO Washington Summit, Emmanuel Bone, the foreign policy advisor of French President Emmanuel Macron, declared that Ukraine is permitted to strike Russia with French-supplied weapons if Russian military targets were mobilized along the border and posing a threat to Ukraine.
July 13
Czechia Ups Amount of Munitions Ukraine Will Recieve for the Remainder of 2024
Czech President Petr Pavel announced that Ukraine would receive 50,000 shells from July to August, with an additional 80,000-100,000 shells expected from September until the end of December. This transfer of munitions to Ukraine comes at an imperative time as Russia heightens its assault in the east of Ukraine.
July 14
Ukraine Signed a Series of Security Agreements and Received Several Aid Packages Following the NATO Summit.
NATO member states issued a Pledge of Long-Term Security Assistance for Ukraine of at least $43 billion that will purchase military equipment for Ukraine; fund the maintenance, logistics, and transportation of military equipment; fund military training for Ukrainian forces; invest in Ukraine’s defence industrial base (DIB); and supply non-lethal aid to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he signed a bilateral security agreement with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Iohaniss announced that Romania will transfer a Patriot air defence system to Ukraine at an unspecified future date. Zelensky and Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden signed a ten-year bilateral security agreement. Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signed a security agreement requiring Poland to train Ukrainian units in Poland and provide Western equipment for the units. Zelensky stated that Ukraine is also negotiating agreements with Czechia, Slovenia, and Ireland.
July 15
Lithuania and Vilnius Combined Heat and Power Plant gave Ukraine Equipment for a Thermal Power Plant.
The energy infrastructure in war-torn Ukraine has been heavily damaged. Rebuilding is essential to ensure that the country’s vital infrastructure continues to operate properly. In response to the critical situation, Ignitis Gamyba is taking significant steps – gifting the equipment from Vilnius Third Combined Heat and Power Plant which will help rebuild the destroyed energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
July 17
Bans Lifted on Ukraine Using Western Weapons Inside of Russia
The United States and other NATO countries recently lifted bans on Ukraine using their weapons inside Russia. Damages to Ukrainian infrastructure and the energy sector have been a facet of Moscow’s war strategy as the war has turned into a battle of attrition. NATO’s allowance for Ukraine to utilise Western weaponry to strike Russian infrastructure away from the frontlines follows recent successful Ukrainian drone strikes in the regions of Tatarstan and Bashkhorstan.
July 18
Increased Economic Pressures Placed Against Russia
The West has increased its economic pressure against Russia. This has included maintaining and expanding sanctions against Russia while also passing new forms of economic restrictions, such as export controls and oil price caps. Most recently, at its June summit in Italy, the G-7 agreed to use profits from frozen Russian sovereign assets to extend Ukraine a $50 billion loan.
July 20
Outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said it was “extremely important” that the United States maintains its backing for Ukraine after former President Donald Trump chose a sceptic of aiding Kyiv as his running mate. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine is well on its way to being militarily independent, noting that more than 20 other countries have pledged to maintain their military and financial aid to the country even if the United States were to withdraw its support under a different president.
July 21
Cybersecurity Threats to NATO Member States
Spanish police said they arrested three people accused of taking part in cyberattacks by a pro-Russian group targeting public institutions and strategic sectors in Spain and other NATO countries. A Civil Guard statement said they were accused of “computer-related offences with terrorist intent” over a string of distributed denial-of-service attacks, which make websites or network resources unavailable by flooding them with malicious traffic.
July 22
Ukraine Foreign Minister Heads to China
Dmytro Kuleba, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine will head to China to discuss sustainable peace efforts and the role of China in ending Russia’s invasion. China is a large economic and political ally of Moscow but denies any support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has not condemned it either. Last year, Beijing proposed a political settlement to the conflict which was approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin but rejected by Western powers as it would allow Russia to maintain most of the territory it has seized in Ukraine.
July 23
Ukrainian Sanctions Against Russian Oil and Gas Company Lukoil
Hungary and Slovakia have asked the European Commission to mediate a consultation procedure with Ukraine, after Kyiv placed Russia’s Lukoil Oil Company on its sanctions list, stopping crude supplies to the two EU countries. Hungary receives 2 million metric tonnes of oil from Russia’s largest private oil company annually. Slovakia imported Russian fossil fuels worth an estimated $351m in April 2024, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
July 24
Hungary Threatens to Block Refunds to European Union
Following the closure of the Druzhba pipeline which carries oil and natural gas from Russia, through Ukraine, and into Hungary, the Hungarian state has started acting erratically. Hungary has now threatened member nations of the European Union with the blocking of receiving refunds for providing Ukraine with munitions following the imposed ban on the transfer of Russian resources.
Russia Calls EU Plan to Use Interest Generated Off of Frozen Russian Assets Theft
US officials are preparing a proposal at the upcoming G7 Summit to get European allies on board with an effort to utilise generated interest of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine in the war and after the war ends with attempts to rebuild. Approximately $260 billion of Russian sovereign assets were seized in February 2022. Support for this proposal is divided across Europe with some states in favour, while other states with closer ties to Russia, such as Hungary, opposed to the idea.
July 26
Ukrainian Foreign Minister and Chinese United Nations Representative Speak Out
Silence has broken following the meeting between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and the Chinese diplomat Fu Cong that occurred last week. Dmytro Kuleba has warned of Russia utilising Hong Kong to bypass Western-imposed sanctions and urges the administration to take action to prevent this from occurring further. Cong, speaking at a UN Security Council maintains Chinese neutrality in the war and calls for a political settlement to the war.
July 27
Finland Suspects Russia Violated NATO Waters
A Russian vessel is suspected of a territorial violation of Finland’s marine area in the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea, the Finnish defence ministry said. The ministry didn’t disclose further details of the incident but the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said, citing information from border officials, that the suspected vessel is the Russian Navy’s hydrographic survey ship, the Mikhail Kazansky. Finland, a NATO member, shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) land border with Russia and acts as the European Union’s external border in the north.
Continued Animosity between Hungary and Ukraine Over Lukoil Pipeline Closure
An aide to Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused Ukraine of blackmailing Hungary and Slovakia by halting oil deliveries. Ukraine last month adopted sanctions blocking the transit of Russian crude through the Druzhba pipeline, sparking fears of fuel shortages. Ukraine’s decision to suspend the transit of oil from Russia’s Lukoil to Hungary and Slovakia was in keeping with its sanctions against the company and had nothing to do with blackmail, Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said.
July 28
Ukraine Attacks Oil Storage Depot in Kursk
Three tanks at an oil storage depot in Russia’s Kursk region caught fire as a result of a Ukraine-launched drone attack, acting regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, said. No one was injured in the attack, and a fire at one of the tanks was quickly extinguished with the help of 82 firefighters and 32 units of equipment.
July 31
Potential Meeting Between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Kyiv had invited China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit the country amid growing dialogue. Spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said work towards a possible future meeting between Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Xi Jinping, who have spoken only once by telephone since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, was constant. Beijing says it is neutral in the war but has not condemned Moscow for its invasion and has deepened ties with Russia in the years since.