Ukraine Denies Fall of Bakhmut As G7 Offers More Military Aid (Worthy News Radio)

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

MOSCOW/HIROSHIMA (Worthy News) – Ukraine’s President Zelensky says Russia does not occupy the embattled city of Bakhmut after Moscow claimed victory. Zelensky spoke at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan, where the United States and other countries offered massive military support.

His insistence that Ukraine still has at least part of Bakhmut came after Moscow and the Russian Wagner mercenary group claimed to have captured the eastern city.

Earlier, Zelensky appeared to concede Bakhmut had finally fallen to Russian forces following an eight-month battle, which was the bloodiest in the war.

But speaking at a press conference during the Group of Seven or G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, he clarified that the Battle for Bakhmut continues. “Today, they fulfill a very important task. They are in Bakhmut as of today. In which locations exactly, I won’t tell you. But this means that Bakhmut is not conquered by the Russian Federation of today. There can’t be any other interpretation of this.”

The battle for Bakhmut is believed to have claimed as many as 100,000 casualties and razed the city. While its strategic significance has been disputed, Bakhmut became a symbol of the clashes in Europe’s most significant conflict since World War Two.

Following Russia’s victory claim, the Kremlin already said those who distinguished themselves in the battle would receive state awards.

The fighting in Ukraine overshadowed the G7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, which was nearly wiped off the map when the U.S. dropped the world’s first atomic bomb here near the end of World War Two.

MILITARY AID PACKAGE

The G7 nations expressed their support for Ukraine, including the United States, which announced its 38th military package for Ukraine, this one worth $375 million.

President Joe Biden stressed that the U.S. would not waver in supporting Ukraine. “Today, I am announcing the next tranche of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine,” said Biden, who held bilateral talks with Zelensky. “The package includes more ammunition, artillery, and armored vehicles to bolster Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities. And the United States continues to help Ukraine respond to recover and rebuild. And we are also supporting your pursuit for a just peace as one aspect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Biden explained.

In response, President Zelensky made clear that the delivery of U.S. weapons would help achieve victory as he prepared a counter-offensive to Russia’s invasion of his country. “I want to thank you for your help, leadership, for your support. And really for this new package,” said Zelensky sitting beside Biden. “Thank you very much on behalf of our people. And I am very happy that, you know, we have such strong relations between our people during these challenges. And we go shoulder to shoulder [in this battle]; I am very thankful,” the Ukrainian leader added.

Washington earlier gave allies the green light to provide fighter planes, including F-16s, to Ukraine.

Also, at the G7, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called China the “biggest challenge of our age.”

Beijing had unveiled a peace plan for Ukraine while maintaining close ties with Russia. Sunak described China’s behavior, however, as increasingly “authoritarian” at home and “assertive” abroad.

The G7 comprises the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. However, eight other nations were invited this year as part of broader efforts to meet the challenges of this volatile world.

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