What to remember from Tuesday July 16

Russia reacted with suspicion to the peace summit called by Ukraine the day before and announced that it would restrict access to localities in the Belgorod region.

An invitation that leaves Russia skeptical. The Kremlin reacted cautiously on Tuesday, July 16, to the remarks of Volodymyr Zelensky, who the day before opened the door to talks with Moscow, during the next peace summit. Russia also announced that it was restricting access to border areas with Ukraine, in the Belgorod region, due to regular bombings by the Kiev army. Here is what to remember from Tuesday.

Moscow to restrict access to border areas

This is an admission of failure on the part of Moscow. The Russian region of Belgorod will restrict access to 14 localities near the border with Ukraine from July 23 because of regular bombings by Kiev’s army, its governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, announced. Two and a half months ago, the Russian army launched an offensive partly to stop the strikes on this region.

Although Russian forces have conquered some Ukrainian localities in this area, they have never managed to create the buffer zone desired by Vladimir Putin, nor to break through Ukrainian defenses. According to kyiv, Russian forces have suffered very heavy losses.

“We have already lost many civilians, we have many wounded, and our task is of course to take maximum security measures.”Vyacheslav Gladkov admitted.“Checkpoints will be set up at the entrance to (these) localities and representatives of the security forces will be posted there,” he detailed. The official also specified that public transport“including taxis, will be banned” in these areas.

Russia doubts Volodymyr Zelensky’s invitation to peace summit

The Kremlin reacted cautiously to the remarks of Volodymyr Zelensky, who opened the door to talks with Russia the day before. The Ukrainian president had assured on Monday to be in favour of Moscow’s presence at a future peace summitafter that organized in Switzerlandmid-June. It brought together dozens of leaders, but Russia was excluded.

“The first peace summit was not a peace summit at all. So, obviously, we first need to understand what it [Volodymyr Zelensky] “means by that”Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Zvezda TV channel.

kyiv and Prague agree to produce weapons

Ukraine and Czech arms companies have signed agreements to produce assault rifles and ammunition on Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal announced from Prague. “It is important to supply our army now,” he said about a first agreement with the Sellier & Bellot group which is to build “a munitions factory in Ukraine”.

“The second agreement concerns the production of assault rifles in Ukraine by Colt CZ Group”he added alongside his Czech counterpart, Petr Fiala. No precise timetable has been communicated immediately.

EU wants to continue to make aid to Ukraine a priority

Some 20 EU member states have warned Budapest that support for Ukraine must remain a priority for the European bloc, with some expressing “anger” And “disappointment” after the trip of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Moscow. The tone has risen in recent days between the European institutions and the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, held since July 1 by Hungary.

“The fact that Viktor Orban went to see Putin in Moscow is an insult, not only to Ukraine, but to all the other 26 member states”declared the Swedish Minister of Finance, Elisabeth Svantesson. “The Hungarian presidency began with a diplomatic lone trooper that we received with great disappointment”also launched his German counterpart Christian Lindner.