Russia-Ukraine war updates for June 21, 2022
Macron and NATO’s Stoltenberg speak ahead of leaders summit next week
France’s President Emmanuel Macron attends a news conference with Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany May 9, 2022.
Lisi Niesner | Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the NATO summit in Madrid next week.
Macron told Stoltenberg that he wanted to speak to Turkish President Recep Erdogan regarding Ankara’s position on Finland and Sweden joining the NATO alliance, according to an Elysee Palace readout.
“Macron reiterated his support for Finland and Sweden in their sovereign choice to join the alliance and underlined that they are close partners with robust defense capabilities, which will thus contribute to strengthening the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area,” according to the readout.
The two also discussed Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine and Macron’s trip last week alongside other EU leaders to Ukraine.
— Amanda Macias
U.S. reiterates commitment to NATO alliance following Kremlin threats lobbed at Lithuania
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, U.S., February 23, 2022.
Tom Brenner | Reuters
The State Department reiterated U.S. commitment to NATO on the heels of Kremlin threats directed at Lithuania.
Last week, Lithuania which shares a border with Russia, announced it would block entry by rail of all EU-sanctioned goods coming from mainland Russia.
Moscow warned it would respond to Lithuania’s blocking of certain goods and called the measure “openly hostile.”
“Lithuania is a member of the NATO alliance and we stand by the commitments that we have made to the NATO alliance and that includes of course, a commitment to Article Five that is the bedrock of the NATO alliance,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said during a daily press briefing.
“Lithuania has been a stalwart partner, we stand by NATO, we stand by our NATO allies and we stand by Lithuania,” Price added.
— Amanda Macias
Germany risks recession as Russian gas crisis deepens
In what appears to mark a major policy shift, Germany has called for EU talks on whether to impose an import ban on Russian gas deliveries.
Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
Germany faces certain recession if faltering Russian gas supplies stop completely, an industry body warned, and Italy said it would consider offering financial backing to help companies refill gas storage to avoid a deeper crisis in winter.
European Union states from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Adriatic in the south have outlined measures to cope with a supply crisis after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine put energy at the heart of an economic battle between Moscow and the West.
The EU relied on Russia for as much as 40% of its gas needs before the war — rising to 55% for Germany — leaving a huge gap to fill in an already tight global gas market. Some countries have responded by temporarily reversing plans to shut coal power plants.
Gas prices have hit record levels, driving a surge in inflation and adding to challenges for policymakers trying…
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