The essentials in brief:
US interim budget without aid to Ukraine
Biden: US support must not be interrupted
Borrell assures Ukraine of EU support
Russian drones over central Ukraine
Zelensky: Ukraine wants to become an arms producer
A transitional budget is now in effect in the USA, which does not contain any further aid for Ukraine. A few hours before an impending budget freeze, the US Congress averted a so-called shutdown. The Senate voted by a wide majority in favor of a text previously passed by the House of Representatives that ensures funding for federal authorities until November 17th, but does not contain any additional aid to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden signed the interim budget into force shortly before the midnight (local time) deadline.
Biden calls for further aid to Ukraine
Immediately after the Senate vote, Biden called on Congress to release new funding for Kyiv in a separate bill. “Under no circumstances can we allow American aid to Ukraine to be interrupted,” the president warned. The Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, must keep his commitment to “the Ukrainian people” and get new aid through the chamber of Congress.
The vote in the Senate prevented a budget freeze three hours before the deadlineImage: Senate Television via AP/picture alliance
With the Senate vote with a majority of 88 votes in favor and nine against, a budget freeze was prevented just three hours before the crucial deadline. If Democrats and Republicans hadn’t reached an agreement at the last minute – which it looked like for a long time – the shutdown would have come into force at midnight (local time) at the beginning of the new fiscal year – hundreds of thousands of state employees would then have been sent on unpaid compulsory leave and numerous public institutions would have had to be closed.
Budget dispute kept Washington in suspense
The budget dispute had kept Washington in suspense for weeks. The focus was on right-wing hardliners among the Republicans in the House of Representatives who are demanding massive spending cuts – and are also opposing the new $24 billion (22.7 billion euros) in aid to Ukraine called for by Biden. The opposition Republicans make up the majority in the House of Representatives, while the Senate is controlled by Biden’s Democrats.
EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell in the southern Ukrainian port city of OdessaImage: Josep Borrell/X/Aton Chile/IMAGO
Cargo ships heading to Ukrainian ports
According to data, five ships are on their way to the Ukrainian Black Sea ports to load grain and other agricultural products from there. This emerges from data from the MarineTraffic website. Accordingly, three cargo ships also left the ports after loading. According to Ukrainian information, they are supposed to bring 127,000 tons of agricultural products and iron ore to China, Egypt and Spain.
In August, the cargo ship “Joseph Schulte” left the port of OdessaImage: Ukraine’s Infrastructure Ministry Press Office/ AP/picture alliance
In August, Ukraine announced a so-called humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea through which cargo ships that have been stuck since the start of the war in February 2022 will leave Ukrainian ports. A de facto blockade exists because Russia suspended the agreement that guaranteed the safe passage of such freighters carrying Ukrainian grain in July. This blockage should be bypassed through the corridor.
Ukraine – the war and the wheat
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Borrell visits Odessa and assures Ukraine of support
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has assured Ukraine of continued European support in the war against Russia. “We as the European Union support Ukraine in its fight to restore its territorial integrity,” said the Spaniard in the port city of Odessa. There he visited the Transfiguration Cathedral, which was badly damaged in a Russian attack. It’s about military, economic, political and diplomatic support, said Borrell.
The highest EU diplomat once again made serious accusations against Russian President Vladimir Putin for terminating the agreement that allowed Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea despite the war. The move will mean that many people around the world will no longer have anything to eat and will go hungry, said Borrell. He pointed out that Ukraine was until recently the largest grain supplier to the United Nations World Food Program.
Russian drones over central Ukraine
Ukraine says it shot down 16 of around 30 Russian drones during the night. The authorities said the attack targeted the central Ukrainian region of Cherkassy. Unfortunately, there were hits on industrial infrastructure in the city of Uman, said provincial governor Ihor Taburez on the Telegram news platform. Fire broke out in grain warehouses.
Zelensky: Ukraine wants to become an arms producer
Meanwhile, in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, 252 companies from more than 30 countries came together at an international arms forum. Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyj announced the establishment of a defense industry alliance that would be joined by 38 companies from 19 countries, including Germany.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj at the 1st International Defense Industry Forum in KievImage: PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE
In his evening video message, he spoke of a very successful meeting that was intended to help make the country a world-leading arms producer. The priority is the development of a modern defense industry in Ukraine, said Zelensky. Rockets, drones and artillery shells, as well as tank technology and effective anti-aircraft systems, will be produced in collaboration with leading companies, he said. The members of the alliance should build an arsenal together with Ukraine.
rb/as/nob (AFP, AP, dpa, epd, KNA, Reuters)
This article will be continually updated on the day it is published. Reports from combat zones cannot be independently verified.