Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy condemns trip to 'capital of war'

Ukraine's government has proposed its first wartime tax hike to raise billions of dollars in new funds for weapons and military salaries as the war with Russia nears the 29-month mark.

The government approved draft amendments to the 2024 budget law that would increase defense spending by 495.3 billion hryvnias (€10.9 billion, or $11.9 billion), government officials and lawmakers said.

Previously, Ukraine had targeted defense spending of about 1.7 trillion hryvnias for 2024. The changes still need to be approved by parliament and signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before they take effect.

The government also proposed raising taxes and other levies, ranging from a war tax paid by residents to the introduction of additional duties on some imports and an increase in excise duties on fuel.

Leaders from all over Europe expressed their support for Ukraine at the summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in the UK. The venue for the  meeting, Blenheim Palace, was the birthplace of Britain's World War II Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the leaders were gathering "as a new storm gathers over our continent."

He called on Europe to do more to support Ukraine against Russia. "Our first task here today is to confirm our steadfast support for Ukraine, to unite once again behind those values that we cherish and to say we will face down aggression on this continent together," Starmer said, adding that the threat from Russia "reaches right across Europe," the prime minister said.

"Every day Ukraine fights affects not just the Ukrainian people, but the European people," Starmer said. "A continent where our belief in freedom, democracy and the rule of law was hard won and that wants to live in peace." 

His push for closer cooperation comes against the backdrop of the possible election of Donald Trump, who, along with his new running mate, JD Vance, has suggested cutting US support for Ukraine and leaving Europe to pick up the slack.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attended an EPC meeting for the first time, as did the heads of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe. "We will not be coerced. We will continue to support Ukraine," Stoltenberg said.

The brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron, the EPC was set up in 2022 as a forum for countries both inside and outside the 27-nation EU in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which shattered Europe's sense of security.

Moscow says Russia would consider any plans to set up a permanent presence of NATO warships in the Black Sea as a threat, given the alliance's involvement in the Ukraine war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented when asked by reporters about Ukraine's new maritime security strategy. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had spoken about ensuring Russia's navy does not dominate the Black Sea.

"Of course, the concentrated presence of NATO ships — we are paying attention to Bulgaria and Romania, the coastal states that are members of the [NATO] alliance — of course this represents, especially in the current situation, an additional threat to Russia," Peskov told reporters.

"Of course, Russia will take all necessary measures to ensure its own security."

The General Staff of Ukraine's military has reported intense attacks on the frontline in the eastern Donetsk region.

In a morning report on Thursday, the military said attacks had been heavy near the small town of Toretsk.

Other attacks were heavy in Pokrovsk, where Russian troops have been advancing slowly since the capture of the town of Avdiivka in February. 

In total, the general staff reported 144 Russian attack attempts since Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, Kyiv's forces have abandoned positions in the village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region, a Ukrainian military spokesman was quoted as saying by the broadcaster Suspilne.

"As the enemy destroyed almost everything in Urozhaine, the defense forces withdrew to other positions. A decision was made to preserve the lives and health of our servicemen who were maintaining defense there," Nazar Voloshin said.

There were also reports that Ukrainian forces have had to abandon the village of Kalynivka near the town of Chasiv Yar, although Kyiv has yet to confirm this. 

Ukraine says its defensive positions near the village of Krynky on the southeastern side of the Dnipro River in the southern Kherson region have been destroyed. 

However, Kyiv said its troops were continuing operations there.

A military spokesman spoke after Ukrainian media reported that the army had ended a precarious bridgehead mission in the village.

"Ukraine's defense forces are continuing to carry out combat missions on the left bank of the Dnipro river, including in the Krynky area," the spokesman, Dmytro Lykhoviy, said on state television.

"However, it is true that most of the main positions of Ukrainian troops in this village have been completely destroyed as a result of intense, combined, long-term enemy fire," he added.

Lykhoviy said Krynky had been "completely destroyed" and reduced to rubble by Russian attacks.

"It is not a settlement anymore. It's a place where it is virtually impossible to maintain defenses," he said.

"Besides Krynky, we have other bridgeheads, and combat work on the left bank of the Dnipro River is continuing."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has slammed any efforts to reach a deal with Moscow on Ukraine that do not involve Kyiv, after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Addressing his counterparts at the European Political Community summit in Britain, the Ukrainian leader called for "unity" in support of Ukraine.

"For us it's very important to maintain unity in Europe because always this unity leads to strong decisions," Zelenskyy said at the summit venue, Blenheim Palace near Oxford.

Orban visited Moscow on July 5 as part of what he described as a peace mission.

"If someone in Europe tries to resolve issues behind others backs or even at the expense of someone else, if someone wants to make some trips to the capital of war to talk and perhaps promise something against our common interests or at the expense of Ukraine or other countries, then why should we consider such a person?" Zelenskyy said. 

"The EU and NATO can also address all their issues without this one individual." 

Upon his arrival at the summit, Orban told reporters in English when asked about his message to Ukraine: "We are with you." 

However, he added: "It is impossible to find a solution on the battlefield." 

The gathering takes place at what Zelenskyy has described as a "tough period" for Ukraine, with the Kremlin's invading forces making steady gains.  

rc/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)