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holds the EU presidency until the end of June, has been pushing for a solution to this issue in recent weeks. An intergovernmental conference with a candidate country marks the formal start of accession negotiations, which usually takes years. EU ambassadors are expected to return to this issue on June 7 with the possibility of a political decision.
Ukraine is preparing for the first conference on Ukraine's accession to the EU. Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Oleksiy Ryabchyn, said that all of Ukraine's demands are contained in 33 negotiating chapters, compiled into six clusters. In addition to Ukraine, Moldova and several Balkan countries will participate in the EU accession conference. "During the negotiations, the parties will agree on which laws to implement in 2025-2030," Ryabchyn added. He says the toughest negotiations will be on government procurement in Ukraine. The official added that the government is forming a negotiation group of 33 deputy ministers, one from each ministry. It should be noted that earlier, on June 6, at a special meeting of the Committee on the Integration of Ukraine into the EU, the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna, stated that Ukraine has fulfilled all the required tasks to begin the negotiations on joining the EU. By the end of June, the European Commission will approve the negotiating framework and hold the first intergovernmental conference.
Biden administration officially lifts US Congress ban on arming, funding & training of neo-Nazi-led Azov brigade: "US lifts weapons ban on Ukrainian military unit. The decision was made following a State Department review of the Azov Brigade, a one-time militia now part of Ukraine’s National Guard. The Azov Brigade, known for its tenacious but ultimately unsuccessful defence of the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol early in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is regarded as a particularly effective fighting force. But it was barred about a decade ago from using American arms because US officials determined that some of its founders espoused racist, xenophobic and ultranationalist views, and UN human rights officials accused the group of humanitarian violations."
Ukrainians are sitting on 10-12 trillion dollars of critical minerals - US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham "They could be the richest country in all of Europe. I don't want to give that money and assets to Putin to share with China. If we help Ukraine now, they could be the best business partner we've ever dreamed of," he said.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, during the former's visit to Berlin on June 11. During the meeting, the two presidents discussed "the security situation in Ukraine and the current needs amid Russian attacks against the Ukrainian energy infrastructure and military operations along the front." Zelenskiy and Steinmeier also discussed "Ukraine's expectations from the results of the inaugural peace summit," which will take place in Switzerland on June 15-16.
Russia wants to seize and share $10-12T of mineral deposits in Ukraine and share them with China. American Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that the US should contribute to Ukraine's victory in the war to prevent the Russian Federation, together with China, from gaining access to important minerals located in Ukrainian territory. The senator stated that Ukraine has critical mineral reserves worth $10-12T. "They could be the richest
30 UKRAINE Country Report July 2024 www.intellinews.com