The war in Ukraine continues to escalate on its 971st day, with significant developments occurring on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has called on allies to confront North Korea’s involvement in the conflict, claiming that up to 12,000 North Korean troops are set to join the fighting. Ukrainian intelligence expects these forces to arrive in Russia’s Kursk region. In other news, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Kostin has resigned amidst a scandal involving officials abusing their positions to avoid military service.
On the financial front, Russia is seeking increased cooperation with BRICS members at a meeting in Kazan, while Estonia urges NATO to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2025. The European Parliament has approved using frozen Russian assets to lend 35 billion euros to Ukraine, drawing accusations of economic crime from Moscow. Meanwhile, the US plans to contribute $20bn to a $50bn G7 loan package for Ukraine and may announce new sanctions targeting Russian weapons procurement.
Diplomatically, Indian PM Modi has expressed a desire for peace in Ukraine to Russian President Putin, while UK PM Starmer accuses Putin of harming vulnerable populations with attacks on food shipments. Poland has closed a Russian consulate and expelled its staff after discovering Russian involvement in recruiting individuals for arson attacks in the EU and US.
As the world continues to respond to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, these developments illustrate the complex and far-reaching implications of the war on the global stage.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
