Global Courant
Moscow’s combat position in the war in Ukraine will not be affected by the loss of troops from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, a senior Russian defense official said.
Wagner forces were integral to Moscow’s advance into Kiev before the group staged an attempted insurgency late last month, irreconcilably damaging relations with the Kremlin’s top military.
The failed uprising drove Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin into exile in Belarus and the militia said it has now suspended recruitment as it moves into the country.
Members of the Wagner group watch from a military vehicle in Rostov-on-Don late on June 24, 2023.
Roman Romokhov | AFP | Getty Images
Elsewhere, a new center for the prosecution of aggression will open in Ukraine on Monday, strengthening the capabilities of the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court, which is limited in its mandate to prosecute crimes of aggression.
The ICC already has outstanding arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and a top aide for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. More than 700,000 Ukrainian minors have crossed the Russian border in recent years, a senior Russian official said over the weekend, reiterating the Kremlin’s position that it shelters these children.
As further evidence of solidarity with Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Kyiv on 1 July, the first day his country assumed the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
