The Russian invasion

Vladimir Putin, stock photo. Alexander Kazakov / AP

   

Russian invasionRussian reactions  

Frustrated Kremlin reportedly has plans to stop aid to Kyiv - aiming to influence elections  

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is watching the American political debate closely and intends to eventually try to end both European and American aid to Ukraine, American officials told the New York Times. 

 

The Kremlin is said to be frustrated with how the US and Europe stood united behind Kyiv, and according to the sources, the Russian plan is likely to try to influence both national elections and next year's EU elections with the help of the intelligence services. 

 

The American assessment is that Russian failure could lead to the country's influence attempts escalating further, for example in the form of covert operations on European soil or increased financial support to pro-Russian parties.  

 

 

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Sean Kilpatrick/AP  

 

The Russian invasion. The outside world's response

"Signs of waning support have Putin rubbing his hands" 

 

Clouds of worry are gathering for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. This is what Sydsvenskan's Olle Lönnaeus writes in an analysis.  

 

"New signs that support from the West may fail have Vladimir Putin rubbing his hands." 

 

He cites ominous signs such as the pro-Russian swing in Slovakia and increased resistance among Republicans in the US to pour billions into the war.  

 

"Faltering support can become the West's worst nightmare", also notes Aftonbladet's Wolfgang Hansson. 

 

Ukraine must be able to demonstrate success on the battlefield before the end of the year, he believes.  

 

"Otherwise, the risk is obvious that Putin will end up pulling the trigger.  

 

In DN, Karin Eriksson writes that the American people's patience with the war effort is running out and that "soldiers on the battlefield in Europe may have to pay the price [...]" for the budget storm in the US Congress.

 

Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M)/Image from the meeting in Kyiv yesterday, where Billström was not present. TT  

 

The Russian invasion|The response of the outside world 

Billström missed the meeting in Kyiv - must have forgotten his passport  

 

Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M) did not attend the summit in Kyiv on Monday. The reason was that he forgot his passport, diplomatic sources told the Austrian daily Die Presse.  

 

According to the informants, the minister was stopped at the Polish-Ukrainian border and was therefore forced to forego the eight-hour train journey to the Ukrainian capital. 

 

Billström's press secretary Tom Samuelsson confirms that the minister did not attend the meeting.  

 

"There was a logistical obstacle, otherwise we do not comment on details about the Prime Minister's travels," he writes in a text message to Omni.  

 

Yesterday, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell described the meeting as "historic" because it was the first time that all 27 foreign ministers of the EU met in a country that is not part of the union. However, Billström was not the only one who missed the meeting. The foreign ministers of Latvia and Poland were ill with covid-19, according to the newspaper.  

 

 

Illustration image Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP  

 

The Russian invasion|The response of the outside world   

Burger King remains in Russia despite promise to leave  

 

Hamburger chain Burger King's restaurants are still open as usual in Russia, despite the owner promising to leave over a year ago.  

The BBC reports.  

- No new updates, says Restaurant Brands International, which owns 15 percent of Burger King's business in Russia, to the BBC regarding a possible exit from the market.  

 

The RBI already announced in March 2022 that it had started a process to leave Russia. The company believes that complicated franchise agreements made it difficult to withdraw, according to the channel.