Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has accused Andy Burnham of wanting the conflict in Ukraine to continue, lumping the UK prime minister and Finnish president Alexander Stubb into the “party of war.” Because nothing says ‘peace’ like insulting the people trying to end your war.
During a visit to Kyiv yesterday, Stubb voiced support for Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian territory, arguing they could raise the cost of war for Moscow and nudge it to the negotiating table. Peskov fired back: “We now see that such escalatory statements have prevailed. Mr Stubb is also a prominent representative of the ‘war party’, along with the British prime minister. They have distinguished themselves over the past few days with such bellicose statements. They want the war to continue.”
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday that Ukraine has received a small number of US-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles. Reuters reports the country also got confirmation of future supplies of the French Crotale surface-to-air missile system. Zelenskyy, ever the tease, didn’t say how many arrived or who supplied them. He was speaking to Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspilne.
In other diplomatic news, Moscow’s foreign ministry rejected accusations by France that Russia conducted a cyberattack campaign against European countries, saying Paris was trying to revive the “myth of a ‘Russian threat.’” Because in 2024, who needs myths when you have reality?
Vatican envoy Paul Gallagher met Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, where he said “The Ukrainian war must end” and the pair discussed “avenues for pursuing lasting and just peace in Ukraine.” The world needed diplomacy “more than ever”, Gallagher said, presumably while dodging the irony of meeting in Moscow.
A US military transport aircraft, a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, landed in Moscow this morning, according to Tass. It departed from Joint Base Andrews near Washington on Sunday, transited Riga in Latvia, and touched down at about 10am local time. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, ever the wellspring of information, had no information about it. The last time a US jet flew to Russia from Europe was in January, when special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin for peace talks. But this time, no comment.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke out for the first time about the attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport earlier this month. A small drone carrying explosives was found at Leipzig/Halle airport, a major cargo and military logistics hub that handles aid shipments to Ukraine. The incident forced several flights to divert, and a bomb disposal robot defused the device. Merz said Germany has “increasingly come into the crosshairs of hybrid attackers” and that perpetrators “will pay for it.” He didn’t name suspects, but local media, citing security sources, have reported potential Russian involvement. Shocking.
In other news, at least 35,000 more people died during Europe’s record-breaking heatwaves this summer than would normally be expected. Provisional figures covering barely half the continent show excess mortality in Germany, France, and Spain has already exceeded 25,000. Experts warn the toll will rise once August totals are consolidated. Because why have one crisis when you can have two?
Zelenskyy has been busy on X, thanking world leaders for their independence day wishes. To King Charles and Queen Camilla, he wrote a heartfelt message about Ukraine’s history, culture, and unyielding national spirit. To Donald Trump, he said the president’s congratulations lifted spirits “much like the sound of a Patriot PAC-3 launch.” Because nothing says ‘thanks for the kind words’ like a pointed reminder that you need missiles.
In his first international trip as prime minister, Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv yesterday, announcing the UK will release blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, allowing Ukraine to work with France to produce its own version. “Ukraine has been Europe’s protector, not a drain on our security, but the frontline of keeping Europe safe,” Burnham said.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Burnham said he would travel to New York next month to join European leaders lobbying Trump to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles. He was “really optimistic” that Ukraine’s interceptor shortage was “fixable”, but added: “There are other players who could help in the mix who we have influence with. It’s probably going to be a solution that involves a lot of layers and a lot of negotiation.”
European council president António Costa is on his way to Slovakia for talks with prime minister Robert Fico, who hasn’t been as forthcoming on military aid to Ukraine. Russia’s foreign minister hosted the Vatican’s most senior diplomat for talks described as “a mission of dialogue and peace.” German chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a crucial test at the polls next month, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surging ahead of state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September.